Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1882-06-01
Gales arlo Skltfbts.
fnEoRr AND PRACTICE.
Continued from Tuesday

| 1uls dcc1uSut uiu OOt lmpIOSc Tue ISld
ton between the rector and the young lady
At the first subsequent interview the flip
pant manner in which she pooh-poohe6
his attempt to express his gratitude, and
her amused looks showed Enthusiastically
that she regarded the affair as comic in
cident. This reception, added to the un'
easy feeling that it was degrading thing
for man to be indebted to a woman fol
saving his life, left very sore feeling up.
on his mind. Certainly Laura was not the
woman to make good clergyman's wife,
he thought.
II was fated, however. that he should
cancel his obligation. One afternoon he
was walking in lane near the Haines's.
and seriously revolving in his own mind
the urgent necessity of making his selec-
ton Of the future mistress of the parson-
lage, when he heard a loud sharp scream
IRON the field close by. He ran to the
next gate and saw sight which caused
him to climb-he was not good at vault
ing-over the gate. Laura Haines was
standing in the middle Of the field. her
back toward him, and her whole attitude
depressing helpless terror. Al short
distance before her bull was standing
with his head down. evidently meditating
a rush. She was in almost every respect
a remarkably fearless girl, but she had a
horror of bulls, acquired through fright
when child. She tried in vain to fly ;
she stood in helpless terror, gazing at the
enemy. She felt her limbs giving way
beneath her and would in another mo-
ment have fallen. when a man ran sudden
ly past her, shouting to her to run for her
life. The spell which oppressed her SEEM
ed broken, and without moment thought,
without even knowing who the man was.
she turned and ran to the gate. She did
not look around until she had gained the
other side, and then the scream which rose
to her lips was stifled by her horror. The
| bull had for moment recoiled a step up
on seeing new antagonist. and tho clergy.
man, remembering he had heard nat ami
mails were sometimes frightened in that
way, took off his hat and waved it at the
animal. The bull, however. evidently
took it as challenge. He lowered his
head. stamped fiercely npon the ground,
and in another instant rushed upon the
clergyman. An athletic man, or one ac-
customed to active sports, might
have eluded the charge. Mr.. Heath
was neither. and stood perfectly still.
awaiting the rush. In an instant Laura
saw him thrown many feet in the air and
fall heavily upon the ground. Her
screams broke out loud and piercing. and
the bull, startled by their sound and re-
Numbering his first foe, LETT the PROSTATE
body, to which he was about returning,
and galloped furiously round the field.
Laura's screams brought assistance five
or six laboring men ran up, and armed
with forks and spades. went into the field,
drove the bull into corner, and carried
off the insensible Clergyman.
He was carried to Mr.. Haines's, as the
nearest house. and a surgeon was soon in
attendance An examination developed
that two of his RIBS had been broken, but
after the first day this. though serious, did
not confine the rector to his bed. After
breakfast Mrs Haines had informed him
that Laura wished to see him and thank
him in person. She did not wait for an
swer. She went out of the room, and a
minute or two after Laura came in. She
had evidently been crying, and her face
was pale and sad.
20, Mr. Heath" she began, "what can
| say TO thank you ?''
MY dear Miss Haines," the rector said,
there are no thanks due. | was before
under deep, indeed painful obligation
to you. ! am very. very happy to have
been able to discharge it; so now really
there are no thanks due from either side.
You saved my life; 1, by Gods mercy.
have saved yours. We are quits"
Laura would have protested, but he
would not hear her.
The rector was soon in a condition to
return to the parsonage, and his GONZALES
cence was a speedy one. The affair could
not. as the previous one had been, be con-
cealed from the public. and great indeed
was gossips' talk over it. Rumors of all
kinds were current. and Laura Ha'nes
made exceedingly uncomfortable. The
rector was annoyed even more than she.
He saw her seldom. Great as he ac-
knowledged his affection for her to be, he
could not purchase the pleasure of meet
ing her at the price of giving gossips'
tongues occasion to wag. So he kept
away. He knew that before the accident
he had been Indifferent to her. He knew
her ideal, and how little he resembled it,
As long as he had not really loved
Laura. he had thought only of his
feelings toward her, not of hers
toward him; now that he did love
her he saw that she cared nothing for him,
that she had flirted with him but had new
er seriously thought of him. The acct
dent. although it had changed her feelings
toward HIM. had not improved his chances
of being loved. True. she no longer
talked gayly or lightly. her color went
and came If she Glanced to meet him sud-
denly; but he told himself this was graf
itude. not love: and although sometimes
the thought would come that perhaps she
might marry him through gratitude. he
would dismiss the idea with anger She
could not love him. and he would not &C.
cept from gratitude what he could not
gain from love. not even from the hand
of Laura Haines.
Under these circumstances, the Rever.
end Richard Heath began to revolve in his
own mind whether il was really necessary
that he should marry at all. He could
not have the woman he loved. No, he
really got on very well, and he was not a,
all sure that clergyman was not more
useful as a single man than he would be il
married; at least he had more time to
himself
The rector's reasoning was clear, but he
was at fault. Laura Haines had seen that
the rector admired her. but although she
liked him. she never allowed the possibil.
itv OF her loving him. Like most other