Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-02-28
Gales ano Skettbes.
CANCELLING An OBLIGATION.
CONTINUED from yesterday. }

too, and by the time their clothes were dry
they had quite recovered their good tenn
per. Then asking the farmers wife, who
of course knew them, to say nothing about
their having had ducking, as it NIGH
make Mrs. Hernshawe uncomfortable /
ii reached her ears, they went down again
to their boat and pulled home.
The relations between the Rev. Richard
and the young lady were not improved by
the accident. At the first subsequent inter
view he made some attempt to express hi
gratitude. but was completely pooh poohet
by the young lady, whose quietly amused
look showed Enthusiastically that she re-
garded the affair in the light of a comic
incident. This reception, added TO an un.
easy feeling in his own mind that they had
reversed their proper positions. and that
it was degraded thing for man to be
indebted TO woman for his life, caused
the clergyman to drop the subject hastily.
but left very sore feeling upon his mind.
Certainly, he thought to himself, Laura
Hernshawe was not at all the woman to
make a good clergyman wife. 1t was
fated, however, that he should be able to
cancel the sense of obligation. lie was
one day walking in a lane not far from the
Hernshawe's, and seriously revolving in
his own mind the urgent necessity of his
settling which of the few suitable Young
ladies of the place should be the future
mistress of the parsonage, when he heard
loud, sharp scream from the field close
by. He ran to the next gate, and. look
ing over. saw sight which caused him to
climb-he was not good at vaulting-over
the gate. Laura Hernshawe was standing
in the middle of the field. her back towards
him, and her whole attitude expressing
helpless terror. At short distance be-
yond her, a bull was standing with his
head down. evidently meditating a rush
Laura was in almost every respect a re-
markably fearless girl, but she had once
been frightened by one. and had never got
over it. She tried in vain to turn and fly;
she gave one scream and then stood in
helpless terror gazing at her enemy. who
was rapidly approaching her.
She felt her limbs giving way beneath
her. and would in another moment have
fallen, when man ran suddenly past her
towards the bull, shouting as he did so,
run, Miss Hernshawe, run for your life -
The spell which had oppressed her seemed
broken, and without moments thought,
without even knowing who the man was,
she turned and ran to the gate, not once
looking round till she had gained the
other side, and then the scream which
rose to her lips was stiAed by her horror.
The bull had for moment recoiled
step upon seeing his new opponent, and
the clergyman. remembering lie had heard
that animals We're sometimes frightened
in that way, took off his hat and waved
ii at the animal The bull, however, evil
IDENTITY took it as a challenge, for he low
cred his head, stamped fiercely upon the
ground and in another instant rushed upon
the clergyman. An athletic man, or one
accustomed to active sports, might have
eluded the charge. The clergyman was
neither, and he stood perfectly still await
ing the rush. In an instant Miss Hern-
Shave saw him thrown many feet in the
air, and fall heavily upon the ground
Then her screams broke out loud and
piercing, and the bull. startled by their
sound, and remembering his first foe, left
the PROSTATE body, TO which he was about
returning, and galloped furiously round
the field Miss Hernshawe's screams
soon brought assistance five or six labor
ing men ran up, and, armed with the forks
and spades with which they were work
ingf went into the field. drove the bull in
to corner, and carried off the insensiblc
clergyman. He was carried to the Hern-
shawe's, as the nearest house, and sur
geon was soon in attendance. The rector
had by this time somewhat recovered his
consciousness, but the surgeon, after an
examination, pronounced that two of his
ribs were broken. This. however, al
though a serious matter, did not confine
the rector to his bed after the first day
Mr.. and Mrs. Hernshawe had done
everything in their power for him, and az
ter he had breakfasted, Mrs. Hernshawe
said, Laura wants to know if you can see
her, Mr.. Hallowesp She wants to thank
you in person. Not waiting for an an
swer, she went out of the room, and Laura
a minute or two later came in She had
evidently been crying, and her face was
pale and sad.
20 Mr.. Hallowes," she began, ''what
can say to thank your
my dear Miss Hernshawe," the rector
said, there are no thanks due. was be-
tore under deep, indeed painful, obi
CATION to you. 1 am very, very happy to
have been able to discharge it; so now
really there are no thanks due from either
side. You saved my life; /, by Gods
mercy, have saved yours. We are quits.
Laura would have protested against thi.
view, but the rector would not hear her
and feeling unable to speak without crying
she left the room hastily, The rector was
soon in condition to return to the parson-
age, and his convalescence was, for the
nature of his injuries, a speedy one. This
affair could not, as the previous one had
been, be concealed from the public OF
Karslake, and great indeed was the talk
of the gossips over it. All sorts of ru-
mors were current, and Laura Hernshawe
was made exceedingly uncomfortable
thereby. The rector now seldom saw her
the rumors which he as well as herself
knew were current, annoyed him even
more than it did her.
Much as he now acknowledged to him
self that he cared for her, he would not
purchase the pleasure of meeting her at
the price of giving gossiping tongues oc-
casion to wag over his visit there. And
so he kept away. How long this would
have lasted, or whether it would have re-
manned for all time, it is impossible to
say, had not an event occurred which
changed the whole current of their lives.
The rector was walking in the garden
one Saturday morning. and for once not
fhinkinp of arra Hern n a ua-fnr h mo Z