Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-03-20

: "Are you going awayi"
eyes"
! "Why, tell me, please"
al think / had better"
That was all. She dare not pre-
tend not to understand him. Botl
faces were pale. He turned to,
ward her at last, smiling family.
eyes, BERTHE, you don't need me
any longer, and l am going away
to try as hard as / can to forget
you. 1t is strange that such a
sweet-eyed girl should cause SO
much pain, isn't it 7"
Bertrode didn't speak. They
rode in silence along the road.
Bertrode was listening, as if half
charmed, to the chirping of little
bird among the scrub oaks by the
river.
The road grew narrower. The
tree branches met above their
heads and gradually grew lower.
Fennel put out his whip to hold
them out of their faces. The mo-
ton startled the horse-or he
might have been twanged by the
springing sprays. He leaped sud-
denly forward, and Bertrode was
flung from the carriage and down
the steep bank into the river.
Stunned by the shock, she floated
like corpse. If she had seen
Fennel Gould's face then she
would have wondered, even though
she believed she knew his love
He drew in the prancing horse,
and flung himself from the car
riagc. Dashing down the steep
declivity, he threw himself into
the river.
The tide was rapid. Already |
the figure of the drowning girl, half
submerged, was floating into the
middle of the current. There
were strong fierce rapids a quarter
of mile below, and the tide swept
them both toward it. Fennel
Gould expended every resource of
body and heart in that struggle for
life and love. She floated on-on-
before him in the flowing water
until the great beads of agony and
pain stood upon his forehead. But
,ne fortunate stroke, and he caught
Ter scarf.
He struggled back to land and fell
exhausted upon the bank. For a
he lay there, painting
hen, rising, he lifted Bertrode into
he carriage, and carried home the
ife he had saved.
Evening came. Fennel was ut Z
thoughtfully the floor
# his little chamber. 1t was twi- !
light, and the scent of the ripe APP !
lies in the orchard filed the dim :
DOM. He did not notice either,
'ut he was aroused suddenly by a 4
mock at his door. 1t was little +.
Willie Dodge with a note. 1t bore l
hese words:
"Fennel, come home with Willie. 2
want to see YOU p
That was all, but he knew who d
ent it. He went GU. of doors with n
he child. Holding the boys hand, a
e walked the fields he had walked V
month before, with his heart !,
liter as rue. The crickets were .,
Inging among the grasses. A
TRANCE lightness possessed him, I
nd yet he kept putting down his
daring to hope. The {
lrmhouse door was open and Ber-
ode was sitting in the porch. !,
little Willie went into the house.
ennel sat down on the step. 4
"What do you want Bertrode I" Ii
81 will tell you by-and-by." p
The twilight grew more dim, as 4
hey talked of unimportant things, &C &C
ntil they could not see each &c &c
Lher's faces. The crickets were e.
nging hundreds of songs in the 4 4
rasses of the roadside. The dew t Z,
ii and woke the sweetness of the s.
,adside ferns. 81
A long time passed, and at last I,
ennel arose.
at is time to go, Bertrode. Will to
on tell me now! :" =
The moon came up, and showed
err face pale and her lips tremu- S,
us, but she stood up by his side, W
id spoke firmly. a
81 want to ask you not to go az az
way, Fennel. Don't CO." AZ AZ
There seemed more to be said, so
ut she could not say it. Her Of
oice died on her lips, and the eager. al
yht in Fennel Gould's eyes faded.
81 cannot stay, Bertrode; don't r