The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1875-03-31
ouse and slammed the door behind

uO
"Sbe is never so handsome as
when she is in rage" thought Fred
to himself, after she had gone, rs be
slowly folded up his paper and re.
placed it in his pocket. 81 was a
fool to goad her SO. shall never
win her in that way. But I'll have
her, he exclaimed, aloud. "By
Heaven, I'll have her, cost what it
may "
| Worry different was the Fred Eck-
erson OF the present, pacing nervous
~ up and down the piaszs, from the
Fred Eokerson Of few moments ago,
receiving his dismissal from the wo-
man be loved, with such calm and
imperturbablo exterior. For he loved
Beokoy Newton with all his heart.
The real difficulty 10 tho way, as he
more thun half suspected, was not 80
much with himself as in his pocket.
Becky Newton had an iusuperable
objection to al empty wallet. The
daughter Of q wealthy Louisiana
planter, reared in luxury, and the
recipient Of weekly allowance Of
pin money sufficient TO pay Fred's
whole bills for month, she had no
Immediate idea of changing her situa-
ten for one of less comfort and
independence. Besides, it had been
intimated to her that q ueighborin9
| planter of unusual urietocratio line
age had looked upon her with cove.
tous eyes. To oe, sure he was cid
and ugly, but he was rich, aud in her
n'cscnt mercenary state of mind Miss
Becky Newton did no. desire to allow
such chance Of becoming wealthy
widow slip by uninprovcd.
| But aias for human nature If
Becky was really SO Indifferent to
Fred Eckerson, why did she ruu up
stairs after that interview and take
the starch all out Of her nice, olean
pillow .shams by crying herself in5o
| Mysteries on tho bed. 1t was not ali
wrath, not all vcxation, it was not all
plqne. There was somewhere deep
| dewa in Becky Newton's heart, a
feeling very much akin to remorse i.
She was not sure shc would not somo
day be sorry for what she had done.
She had no doubt she could be very
happy as Fred Eokcrsou's wife, aftes
all.
! "But them" she cried, growing
hot with the recollection, II never
o,ula live with such man,-never -
v hen Fred Eckcrsou had walked
OF some Of his feelings on the piazza,
he concluded to takea look at the
river. The Mississippi, which flowed
within five huudred yards of the
house, was at the time nearly at tho
height of its annual "spring RISE"
Its turbid waters, rushing swiftly TO-.
wards the Sc, }, had nearly filled tie
banks and in many places had broker,
through the levecs aud flooded the
lowlauds for many miles. a crcvassc
of this description had been made
ia the farther bank, nearly opposite
tho houSe, and tho windows of the
! Newton mansion commanded Wow
of a vast ana glittcring inland sea,
not laid down on the maps. The
main current Of the stream bore upon
it's iee-oolored bosom all enortn Gus
mass of floating timber, which was
dashed along in the boiling food, rem
deriug navigation wholly Impossible.
Tho waters were still rising, and
the frequent crashes far and near
told of the undermining power Of the
current, as sections of the sandy
banks succumbed and disappeared,
carrying with them tho trees which
overhung ths stream.
New, 1t happened that by c curl
Gus cointi .ence, Miss Newton also re.
solved to look ut the river. She
dried her tears, aud putting on her
hat, slipped out Of tho back door to
avoid Fred, aud soon found herself
the foot Of huge cottonwood tree
on the bank below the house.
Throwing herself upon the grass,
and lulled by tho bubbling of the
rapid food beneath her, she soon fell
fast asleep. Had she possessed any
power Of fore.seeing tho future, it
would have been the last thing she
would have done, for although it
was very pleasant dropping asleep
there in tho shade with the soft sun,
light nittering through the leaves
overhead, the awakening was not At
all to her mind. \ terrible crash
made chaos of her dreams; the
ground slipped from beneath her (;
the tall cottonwood toppled aud
fell and Miss Becky Newton found
herself suddenly Immersed in tho
cold flood, with her mouth full Of
muddy water. In moment more
somebody's arm was around her and
she felt herself lifted up and placed
somewhere in tho sunshine, though
precisely where, she was as yet too
bes ildered to know. Getting her
eyes open at last, she found Frod
Eckcrson's whiskers nearly brushing
her face.
"Well -
| UWell -