Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-06-09
LOVE AND A KITE.

e'My dear, what are the probabilities =
s'Rising temperature, with rain on the
coast.'
ooh, am sorry! 1t would be truly
dreadful to have it rain tomorrow"
Then they paused and looked out through
the half-ruined window of the old wooden
bridge where they had met. She lived on
one side of the stream. He made his home
on the other. They often met here in the
centre Of the dim and dusky bridge that
spanned the river that ran through the
town. 1t was one of those huge timbered
truss bridges once so common in New Eng
land. Outside its ancient roof and board
ed sides had taken on that sober slate-co]-
or that marks extreme age. Within, it
was dusty and dark, Upon the walls flakes
of whitewash fiuttered half detached, and
festoons Of cobweb mingled with abandon
ed nests left by departed swallows. Strange
lights danced on the ceiling, where a hole
in the floor admitted the reflected light
from the flashing waters below. Every
football on the soft powdery dust that COW
cred everything echoed noisily, while
the air seemed ever full of the monotonous
murmur of the river. just beyond, furth
er down the stream, stood another bridge
used by the railway trains and foot pas
sengers, so that the town bridge was deser-
ted by all save those with teams. Besides
this it was hardly considered safe. Its
trusses already sagged down in the middle
and threatened to drop into the water.
| For awhile they gazed upon the roaring,
foaming flood beneath them, and then she
shook his arm, and..looking up in his face
said, softly:
"You will come early, dear. L shall be
waiting for you.'
| sob, of course, if the bridge holds to-
gether. 1t is crazy affair and we may
have freshet tonight"
| 'sThere's the other bridget
eyes, but if one goes, the other may"
Then after some further talk, they de-
parted their several ways.
| The probabilities were correct. 1t did
rain. 1t rained very great deal. Itrained
more and more, and the snow that cover
ed all the country round about began to
melt. The river rose higher and higher.
It turned yellow with. drifting sand.
Lumps and sheets of ice began to float
down, with much grinding and uproar. By
dark the water was within, ten inches of
high flood mark. By nine O'Clock it was
reported that an ice gorge had formed just
above the town bridge.
The next day neither scrap nor stick of
~ l,riJ no inI,f
l the people gathered in two folorn crowds
4 upon the banks, and remarked that the
situation was peculiar. Among them stood
\ a young man and a young woman, each on
/ one shore, while the river rolled between.
| Their situation was very peculiar. They
gazed at each other over the boiling, rusr-
Ii ing chasm, but they said nothing. 1t
lINvould have been useless while the water
Hlbalf covered with floating ice and broken
!|ttmbers doomed and thundered with such
snaise and fury.
l The modern Hero thought her Leandel
might at least swim to her. He thought
differently. A boat ? A balloon would
be safer. Thus thinking and mourning
they gazed at each other fondly for som'
time, and then by apparent mutual consen
they retired to their respective breakfasts
3 to eat-and mourn. Every bridge for fit,
miles up stream was reported down. Be
low, some twenty miles distant, were fer
= ries-where there was no ice.
:, She ate her breakfast with fearful eyes
He couldn't eat all. He must cross tina
{ stream. How ? Not all the delights O
buckwheat cakes could win him from tn
thought. Thrusting a roll into his poke
he went out to view the situation.
1t was not encouraging. For more thai
two miles above and below the town tn
river ran between steep cliffs nearly seven
ty feet high. Behind these the. countr
t was level. and here on the banks the tow
!, had grown up on both shores. Above tn
divided village the fields came to the rag
ged, stony edge of the bluffs. His HON
was upon his father farm, and the acre
! came to the water-side. His fathers farr
and fields were dire city opposite. Hithe
by sort Of mutual instinct, they bot
went.
The snow had disappeared, and til
: ground was hard and frozen. The raj
had ceased, and it looked as if it migE
clear away. They met on opposite sides
> the river, and gazed fondly at each otht
after the manner of people in certain p
culiar frame of mind. She said in hi
!. heart, ''Thou art so near, and yet so far.
II He said in his heart that if he couldn It g
= over that three hundred feet Of roari1
:; water he was poor kind of creature, an
), "not much Of a man anyway"
He sat down on a big stone to thin
Q She also sat down, choosing a rail FEM
flor throne. Suddenly he sprang up an