The Worthington advance., 1880-09-02

=
When I returned again to conscious
ness was lying on an easy couch. in g.
room dimly lighted, but neatly and tidily
furnished. While wondering where +
was, and trying to recall what had
passed, the door was slowly opened. and
Lucy Ames entered the room. Ina mo-
ment she was by my bedside, watching
the motions and the expressions of my
countenance, doubtless imagining that I
was still delirious.
Lucy-Miss Ames 2" said.
She started back as I uttered the
naame, as though unwilling that I should
discover her real thoughts; but, in a.
moment recovering all selt-possession,
she looked calmly toward me, and asked.
with a tone Of affected indifference:
DO you feel easier now?"
Indeed, scarcely know how do
feel" 1 replied, "but there is a pain and
soreness In my head, and, in fact, in all
my limbs. 1 must have been badly
hurt"
L had dim recollection OF the occur
renee above narrated, and / felt sur
prlsed that I should have again awakened
to Lite. The pain which felt, on re
gaming my reason, increased now nc
mentarily. A physician was at hand,
and every effort was made by him, as
vel! as the members Of Mr. Ames' fauai-
~ I'm whose house was then lying), in
which, also, Lucy and Mr.. Wesley
Joined, to alleviate my s1ferings.
In spite Of all their attentions nv
pains rapidly augmented, and in short
time I was again lost in the unconscious
dellrl11m OF fever. In my vague dream
1hgs was again on the narrow bridge,
bending every effort and straining eyerv
nerve to remove the piece of wood that
bound me there. Again I was chained
to the huge rock, in which unconscious
laborers were drilling holes which they
filled with powder to blow the unseen1lv
mass to atoms. Fiends, shapeless and
hldeous, flew about me, chattering in
glee-demons danced on the sharp edges
Of the rock, chuckling again like the
measured puff Of the engine and at in
tervals they stopped to bind the chain
closer, until the links festered into the
very flesh, and turned my blood to gall
with the poison in which they had been
dipped. Cayerns yawned on every side
the long shrill whistle Of the engine, and
voices, that. seemed the very agony of
despair, screamed on every side of me-
The train ! the train p
But all this passed away. was we'll
again, and could walk about the house
with the aid Of crutch, for I had left
one foot suspended in the bridge where
| had so miraculously escaped death.
Lucy had reassured me Of her love, not
indeed by words, but by her actions.
Long and patiently she had watched by
my side; and to her more than any 9TH
er do owe the preservation Of my Life.
No words had passed between Us in re-
lation to the subject which had SO nearly
separated us, yet there seemed to be q
tacit acknowledgment Of the error on nv
part, and cheerful forgiveness on hers.
But one day, when We CHANGED to be
alone, 1 REQUIRED to tho folly Of which I
had been guilty, and more formally asked
her forgiveness.
.'Freely do I forgive you." she said,
If indeed you have been guilty of any
act which would seem to require it.
You doubtless acted according to your
earnest inclination, which I would not
wish to oppose. supposed your only.
object W to secure the hand Of another
in leaving me, and that -"
Lucy, Lucy!' I exclaimed, "it was
not sol was mad; I was fool be-
ieved too rashly, but now will believe
nothing, will not even credit. what I
see. But tell me, Lucy, how it hap
pened that on one or two occasions, after
excusing yourself from accompanying
me to IN evenings visit or party,
should afterward meet you returning
home in company with Mr.. Wesley?''
"Still jealous, see," said Lucy.
"No, no" replied "but-"
Listen then," she said, interupting
me, "and I will explain all which /
might hSve done sooner had you ra-
quested it. I was anxious to improve
my singing, and, as this was probably
the only opportunity I should ever have,
I had engaged to take private lessons Of
Mr.. Wesley. I did not think it neces-
sary to tell every one why I was SO often
seen in the company Of that gentleman,
who, must assure you, is not only
very dAAAAD1o yOuASS usiAA, Out u tuSdSeu
to my cousin, with whom no 1nducement
could cause him to break his compact -
But why did he delay SO long to
come to my assistance, when was about
to be crushed by the train?..'
"He did, indeed, make all the haste
in his power" replied Lucy; "but, in
company with my brother, arrived a
moment too late, when it would have
been madness to have gone on the
bridge. In the dim light they saw you
fail into tho water, which, fortunately,
was deep and rapid and consequently
free from ice. They fastened to the
bank Of the stream, and in few mo-
ments succeeded in rescuing you from
this second danger and bore you to the
house."
"Friends, thank God; all friends p
could not help uttering after listening to
Lucy's explanation Of all that had trans
pired. was happy again, though
manned for life, fact which Lucy gen.
erously seemed to quite overlook, as she
did not hesitate to become Mrs. Worth
iugton in less than a month after my
perfect conyalescence.
Danger in the Household.