Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-05-18

I
with composure. Hark What is thatr'
she exclaimed, turning toward the open
window, through which came dull,
harsh murmur.
Before she had time to say more
there was an uproar at the lower end Of
the room, q cry of "Crevasse Gre
vase r. from the afTrighted servants,
and Frank Russell. rushing through a
crowd of dancers, leaped upon n chair
not three steps from us and shouted:
"The levee has broken; save your
selves at once, there is no time TO
lose"
There was an instant of awful silence;
every breath was hushed, and rosy
cheeks were blanched with terror; then
the voice OF the despairing bride rang
out:
:" It has come true II has come
true !" she cried, and as she fell into
the arms of her husband the guests
fed in every direction. The gray.
haired mother sank upon her knees
and We could see her lips move in
prayer
Franks eyes wandered over the hur.
rying crowd an instant in search Of
some one he evidently expected to see.
Even in that terrible moment l could
not help thinking how brave and hand.
some he was. did not wonder Ruth
had lost her heart TO him. At length
his eye rested on us. In an instant he
was beside us. He put his arm about
Ruth as il they had parted with kisses
but yesterday, looked quickly back
and said, as his face blaached and. his
lips shut close:
I'VE can only save ourselves.
Come I"
He swung Ruth lightly through the
easement, clasped me by the arm and
We fled away from the house OF feast.
ing with the brides heartrending shrek
in our ears, and the mothers blanched
face upsurned in hopeless prayer ever
before our eyes as We dashed out into
the night and joined in the wild scram.
BILE for life.
The blackness OF the night, the roar.
ing OF the wind and the increasing
thunder Of the river were enough to ap.
pail the stoutest heart. But We were
hurried on, stumbling over roots and
s.umPs, caught and torn by vines and
br:ars, dashed against trees by the rag.
ing wind, spattered by the spray OF the
rising water until we reached the place
where Frank had left his boat.
The river was full OF floating trees,
the ruins OF houses and all the debris
which the mad water had wrested from
its oonquerora The current was so
strong it seemed certain death to trust
ourselves to it, bu. it was the only
chance. We stepped in the boat and
each seized an oar. We pushed out
and the fight for life began. We we're
driven against huge floating logs, again
and again almost overturned, caught in
the branches OF some great tree that
rushed down the current and which in
the darkness We could not see. Cries
of terror reached us now and then, bu,
the thunder OF the liberated river filled
the air. II seemed the triumphing Of
the river god as he swallowed his vic.
tins, the human sacrifice to his power.
We we're trying to force our way
through the erevAsse up to higher
ground when suddenly : bonfire some
one had lighted hours before blazed up.
and We saw clingins in the branches OF
n tree rushing past us the bride clssped
tightly in the arms of her husband,
Was the prophecy to be fulfilled. "never
a wife or mother3'' Though the at
tempt was madness. We strove to reach
them. Fortunately both Ruth and my.
self we're accomplished oarswomen and
accustomed to the river. Frank stood
up and called TO them while we bent to
our oars with all our strength. The
bridegroom heard us and waved his
hand in acknowledgment. Then Frank
took the oars, Ruth the pole that was
used to keep US from colliding with the
floating masses aud We rowed down the
current after the great tree with its liv-
ing burden. A iutting bluff for a mo.
ment shut out the view Of the bonfire.
When IL shone upon the floating tree
again, only the bare trunk and the
dripping branches were TO be seen.
Ruth uttered moan OF terror. Frank
changed our course and We shot OF into
the darkness again. After hours of
desperate fighting for our lives, the
faint light of dawn came TO our aid,
and at last We we're able to land.