The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1881-02-09

true-I am win Redmond's promised
wife"
There lay painful stiffness between
the two women for a few seconds,
during which Jenny Wrung her firm
nervous bands together bitterly, then
said, in voice hoarse and aWe-inspiring
By its intensity of passion:
And you dared to accept him after /
had told yon he had betfothed himself
to me month since"
Yes, oreplied Dolly, bravely, " did,
for the simple reason that knew it was
8 falsehood
" Ungrateful girl, false-hearted friend,
you shall not live to triumph over me,
and with sudden awful meaning, she
drew near the frightened girl who faced
her dumb and dazed with dread.
Then there was heavy splash in the
deep black water, and Jenny stood on
the plank bridge alone, q sudden horror
breaking up her anger, and showing her
her sin, as pitiful white face lifted
itself appealingly from the death below.
and clear sweet voice cried shrilly:
Save me, Jenny, save me-"
With one shuddering glance at the
deep water Jenny sprang up the dark
steps. crying wildly:
VIII, Will quick, for the love of
God; Dorothy's fallen into the DAM
The group of men, among whom Will
stood the promoter Ofmirth, broke apart
to give way to the man who by these
terrible words seemed suddsnly to step
out OF youth to age, so haggard and hor-
ror-stricken was he, as after one long,
searching look into Jenny's livid face
aid shifting eyes, he strcde past, fol-
lowed by the men, to the place below
where, without a moments consider
alton OF the fearful risk he ran, he low
cred himself into the deep water, saying
in tone of passionate appeal
Hold up for one moment love; I
come to save or die with YOU"
Then followed q few moments of
dreadful suspense. and Jenny lay upon
the floor above like dead thing.
Now joyous shout arose, and two
wet, dripping figures were carried past
and laid upon some sttcks--Dolly
deathlike, with fearful cash on her
livid face; Will, with one arm broken
and hanging by his side, and great drops
OF agony upon his pain-distorted coun-
tenance.
Jenny looked upon her work with
misery yunutterable, from which she was
reused by her cousins voice, saying:
"Come here, Jenny, and let me thank
you for helping me so Had it not been
tor your prompt attention / must have
died. ] ought not to have ventured
where you said it was not safe"
Will looked up quickly at these words,
all his black suspicious scattered to the
winds, and Jenny felt as though an.
angels voice had lifted her from death
to life.
Very humbly she took her cousins
hand and pressed it against her pain
fully-throbbing heart, while those about
her. seeing her evident. gratitude, raised
their estimation of her nature hun
dredfold, thinking her curt manner had
misled them as to her good heart.
1t was a sad ending to their merry
party Will was quickly placed in bed,
and was Dolly, by oIder o. a doctor
who had been hastily summonded from
the village. Then followed a month,
during which Will said the mill house
was turned into hospital. Jenny was
head nurse, trying hard to recompense
them for the trouble she had brought
upon them. Her harsh, hard nature
seemed changed by the magic wand OF
suffering; her voice attuned itself to
gentle sympathy; her stubborn heart
took more gentle, womanly turn, till
those about her thought they never knew
her till then, and that surely never had
a woman, though possessing a hasty
temper and sharp tongue, been SO Bit
terly misjudged. Her love and devotion
to Dolly was beyond all praise, and Will
thanked her warmly, saying:
All trouble tries true hearts, and
yours, Jenny. has proved real gold.
Had know that year ago, my own
dear girl might have been forestalled.
When your nature is so truly noble, why
cover it up in so rough a maskP"
Jenny huug her head, and felt she had
never known real punishment till now;
but new nature sprang out of her
bitter lesson. After this, with wonder
full patience and seif-mastery, she COM
PEELED herself to look the gentle part Of
life in real, earnest faithful love and
kincest sympathy with all.
Her altered temper lent so great a
cha m to her names self, that the
young gentleman-farmer first hattered
her into accepting him, and then By the
strength Of his hOnest affection won her
heart from its first false and fearful
passion; 50 that when Viii led his first
sweet girl to the altar. they were accom-
panied by rival candidates for matri-
monial blessing, and Farmer Stanley
thought his bonnie Jenny fur surpassed
his friends more retiring though more
lovely bride.
So bridal buried forever the secret
of Redmond's Mill.