Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-12-03

Won't it be safer ON the island ?''-when
she found herself caught up in strong
arms and lifted with or without her will,
to snug place among the blankets and
buffalo-robes at the bottom of the big
sleigh.
"The river is rising. There Is great
flood coming down. - exclaimed Curt. I'm
half an hour the island will be under wa
ter. and everything on it swept away. I'd
never have knownif Jake Robinson hadn't
warned me. hitched up AMI came out as
soon as got the news. Thank God %
Faith Murray felt glow and melting
at her heart as she listened, but she made
no reply. The situation certainly seemed
hardly to favor much conversation, for
Curt was driving fercely up the river again
and everywhere the signs of the approach
ing "break-up" were growing more and
more fearful and threatening
"Why don't you drive down 2" she
asked.
1.-THE rapids are only half Frozen" re-
piled Curt, ''and we should be lost if we
got into them. Besides, the wateris shall
lower up here, and the horses will find
their footing sooner after we break in.'
CATER we break in p repeated Faith to
herself. "Why, the Ugh viii go to the
bottom. He is terribly cool about it -
1t was cool subject. perhaps and Faith
felt the icy shudders creeping over her in
spite of her courage, as she motel how far
they yet were, from any possible landing
place.
And now the booming, moaning sound
that Faith had heard once before that
evening, began to fill their ears, and the
sleigh slid hither and thither on the IN
dulating surface, and Curt dashed his faith
full, powerful span to their utmost exer-
ton. Every minute seemed an hour, but
now, at last, Curt exclaimed:
''Hurrah, Faith! We are beyond the
deep channel, 1 think. Back there the
current is swift, and the ice will break and
pile. It's breaking now See it!-see the
great cakes go over and over
but Curt" responded the almost shiv-
ering beauty, don't you see that the ice
is parting from the shore ahead Of, just be-
cause it piles up out yonder? I can tell
by the moonli hit on the water. O Curt,
dear, it is dreadful to be drowned, but it's
even worae to think that I've brought you
out here, too. Can't you swim ashore p
. Curt, I've been so very bad to youj"
I'll, h.
singleminded young athlete, as be gave
his team the lash ain. ''If we can only
get little nearer the edge of the ioe-Ha!
there it comes Down in the bottom of the
boat Faith, I must use my oars now
quick-hurrah %
Faith Murray hid her face in the furs
that almost covered her as she stopped,
but she heard wild, fierce, frightened
neigh; great splashing plunge, as the
horses went into the water, the cracking
the feed ard then instead Of the arctic
bath for which she had prepared herself,
she was conscious of an easy, rocking,
floating motion, and the music of rowlocks,
and the oars were swung strongly back
and forth by the sinewy arms of Curt How
land.
Then at last, her astonishment got the
better of her fear, and she looked timidly
out from her hiding place, but the color
came fast into her cheeks again as she did
so.
"The boat, Curt 2" she said.
Eyes the old boat herself" he replied,
81 put it on instead Of the sleigh-hox, to
come after you with, just for the fun of
it, and covered it all over with robes and
blankets, only expected good laugh,
but now it has saved both our lives. You
didn t mean to put your foot in my sleigh
aud the boat at the same time, did you,
Faith ?"
''Oh, Curt, forgive me - was all the an
swer that came just then. and Faith felt
specially relieved at the remark that fol-
lowed.
''There are the horses-safe ON their feet
in the Swallows and making for the shore.
Well be there too, in five minutes. Just
looked at the lanterns along the Shore
There must be twenty men!"
Down went Faith Murry's head among
the furs again, but in spite of the roaring
water and the rattle of rowlocks, she could
plainly hear the exultant, happy, almost
c DING tones OF a deep, musical voice, that
repeated her name over and over, with
other words that seemed to be fitted Won
derfully well both to name and voice.
"The boat and the sleigh, both ~
How strangely her rash and cruel words
had come to nought, and what man
among them was Curtis Rowland
When at last the square prov of the skif
grated on the ice and gravel at the margin
and the strong arms once more caught her
up and bore her onward, Faith Murray s
blushing face was ready to mes tie close to
Curtis shoulder, and she whispered:
mo other boat but yours, if you'll for
give memo, not as long as live."
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH THIS STo-
RY PA rite suite little buoy, the son of a
CRATE kernel, with rough about his neck,
fit up the rode swift lis eh dear. After a
thyme, he had stopped at gnu house, and
wrung the belle. His tow hurt hymn, and
he kneaded wrest. He was two tired to
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