The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-10-22

think, Raldy, how it kind OF spurs me up to
try and be somebody. That's what makes me
want to go up river now. | want to show
you, Raldy-I want" But here Sim Pee
bles choked up. His courage had given out.
Raidy felt hers ooZing out, too.
81 guess III go home till supper" she said,
and she darted away. f'
After supper she put the children to bed,
and then brushed up the hearth and put the
little cabin to rights, Sim meanwhile deYour-
ing her, as usual, with his eyes. Raldy had
captured him. soul and body, and the nearer
he came to the sublime sacrifice which he felt
that he was making for her sake, the more
completely his passion dominated him.
-Raldy moved for her hat and shawl, and
murmured something in manner strangely
unlike herself about going home to Mart"
when Sim Feeble .caught her hand dino man
had ever dared to touch Raldy Scotts pc son
befo e-and begged her to sit down for mo-
ment with him by the fire.
you know Sim said, brokenly, and with
a face like ashes, it's my last night, Raldy.N
With all his love, he stood in absolute terror
of her.
Raldy sat down with strange docility, but
Sim could not speak, after all, and they sat for
several moments in silence.
-"Well, y said Raldy at last getting up in her
old arrogant way, g guess I'll co.
Say first" said Sim, swallowing hard, and
catching at her hand again-"tell me first,
Raldy that may be when l coSle home, if do
well, Raldy, and turn out better, that"
He paused. a4
That what?n questioned Raldy, in so gen
tie a tone that Sim took heart wonderfully.
"That may be you'll-you'll marry me and
live here always, and see to the children"
1t was all out now, and Sim drew deep
sigh as he turned his handsome, effeminate
face, almost strong in its expression of in
tense love- full upon the strangely hesitating
woman. 4g..s-f -YftItt5r,
Raldy dropped into her seat again, and
buried her face in her hands. Then she let
them fall slowly, and said, with a serious and
deliberative air which would have daunted a
less persistent sutton: ttN
YOU'RE an honest fellow, Sim-and you
know that's a good deal to me-and you're
good-looking, but declare | don't know of
any other earthly reason why | should marry
you. You couldn't support me. How you
have had to fly around to get enough for us to
eat since have been here And what wages
have you paid me?"
Sim fairly covered before her, but, with a
Wwoman's perversity, Raldy SCOTS love only
burned the more tiercely .
Wits all true," he said, mournfully, shut
don't YOU see, Raldy, Pm turning over new
leaf! Pm going to work and I'm going to
show you and the rest of them that can be
like other men," .-l
AS Raldy looked at him tear glittered in
her eve. ' ..'"
" Well, she said, rising, and with no hint in
her voice of the tear, when YOU come back
it will be time enough to seen
%, but, Raldy,H cried poor Sim, who had
reached just the point where 6 despair sub
lines to power,'' wont YOU lust tell me that
you love me-iust little!" He fell on the
floor at her feet and buried his face in her
dress, 9 Haven't you any thought about me-"
he went on, piteously, 'only that I'm worth
less fe.low!N '. 'l.
:. Sim, you fool" said Raldy, raising him up
with more tenderness than her words would
seem to warrant, 6 do you suppose that /
would have let you go on this way if hadn't!
Goodbye, im;'' and slipping away before he
could stop her Raldy left him with such con-
ISOLATION as he could gather from her last re-
mark. '-
Sim did not go till nine o'clock the next
morning, and meant to have a few words more
with Raldy before he left, but she was cold and
incisiye as usual, when she came in at day..
break, and she went about her work in a way
that precluded further conversation. Once she
colored violently when Sim caught her eve,
and some tender words rose to his hips at the
sight, but she looked at him again so sternly
that he was glad to withdraw into himself at
once, and dared not plead his cause any
further.
The days of the winter wore slowly
away, while Raldy did her self-appointed
task, and bore unfiinchingly the slurs of
the gosSips, and the thousand little irksome
trials of her position. AT last the intense
cold began to yield. March glided into April.
The ice in the river thawed, and daily aanono
its floating masses came down great RATS 81
logs, guided by sturdy lumbermen, whose
cries echoed and re-echoed from the mighty
walls of the village and gladdened the waiting
hearts in the little village
"When will our men Gomez an aged lum-
herman, too old to go ''up river'' any more,
shouted as one great raft became wedged be-
tween the rocks and ice, near enough to con-
verse little amid the tremendous tumult.
In week or two," shouted back man
who lived at the next landing and knew them
well. There was no time for further talk for
the great raft just then made free, and swung
into the current, and with the loud cries of
the men as they piled thor heavy poles and the
rescuing and clambering up of several swept
off, as they often were in the dipping and
swaving of the raft on its perilous passage,
it was carried out of sight, the echoes of the
hubbub lingering long after the vision had
vanished.
It was Friday afternoon, and the April sun
shine was warm and bright, when the noise of
great drive, manned by strangers, having
JUS ed away, a new one was heard coming
down the Dells. The voices seemed to Raldy's
quick ear familiar ones. She had thrown her
long, heavy red cloak, such as all the Morse
women wear, around her to cover her house
dress, which consisted, as her mothers had be-
fore her, of short stuff petticoat and a black
bodice over coarse wooden waist, and she
drew her cloak closer and gazed fixedly up the
river, where the RATS always shot suddenly
into view around a great bend.
The voices grew more distinct. ''Halloor,
SPEAR a handI' ''Shove her in, bows ~
"Keep her steady" And the great drive
came laundering into view, rising and sinking,
creaking and rubbing, the strong poles keep
ing her clear OF the rocks and the shouts of
the men coming down with startling clearness
on the gentle wind.
A cry rose from the men on shore. Yes.
these were their friends and neighbors, and
.here--there was Sim PEBBLES, straighter than
his wont, and standing on the very edge of
the logs, ready to leap into the current and
swim ashore, for it was impossible to push the
raft to land .,. .- ..
Half dozen Others were beside him, mostly
the older ones, whose families needed them.
The youngsters would see the raft safe to its
destination.
On swept the great drive, the men redoub-
ling their cries as the passage became narrow
er and more dangerous; and just as they shot
under the great white name of LEROY Scott,
the river pilot, one after another of the black
figures who were waiting sprang into the
water and began to struggle for the shore.
Raldy's pulses quickened, and a longing for
her old wild life came over her. She had
more than once made that leap herself, and no
man, OF them all had battled more stoutly and
resolutely than she with the freezing rapids.
One after another OF the swimmers came
safely through the five or six rods of foaming
Icy water, which were all that were necessary
II order to reach the shore; but as Sim