Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1881-10-07
THE FLOOD.

Not Noah's, but one equally ss disos
sT:.Dls s5ous as lar as 1t went as they know n
Lucy Fanchen, standing in her broth
81 81 h-law s doorway, looking out over
1 4 lnst tnrned turn aud waved his big hat to
PACK eyes were bright and her dark lark
taee warm with rich color.
Lucy" called her sister from the
little bedroom, "who was the man at
the door?"
"Charlie Rosecoe," said Lucy. def
antly. What is it to you, Colombo"
What IS 1t to mel I'll teach Won.
miss when Peter comes you shall 90
nome and marry Joe Aim, as Won have
oeen told. You're not Yankee girl. if
you have been to their school. and Won
snail do as you arc told. I'll ask old
tautlere to go for father Chevalier when
he comes into the house"
II don't care" said Lucy, still more
u:eehantiy you may get dozen priests
II you like, I'll not marry Joe Aim, if
ne has a thousand cattle. Charlie is
better with nothing"
SO foolish you talkl What do Won
know? You are to listen to what is told
you, and you are not to talk alone with
men at my door it is not decent. Yon
should go back tof France, miss. and
learn manners, and not to talk of vour
priests so disrespectfully. Fix the fire
ana come and take the baby, and let
not Charlie Roscoe como here once
more"
Lucy filed the stove with corn. The
railroads had brought but little wood
yet, and that was so dear they still used
corn, as they had done during the
blockade. When she had done that she
took tho baby and sab 10y the window,
rocking it and looking out on the snow
where Charlie had passed out of sight
Old Gautiere had come in from the
barn, where he had been to take care of
the cattle and horses, and Colomb was
telling him through the open bedroom
door of Lucy's rebellion. The old man
muttered and ColOmb scolded, but
Lucy only looked more rebellious and
defiant than ever, and gave them sharp
answer now and then, tossing ler black
braids about with every scornful move.
ment of her coquettish head. The old
man muttered and mumbled about the
black night and that some one had told
him the river was rising above there, but
Lucy paid no attention to his words,
and after once more renewing the fire,
lay down on the lounge near the door
of her sisters room, ready to answer
any call during the night.
Sometime in the night, she did not
know how long she had been asleep, she
was awakened by terrible crashing
and grinding about the house. She
could not tell what it meant she had
never heard anything like it. Colomb
was screaming, and old Gautiere stood
on the stairs, half-dressed and wholly
terror stricken, nuttering about the
river.
The water began to pour in under the
door, and almost while Lucy looked it
rose ankle-deep. She rushed TO her
sisters bed, and called to the old man.
she she had hound many an aefs of wheat.
anu nef arms We're not weak, and with
the help the old man could give her
they dragged eff the bed with her sister
and the baby upon it, and by much
pulling and pushing got them up the
narrow stairway.
The grinding and crashing continued ;
they could hardly hear each other
speak, and the water rose rapidly.
Lucy could see it rising higher and
higher on the stairs. She had hurried
back and snatched the lamp from the
table as soon as Colomb was safe up
stairs. She had to wade through water
to do it, and noticed that even then it
was as high as the chair seats and was
pdtting ont the fire. She watched the
water as it crept step by step up those
stairs, and soon saw they would not be
safe there. The only place OF escape
left was the attic, and that was a very
small and low one but they must take
refuge there. She set her wits to work
to plan way to reach it. The chamber
was unfinished only few loose boards
lay on the beams overhead. Old Gau-
tiere's bed stood near, and an old rick
ETY. table beside it. She placed the
table on tn. bed and got the old man
up on the beams then she reached up
bed clothes and a feather bed, and di-
rected him to arrange a bed on the
loose boards finally she lifted Colomb
till she had her where the old man
<.<s-.la take hold of the quilts about her
| and pull her up.
Htit AOA n minute LOO StCAy lot
just as she reached up the baby and
prepared to swing herself up from the
old table, there came another and
louder crash, the house rocked to and
fro for a minute, the lamp went down
with crash, there was a rush and
sweep OF water, and they felt they were
moving off. Colomb was shrieking and
the old man fairly bowling in terror
Lucy put her hand down between the
beams below them ; it struck into the
Water. 1t was as high as that then il
would soon be over at that rate. She
thought of Charlie where was he
He had gone straight on down the val
ley; he would be drowned. She cried
out at that for the first time, but just
then the house surged to one side and
Colomb shrieked, and they all huddled
down together in the darkness.
On and on they went, the house
swinging to and fro in the current, the
water dashing and splashing about, and
the ice grinding and crashing outside
The old man mumbled his prayers and
Oolomb repeated hers, shrieking oul
now and then to come saint for mercy
or calling loudly on Lucy to stay neal
he's H., 49,. 49, Io1kol 49,. "