Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-10-17
4 LAGGARD IN LOVE.
TIE Hero of tie Ice Drift.


once, When PTaCtiCing with his oars on the
river above them. lie had saved party of ANA
tSuI hshetIaeh rom oelhg d&sheI 20 pieces on
their rocks. John Marsden was brave enough
in that way. But when he came into the pre-
sence of Bessie Alden every particle OF courage
IN ms heart COED away. de loved and feared
70 speak. The repetition OF some funny re-
paTtee, which that iaughabie Sir. Erwin had
told the evening before, depressed him as a re-
minder OF = brighter and more laxative rival.
And when the rivals met OF an evening in the
presence OF the charming beauty Fred. Er wins
aUdscity fingered John ;.his witty repartGe which
provoked the merry laughter OF Bessie WAS AZ
gall 20 the ssdate lover; and his light touch ap1n
the piano, and the mellow voice with which he
sang some sentimental song directing ii with
his i'm Udent eyes at Bessie eTself, stang John
with sense OF despair over lis own ability to
shine IN these lighter acts dear To the heart OF
woman. What hope had John Marsden against
Fuch an unCOnIuerable WOOer2 And yet his
heart refused to yield up all hope, and ne lived
on, resolving and temp0riZing, and finding 3
pleasure that he dared not risk even in the
privilege OF hoping.
Old M. Alden was a shrewd observer, an oc-
cOsionaily he gave his daughter Bessie the
benefit OF his views on her two suitOrs.
Bessie, daughter" said he one evening, in
the comfort Oi dressing gown and slippers. over
his own bedroom dEe, I'm afraid Fred. Ev-
win Is shallow.
''He II quite" replied the charming Bessie,
UnhesitatiBylv.
Too Mghr-headed and shallow. And for
bank cashier, with AL the business Of the Cash
ley Bank on his shoulders, thai is a serious
fault. Quite serious, For NV part, - continued
he, mGsiugly, al think John NJ 4rsden is worth
q dozen like him. There is something about
MaTscen that IL solid and stra ghtfOrWard. And,
when Les goiDg-I notice it takes little diplO
macy usually 70 set him going right-hs can
talk As brilliantly as Erwin; Lord, lord, in my
day, when was young lawyer In old Low
COin, counting your mother, IL took wrestling
or 9 riding match to win q woman. Why, l
won your mother sAnd the old mans ewes
CLEANED with subdued merriment" and she was
the haudsOmest girl in Low Join cOuDty-it's no
reflection or you that you don't look quite so
well a. she did, my dear, though you look very
much Ike her-well, won your mother by
breaking in a Wild colt belonging to 1er father.
He leaped hye-bsrred gate with me ana gen
orally made it very rough riding. 1t was a des-
PeFate measure, but your mJtner drove me 10
IT.
alt seems 70 me-" remarked Mr.. Alden, as
he toasted his slipperod feet before the IRE,
Will. Bessie SAT mean by. gazing th1ushtfully
mo the dyiug Goals, lit seems 70 me that Fred.
Er~fn Is pretty attentive. my dear"
btssls moved petulsntly. Hes a lunatic,"
Nov, uv opinion" prOsed the Old gentle
u an. 'rstrer favored JohO Marsden."
Bessie ain moved uuea>llv.
''But," I .ntiuusd the old gentleman, "he'sa
SLOW or - suffer, provided always that he is
cut r."
'.Tre age don't suis him. That's the trouble.
H. IIc4t pity-a great PitS-theTe are no
VrestlIng matches or horse races 70 run for the
giIls EOWs-Ays, OF Wild colts to break. Mars
I IA. I think, would &c over tie five barred gate
As clean as whistle, while that spris OF an En-
win
'sOb, bother!" cried Bessie, as she swept from
The little city of l. stood jus. above the
rapids of = beautiful river OF the West. The
winter of IS'-, like most preceding winters, had
filled the river in front of the httle city with
goTged ice that completely bound in It's hurry
Ing current, except for a marrow ribbon OF open
water where the stream was the sWittest Above
the rocks Of the rapids, huge iee-cFags reared
IL cir heads, and one gorge larger than the rest
lOOmed directly above the dark eddies IKE
br4.r fort he rv-hOaf
Cheryble, steamer of the Western pattern, I'M
like the East and North river ferry boats in
having double decks and but one DOW, was able
IL make but few and difficult trips TO the little
suburb opposite, whilst coast navigation was
entirely susi ended.
The winter had enlarged LIS business
in this wise on the day whenJebn Macsden took
his way again down town, still rapt IN his hopes
OF Bessie
A neighbor saluted him as he passed.
"Did you hear about the Cheryble, John?"
John bowed and smiled; so full of thoughts of
Bessie that hedid not comprehend. A lucid
moment revealed the somewhat remarkable
tact that everybody was huTTying down the side
streets toward the river. There was an air Of
excitement ABOUT their move menjs that half
reused him. frieu1 brushed against him at q
corner hurry ing river SaTd.
Excuse me, john he said, "I'm burrying
to see the CheTybie."
"The CheTy6Iei what's the matter with the
ChsTybie?''
But the hurryiDg friend was already out of
nearing. AuULlCr iTlSLd, however, came up
~ that MON nj in that little city nearly every
body was = friend OF every body elsel, and he
replied 10 Johns bewiGeTed questioning.
''Why, C0a't you knOw2 She's caught in the
ice gorge and II going over the rocks
Then John and his friend fastened along to-
getGer With he gathering crowd, aud were soon
On bosTO The Tlafrzns called he iegse, where a
gTesteT crowd had nov gathered Ii Al in the
busiest DAYS Of Is bUsy season.
In thS middle Of tls stream, Testing bow first
against the huge bUtfressed fort Of an gorge
Aftft taVr Ia fzrr -h.ar
CheTy be. Her wEsels we're stopped by ths
clCggiDs ice. though ceEse volumes OF smoke
luis,d ont o. her CLimBeyS, and little cuEls or
steam shot upward from her escape pipes. In
distlLct figures, no larger than rats IN trap,
we're SOUR! irg cxcliedly over her decks, and a
group Of them vas busy In the pilot-hOuse
yafniy tuEgin- AZ a wheel that would not turn
Bet secD -eT and TIE sbOIe, he dark rush OF
the CuTTsLt before IL &c .cbes the rapids was
visible where the ice had not secured a firm
fOct-h0Id; and down this swift path way, tall,
fairy palaces crowned wjtl snow, took their
stats way in = long procession of cOmplacent
grandeur. until they struck the bOiSterOus rapids
and were hurled headlODg into the uproaTi0us
eddies.
John M2Tsden knew sIl the rocks aud chutes
OF the rapids By heart, and be cOmprehended
the danger OF the Cheryble on the instant.
sitsil n aid he grasping his friends
alt is fearful WHAT can be donsPD
They must have line run cut to them :" re-
piled harsden, sharply; land they must have
somebody on board ~hO knows the chutes
Tom Nerefth looked up quietly into bis
friends face, startled By the pithy earnestness
OF his tone.
cit would be terribly dangerous to attempt
H." said he, huskily.
"Tbat gorge against which they rest" con-
5,nued John, WITH HE clear blue eye still bent
the distant Chsryble, lis strong enough to
q them for a week, probably, bat they will
ant bread. There may be forty passengers
1EeFe. They must have Communication with
Jae shore at once"
"But how 70 do 10, John?'
The crowd thst had exhausted itself with
sAenung vain hopes 10 the wrecked passengers
Lao rested hopelessly, and many OF the men com
keslhg II had already gathered about John
warden. Who was admitted to be an oracle on
aseI ~ so.sIs Ibey, too, concurred with Tom
MrTtoith that the Cherry BILE GU Rht 20 have cor,-
"'hestlon With the shore at once, but how 10
'fc1ie u was With them. a. with him. an man
'Neraole problem. John had uttIs furfher IN
~ His blue eyes still gaksd toward sss p
Id A2e The wrecked steamer, bat they 1870