The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1873-09-11
"Where am l." asked Becky sbiv

! -. sAS hh&oatO Ot tLfO III
sissiIppi," replied Fred, sand you are
IN the fork of Q cottonwood tree, and
you are voyaging toward the Gull
OF Mexico, just as fsst as this freshet
Can carry YOU"
How came you here 2"
I'm the same conveyance an your.
sell, Miss Becky. In fact you and
and the trre all came together. ito
say nothing of . portion of your faith.
ers plantation, which, I fear 10 lost
TO him forever" .'-',, :
Becky was silent, she was thinking
not Of the accident of their perilons
position, but of her appearance when
she wss lying asleep on the grass.
"how long were you there before
this happened ?" she asked.
"As long as you were. was up in
the tree when you csme."
"You had no right there" she
said, coloring-"a spy upon my
movements"
Nonsense" he replied. "You in.
tsrruPted my privacy, and while you
slept l watched over you, like the
sweet cherub that sits up sloft."
"Thank you for yoar service" she
said sweetiy.
"You snored awfully."
"Mr. Eckerson, remove your arm
from my waist"
"Then put yours around nv neck. -
"Indeed / shall do no such
thing"
"You will fall into the river il you
do not {"
Becky vas silent for several mo.
ments, while their unwieldy raft float.
ed along in the current, rolling from
side to side, and threatening evel y
instant to turn completely over and
tip them of. At last she said.
"Whst are We to do Pa
IL think now that I am started, I
shall 60 on to New Orleans" he re-
piled.
"To New Orleans Z" exclaimed
Becky. at is . hundred miles I"
| eyes and the chance of . free pas.
sage for such . distance is not TO be
neglected. You can 60 ashore if you
prefer"
She burst into tears.
"Yoa are cruel = she said, "to
treat me so."
"Cruel " exclaimed Fred, drawing
her closer to him,-''cruel to you 2"
"There was no help for It, and
she again relapsed into silence,
quite content apparently to remain in
Fred's arms, and evincing now NO
disposition to rebel. For once in her
life she was dependent on q man.
II want to 60 to New Orleans. /"
continued Fred after . pause, "be.
cause there 10 9 young lady Of my
acquaintance residing there, whom /
have some intention Of inviting into
this neig ghborhood."
"Oh p
"If We don't 60 to New Orleans
and 1t we get safe out Of this scrape,
l shall write for her to come any
way"
"Ahw
III shall obtain board for her at the
ST. Jesu which will be conyenien.
for me 40 long - / remain your faith.
er's guest. / can ride over eysry
morning after breakfast, you see."
"She 10 an intimate friend then, {,
said Becky.
"Y es, | expect to marry her be
fore long," he replied.
"Marry her! Why you proposed tc
! me this morning"
eyes, Uu. ycD refused me. told
you then that you wouia never have
another chance"
Becky was silent again. /, was
matter Of some doubt whether, hat
Fred at that moment, sitting astrids
that cottonwood log with his feet II
the water and his arm around heI
waist, proposed to her second time
she would have refused him or not
10 be sure marvellous change had
come over Becky's feelings since hel
tumble into the river. She felt tha,
one strong arm like that which sup
ported her was worth q thousand
old and deorepit planters, and she
recognized the fact that q men tha
could talk so cooliy in q situation
of suoh extreme peril, was one of nc
ordinary courage. But she was no,
yet quite prepared to give up bel
golden dreams. The dross was MOI
yet quite washed out of her soul, and
she did not know how much she
loved Fred Eckerson, besides she
did not halt believe him.
Their clumsy vessel floated on
now root first, sideways. and now
half submerged by the boiling eur.
rent. Their precarious hold became
more uncertain 80 their frames be-
oane chilled by the cold water, and
every plunge of the log threatened te
cast them once more into the river
In vain Fred tried to attract the At
tention Of some one on the shore, bu,
the cottonwood retained Q course toe
near the middle of the stream to rem
der their outcries of much avail. Al
it grew dark, their situation seemed
more helpless, and to Becky there
appeared to be no escape from GER
tain death, either by drowning in the
darkness or by exhaustion before
dsybreak.
Yet to die in this mans arms seem
ed NOT wholly . terror. She could
hardly think, if death must come, O,
any way in which she would rather
meet it. Was it possible that shs
really loved him, and must needs be
brought within the valley of the
shadows before she knew her heart
Had she loved him all along? While
she was thinking about il, chilled by
the exposure of the night air, she fell
asleep. When she awoks the stars
we're out, but she was warm and
comfortable. Raising her head she
found herself enveloped in Fred'i
coat.
"Fred I" "
"Welli" ........s
"Youhsve robbed yourself to kept
me warm. You are freezing"
"No I sin't. I took 1t of because
it vas SO awful hot" and taking out
bis handkerchief with his disengsged
hand, he made prstense of wiping
the perspiration from bis brow.
"How long have I been asleep ?"
"About three hours. We are DRIFT.
ing ashore now" '@
"Shsll We be saved ?" ns
I" 81 don't know. Put your srms
around my neck; for I'm going 70
take mine away.
Becky did this TINA a. aha vrs. h;a