The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1882-08-16
to the gentleman too terrible to be

lIuS.
And vet there just before him, hi
honest blue eyes telling the sam
story which his lips had repeated
stood Jerry dinnerless, supperless
and almost homeless, upon this tn
widest night of the year.
Mr.. Wattersoni forgot the lisinI
food. which even now was threaten
ing his mills; he forgot the urgen
errand which had driven him out il
the storm, and he seized the boy b,
the arm and pushed the door of tn
little bakery before which they stood
open, and fairly dragged him with
in.
Here, !" he cried to the baker
wife. who came, bowiDg and smilin!
to execute the great mans com
mands. See, Give this lad the bes
supper YOU can cook and all the pro
visions he can carry and send tn,
bill to me-" Then, hurriedly draw
ing some money from his poke
book, he thrust it into Jerry's hant
and said:
When you have eaten, go back to
Miss Crawford's and pay her for q
month in advance. Then find &
doctor for Nellie, and stay with hel
yourself until she is well. Aitel
that come back to me at the mills
If they are standing yet You shall
have work. No-not a word.n ht
continued, as the astonished boy
would have spoken. "The money
is present to you and Nellie from
me-" And before Jerry could re
cover from his surprise, Mr. Waiter
son had departed.
Supper money and doctor for
Nellie Could it be true? The boy
unclasped his hand and looked at
/ the precious bills. Yes it was true.
As he ate the bountiful meal pre-
pared for him by the bakers good
wife, the bobbin boy pictured Mel
lies delight when he should return
and tell her of wha. had happened
to him: and later, when he faced
the dreary storm, homeward bound
with a great basket, heaped with
buns and cakes and oranges from
the bakers shelves. upon his arm,
his heart was light and his laugh
rang merrily out across the dark
ness and the rain as he thought how
boldly he would meet Miss Craw-
ford, and how astonished and puz-
zled she would be when he paid her
not a week but q month in ad-
vance
Its just like a fairy story" he
said, half aloud, as he climbed the
sloppy steps of his boarding house;
'just like a fairy story, with q great,
big, splendid rich man fairy
1t was almost morning. Already
the black curtain of night, rent here
and there by the furious wind. was
slowly lifting toward the east, and
the dull grey dawn appearing, form
ing a sombre background, upon
which the leafless trees that fringed
the far-away hills were painted in
waving silhouette.
Since ever thesun had gone down
the wild storm had continued, and,
even now the rain, driven by the
mighty wind, fell in long, slanting
glances upon the town and the
foaming river that filed with great
masses Of broken ice and debris
from all the up country, roared and
plunged beneath its banks and
shook with giant hands the foun-
dation Of the mills beneath which
il ran.
At the head Of the dam where the
channel was the narrowest. and di-
rectly Opposite the Watterson mill,
was an ice Jam, piled block upon
block; until it lowered high in the
air. pressing with terrible force
against the mills, upon the one hand,
and the natural wall of rock on the
other, the broken ice had formed
great white barricade, growing each
moment, which checked the mad
rush of the waters and sent it swirl
ing backward, in eddying waves,
which beat furiousiy upon the mills
and threatened each instant to en-
gulf them
Along the higher shore the towns
people had gathered, powerless TO
aid, but simply awaiting the catas-
trophe; and among them pale and
haggard, was the proprietor himself. /
a ruined man. \
As he passed TO and FRO, intent
upon the scene before him, hoping
against hope that the jam might
even vet give in tine to save his
many a watcher turned
aside with pitying word and look,
for Sir. Watterson was man below
ep by all of his employees.
Suddenly there was a movement
in the crowd-a Fastening toward
the common cepter-and, with eager
faces. both men and women gather
ed about new conner, who was
speaking earnestly.
''Hes. If that timber could be
rut ii would break the jam. 1t lies
ust so that it holds"
"What timber? Where? Quick
tell me! Can the jam be broken?"
'Yes. sir" returned the other, re- |
spectfuily touching his hat. at can,
but it's dangerous work. have just
been below, and from there | saw
that great log which has lodged at
the very crown of the dam is all
that holds the ice. If that could be
cut the jam would be broken
But how can it be reached"
lueried Mr.. Watterson, anxiously. !
Can any one get at it to cut it?'
Yes, sir" replied the man, in
One way.
"And that is"
Over the ice itself"
4 shudder ran through the listen
ers, and even the proprietor's face
rev more pale. Who would ven-
.ure upon such a bridge and on such
IN errand ?
With a common impulse the /
crowd, led by the workman who first
the log, turned hurriedly |