The Penn's Grove record., 1884-07-05

Next day Lance'5t was gone.
Soon Nellie was married, and went
away to live on the hill among the
roses. Life was very hard to Echo at
this time-to be forced to smile and
look interested, when she was longing
to steal away and be alone. One night
she could not sleep, so she rose, n GO
ing to the window, looked out on the
! purple night, and at the starry SKY.
Heaven seemed SO UNNECESSARILY calm.
so far away-ah should she ever reach
it She felt very romantic and mlser-
able. and very much like Mariana In
the Moated Grange"
The low of the cattle sounded from
the dark fields below, and just then the
bell of a far.Off steamboat tolled SOL
EMMY through the silence, dying away
with the soft splash of the current
against the shore. "Uitbolt hope Of
chdnge ~ sobbed she, "Ahi that is the
worst. How much better would it be
if | were lying in the churchyard y
and her eyes sought the quiet spot.
When we wish for death, we little know
how near the dread presence IS to US.
The next morning the sun shone with
a yellow glare through a veil of clouds ;
a sort of a holding hush seemed to rest
upon the little town, and the ring of
footsteps and voices died drearily away
in the arid stiffness. Presently the
storm burst from the lowering sky.
The rain poured down IN a steady sheet,
and the people plodded along through
the mud. hopping Owe the puddles, and
looking like gigantic bats, with their
umbrellas and waterprOOfs, The DID
est inhabitant' stood in his doorway.
cycling the swelling waters, aud ex-
pressed his opinion that the river was
rising, although such an idea was
laughed to corn.
True to his predictions. the river did
rise, over its banks, and kept rising
steadily, until those that resided on
the shores we're obliged to vacate their
lower apartments. The philosophic
citizens of Riverport, living for the
time in the upper stories OF their houses
felt sure that the water would soon go
down, and we're inclined to treat the
matter as a gigantic joke. They WIS.,
tied each other IN skiffs when the sun
shone. made illusions to Venice and
the gondolas, until they observed that
the river was not falling and then they
began to look anxious. 1.-The Oldest
inhabitant'' announced, | fear with
some satisfaction lit is needless to say
he lived on the hill), that, it was a
Irregular old-fashioned overflow"
There came a night, at last, When
none of the Tudor family-their house
was upon the river bank-could sleep
on account of their anxiety. They be-
gan to think it would have been much
the wiser course to have moved up the
hill, instead of exposing themselves to
their present risk. Echo was alone in
her room, pacing TeStleSsly up and
down, occasionally glancmg out at the
sombre scene below, which was now and
then lighted ND by a vivid flash. Pres
emily she flung up the sash, to see how
far the water had risen to her horror
see discovered that it was up around
her window.
Outside sounded the hiss of the fall
ing rain, and the sullen wash of the
tide, which fairly made the house rock
in its ebb ana flow. "How the river
has risen ~ she exclaimed. 81 am
afraid the house will be swept away,
and we shall all be drowned ~ Just
then a jagged arrow of lightning tore
the sky asunder 1t was followed by IL
horrible crash. Blinded, dazzled, terri
fed, Echo sank on her knees beside the
window, and was unconscious to every
thing farther.
But when the watchers on the hill
saw the water was rising, they sent
boats to the houses on the riverside.
Making its way through the waves, a
skiff came to EchO's window, and its
sole occupant stepped into the room l.;
what would she have said if she could
have seen the n who came to rescue
her :? 1t was Lancelot, who, although
Echo did not know it, had been in
Riverport for the last few DAYS.
The lamp burned so dimly that he
could hardly distinguish anything in
the room, but as be CROPPED his way
through the darkness, a glimmer of
white caught his eye. Echo !" he
cried, 81 have come to take YOU away"
| She neither spoke nor moved. Was she
asleep-or dead? There was no time to
lose, so hurriedly taking her in his arms,
he placed her in the boat, and then
springing in himself, rowed for land
with all his might.
Through all his trouble aud anxiety,
through all the fear Juggling at his
heat that the house ION the hill to
which he was taking Echo would be a
narrow, narrow one, in which he would
have no part +; still, he was strangely
J reminded, as he looked at the white
robed figure with its flowing hair, of
the Lady of Shallot, as she floated,
: dead-pale, between the houses high"
He pulled hard against the tide, max
ing the skiff skim over the water, and
reached the hill at last. Later in the
night a noise was heard like the sound
of a thousand thunders. followed by
the mighty rush of the waters, as they
poured out into the river.
The grand levee had broken. and the
water was rushing away from the River
port side, to food the opposite country.
For many days Echo battled with The
fierce lever which seemed to hurn her
life away /; hut she did not die, for she
was young, aud youth does not let If
slip from its grasp SO easily. BY the
time she was able to go Il into The
open air, RiveTpnrt had resumed its IA.