The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1884-05-31

persistent waters. Now and again gusts
of wind awoke suddenly and brought
sweep of waves over the submerged ma
sonry.
Presently oozing drops began to creep
between the chimneys behind them.
"We must go up higher, said the man.
They quilted their sheltered nook, and,
mounting, stood upon the platform of
brick work. The wind flung itself upon
them in fury. They clung to the chimneys
and to each other, and for a few minutes
stood so, battling strenuously to keep their
foothold
The man cried out suddenly, aOh, if
there were only some place for you It's
too hard death for you. l am so sorry
for you"
And even while he spoke the water was
up about their feet, snatching and dragging
at them.
81 am not sorry," she answered. "And
oh, no it is not hard; it is the best moment
life has ever brought me p
Her voice was blown away as it crossed
her lips. 1t was only because they were
uttered at his ear that he. could hear her
words. And his, of reply, the winds
snatched and carried away forever. The
time of words was over. There was moth
ing now but hard-drawn breath, and the
struggle of resistance, and then, placid
moon, shining over waste of foods.
They sank together in the depths of the
turgid flood, clinging to each other with
that superhuman strength which only the
death-grip can give. They rose, however,
to the surface, and fortunately near float
ing section of the roof on which they had
but short time before been standing.
Being strong, and an expert swimmer, he
sustained her in the water with one arm,
and with the other reached out towards the
floating fragment of the roof, and seizing
hold of it, drew himself and his almost ex-
hausted burden toward it. Pausing to gain
breath and strength for the effort, he man.
aged to lift himself partially out of the
water, and then to draw her to place of
security In few minutes she returned
to consciousness, and seeing the safety of
herself and companion assured, strength
and hope revived, as they drifted down
with the swollen current, which carried
their frail support from side to side of the
stream, as it was turned, now this way and
now that, by distractions in its course. At
length, as the daylight began to dawn, they
found themselves drifting directly towards
a bluff of land on which some trees were
distinctly visible. Hope and fear alternat-
ed. Hope that the surging current might
set them near enough to the bluff to seize
the pendant branches of the trees, and so
enable them to rescue themselves from the
food, and fear that it might turn again in
an opposite direction, and bear them as far
as ever from place of safety, if not en-
gulf them again in the turgid waters.
Onward they drifted, however, at the mercy
of the angry waters, but each moment get
ting nearer and nearer to the bluff on which
stood the trees to whese branches they
hoped to cling as a means of escape from
their perilous position on the fragment of
broken roof which supported them. As
they approached the bluff new peril
seemed to threaten them, as there was
danger that their frail raft might be dashed
in pieces against the bank and they pre-
cipitated into the rushing waters As they
came nearer, they both made ready to make
desperate effort at rescue, and as the
fragment of roof struck the bank of the
buff they both sprang forward, seizing at
the same time an overjetting limb of
tree, and although the bank was steep and
precipitate, they had the infinite satisfac-
ton of finding themselves once more with
firm foothold upon terra irma. The
young lady, overcome by excitement and
exertion, swooned into insensibility, and
sank down upon the earth. Her compan-
ion, however, with admirable presence of
mind, by chatting her hands and temples,
soon restored her to consciousness. They
now set about to find out where they were,
and how far the flood had taken them from
Wendelthorpe. They were miles and miles
away, but lost no time in returning to their
anxious friends, who had given them up as
overwhelmed in the flood. Great was the
joy among their friends on their regaining
their point of departure. The sufferings
and sympathies awakened by that awful
night of peril, had proven that they both
possessed virtues of the most heroic sort.
Not only so, but was is it strange that they
ripened into mutal love? Preparations
were speedily made for their nuptials, and
the voyage began on fragment of broken
roof on surging food, terminated in
voyage for life as they journeyed side by
side adown the stream of time together