Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1881-05-19

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= It does look unusually quiet, now
notice it. But then this sun is terrible.
See if you can find our house over there
Mary"
There was long silence, then the
young wife gleefully pointed out the
house, and there was another long
silence which was broken by Mrs. Hope
saying suddenly: What is that curious
sound I hear 2,
"I hear nothing"
There Do you hear it nowY
Dick inclined an ear. They were fair
ly clear of the rough land at the base of
Dams Rock now and the mare was trot-
ting rapidly. Suddenly her drivers
firm hand brought her upon her
haunchas Dick listened intently. His
wife was right; her ears were keener
than his. There was something in the
air.
At that instant Mary's hand clutched
his arm convulsively as she cried out:
"Oh, Dick, what is that back of us ?"
She was looking back with horror
stricken eyes and pale lips.
Dick turned. A cloud like a black
wall was rushing down upon them; it
seemed to Dick Hopes eyes as black
as ink. An awful fear possessed him.
There was a hush, stiffness, in the air
as chilling as the terrible cloud behind
them. Go long r. he exclaimed des-
perately, cutting the mare fiercely with
his whip.
The mare shot out like an arrow, and
at that moment another sound smote
their ears-a sound that was like the
crash of worlds. The mare plunged,
reared, then resumed her onward course.
Her owner had lost all control over her.
But one thought animated Dick Hope
as he clasped his wife with his right
arm, while he held fast to the reins With
his left hand, shutting his teeth like
wise. That thought was, "Pray God
we reach the river bottom p
The earth groaned under their feet.
A sound like the rush and roar and
scream of million locomotives deaf
ened them. Dick Hope instinctively
turned and clasped his young wife in
his arms He did not see the mare; he
saw nothing. but his wife's face, and
something in it struck terror to his
heart. His own was ashy gray at that
Al4OLlC41u, tAo Wno AAc JO04f5 W41O . WHICH,
she turned her last appealing look upon
him and moved her lips. His one
prayer was that they might die together.
It seemed to them then that all the
sound in the air and earth was con-
densed, gathered into one awful shrek.
Earth and sky were obliterated. Dick
Hope felt himself lifted up and flung
like fake through the air.
When he recovered his senses he was
lying where he had prayed to be-in
the river-bottom, with his wife close
beside him. The awful storm did not
divide them. The tornado, like a
raging beast, had simply taken them up
in his teeth, SO to speak, tossed them
aside, and pursued its path. Where
they were lying the water was so shoal
that it scarcely covered them.
Dick sat up and spoke to his wife; she
did not answer. Then he put one hand
up involuntarily, in weak, helpless
way. There was blood on his face he
could not see his eyes were full of
sand. He struck himself in despair,
and, again grasping his wife, said, in
hoarse voice: "You are not dead,
Mary?'
Whether it was the water from the
river he dashed into his face or the gush
of tears that came into his eyes, Dick
does not know to this day. but suddenly
his eyes became clear, and he could see
his wife lying with her face next him
and the water washing her long hair
over her breast. He lifted her up. He
felt her hands, her cheeks. Then sud-
denly he summoned all his remaining
strength for one supreme effort, and
dragged rather than carried her up tt
the dry shelving beach under the bluff.
Mary Hope slowly opened her eyes and
looked at her husband. Then she put
her hands slowly up to her face and
covered it.
Dick saw the tears coursing down her
cheeks. Don't - don't, Nary he
said.
81 can't help it. I am not crying
with pain or grief it's because you are
living, because we both are spared
Dicks strength returned to him. He
stood up and looked about him. Until
that moment he did not know that he
was coatless and without vest or shirt
he was naked. He pressed his eyes with
his hands and looked down on himself
like one awakening out of dream. He
looked at bis wife, still sitting with her
face covered with her hands Mary,
we are almost naked. There is nothing
on me, and your dress is in ribbons"
He looked up and down the river in
helpless way, still pressing hand to
his heart 81 don't see-any sign Of.
the buggy or the horse" Then he cast
his glance at the bluff back of them.
Come, let us go up on the bank"
He had to carry her.
g It is the horrible fright, dear Dick.
Ill-soon get over it, she said, when he
set her down gently on the level ground.
Mary, look over there. Do you see
anything? My eyes are so full Of sand,
SO sore, that 1 can't make it out quite.
Everything looks blurred
She did not answer him, 1t was not
because her eyes were not clear. As she
| looked wcnderingly, her hand, that had
never relinquished her husbands from
the moment he seated her on the prairief
clasped his convulsively. Then she ut
tered loud cry.
"II expected as much, said Dick,
speaking more to himself than to his
wife. Nothing nothing man ever
made could stand before that Storm
"Oh, Dick" she exclaimed, Sob
bingly, "there is nothing left Of the
town-not house. can only see
heap here and there-something like
fallen chimneys and smoke and fire.
That's the end Of Pringle's Flat,
Mary
He looked back over the prairie
back to the fringe of trees that skirted
a portion of the road near the base Of
Dams Rock but little while since. He
could not recognize the place he had
looked on a hundred times. The trees
had disappeared; they had been swept
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