Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1873-12-05
ssYou will fall into the river if yo

do not"
"Becky was silent for several mo
ments, while their unwieldy raft whirl
ed along in the current, rolling from
side to side, and threatening every in
slant to turn completely over and til
them off. At last she said:
"What are we to do?'
''I think, now that I am started,
shall go on to New Orleans" he re
piled.
s'To New Orleans exclaimed Becky
cit is hundred miles!"
eyes, and a chance of a free passage
for such distance is not to be neg
lected. You can go ashore if you pre-
fer"
She burst into tears.
''You are cruel" she said, ''to treat
me So"
''Cruel!'' exclaimed Fred, drawing
her closely to him quickly-"cruel to
you?'
There was no help for it, and she a.
gain relapsed into silence, quite con.
tent, apparently, to remain in Fred's
arms, and eyincing now no disposition
to rebel. For once in her life she was
dependent on man.
81 want to go to New Orleans" con-
tinued Fred, after pause, ''because
there is young lady of my acquain-
tance residing there whom I have an
intention of inviting to this neighbor.
hood"
"Ohw .
''If we don't go to New Orleans, and
if we get safely out of this scrape,
shall write for her to come here any
way"
ssAhw
81 shall obtain board for her in ST.
Jean, which will be convenient for me
as long as remain your fathers guest
I can ride over after breakfast every
morning, you know"
''She is an intimate friend, then,''
said Becky.
81 expect to marry her before long,
he replied.
= ~
posed to me this morning"
eyes, but you refused me. 1 told
you then you would never have anoth-
er chance"
Becky was silent again. tits mat
ter of some doubt whether, had Fred
at that moment, sitting astride that
cottonwood long with his feet in the
water and his arm around her waist,
proposed to her a second time, she
would have accepted him or not. To
be sure marvellous change had come
over Beeky's feelings since her tumble
into river. She felt just then that one
strong arm like that which supported
her was worth thousand old and de-
crepit planters, and she recognized the
fact that man who could talk SO cool
ly and uneoncernedly in situation Of
such extreme peril was one of no ordi-
nary courage. But she was not yet
quite prepared to give up her golden
dreams. The dross was not quite wash
ed out of her soul, and she did not know
how much she loved Fred Eckerson.
Besides she did not half believe him.
Their clumsy vessel foated on, now
root-frst, now sideways, and now half
submerged beneath the boiling current.
Their precarious hold became more un-
certain as their frames became chilled
by the cold water and every plunge OF
the log threatened to cast them once
more into the river. In vain Fred en-
deavored to attract the attention ofsome
one on the shore. The cottonwood
retained course nearly in the middle
of the stream, too far from either bank
to render their outcries of much avail.
AS it grew dark, their situation seem
ed more and more hopeless, and to
Becky there appeared to be no escape
from certain death, either by drown
ing in the darkness or by exhaustion
before daybreak.
Yet to die in this mans arms seem
ed not wholly a terror. She could
hardly think, if death must come, OF
any way in which she would rather
meet it. Was it possible she loved him
and must needs be brought within the
Valley of the Shadow before she could
know her heart! Had she loved him
all along? While she was thinking
about it, chilled by the night air, she
fell asleep. When she awoke the stars
were out, but she was warm and com.
Portable. Raising her head, she found
herself enyeloped in Fred's coat.
EtFredp'
"Wellp
HVo,, have robbod 1,o,,roo1f IL -.