Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1881-07-02
The NEW BRIDGE.
4 LOVE STORY.

The Chases were well-to-do in the
world, with q fam clear of debt. and
money In the bank. The Lawsons had
not prospered, for the hill farm was
poor, and life seemed a trifie hard to
them. For all that, there was q neigh
borly friendIiness between them, till
one summer day young Thomas Law
son crossed the Minnesaulsen, and bold
ly asked the hand of Laura Chase.
Never was Farmer Chase more sur-
p1ised. Had the children really grown
up to manhood and womanhood. ready
to ask and be given III marriage?
He could not consider it for a mo-
ment. Laura would have some little
property, and it was proper her hus-
band should bring something more than
his two hands and good intentions. As
for any expectations from the Lawson
farm. the father and mother and many
children would need it all for a long
time to come.
When the young man crossed the
stream that afternoon, it had threatened
rain heavy thunder clouds were al
ready in the west. The stream was
low, and he had leaped from stone to
stone, and crossed dry-shod. The
storm burst over the mountain while he
was in the house, and when he started
for home it was raining fast. Laura
met him on the damp and dripping
piazza, and saw from his face that
things had gone wrong She urged him
to stay till the rain ceased, but he would
not. The river, as was often its fash
ion, would rise suddenly, and he would
not be able to cross. She told him it
made no difference In her heart and he
on his part said he would go away, win
fortune and come back and claim her.
She cried little over it, and said she
would wait-years if she must. So it
was they parted, and he went away In
the rain toward home.
in passion. The mountains had sent
down sudden food, and it was impos-
sible to cross mt the old ford
"a bridge is needed here. If ever
I'm rich, III build one"
"I'll puild bridge over every obsta-
Gle to reach you. Laura" he said as he
bade her good bye.
She was greatly pleased, and said she
would wait for him and the bridge. So
it was they parted, he going the next
day to the city, she staying at home,
patient, hopeful, and confident Be-
| tween the families there was little com
munication. The seasons seemed to
be always rainy. and the fitful Mime
sauken was rarely passable for child or
lover.
The summer grew to winter, and win
ter changed through spring to summer
again. Once month there came q
letter. Farmer Chase secretly admired
the young mans spirit in going off to
learn q trade, and permitted the cor
respondence on the condition that no
more than twelve letters came In year.
| He little knew the ingenuity of lovers.
/ Every letter contained thirty pages
With the spring had come hint of
great changes. Surveyors had ap-
peared with rod and chain. They had
tramped all up and down the rocky
valley of the Minnesauken, and at last
invaded the Chase and Lawson farms.
| A railroad would cross that country,
and after several weeks of investigation
on the part of the surveyors, and rather
feverish suspense on the part of the
farming people, it was decided that the
line would strike the river on The two
farms Just where the child-lovers had
played.
Farmer Chase had barely time to get
an early crop of grass from his best
field before it was destroyed by heaps
of stone and gravel carted down from
the hills. The Lawson farm was on a
much higher level, and in place of
building lofty viaduct on his land,
Farmer Lawson saw 1T torn up for a
cutting. a rude wooden bridge was
made, and part of the Lawson powders
and gravel was strewn over the Chase
meadows queer irony of fate on the
two families. The river bank on the
Chase side was low and sandy, and here
came masons and stone cutters. with
huge derricks and great blocks of cut
lstone A solid wall of masonry forty
feet high was erected facing the river,
and on the opposite bank, high on the
bluff, was smaller wall, the two being
level at the top. Between the stone
abutment on the Chase meadows and
the hall behind the. barn grew up vast
embankment, a mountain of gravel
directly in front of the house. The
snow fell before this was finished, and
then the work stopped for long time
People said the company had failed
that the road would never be built, and
so on. However, every man had beer
paid for his land, and they could no
com plain. The delay was really caused
by tunnel that had 10 be cut through
the mountains about five miles to the
west Of the river.
Laura Chase received her twenty sixth
letter, and seemed to grow in beauty
and good spirits day by day. Ther