Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1875-07-21

bOughs of the evergreen oak. now trem-
bling like reed in the rush Of the yellow
flood it was another image than that of
poor Nellie's that rose before his mental
vision. Phebe Lynn's beautiful face
seemed to haunt him to the last. Would
she mourn for him9 Would she be sorry.
when. The end must come very short
ly, now. Drenched and chilled by the
foaming water, Morris held on, but me-
chaniclly. while Nellie seemed to have sunk
into a swoon. and made no reply when he
addressed her in words of encouragement
The tree, too, was yielding, evidently, to
the fury of the food. The water broke
over the young mans head as the waves
rose higher, and the trunk began to lroop
lie bent down and kissed Nellie's forehead
"Good-bye, dear one," he murmured
but there was no reply. In fancy he again
saw Phebe. and in that moment of sll-
preme anguish, he seemed to realized for
the first time how intensely he loved her
her whom he had schOolcd himself SO dill
gently to forget. The oak was fairly Civ
ing away. and Morris could scarcely keep
Nelie's cold white face above the sllrging
water.
| IIa! what was thato A shout, and then
another, and a louder call, and then Nor
ris caught An indistinct glimpse Of canoes
and boats full Of men, foremost of whom,
bareheaded and without his coat. was that
very Judge Hopkins who had so lately cx-
pressed An unfivorable opinion of the
hridegroom-elect He spoke very different
ly now, rs he cried out:
"lIeave Il rope. lack. Jerusalem, be
quick. or he's lost and the girl, too. Won
derful clear grit the young fellow must be-
to have kept both alive SO long-hurrah.'
This last utterancc being due to the fact
that noosed rope had been cast by the
dexterous hand Of the boateman, Zlrk
around Morris GreSham's waist, and that
he and his insensible charge were being
rapidly drawn towards the edge of the
shallop. whence four strong fellows
stretched out their arms to lift the living
freight across The gunwale. May | new
er! killed, after all.' cried the Judge, :t> n
floating tree trunk struck Morris on left
temple and the water Immediately Grim
soned within Il yard of the boat.
Morris Gresham. however, was not dead
though it WAS not until far into the morn
ing Of the ensuing day that he recovered
feeble limbs. and bandaged brows; his
mother watching over him. and weeping
for JOY as the doctor gave his rough bat
welcome verdict.
There. he's all right now. Nothing
the matter that r little rest. and good
nprsng will not cure. 1t was smart
knock; but the young squire Is rs tough
Is hickory, and he is safe now"
But when the young man asked tor news
concerning his cousin, Mrs. Grcshman fell
weeping, and this time her tears We're
not rs those former ones had been, tears
of Joy. "Nelie is with the angels She
said. sobbing. And then Morris, himself.
being weak and dizzy. tainted, and it was
not till much later that he learned that
Nellie's health had proved all too fragile
10 bear up against the hardShips which She
had endured. She had died of exhaustion
and nervous excitement, within three
hours of the time when She had been borne
back to the house and lald in her bed,
where she was still stretched, calm AMI
peaceful, with the same smile on her in
nocrnt lips that We may often see in sleep
on those Of a tired child.
The tale is told. Green Cove Spring.
80 long extinct, has never, since the day of
It's sudden rc-appcarance. ceased to pour
fourth floods of water. crystal clear now,
and takes 4 respectable position among
those subterrancan rivers which are the
best known of Fiorid.,n phenomcnt. Mrs.
'NIrtSlltln was II Ur>l tAllclnciN distressed.
when, after lapse of some months since
the date Of the catastrophe, Morris asked
her to receive. rs her dau.hter-in law, the
only girl whom he had ever really loved
The worthy lady. though She could not
venture to put forward any objections,
personally, to Phube Lynn union with
her son. was Yet convinced that so poor 4
marriage would be the ruin of his prote>-
sional prospects. But Mrs. Gresham waS
immensely comforted when the trustee of
Miss Carlnew'> fortune, ON his 9 urn ION
n tour in Europe, announced, what neither
Morri. nor his mother had previously
dreamed Of. that Nellic's fortune passed
unre>crvedly to Morris, in compliance
with her fathers bequest should She die
: before her cousin, and inte>tatc. Nellie
had left no viii. and the property drvolvcd
on MorIi, rs of right. He is Il rich man.
now. high in honor and in usefulness in
one OF the principal States of the Union.
and he and his beautiful wife have troops
Of friends. and, loving and beloved, enjoy
"a deserved prosperity. But neither in the
stir and hustle Of public life, nor in the
bosom Of their happy home. have Mr.. and
Mrs. Gresham ever forgotten poor gentle
Nellie, who sleeps. fur away, in her lonely
grave in distant Flordi.'