Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-11-12

anu lHSJIuCJtu IllH W hScp quleI anu
not to grasp her. But the sound of water
was in Mr.. Heath's ear, and with the
instructive impulse of drowning man
he clung to the girl. She had only time
to cry Reginald" before she sank un-
der the water. 1t was but for moment,
for her brother was close to her, and
selling them both, he soon succeeded,
with Laura's assistance, in gaining the
bank with the insensible rector. 1t was
some time before he recovered, and his
first impulse was TO express his regret
for his own stupidity in causing the
accident, and thankfulness to them for
his rescue.
THE best thing to do" said Reginald,
will be for me to put Me. Heath across
to the other side. A three mile walk
through the fields will bring him to
Bethany, and he will be pretty dry by
the time he gets there. You, Laura,
and had better go to the little farm
house there, and you can borrow some
clothes till you get your own dried.
Come along, Mr.. Heath, jump in! l
want to get Laura's things dried as soon
as | can"
The programme was carried out, and
in another quarter of an hour Laura and
her brother were sitting by the kitchen
fire in the farmhouse, she dressed in the
Sunday clothes of the farmers wife, and
he in the farmers own things, which, as
far as girth was concerned, were ridicu-
lous large for him. At last she burst in
to fit of laughter.
what are you laughing at Laura?"
asked her brother.
II can't help it; l never shall forget
1.-THE little mans face when he came
up. 1t was the funniest thing ever
saw, glaring through those spectacles," "
and she laughed again till the tears
came.
This accident did not improve the re-
lation between the rector and the young
lady. At the first subsequent interview
the fippant manner in which she pooh
poohed his attempt to express his graft
tude, and her quietly-amused looks
showed Enthusiastically that she regarded
the affair as a comic incident.
1t was fated, however, that he should
cancel his obligation. One afternoon he
was walking in lane near the Haines's,
and seriously revolving in his own mind
the urgent necessity of making his selec-
tion of the future mistress of the parson-
age, when he heard loud sharp scream
from the field close by. He ran to the next
gate and saw sight which caused him
to climb-he was not good at vaulting-
over the gate. Laura Haines was stand
ing in the middle of the field, her back
toward him, and her whole attitude ex-
pressing helpless terror. At short dis
tance before her a bull was standing
with his head down, evidently meditat-
ing rush. She was in almost every
respect remarkably fearless girl, but
she had a horror of bulls, acquired
through fright when a child. She trieC
in vain to fly; she stood in helpless ter
f ror gazing at the enemy. She felt hel
limbs giving way beneath her, ant
would in another moment have fallen
when a man ran suddenly past her
shouting to her to run for her life. TIL,
spell which oppressed her seemed broken
: and without moments thought, with
out even knowing who the man was
. she turned and ran TO the gate. She diC
not look around until she had gaineC
, the other side, and then the scream
l which rose to her lips was stifed by he
horror. The bull had for moment re
' coiled a step upon seeing new antago
mist, and the clergyman, rememberin
Y he had heard that animals were some
times frightened in that way, took Of
| his hat and waved it at the animal. TIL
!. bull, however, evidently took it as
challenge. He lowered his head, stamp
ed fiercely upon the ground, and in an
0 other instant rushed upon the clergy
o man. An athletic man, or one accus
q toned to active sports might have elud
ed the charge. Mr.. Heath was neither
e and stood perfectly still, awaiting tn
L rush. In an instant Laura saw hir
thrown many feet in the air and ia
o heavily upon the ground. Her scream
: broke out loud and piercing, and th
d bull, startled by their sound and remen
/ bering his first foe, left the prostrat
n body, to which he was about returning
and galloped furiously round the fiel(
IS Laura's screams brought assistance; fiv
:. or six laboring men ran up, and arme
O with forks and spades, went into I'll
d field, drove the bull into a corner, an
: carried off the insensible clergyman.
7, He was carried to Mr.. Haines's,
the nearest house, and surgeon wt
e soon in attendance. An examinatio
; developed that two of his ribs had bee
broken, but after the first day thi
if though serious, did not confine the re,
II tor to his bed.
d The affair could not, rs the previol
n one had been, be concealed from IL
n public, and great indeed was gossip
e talk over it, Rumors of all kinds wei
) current, and Laura Haines made exceed
l. ingly uncomfortable. The rector W,
Y annoyed even more than she. He sa
3 her seldom. Great as he acknowledge
e his affection for her to be, he could n,
s purchase the pleasure of meeting her
/" the price of giving gossips' tongues 0