Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1882-01-19

when you haye eaten 20 back tc
Mrs. Crawford's and pay her for q
month in advance. Then find q doctor
for Nellie, and stay with her yourself
until she well. After that come back
TO me at the mills II they are stand
ing. you shall have work. No. Not
q word 7 he continued, as the aston
ished boy would have spoken. The
money il a present to you and Nellie
from me. And before Jerry could re-
cover from his surprise Mr.. Watterson
had gone.
supper moneyl and doctor for
Nelliel Could It be true2 The boy
uncIasped his hand and looked at the
precious bills. Ymf ft was true
As he ate the bountiful meal pre-
pared for him by the bakers good
wife. the bobbin-boy pictured NeIlie's
delight when he should return and
tell Of what had happened to him;
and later, when be faced the dreary
storm, homeward bound, with 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 darkness and the rain, as
he thought how boldly he would meet
Mis- Crawford, and how astonished
and puzzled she would be when he
paid her-not week, but month in
advance
It's Just like fairy story r. said he
half aloud, as he climbed the sloppy
steps Of his boarding house-just ike
fairy story, with a great, big, splen-
did, 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 gray dawn appearing, forming a
sombre background, upon which the
leafess tress that fringed the far-away
bills were painted in waving silhou-
cite.
Since ever the sun had gone down,
the wild storm had continued, and
even now the rain driven by the
mighty wind, fell in long sianting
lances upon the town and the froth-
ing river, that filled with great masses
of broken ice and debris from all the
up-country, roared and plunged be-
tween its banks and shook with giant
hands the foundation of the mills be-
meath which it 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 upon the other, the broken ice
had formed great white barricade
growing each moment, which checked
the mad rush of the water and sent it
swirling backward in eddying waves,
which beat furiously upon the mills
and threatened each instant to engulf
them.
Along the higher shore the towns
people had gathered. powerless to aid;
but simply awaiting the catastrophe;
and among them, pale and haggard,
was the proprietor himself, already a
ruined man.
AS he passed to and fro intent upon
the scene before him. hoping against
hope that the jan might even yet give
way in time to save, his buildings
many a watcher turned aside with
plying word and look, for Mr.. Wat
terson was a man beloved by all his
employees.
Suddenly there was q movement in
the crowd-a hGstening toward the
common centre-and, with eager faces,
both men and women gathered about
a new conner, who was speaking earn
estly.
Yes. If that timber could be cut
it would break the jam. 1t lies just
so that it holds
What timber? Where? Quick I?
Tell me. Can the jam be broken !?
Yes. sir, returned the other, res
pectfully touching his hat. 1t can;
but it's dangerous work. / Ihave just
been below, and from there saw that
a great log which had lodged at the
very crown Of the dam is al that holds
the ice. If that could be cut the jam
would be broken"
But how can it be reached?' queried
Mr.. Watterson. anxiousiy. Can any
one get at it to cut it 2
"Yes, sir, replied the man; in one
way
And that is
Over the ice itself
A shudder ran through the listen
ers, and even the proprietor's face grew
more pale. Who would venture upon
such a bridge on such an errand?
With common impulse the crowd,
led by the workman who first discoy-
cred the log, turned hurriedly away
from the rivers brink, ran through a
side street. and gained position low
er down the stream, from whence the
dam could be plainly seen.
The report was true. The Jam was
held in place BY asingle timber--a great
square stick doubtless torn by the an
CRY waters from some bridge far up
the country. If that could Be cut, the
blockade would be broken, the ice
would 10 longer clog the stream, and
the mills would be saved.
For moment silence fell upon all,
then. suddenly. Mr. WattersOn voice.
hoarse and thin rang out above the
noise OF the storm and the war Of the
waters.