Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-12-21
and prasped something. It was a

u6nklys
| was delighted to find that ne,
too, was floating on plank, the
twin supporter of my arm; and 1
how those good friends tossed about,
and drove up against each other in
sheer delight, as VEAL fiOated away |
fast down the stream together, baf-
fles description.
/ inpeIled nay plank toward the
other, and, no doubt aided by the
wondrous law 0fattraction and sym
patty which exists even in wood,
succeeded in getting close to my
companion. Leaning my arms up
on the trusty plank, managed to
support the form near me; but all
this time we neither of us spoke a
word, nor could we discern each
others features. The fast subsiding
fire was far beyond US now.
The steady planks kept floating
with us toward the bank, but l was
not very anxious to go ashore just
then, as the river sides were steep,
and certain curling eddies did not
look attractive.
The moon had been Ohscured by
heavy clouds; but we could discern
the stones which here and there rose
up from out the water from shoal
i'm mid-stream. We should soon be
i'm safety. The planks apparently
thought otherwise. They bobbed
about, and grew very impatient to
reach the shore.
There's distant thunder! A storm
is coming up. No, it must be a
train passing the bridge above. No;
the noise increases the sound is
borne continuously on the wind.
The planks got very restless now.
The banks even came closer to US,
but the stream ran all the faster.
The noise was getting louder ev-
cry minute.
/ knew what it was at last. /
knew too well. 1t was the mill
weir!
If the sluice were open to the
huge OvershOt wheel our doom was
sealed. Nothing much short of a
miracle could save US. Striking out
for the bank, l called to my COM
panion to do the same, but encum-
| bered with the ulster coat his pro-
gress was not great.
We would find footing on the
lasher; probably the eddy would
assist us.
We fIoated round the turn in the
| stream. The wheel was revolving.
/ | could plainly hear the splash,
! splash of its mOnOtOnous clank and
dash the water dripped and ran
away from the grinding woodwork,
and gladly escaped beneath to save
/ fNnf tn u n
those mighty paddles.
| We have two channels to choose
| from-One over the weir, the other
beneath the wheel. The suction to
the latter was tremendous. / swan
strongly for the former. / reached
the slippery piles and caught them.
A bright light was burning in a
small window in the mill, twenty
yards or so away. We were in an
eddy for a moment. | called out
loudly. A head was put out; /
yelled again. The plank wherein
l lay slipped beneath me, rose up
again, and carried me headlong
down the fOaming lasher like an
arrow from a bow, while my COM
panion was wrenched away and
darted for the wheel. A loud cry
escaped me as we par ed. All was
over now. Death at last. sob,
Rosie, my darling Rosie; till we
meet in heaVen-farewellv ~ l had
time to think so much-nO more.
"He's all right don't you lubbers
keep around like that; sheer off,
can't you? Let a chap have Il
mouthful ofair! Hurrah, yer soWls
he's breathin'p'
He was. 1t was 1. But how
weak, how very ill, mentally and
bodily, l felt when | awoke again
to lie and asked tor "Rosien
"Sure he's wandering in his mind,
so he is. Dinny, run up and tell
the captain the gintleman's alive.
Hurry, now !"
| remember nothing more until
found myself in barracks, in my
brothers. quarters. Then | suppose
| fell asleep. But when l awOke to
consciousness again, they told me in
| muffied tones that l had only just
pulled through the brain fever, and
had been in bed nearly five weeks.
Five weeks! / was due in Lon
don! l told the doctor SO, or some
body spoke for meat least the
voice was not like my own.
"Indeed, then, it's out o this ye
don't stir, me lad, lawyers or nc
lawyers. Quiet now, or I'll give We
a composer, and send We to sleep fol
another month";"
/ submitted, and got better. In a
fortnight l was down again in the
I oil rNr
as a hero of a 9rOmance." The
gOod-natured quizzing and cOngrat-
ulations on my recovery were inces-
SAINT. At last, noticing my puzzled
look, my brother said:
"Perhaps he hasn't heard the
real facts-have you H-?"
81 have not the very slightest
idea what you are all talking about y
| replied. "If it's joke, / don't
see it."
"Now look. here she is again
Lucky fellow -
"N0t day but what she rides
over to inquire"
Her t;thSr's here, too"
"Teil them to come in, Hamblyn,
and see the preserver of the sole
daughter of his house and heart. y
heard, but scarcely needed, al
this "chatf."
The door opened a lady in vel.
fitting habit appeared. Mechani-
Cally ] rose as she came in. | looked
at her for one brief second, the next
| had clIsped her in my arms.
"Rosie, my darling Rosie, ca'3 it
be you, indeed ?"
No doubt about it. She had come
to thank me. For what? For
saving her life that night when Sir
John Carney's house was burned.
1t was Rosie | had rescued, then.
No wonder my heart had beat 50
fast while we flOated down the
stream.
Rosie was my own at last. She is
mine still, thank heaven!
Very little explanation is neces-
sary. Mrs. Temple and her
daughter had been paying a round
of visits, and while staying at Sir
John Carney's house the fire had
broken out. Rosie had been my
companion during that twenty min
utes in the water. Wrapped up as
she was, and silent as we both were,
we did not recognize each other in
the dark. The miller had stopped
the wheel and pulled Rosie out of
the eddy just in time.
Il L l.