The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-11
put the eyes were fast closed snd the

AtNf 49,
them with a compassionate face.
''She certainly cannot be seriously hurt.
| John; such a little fall. II wasn't your
fault. anyhow. Don't mind il, Old fell
low: she is some poor creature whose lite
was hardly worth living at the best, poor
ignorant and duh. Even If she IL dead.
aud I'm sure she isn't, death is not such
a calamity" But Jordan's face was
6eathly pale, a cold perspiration had
started upon his forehead and his lips
| qnivered p%iteously. 1t had never, il his
pastorate, yet been required Of him to
stand at the gate of death and usher the
parting soul into the solemn mystery; he
had but once stood at the coffin head abi
spoken to the stricken mourners. Now
before his eyes lay the silent form of the
member from whom he had hoped the
most. stricken down, rs he felt in h.s
morbid sensitivencss, by his hand IN
criminal carelessness. Hayward" hc
said, with a low, unsteady voice, ''hoW
shall | take her to her mother' She is my
hostess at this charge, the only daughter.
Oh, Nancy, don't you hear meI'
Hayward had made a bandage of his
handkerchief, and was binding the bleed
ing cut upon the side Of her head, a little
back of the temple, smoothing away the
tawny hair, while Jordan had not ceased
to battle her face and chafe her hands
Both paused suddenly at a c|onyulsiye
movement Of the brown hands and a sud
den parting Of the lips. Hayward cx-
claimed in subdued triumph, See there.
/ told your but Jordan shook his head
at is only muscular; she does not
breathe"
The sun seemed to rise more slowly
than usual over the Round Top and Old
Fog V and Mount Moriah on that still,
hot October morning. Then, instead Of
darting long CLEANS of radiance into the
recesses of Red Cliff and Rattlesnake Val
lev and the Raven Rocks, and lighting
the steep slopes of the hills into n blaze
Of splendid color, il hung, a great red
ball, in the purple vapor over Old Foggy.
A girl, carrying a pail Of water mp a
steep hillside road, paused 10 rest upon q
stone at the roadside and fan herself with
her sunbonnet. A hOrseman on a flint
chestnut mare, with a silver gray name
and tail, drew rein to ask:
Can you tell me, my girl, the shortest
way to the Raven Rocks"
She told him in the vernacular of the
hill and with much redundancy, and he
deduced: Then | follow this road and
then up, until | take Il trail through tho
woods to the left, on the farther side of
the next hilly"
"Ya-as, that's the wa-ay-ah," drawled
the girl.
And how far is ity'
Il reckon ez the road runs, hits about
five miles.
Hayward dropped his bride to put his
right hand into his pocket, and the mare,
taking advantage of the liberty, stepped
forward and plunged her nose into the
pail of water.
'IIello!' cried her master, ruefully,
jerking her back. If you will wait Till
we get To the spring, you shall have some
water, Jett. Here, my girl" and he
threw her a silver dollar. She threw
back her calico sunbonnet and turned a
pale face with scarlet cheeks and flashing
gray eyes 10 him.
Whats tibet fer, misters'' she said,
angrily
For your trouble and kindness, aud
luC iblSIlltl ny Ipl,C mas NOllSs itpltth
the nan watching her curiOusly.
"Thet amt wuth no dollar, and talk
and wateri is both cheap in these yer hills,
and she put ii into his loose side pocket.
finding that his hand would not receive it.
Then | shall bring you another pail Of
water, for you look sick, and il is a long
hill. SO saying, he dismOunted and .
up the pail, dashing the water down the
dusty road, and scrambled down the hill.
As he rounded the curve by the bOWldera
sudden memory flashed into his face. Il
thought she looked familiar, but she has
changed 50 much" he said. Well, | ana
glad, for Johns sake. But | thought she
was gone that day sure, especially after
she had revived, and The laundering doc
tor gave her that dose. 1t was Il wonder. 81
Returning, he found that she had fol
lowed him to take the pail. She was
at the spot where she was picking
up her split b~lackberries on that July
morning when the riders came down the
hill.
"Do you know ii Jordan went over to
the Raven Rocks this morning." he
asked, giving her the pail at the top of
the hill.
"Ya-as; he's powerful sot up over them
bird tracks an leaves an SIGH in the
rocks. He's wrote TO a heap of folks that
he knows to come an see 'em an make
pictures of 'em, but l dunno what use
there is"
THANK You. l am going over myself
to see them. He considers them u yalu-
able discovery. Good morning" And
his hat to her, he rode gayly off.
The girl stood looking after him, the
color quite gone from her face again.
''He thinks / dunno him. she uttered, as
she picked up her pail and went on, print
her bare feet in the dust.
The sun rose high in the soft, purple
haze, a thin, silvery mist folded itself
away from the valleys as the sunshine
down; a cool, fragrant breath came
up from ferny glens and dripping rock.
The clear whistle of the quail echoed
from crag on crag, and the rustling sheen
Of gorgeous color On the slope was fringed
by the somber green of the hemlocks upon
the tops Of the hills.
There had been a long drought, and the
came early this year, but came
with such pomp and splendor that even
the dull eyes of the hill people were lifted
10 the hills in their glory, There were
soft, pure clouds furling and unfurling
their snowy folds over Mount Moriah TO