The weekly herald. [volume] (Cleveland, Tenn.) 1876-1888, 1879-05-29

tlOn lne next SUNDAY In naDel class. Inc
subject was the making of sacrifice foT
Others. "Boys," said Mabel, 81 want you
to tell me some way in which we can give
others proof of our love for themi"
Jimmy Puff, the avenue to whose finest
susceptibilities seemed TO run through hi;
appetite, thought it might be to let some,
body else have ''the last piece of pie. '
Billy Boyd, who had a great passion fol
rod and line, thought it might be to give
'another feller the best chances for bites.
They kept on making their guesses, low ol
high, according to the standard of theil
daily culture.
"Now tell me, " said Mabel, "what sacri
fee you think would be the greatest 2"
Toms soul felt the pressure of Mabel'i
influence. She was touching the deepest.
finest keys of his being.
81 s'pose, teacher, il is what you read
about last Sunday, when you spoke of Hin
who laid down His life for His enemies"
at would be hard to do that for friends
even, sometimes, Tom"
Tom said nothing He looked up with
an honest admiration in his eyes, and
thought it might ec silly be done for some
A third interesting conversation took
place few days after. Mr.. Freeman and
Mabel were walking down road leading to
Long Bridge. 1t crossed wide pond. The
pond had once been used for picnic purpo-
ses extensively. Pleasure parties had de-
serted it for more fashionable resorts, and
the bridge had been left to the gentle decay
of old age. The floor timbers were weak.
The railing was still weaker. Mr. Freeman
and Mabel were so absorbed in something
he was saying that they did not observe the
warning with which the entrance TO the
bridge was placarded.
''Mabel, want to have a talk with you.
| suppose you do not remember further
back than the age of four.
Mabel did not recollect.
81 have confession to make. Dear to
me as if you were my own daughter, it may
startle you to know that you are not. Per-
haps you have suspected that. Have your
Just flush of Mabel's agitated features
told Mr.. Freeman that she had had her
suspicious. Then the color went like the
glow of fire vanishing from a window
pane, leaving as little trace on her white
face. .I
"After our long residence in Europe, we
chance to have come back into the neigh
borhood that was your early home, and we
are near the family from whom l received
and adopted you"
Mabel was now looking up to Mr.. Free
man with most anxious gaze of inquiry.
The glow of the fire within came again to
her face. She stood leanin,. against the
railing of the bridge.
''Don't lean on that railing
1t was cry of warning from some one
hurrying along the bridge. The cry came
too late. The railing had already began to
crack, and it abruptly broke, letting Mabel
down into the deep, dark waters. To
Mr.. Freeman, who was struck with amaze
ment and astonished into helplessness, it
seemed only the lapse of moment when
some one rushed swiftly to the gap and
plunged down into the water. When he
came to the surface, bringing Mabel with
him, Mr.. Freeman saw that it was "Barb'ry
Tom"
"Quick, sir !" gasped Tom. clean over
and-pick her up-when--I get to-that
pile of the bridget"
The pile nearest Tom was soon reached.
Tom chung to it with one arm, and sup
ported Mabel with the other. Mr.. Free
man acted like one stricken with q night
mare. He recovered, however, his self
possession sufficient to reach one arm down
toward Mabel, almost touching herl
"Try hard, sir. Dol do !" was Toms
appeal.
Mr.. Freeman tried and failed again.
What could he dol He looked about him,
and saw where timber ran under the
bridge; and if he could reach it he could
reach Mabel. He frantically worked at a
plank in the flooring of the bridge, dis
placed 1t, and, lowering himself, reached
the timber He heard an ugly splash
Tom and Mabel both had disappeared.
Tom, in trying to make his hold on the
bridge more secure, had lost that hold and
lost Mabel. In moment up came Tom
again, still clinging to Mabel. Mr.. Free
man could see that Tom was much exhaust
ed but he struggled for the bridge and
reached a pile once more Mr. Freeman
now grasped Mabel and drew her up TO his
own position. He saw the light of a great,
triumphant joy in Toms face; and then,
like the light of torch, it was quenched as
the face sank under the water Mr.
Freeman hardly realized all this at the time !;
but afterward he remembered each detail
He lifted Mabel to the bridge and carried
her to grove near by.
'Oh help help ' he shouted to some
men that passed 81 can't swim and there's
a boy drowning The men searched and
found Tom. They carried his body to Mr.
Freeman's house; but all attempts atresls-
citation were fruitless, and everything was
then made ready for the grave
81 want to see him, ;" said Mabel, who
had come out of the chamber whittier she
had been led, her face white, sweet and
pure as lily rescued from the drowning
waters of the pond. Mr.. Freeman led her
into the room where Tom lay in the hush
of death. He raised the lowered gas-light,
turned back the sheet and took off the white
face cloth. The triumph that Mr.. Freeman
saw in Toms face just before sinking still
fingered in his features, though softened
now, like the pale lustre shed from a golden
crown held above his head.
Mabel thought Of the conversation upon
sacrifice in the Sunday school class, and
burst into fit Of violent weeping,
'Mabel, " said Mr.. Freeman, 81 did not
finish our conversation this afternoon about
your relatives Barb'y Tom was your
brother
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