The National tribune., 1883-01-11

BY the way" he said, "I passed that fine
| town lady on the bridge. l wonder who she IS
/ waiting tor."
As Janet approached the bridge she saw Miss
/ GleudOWeT still there.
The millers suspicion is right" She said.
! "Ecr ladyship is waiting for the doctor"
She drew back as she said this hiding her.
/ self in a clUmp of trees.
4 viii not go forward" she said, "till the
doctor has returned, and they have left"
But hardly had she spoken, when startling
/ thing occurred. Just beyond the bridge was
the mill-race, which 4 rude log crossed, leading
. TO the mill-whces, of which there were two
. Suddenly, TO Janet's dismay, she saw Miss Glen
dover, rs if impatient Of waiting and perhaps
/ attracted by the cool look of the messy wheels
/ rapidly cross this log, and disappear behind
. the wheels. As suddenly it flashed on Janet
/ that. in another moment almost, If the miller
. went to work the wheels would be in motion.
( OF course Miss GlendOwCr did not know this
. The day was a public holiday; the mill, she
supposed, would not be at work; a8 long as the
/ wheels were not in motion there was 10 danger.
But now? Janet drew a long breath The
/ temptation was almost too much for her. She
/ had only to keep quiet and her rival-yes, her
/ hated rival: for she now felt that she hated
/ this sorccress would no longer cross her
/ path. But in 3 moment she flung the base
/ thought aside. Great heavens" she cried,
/ q single turn Of the wheel viii be death"
/ " lJn lAe lnbOEh, she ItSICl lhINaIb
But at that instant she caught sight Of Doc
/ tor Beverly returning from his professional
/ visit Again the old Jealousy surEcd up IN her
/ heart, and conquered every better feeling. She
. stopped once more.
Let him save her" she cried, clenching her
hands until the delicate nails cut into the ten
! der flesh. Let him save her. 1t Is no busI-
/ ness OF mine
But even as she spoke, she heard a sound that
. she recognized only too well: it was that Of the
. wheels beginning to turn; and she knew that,
( long before Doctor Beverly could arrive on the
/ scene, all would be over.
/ She hesitatcd no more. With a cry that rang
far and on the still air she sped on, reached
/ the bridge, and for an instant tottercd on the
/ log, which rocked under her flying steps. But
she bravely ste3Gicd herself, and springing for
. ward, in another instant was within reach Of
. the fatal wheel.
Miss GIendower-IIiss Gleud0werw she
| cried. She strained her gaze to see through
the cloud Of binding spray but she could
/ make out no more than that the forward wheel
. was yet stationary, and that there was a long
. strip of white whirling water shooting out from
! the wheel nearest; and that beyond, in the
Seethng, boiling pool. there was q mass of white
"a WOman's form-bcing tossed up and down,
and rushing on towards the other wheel, which,
/ the moment il began to reyolve, would take it
up, and whirl it around and around, and tear
/ it limb FROM limb.
To reach this mass of white-to drag it from
its peril, before it was too late was all that
Janet thought Of, cared for, now. On the risk
/ she ran. she never gave a thought. But how
to effect her purpose Always cool and self
| possessed, there came to her now, in this mo-
mcnt OF supremeSt peril, more than ordinary
Selt-reliance, an infinite capacity OF seeing
every possibility, and at once. Her mind was
made up on the moment.
/ There was a beam, fortunately, overhead.
| To take advantage of this was her only chance.
She reached up her arms toward it, to support
/ herself, Just as a quick cry burst from the
bridge-a cry of infinite agony: Janet!
Janet Oh, God" it said; and she knew the
voice was that of Doctor Beverly.
But Janet had already seized the beam, and
in another second had lifted herself over the
race. Alas, as she dropped into the water, she,
too, was buried III the tossing spray. But she
cared nothing for this. If can only reach
Miss Glendower," she thought, before ths
/ further wheei is set il motion"
Doctor Beverly saw it all. But he did not
wait to witness the result Of her rash venture.
| He knew it was only madness to attempt
! rescue until the machinery was stopped. Con-
/ sequcntly when Janet came up between the
/ two wheels, gaSping and breathless from her
desperate plunge, he was rushing in at the
/ mill-Goor, and, a moment after, was himself
stopping the wheels.
/ Janet. when she came to the surface, was be-
/ wildered and blinded by the dash ofthc waters;
and Was thumped and tossed hither and thither.
But it was only for an instant that she was
thus bewildered. She had grasped Miss Glen
dover, and the touch brought back all her
( native presence Of mind and cool calculating
! judgment
Her aim was to draw herself and Miss Glen
| dover up out of the water, and on to q bank OF
sand at one side, and, as it were, almost in the
| enbrasure of the wall. Here they would be
| beyond the sweep of the wheels and safe, at
. least for awhile, or possibly until help could
( come. But in this undertaking she did not
succeed until she had well-nigh exhausted her
own strength and hope. She sank down finally,
. nevertheless when all was over, her face al
most as deathly as that of the beautiful and
insonsible woman at her side.
Janet was indeed SO nearly insensible that
the sudden stopping of the wheel and the
subsdence Of the maclstrOm of waters seemed
TO her but part Of some vague dream. She
lost consciousness, if she did not absolutely
faint away. Hence, she did not see the couple
Of white, terrified faces which presently peered
over the wheel. Neither did her eyes uncose,
even when Richard Beverly himself bent down
over her and unclasped her fingers from their
tenacious hold on Blanche Glendower's wet
garments She did utter low moan, however,
but gave no other sign Of consciousness until
the miller came back TO carry her out, in turn.
As lie stopped TO raise her, she looked up at
him piteously.
8" Is she dead?" she asked, in an awed
whisper.
Dead? Not bit of it." he replied, sturdily.
"The drownin' would ha' been easy got over
but she's somehow got a cut on her temple,
which DR.. Beverly says is dangerous"
Janet shuddered.
Il cannot help it if she dies, can II" she
asked, Historically. al did what could to
save her. didn't Il"
In course you did, miss-more'n any other
woman would ha' done; and in course you
can't help it if she's done for outright. A body
wouldn't s'po5e you could keep yourself from
dyin', you look SO dead beat. Are you hurt
anywhcres?"
"No, / think not"
She made an effort as she spoke, and slowly
lifted herself; but a sharp swift pain cut
through her ankle, and she sank back again
dead faint for aw lile making her oblivious
OF all things, even of the physical agony.
What with her exhaustion and the shock of
the pain, Janet's syncope was prolonged one,
so that she had been carried away to her own
cottage across the stream before she again re-
covered consciousness. The face she saw first
was that Of Dame MargGry, the miller's wife,
; wet and wrinklcd, as only tears and grief could
make it. Janet smiled at her in tender recog-
milton Of the gentleness with which she was
applying Il wet bandage TO her foot
Then the sluggish tides about her heart
flowed more vigorously, as she saw another
person present: Or. Beverly himself In
stinrfiycy She icrlicd her wrist away. for he