Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-07-12

of Richard Holmes Where could he
bep DrownedP o, God torbid-not
drorned-the thought was dreadful 10
her. In a fash she was revealed to her
self. She loved him-loved him with
her whole heart-had loved him all the
time without knowing it What had
be come to the door for that night? II
seemed ages ago to her now-to bring a
message Of warning? Her fsther-was
he safe? o. heaven, that appalling
darkness-that dreadful roar Of rushing
waters'
She raised her voice and called,
Richard" 1t was lost in the roar of
the flood. She tried again, summoning
all her strength, and sending her clear
voice out over the waterS-"Richard!
Richard!'
She thought she heard a human voice,
faint and far away-could it be his? He
was near her when the food struck the
house; he might be somewhere near her
now.
She raised her voice again, and called
his name with a desperation born of
fear and love. A dark object was float
ing near her, tossing up and down on
the resistless current She could see
that it was a man, clinging TO a mass OF
boards. The face was turned from her,
but the head looked familiar. She
called again, and the mar turned and
looked at her.
"Is it you, Eloise?' he screamed; and
then she barely heard him you,
Eloise? Thank God.'
She breathed a sigh of relief. She
felt safe now-safe, even on the bosom
of this rushing ocean Of fierce waters
and crashing debris-if he were near.
She saw that he was trying to get to
her, but could not; that he dared not
loose his hold on the boards and trust
himself one instant in hat mighty cur
rent She could see his face, white and
agonized, turned to her-always turned
to her. Something had struck him, and
cut a cash in his head, and the blood
was trickling down his pallid cheek;
she could see it from where she clung in
the branches of the elm-tree.
She did not know that one beautiful,
white arm was bare to the shoulder and
bleeding from a cruel blow she had re.
ceived-she did not realize the pain in
her head where the tree had struck her
such things were trivial now. Life
was the only thing to be thought Of
life-and death-if death should come.
A house came reeling down and struck
the mass OF boards to which Richard
chung. The shock loosened his hold
and tossed him far out into the water,
The horrible undercurrent sucked him
in and he sank from sight. The next
moment his white face showed above
the water. Such horror and despair
Eloise had never seen as she saw there.
One last appealing look at her, IN cry
from her white lips, and he was gone
again. Eloise prayed-prayed as she
had never dreamed Of praying before;
crying aloud for help and pity in this
time Of need.
Richard came to the surface again
near her this time. Could she reach
him? Only a little nearer-he was
half unconscious and could not help
himself. She leaned far out over the
dark torrent, holding to the tree firmly
with one arm and touched him with
her hand-caught him by his collar, and
held his head above the water as they
were borne along. She called to him
wildly. He heard and understood,
made n great effort to seize the
branches of the tree, and at last, with
an almost superhuman strength, drew
himself up into the sheltering arms Of
the old elm.
There he chung with what frail
strength was left him; but he was too
weak for words. 1t was no time for
speech. The scene was more terrible
than any Of the imaginings Of Dante.
Great masses of timbers, that ten min
utes before had been houses and homes,
came rushing by with shrieking wom-
en- clinging TO them, and little children
borne along upon them. Strong men
were tossing like egg-shells on the
waters. and horses and cattle were
plunging madly for life among the
ruins of great barns that came crashing
by. Now and then. some wild shrek
or unearthly moan would mean the
death-cry of a human being going down
to eternal sleep under the roaring
waters.
A great mass OF timbers came tearing
along down the highway Of death; with
one blow it sent the elm-tree spinning
far ahead on the waters, Eloise and
Richard were hurled into the air and
fell together, cllnging to whatever they
could hnd-a door, a ience-any thing
to keep afioat, At last they climbed to
the ri~dge-poie OF a house and chung
there All night they hoated, bruised
and cut by heavy objects striking them,
almost losing their hold many times,
Dut never qulte-tosslng' plunglng' n.y.
ing with a speed that was terrible
In the first gray dawn Of morning
they were rescued. Friendly hands
drew them from their p%erilous position
ap1 hora than tn n r1aoo - gnEnt-