The Red Cloud chief., 1881-11-24
HOW HE

May rise in golden splcndor!
-Srmddy Mngnzfne.
HOW HE ESCAPED.
Martha Willis stood at the door of
her fathers log cabin on the banks of
the Angelina River in Texas. She was
gazing i~ntcntly across the stream The
river was narrow, and the crossing wax
in the primitive style which prevails in
ON portions of the State-a rome.
stretched tightly from bank to bank,
and tied to convenient trees, by means
of which a small fat, or "bateau."
usually manned by two persons, was
drawn back and forth.
This hot, drowsy, summer afternoon,
Martina girl of seventeen years
thought the longest she had eve spent.
The cattle stood painting in the stream
near the shore. Not /. breeze stirred
the jungle of trees and bushes on the
other side of the river, and the field
around the house was a sun-baked
waste. Would her father never come?
lie and the hired man had gone that
morning TO town for supplies, leaving
her alone with Bobbie, her little six
year-old brother who ut that moment
"hS iSiie 10 CtD VII lltt libpl III I'LL luiltl
room-and Eph, a little cOlored boy Of
ten. who had slipped into the woods to
hunt squirrels.
Now Martha was not a Texas girl.
and was not accustomed to these wild
solitudcs. Two years before, her
father had decided to mend, if possible,
his fortunes on n Texas farm, but had
proposed TO Martha to remain with his
relatives in Virginia until he had a suit
able home for her.
"You are not accustomed to rough
ing it" he said; land life where | shall
settle will be hard and lonely for years.
IL is a new place. Our nearest neigh
Dor will be five miles away. | do not
like TO take you there at all, and if you
are wise you will stay with your aunt,
who wants you very much"
"Then I'm not a bit wise," Martha
said. with her bright face full of deter
mination. And | think nv kind
father is not quite wise in proposing
such n thing to me. Why. who will
attend to youand Robbie-a mere baby
he is toop If you are sick. who will
nurse YOU? 1 dare say. I'm not the
most helpful girl in the world, but do
you really think | should be happy in
Sinking all my duties and staying in
luxury, while YOU are undergoing all
kinds of privation?'
SO Martha had her own way, and be-
ing q bright, intelligent girl. had
adapted herself TO her new life with
wonderful facility. Her neighbors were
kind, good people, but they had little
time 10 visit. and then they were SO far
of that frequent social calls were i'm
possible.
Blu Martha interested herself in do
nestle duties. She raised poultry and
made the best butter in the county.
She had a good collection of books, and
received some periodicals. She tried
also to keep up her studies; for she
reasoned justly that. if improved cir
cumstances allowed them again to mix
in cultivated society. it would not do
for her TO blush for her own ignorance.
But this afternoon time hung heavy
on her hands. Her father in going over
the river had left the flat fastened on
the other side. that it might be ready
for him on his return. Vainly she
strained her eyes through the thick un-
dergrowth of the opposite bank, hop
ing TO see HIM coming down the mar
row path.
Its been as long as ten days" she
said. throwing herself down in a rock
. ing-chair on the small porch. II be;
lieve I'm getting tired of this lonely
life. Day in and day out it's the same
thing. and nothing happens n day
different from any other day. And
when fathers away it's a thousand
times worse. / wouldn't care much
what happened, were it only something
out of the old routine. I'm getting
like the old sluggish pond in the field,
and feel the green scum growing over
me-"
Her discontinued eyes fixed them
selves on the swampy forest before the
cabin. and they did not move, ever
when she heard the galiop of a horse
coming down the road.
Its old Jake Potter coming to bOr-
row a saw, or something; or one OF
those abominable Haldon boys racing
after stray cow" she thought.
But no; the horseman was neither
Jake Potter nor a Ha,don boy. As he
pulled up has horse before The cabin.
Martha saw he was a gentlemanly-
looking young man of about twenty
years of age, with a pale face, and q
strange, wild look. He touched his ha,
10 her in a mechanical manner
Can i get over the river here?" he
asked.
mo. sir. We don't keep the public
ferry," she answered. That's more
than five miles down the river"
. He jumped from his horse, and came
rapidly toward her. elf you'll only
get me over, he said, drawing some
money out of his pocket, "rn give YOU
twenty-five dollars. It's every cent ]
p have. and it's a matter of life and
death for me to get over Immediately.
flor heavens sake, help me. won,
your"
The imploring tone, the look of agony
In the young mans eyes, startled
Martha Was this a mailman before
her. and she alone and in his power;
No, he did not look insane; though he
kept turning and casting wild glance:
in the direction whence he had come.
81 am sorry. sir" she said. shut the
fiat was taken to the other side by my
father, who has not vet returned. Look,
you can see it from here"
Then l shall have toswim the river
he said, turning from her.
"Yeu must not!, she exclaimed
earnestly. 1.-The river is swollen BY
the las: rains, and the tide is running
like q mill-race! Not even q strong
horse could swim it, and yours"-look
ing at the tired little pony would moi
get halfway over"
He paused ir~resolutely for one mo
, ment, end then retraced his steps.
. "You look good and kind" he said
"And Pm sure you wouldn't harm me
I'll trast you. I am pursued by meT
who accuse me of 3 thing / nevel
AHaamod Of doin0 am nar&oc5