The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-11-13
ever dc-leave-Oh, dearl what am I say.

sat down on lender and covered
my face with my coarse red hands, and
began 10 cry; but he took my hands
down, and looked long and lovingly in
my face, with his great, honest brown
eyes; and then ho couldn't speak, but
seemed to choke. At last he gasped ont
'Thanky, Prudence, thAnky. I'm go.
ing away now to wait, for youll come ia
me some day, 1 know
didn't answer him.
For the time may come, my laes when
you'll be all alone in the world; and when
il does come, there's the cabin Of the
Betsy Ann, clean and painted up, and
waiting, for you just as her masters wait.
ing too.
He went quietly over the side aud casi
of the rope, and was gone before knew
it; and l sat there in the calm afternoon
and evening, sometimes crying, some
times feeling hopeful, and with a sense
Of joy st my heart such as l never had
felt before.
And SO that evening deepened into
night, with the barge a quarter Of a mile
astern of us, and no wind coming; only
the tide to help us on our way.
1t must have been about ten o'clock at
night, when l was forward seeing to the
light hoistod up to keep anything from
running into us, when l heard father
come stumbling up from the cabin, and
make as if to come forward to me.
'Prue, he cried, 'Pruel'
Yes, father; coming, said; and then
uttered wild shrek, and rushed to.
ward where the boat hung astern by a
painter, hauled her up and climbed in;
for no sooner had 1 answered than !
heard cry and heavy splash, and l
knew father had gone overheard.
l was in the boat in a moment, and
had the scull over the stern, padding
away in the direction that the cry had
come from; but, though fansied in
those horrible minutes that / saw q
hand stretched out of The water, asking
as it were for help, 1 padded and scnlled
about till / was far from our barge, and
then sank down worn.out to utter q
moan of horror, and sob,' oh, fatherl
what shall I dor
Is that you, Prudence2' said voice.
Yes, John, yes, I cried, looking out
through the darkness, out of which a
boat seemed to steal till il was alongside,
when John stretched out his hand and
took mine.
'Quickr 1 gasped, save him, John-fs-
ther--gone ovorboardl'
when you shrieked out, Prue2'
yes, yes, walled; 'oh, save himl
save himp
My poor lass, he said, that's good
quarter Of On hour ago, and the tides
running strong. I've been padding
about ever since, trying to find you, for l
went up to the barge and you were gone.
But father walled; 'father-savs
himp
MY poor little lass, he said tenderly,
I'd Jump into the water now if you
bid me, but what can 1 do, you know,
Prudence; what can I doP'
] did not answer, for l did know that
he mus; have been swept far away be-
fore then; aud l was beginning to feel
that was alons-aquite alone iu the
world.
1t was quite six months after that John
came ashore from his barge to the cot
tage, were l was staying with his moth
er and had been ever sinss he had
brought me there, without seeing him to
speak to, only TO wave my hand to him
as he sailed by. That evening he came
and looked wistfully at me and said but
little, and at last his time was up and he
proposed to sail.
/ walked down to the boat with him,
and on the way he told me that he had
got leave to alter the name Of hisb arge,
and it was called the Prudence, too
and then without word about the past,
he was saying goodbye, when ! put my
hands in his and said quietly:
John, dear, l haven't forgot my
promise
And you are alone now, Prudence,
my lass, he cried, eagerly.
No, John, no. I said softly, as che
tears ran down my cheeks; Il never
shall be while you live
Never, my lass, never he cried.
'And you'll be my little wifeP'
Yes, John, yes ; 1 promised you.
when l come back from this voyagep
Yes, John, when you will, l said,
and with one long hand pressure we
parted, and l went back to wait another
month, and then was his happy little
wife.
And there seemed no change, for l
was once more on the river or out at
sea, leaning upon the tiler and gazing
straight before me, with the gulls wall
ing as they wheeled and dipped and
skinned or settled upon the water
while the soft wind gently stirred the
print hood that was lightly tied over my
wind.rufflsd hair. Only a bargeman'a
young wife living on the tide, but very
happy; for John often points to the