Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-02-28
LOTE ME, LOVE NY DOG.
a story In siH Chapters.

LO r. ME-, LDI M ma.
a story In si1 Chapters.
CHAPTER ".
A quick shock, a sense Of rapid descent. a
feeling of stiniug suTocation. Of head
swollen to bursting, dizziness, appalling ter
ror a retrospective vision of life horror of
DEATH plunge into cold water IL return to
consciousness Hope was struggling instinct
lively in the treacherous element which had
saved her life 10y breaking her tremendous
fall, and now threatened to engulf her. Had
she known that she was thirty fathoms below
the surface of the moor she would have Civ
en- mp hope, and been lost but though the
water rushed into her mouth aud drowned
her cries for help, and though her wooden
cloak was heavy and chung to her, she strug-
gled to keep her head free, and, in struggling
her open hand struck the rugged side of the
pit and gr,spcd it tenaciouly Slight ms was
the hold, it supported her to strike her feet
dowuwarda aud find solid ground beneath them
and now the water came only to her armpits
she could breathe again
Half afraid to move step in the pitchy
darkness, she raised her voice again, only to
hear her call rcvcrbertc as it rose, aud to
feel how hopeless was her situation. Yet she
groped with one hand along the wall, and
strove to find a higher level for her foot.
At length her hand struck against proicc-
ton just above her head. 1t was a piece of
timber, a kind of beam. doubtless one of the
supports Of the shaft when that had first been
sunk for coal. At the full stretch Of her arm
! she contrv,d to grip it firmly: aud So hold
| ing fast 10y the left hand, with the other she
| loosercd the fastening of her saturated cloak
and 1T il 90. Relieved of its dragging weight.
she throw up her right hand also to the beam.
! and clingrg firmly with the strength bom of
! despair, planted her feet against the rough
wall Of the Shaft, aud foot by foot the water
buoyng her up--rised herself higher and
! higher, until, with supreme effort, she
swung herself across the beam.
| The position was painful and critical She
| had no ligh; to guide her. In gaining the
| beam she hnd lost her fooihold Of the wall
and so great was th,Sprrsrurr ON h,r waist,
sh" felt assured she must drop unless she
| could scramble into sitting posture.
After one or two narrow mischaures. which
sent her heart icapiug into her throat, she at-
| ttin'd her object, aud thanked God for com
| paratye safety.
| Yet was her situation little less perilous
| The beau had not more than the circumfer-
| encu Of u mans hut-crown, and her sole sup
| port being tn side Of the shaft, her seat was
necessarily very insecure, added to which her
feet were yet IN the cramplng water, her
| str, myth WAS Wrll.uIgA gone. and with the
temporary rest sense Of drowsinc>S stole
| over hor.
| Fortunately. hunger came To keep her
awake, aud with it lougiugs FOR the lmlf-cut-
en pie left at the collI,r's cottage. So far.
| struggles for immediate safety had overpow-
cred every other thought aud feeling, but
now the desolation and Lopc.essncss Of her
position smote Hope.
OF time she could take no note. II was the
27th of November and its fog WAS thick
! enough to blot out moon and stars, had either
| hung above the old pt-mouth. Not until
! day had fully chased the mists and shadows
did glimmerinE patch Of light high upabove
! her tell her that only one night had gone. To
! her it seemed as if the darkness was pcrpot-
ual. and shr had been thcr- trrbl, the time.
During the night she had coutrivcd to raise
her feet out Of the icy water, and extend
them before her on the beam but they were
! almost numb, and she shiv,r,d in her wet
| clothes.
With her hungry longings had come
| thoughts of all the good things mt the farm to
tant,liZr her; and then the knowlrdgc that
she would not be missed until the Sunday
| night set in (; and she began to question her
own powers of endurance. and to wonl'r if
she could hold out until they began to search
for h'r. She wondered, too, how long it
would he b, fore Amos lirdl,.y heard that she
WIS missing, and il he wuuld join in the
search.
And then, as if comjurrd up by the thought
of Amos came in flash over her mind the
dreadful plot she had overheard, and the dan
ger which threatened his masters household,
and perchauce himself. In the consciousness
that she held a secret, on which both life and
property might hang her hunger was for the
time forgotten, and f,verish longing to eS-
cape aud warn Sir William overpOwer,d all
else.
She screamed until She was hoRrs,', bat only
her own voice came back to her aud as the
hours went slowly by, and her clothes dried
upon her she grew parched aud doubly fe-
verish TO quench her ntolerable thirst. she
drew gently up the tail of her linen gown,
which hung below drabblmg in the water,
and sucked the moisture out hut it had TO
be done with caution, lest she should over
balance.
And ever and anon she shrieked for ''help"
and Amos but neither came, though an
other night worr out and another day passed
its meridian She grow chmorous for food,
fever was gaining upon her and after lapscs
into despairiug silence her cries grew sharp
and sLrill
Not until the day began to wane and the
gathering shadows sent home the farmer and
his son to their Sunday evening meal, did
Dame Appegarth eyince any surprise at her
maids long absence. Then she began to re-
mark that Hope was late, that it was not safe
for girl to wander on the fells after dark,
and threatened to rebuke her when she did
get home.
But when night began to show a black face
at the diamonded easement, and the flames of
the blazing fire leaped up to light the kitchen
with reflections in polished oak and pewter,
she looked uneasily out, and bade "Gwordie
tax II lantern and leet tn canny bairn through
the mirk."
| Geordie seemed somewhat loath to stir him
self, but he never dreamed of disputing his
mothers behests so he reached a horn Ian
tern from hook behind the door, carefully
/ lit aud adjusted the bit of homemade candle
/ within, closed the lantern deliberately and,
with a stick in one hand, set of ON his errand,
nothing doubling he should meet her before
| his long legs had carried him tho length of the
village.
Before ho had gone far he met various par
tics of young fellows returning from the fell,
some with game cocks under their arms, 9TH
ers with handy sticks, or trigs; cock fight
ing, handy, trippet.and-c colt, and other gam
bling games, making the fell-side like fair
on Sunday afternoons.
Several of these he questioned, but no one
had seen or overtaken Hope, and when he had