, 1874-01-25

broken ground With the hghtness and swittnass
Of deer. They assembled the height toward the
woods which concealed the quarry. Both foit
that the next few moments must, in some uay
produce important things for them Both were
nerved and brave. and both we're eager.
Willis power and agility told i'll the race.
He burst through the fringe Of shrnbbery that
skirted the pit, whfla Nassau Was still coming
On. = hundred yards below.
H vas appalled, by what he saw.
The earth on the northern sids bad broken
away. aud had rushed down over the surface
OF the rock, and had fallen into the deep
abyss- It had dragged with it an immense
number OF trees and sa?ltngs- 1t the instant
that it vas precipitated, Miss Alice and her
father wero crossing the ground As it moved
volved in the tangled and twisted branches Of
the trees, an1 we're carried down with them.
The great To1ume Of the avalanche had :allen
into the quarry, but large portion Was caught
and poised upon spur Of rock oEezhanglng tho
precipice ut the edge.
The clouds OF dust lifted and rolled away,
and tho two young men beheld 1t the same
moment, cliuging to this ragged aud sus-
pended fragment, the g,rl whose favor they
coveted. Her arms we're half buried in tho
discolozed. and her forehead had deep, red
wound Her lips vere pale. her eyes WeEo
closed, as it to shut out the ecene, and abe lay
passive, conyulaiyely embracing her only sup
port.
The father had escaped before tho volume
OF earth had reached the edge Of the pit on
its downward course and, covered with dust,
Lie now stood upon the brink above, gazing
With starting eyes at his faintiog daughter.
His white hair blow in the b1eeze, his limbs
shook, and he tried in vain to call aloud for
help. Ho was unable to articu1ato, and he be-
gan TO creep toward the edgo.
AT this instant, Willis footsteps aroused him
Hs looked up With cry Of joy.
The girl was fifty feet from them To reach
her from the nearest point would require that
lug earth, which terminated at the edge
Of the terrible quarry. Nothing could be
mora dangerous than to attempt to t1av-
erse this poised and BensitiEo ground. Great
caro- and great netre, added to great good for
tune, would alone enable ono to reach tho spot
where Miss Alco lay breathless and trembling.
The scraps Of mingled roots and earth upon
which she depended Vefe slowly dissolsilS be-
meath her. and the portions, a. thoy fell into
tue quarry, awoke the most hollow and tesonant
Despairing, she turned her head aud looked
to her right.
She saw Willis. His eyes were fixed upon
hor, but he did not move. She tried to cry:
'"Como!" but the word escaped her in
whisper
There WAS moment Of silence. She saw
Willis move few feet this way. and then few
feet that way. Still he did not approach. He
made no motion to advance nenrer. Suddenly
he turned toward her, She saw that his face
the distant, ragged bottom OF the pit. His
hands opened and closed repeatedly, aud his lips
were parted.
Her heart beat rapidly. Another moment
must end in her destruction.
All E. once she SAW Willis throw his hands up
before his, face and retreat. stumbling among
tho weeds, away from the brink OF the declcVity.
A deatnly sickness overcamo her. Her fa.lins
eyes searched the depths below, and her cou-
fused mind refused any plan for her own ea1va~
ton. She felt herself sinking by desresa-
Suddenly, ! volume Of earth and atoaes ruah-
cd past her With frightful velocity, and shot out
into tho space before and below her, and in \
few seconds struck upon the broken ma1ble-beds
and sent up roar that aroused, esen in her,
new terror
She watily and tinidly turned har hoad to thu
left to see what caused this fresh catastrophe,
and she beheld, halfway down the alope,, cling
ing close to the trembling earth. the slender fig
ure Of the Rector.
He was Iatloss, and his clothing and biz
hands and his face wero coyered with soil
Yet he seemed to be cool and self-posaessed
He was almost literally suspended oFer death
yet Miss Atica saw that there Waa 4 smile upon
lis face. His eyes met hers.
She became filed with courage, xnd aht
frightened her hold
+ He began to come On again. He did not hesi
tate longer. He was quick and active, but ~
gentle ~ = cat.
Now aud then he would crouch ~ he felt hi4
foothold yield. but he would Instantly Fnah or
again in fresh direction.
He arrived within ten feel OF her. Hei
eyes were fastened upon him, and there Ta1
not motion Of his body that sho did mol
watch.
He reached up. She leaned back aud extend
ed ier hand. The motion disturbed the support
that she Was perched upon, aud she felt that ahu
Was falling. She remained calm. aud sta
leaned down. Her eyes and Nassau's weo
fixed upon each other. He touched the tips OF
palm. and with hardly . perceptlble milton
He braced his feet and she lsaped
inward, while her foosho1d broko into thon-
ssnd atoms and wholly disappeared, snd lott
the edge Of the pit ba1o and uuobatruced befote
them.
They we1e not two yards from It,
This last effort Of hers Mss thr tlnal naah o!
her expiring fortitude. Perhaps see pesmsted
her wekpsss to tsoa hs
safety to her. The instant tIas sne toucneo the
ground ahe tell upon 1t and ~ quiet;
Nassau seized her in his Anss, ana, gathering
all Ills strength, faced hietasK #1tn an en1lous
spirit. ;.h ,;s ill.,
moving in constant prger-
The venerable fat{e1, reaching down husband.
watched their slow and ailent approach With q
face OF marble. his eyes no"eo "l1o teaf3, ia
stammered incoaerently, snd ne moved his ara
to and fro. lust as Naasau's right ahonl-
der, or left SHOULDER, came nearer to
hlm. ; With half sob,. and balf-e1ultaas
crv. he hnsy elutched his eager fingers ii
the a{irt o<nis daughters dreaa.
Nassa- struggled up tue last stop, and then
laid ~ burden upon the dower-bcsprinkled
graz.
.rn about the gjrla neck. bent lis head, anl
pressed bis fur1oned cheek to hers, and Hepa
aloud.
in moment more he rzrned to Nassau. and
cried:
. My dear friend, you ha7e saved two 1ivea
in one You arc the man sect you h2ve shs
brave heart tha: my poor child will need. I VA
on the eve OF committing no ar1or; but. alas!
seventy years OF life do rot teach ous ali thinss.
ALI. what q mistake thai WAS So' my hero has
fad The has faiiedi Yes, | am uudeceiyed,
and vet in time. Thank God!"
Nassau, on his reha1n to bis home, found tess
letter upon his tabs m,
..You are right. I am = coward. Inc
dread OF pain to ny heart oTercame me h1st' and
than the dread Of danger to my body prevented
ms from actirs afterward:. You have nobiy won
what have isnobly lost. cannot see 5on a&a1n.
mnch 1ess Gu look upon the others. But, can
soa 1oeo''S "W11Ls."