Morris tribune., 1883-03-17

For one moment she stood looking at her
with startled eyes; the next with one swift
rush she had reached the end OF the garden,
she had cleared the low palisade, and sprung
into the river. So swift was her movement,
that we heard the splash and noted the
meeting waves, while still too struck with
horror to move from the spot.
She was instantly rescued. Just below
the garden little wooden platform, sup
ported by piles driven Into the bank, pro-
jected into the stream and made mooring-
place for boat. The boatman, strong
built elderly man, was there preparing to
loosen his little bark. He. heard plunge
AS the girl rose, he caught at her dress with
his hook, and with his sturdy arms lifted
her out of the water. Almost by the time
we had reached the bottom of the garden
she was standing beside us again in the sun
ny path, dazed, dripping, half-stunned
but otherwise not the worse. She stood still
in the centre of the path and looked down
st her mud.stained frock.
1T is good thing it will wash, she said
in minute with laugh
Her friend put her arm in hers and tried
to draw her towards the inn; but she resisted
and freed herself from the grasp. She look.
ed round her, shivering in the bright sun
shine, and brushing back her long hair
streaming with wet, from her face. The man
with shrug of his shoulders, lad gone back
to his boat No alarm mad reached the house
we three We're alone. All at once the girl
dropped on to bench close by, and broke
into an agony of weeping. Five minutes
before | doubt if she could have shed tear;
now the cold, the clinging wet of her gar
ments, the physical wretchedness and dis
comfort, had touched a lower chord OF
misery, and she wept conVulsively with
despairing heart broken sobs. Her friend,
meanwhile stood beside her. She was a
pallid, rather sullen- looking young woman,
with a worn face. She did not speak, but
put her arm around the younger girl, who
turi ed presently and hid her face against
her friend. In another minute she rose,
and suffered herself to be led away to the
house.
| followed them, but only to desire the
maid to see to their comfort, and give them
anything they might need. Then returned
to my afternoons work. | cannot say did
much. Shaken and startled by the scene l
had just witnessed, my thoughts were with
the girl who had reused in me an interest SO
sudden and so deep. did not go to her.
InVOluntarily 1 had been an intruder in
tragic hour of her life; the recognition that
the intrusion had not been unwelcome lay
with hop md with hor friend of hand |
knew that she would not feel herself help
less or deserted. Still / was unwilling to
go away without seeing her once more
The houIs passed; the girls bonnet still
hung on the tree where she had tied 1t IN
the morning, and by this sign / knew that
she and her companion had not yet left
the inn. Toward evening, when l was
preparing to take my departure the bon.
net was fetched, and returning to the house
| met the two in the passage, and found
that they proposed returning to the city
by the same train as myself. The girl
looked rale and languid, and disinclined to
speak. The pink cotton was clean and dry
again, her dark hair was neatly coile1; but
all the pretty color was gone from her
cheeks, all of the light had died out of her
eyes, her frock hung about her in limp
folds and the crisp white muslin bow which
had given the last touch to her dress, had
disappeared All the freshness had gone
from her toilet of the morning as from her
self
Her friend, l fancied. kept sort of jeal-
GUS guard over her, and we travelled back to
the city in different carriages. On arriving
however, l sought her out before leaving the
station. The interest she had awakened IN
me was to keen for HE to let her go without
some parting word.
"Will you come and see me-" said, lay
ing my hand on her shoulder, cor may
come and see you? I should like to know
something of you, how you are"
She looked at me in silence.
'No, "-she said at last, shaking her head,
your life lies there-mina here"-pOinting
with her two hands; I'VE have nothing more
to do with each other"
The words were defiant; but, her voice
and the look in her eyes were not. The
next moment she had disappeared with her
friend in the crowd. 1 have never seen her
again.
1t was long before I revisited my river
garden. desec1 ating breath had passed
over its green berceaux, a life-t;agedy had
troubled the peace of its limpid waters. 1t
was already Autumn when I saw 1t again;
the paths were damp, the yellow vine-leaVes
were beginning to thin. The silent melan-
choly discouraged me-I went there no
more.-Temple Bar.