The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1889-06-22

I
pocket handkerchief, the back of her ip-
suited lover, when a Whit of wind took
| the light straw hat from her head, and
dritted it to the edge of the bank.
Augustus instantly fastened to the
rescue, but he had not taken into con-
sidcration the steepness and slipperiness
of the incline; wherefore he unexpected
ly found himself plunging, with a
splash, into the muddy water, six feet
below.
Maude shrieked as she beheld him
disappear beneath pad of water-lilies,
and the sound reached her aunt, Miss
Eliza Pillins, as she walked in the gar
den between the grove and the villa.
Augustus head, adorned with alGea
and dropping weeds, soon reappeared
above the surface of the water, and with
hands and feet he commenced desper-
ate but futile attempt to surmOunt the
slippery clay bank.
Seeing this, Maude knelt down on its
edge and extended both hands, which
he imprudently grasped-but, alas, with
a contrary effect to what was intended.
In moment she was in the water, and
with difficulty supported in the arms of
her lover, whose feet, with this addition
al burden, stuck fast in the miry bot
tom.
1t was in this situation, struggling
waist deep in water, that they were dis
covered by Miss Pilkins, when, sum-
moned by Maude's shrieks, she hurried
to the spot.
"Gracious heavens! Mr.. Tomlinson
-Maude! How did this happen? Why
don't you save yourselves?" she cried
excitedly.
1--WE can't!" gasped Maude, fran
tically clinging to her lover IL fell
in, and Augustus tried to save me, and
we'll drown if you don't help u.s."
''Give me your shawl" promptly re-
spondcd practical Miss Pilkins; "and
don't get excited. You can't drown if
you keep still, and I'll have you out in
three minutes"
Hooking up the shawl with a crooked
stick, she tied it to her own, and at
taching one end to a sapling on the
bank, twisted the two into a sort of
rope.
BY means of this the pair were en-
abied, after much scrambling and ex-
ertion, to reach firm ground, where they
stood dripping and shivering.
"Here you are, safe!" sad Miss Pill
kins; ''and now | should like to know
what's the next thing to be done"
"W-warm ba-ath for Maude.' chat
tered Mr.. Tomlinson, all of a tremble.
while the water dripped from the ends
of his dropping moustache and limp
fingers. ''I-rll ego h-home"
$50 home in that fix! and catch your
death of cold by the way! Come along
to the house, both e you, as fast as you
can! Brother has gone to a political
meeting, with a supper afterward, and
won't be back till midnight. You two
come through the garden, while go
ahead and unlock the back door"
Once in the house, Maude, who, de-
spite her fright, had not suffered nearly
so much as her lover hurried to her
room, while Hiss Pilkins directed the
housemaid to show Mr.. Tomlinson at
once to the east chamber.
''Plca-c m,' said the sympathetic
Betty, ''there amt been a fire in the
east room this fall, and the bed amt
fixed nor the sheets aired There's a
fire in masters room, and everything
warm and comfortable, and | can fix it
all right before master comes home"
To Mr.. Hogan's own bedroom,
accordingly, pallid and shivering, Tom
lInson was conducted |, while Sam, the
stable boy, was dispatched to his town
lodgings for change of clothes.
Until its arrival he was forced to ar
ray himself in certain garments of his
host, selected by Miss Pilkins, including
a quilted dressing gown Of gorgeous
colors-all of which, being too large
for his slender proportions, gave him the