Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-07-16

and the people plCdded along through
the mud. hopping over the puddlss. and
looking like gigantic bats, with their
umbrellas and waterprC0fs. The old
est inhabitant" stood In his doorway.
eyeing the swelling waters, and en-
pressed his opinion that the river was
rising, although such an idea was
laughed to scorn.
True to his predictions. the river did
rise, over its banks, ard kept rising
steadily, until those that resided on
the shores we're obliged to vacste 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 were inclined to treat the
matter as 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, l fear with
some satisfaction (it is needless to say
he lived on the hill), that, it was
lex uldl ONCluON.
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 reStlessly up and
down, occasionally glanclng out at the
sOmbre scene below, which was now and
then lighted up by 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 and 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
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
what would she have said If she could
have seen the one who came to rescue
her ? 1t was Lancelot, who, although
Echo did not know it, had been in
Riverport for the last few davs.
The lamp burned so dimly that he
could hardly distinguish anything in
the room, but as be groped 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 dedds 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 and anxiety,
through all the fear tugging at his
heat that the house upon the hill to
which he was taking Echo would be
narrow, narrow one, in which he would
have no part still. he was strangely
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 noise was heard like the sound
of 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 flood the opposite country.
For many days Echo battled with the
fierce fever which seemed to burn her
life away but she did not die, for she
was young, and youth does not let life
slip from its grasp so easily. BY the
time she was able to 90 out into the
open air. Riverport had resumed its IA
miliar aspect but Echo did not know,
even then, who it was that had rescued
her, until her sister Nellie casually men.
toned it. Echo sank back on her couch
with flushing cheeks, longing, yet not
daring to ask whether he was still in
the village. One evening she was In
Nellie's garden gathering flowers, un-
conscious that Sir Lancelot's blue eyes
were watching her. The scene looked
like flimsy little bit of genre-Naiden
plucking roses-blue sky-golden clouds
Jasmine and honeysuckle-lIlies for a
backgrouDd-tawny head in relief
against white flowers so on, ma6-
ing quite a pretty little picture.
"Sir Lancelot ~ she cried, turning
suddenly, and seeing him
Perhaps encouraged by the sound of
the old name, he came to the gate, and
SAID softly. ''Belle dame sans nlerci, will
you let me in, and give me one Of your
roses ?"
And perhaps-just perhaps-she let
him in, and gave himra flower.