The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1882-08-12

more bitter feelings in his heart than
when he left it: all his good reso-
lutions to-. apologize for his quick
temper. and in the future to over
look Etheps caprices, being COM
pletely knocked in the head by the late
encounter. As he again steps upon the
sea-wall. he fully realizes the force of
the wind; it is now pounding against his
back, and it rushes him along. He has
not as much time to be angry as he
would like to have, for it requires all his
mental and physical powers to watch his
steps and keep his hat on his head. He
is seriously thinking of taking it to the
safer width of the road, and leaving the
narrow ledge of the wall; the thought
causes him to look at the former, and he
falls about ten feet; fortunately the tide
is rapidly falling, and the muddy water
is only about two feet in depth. Sedley
| Lathrop is on his knees, with his hands
| buried to his wrists in the mud. There
| is q sharp pain-a cross between red
hot knife slowly cutting and an electric
! shock somewhere in his right side, but
| he is too dazed and bewildered to locate
| it. Drawing his hands out of the ooze,
he attempts to stand, but his right foot
will not support him, and he sinks with
| q sharp exclamation and very white
face. His hat and stick floating off to-
| gether in pleasant companionship. What
is he to do? In front of him rises ten
| feet of green. Shiny barnacle covered
| wall; behind him lies the river, spark
ling in the sunlight; there is not boat
in sight, and he is sitting in the water,
chilled through and through, and unable
to move.
ssWil1 nobody Gomez" he thinks with
despair. He knows the exact location of
the tremendous pain now; it is in his
ankle, and is growing so intense that he
feels i'll and dizzy. ''What if I should
faint?' he says, looking at the water
about him, and measuring the depth
with his hand. "It is deep enough to
suffocate me-"
At this iuncture there are steps on the
wall, stepping toward him, and he hears
sweet, musical voice, the accents of
which sends rush of crimson to his
face. He is mortified to think that she
will see him in this humiliating predica-
ment. He decides not to call; he will
wait for some one else to help him; but
it is growing toward dusk, and he cam
not endure the pain much longer.
Involuntarily he groans. The footsteps
stop.
''I heard groan, Mr.. Wilton; what
can it mean? It seemed to be right
here"
Then there is Mortified cry as Miss
Estey discovers Mr.. Lathrop sitting
close to the wall, submerged in the
water, all splashed with mud, looking
j frightfully demoralized, and with an
agonized expression in his eyes as he
, meets hers.
"Why, Mr.. Lathrop- Sedley-what
has happened? Oh, are you hurt?" get
ting down upon her knees and leaning
over the wall to look at him.
He smiles rather family at her, and
without word falls over, and the water
quite covers his head.
, Without an instants hesitation Mr..
| Wilton lowers himself over the wall and
] then drops into the water. Resting on
one knee. regardless of the wetting, he
water from his face with his handker-
, chief. Poor Miss Estey is quite beside
, herself with horror and terror, and calls
! out
"Oh, Mr.. Wilton, what shall I do:
What shall dor
"Just stop the first person yon see
please, and ask for boat / will stay
| here"
. In about half an hour boat is rowed
as near to the wall as possible, and two
men wading to Sedley Lathrop carry
him to the boat. There is quite an ex
r cited crowd of spectators on the wall
and great many conjectures and opin
ions as to how it happened are yolun
teered.
Toward the end of the month of April
3 st. Augustine begins to look deserted
The great rush of the Northern travel il
8 over, and the few remaining tourists are
' generally people who, for various rea
: sons. cannot get away. On the road thai
leads to the fort, on a deliciously perfect
i day of that month, stroll two of the above
| mentioned tourists young woman and
man; the latter leans rather heavily upon
stout walking stick and has an almost
decided limp. They reach the fort; and
seat themselves.
, "Well, this is the first time I have
: been here since that day." from the
/ young man, looking archly at his com
{ panion.
"Oh, please do not speak of that
, Sedley; the memory of my horror when
] saw you in the water is too unutter'
ably terrible;" and Ethel Estey shud
dered at the recollection.
| "Well, I do not know that it was such
bad thing after all. Ethel, taking her
, hand and looking deep into her eyes
ST am truly grateful to that wind; il
blew me from the wall, but it also blew
) me back to youp'-Waverly Magazine,
|