The Republican journal., 1874-11-12

servant told me IN answer to my injury,
that she thought they We're strolling up
the road, so | followed in that direction
About quarter OF q mile from the house
heard their voices, little off the road
and turning into the wood in the direction
OF the sound | came upon them suddenly.
They made pretty pcture-l will say
that tor them
Charlie was lying lazily at the foot OF a
great tree, reading Owen Meredith aloud
and JOY, resting one hand upon his
shoulder, over which she glanced, now at
the book, now at his handsome eyes.
seemed hardly to be certain whether she
reader ! gave low Hem ~ after with
drawing little; and when l loitered
slowly toward them she was seated quite
distance from him, and evidently quite
absorbed in his rendering OF Lucille"
| confess | was bit disheartened at
this little scene but | did not think much
OF it, particularly as Charlie was to leave
us in IA few days.
lie had been with us week, which was
all the time that could be spared hlm and
though JOY begged harder than did tor a
few extra days, he was not one to let
pleasure, however sweet, interfere with
his real interest
was, however to receive shock be-
lore his departure which should teach me
how little one can rely upon that which is
not actually in ones possession The les
son was a severe one, but fancy have
benefited by it, after all
The morning Charlie was to leave Us I
rose early, as the wagon would call tor
him at eight O'Clock to take him to the
station. But, early as | was, was pre-
ceded by JOY, for | heard her SOFT musical
voice on the piazza as | went to my Win
dow. | never was listener, and / don't
think should ever be one, after what [
heard there. The morning was so still
that | heard every word and this is
what Joy was saying; "No, Mr. Cart
wright, shall not accept you. Not be-
cause do not like you, for do very much ;
but | really could not give myself away
after such short coutship" And here |
heard her clear, ringing laugh, which al
ways had something Of the artificial in it..
Il will make the courtship as long as YOU
like, joy, but have you | will some time"
This was Charles answer, delivered in
the intense accents knew so well; and
| knew, too, that he would have her after
that, if he had to move heaven and earth
TO get her, She laughed again still more
constrainedly, | thought and then ! left
the window and presently went down and
joined them.
am quite sure there was no sign in my
face or manner which could have told any
thing OF what knew, for possessed CON
siderable power of selt-restraint being a
practical little lady But the truth was
my heart was just broken, and that's the
whole truth OF it, When | Joined them
they were talking about the fire in the
Woods-we had seen the distant light for
week now, and the smell OF the smoke
was this morning very perceptibe. Charlie
had to hurry, however, and after snatching
cup of coffee and Il roll, the wagon az
rived and he said "Good-byen r hastily,
jumped in, and was gone.
JOY and stood silent for i moment.
and then-What possessed me / cant
think said Lets have out the ponies
and go for a ride up the Mountain =
JOY assented, and the ponies were sad
died, and we started
We set off at a sharp canter, and about
two miles from the house turned into a
wood-road, and, Ishould think, rode about
five or six miles before we hardly spoke a
word or noticed anything was Immersed
in my own thoughts, and suppose Jov
was in hers
Suddenly pulled up short, with q sense
OF sufocation, and then discovered that
we were in the midst OF 4 dense mass of
smoke, While not Il breath of ain seemed
stirring.
joy !" said 1, what a terrible smoke
The fires must be near usl'
| turned to look at her as | spoke, and
was startled al her ghastly paleness. She
answered no word, but pointed back in
the direction we had Just come. | turned
and looked, and never shall forget the
horror and tear that rushed upon me All
behind us the woods were one roaring,
ssething mass Of flames The fires had
come down upon US, and had cut us off.
The Wood-road ended where we We're
dense forest and underbrush lay all around
us, through which we could never hope to
even had We known our way
Death enc0mpassed us. Joy was cooler
than |, and as her pony was rearing, scared
at the terrible scene, she threw herself to
the ground. and followed her example.
The ponies, finding themselves free, dash
ad into the brush and were soon out of
sight We seized each others hand and
hurried up the mountain in Il direction
away from the flames
How long we were in struggling thro'
he thick foliage | have no idea, but We
found ourselves, at leng gth-bleeding torn,
with our clothes in ribbons, and our faces
dhands scratched and our bones bruised
on the main road. On both sides of US,
md away up the mountain, the blazing
rees seethed and hissed We hurried !
With weak and taltering steps, down the |
steep declivity, and in the only direction |
where there did not seem to be fire
We We're completely exhausted, and |
after going but few rods we both tripped |
md teIl-Joy fainting and senseless, and |
but little better tried to lift her; |
'alled her by name; l begged and prayed |
ler to make an effort tC go on for | saw |
hat the fires were about crossing tho road |
n front Of rs, and the little sense | hud |
eft told me plainly that now was our only |
,hance. 1t was no use; | could not rouse
Ter, and was sinking helpless by her side, |
when heard loud shouts; pair Of horses
md wagon burst through the smoke,
liN III XII lISldlll ildllcU DeSlQb US.
From the wagon Charlie sprang to the
ground and seized Joy-not me-in his
lrms and bore her to the seat, Then he
urned to me, but helped myself in; he
ollowed me, took the reins, turned the |
lorses, and in moment we were tearing
lown the hill through fire and smoke that
nearly blinded me as | buried my face in
ny dress.
When L raised my head we had passed
ately through, and Charlie sat with joys
lead resting on his shoulder. She had re-
covered her senses; and, low as they whis-
)ered, | heard her say in answer to ques-
ion from Charlie: You have saved nv
ife, and it is yoursr'
Charlie had missed the train and return
NO to the house. somewhat alarmed at the
Jews he got OF the fires from the towns
people, had learned Of our absence and |
ollowed us.
He returned home the day following,
'nly saying to me as we parted: Il shall
lave something important to say to you
when we meet in New York"
Did he take me for a fool?
! wrote him that very night, in spite of