The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1890-06-04

was powerless to cry out, to move her
self; she could only stand and listen to
that awful, all-pcrvading roar.
She did not think what it might mean.
She had heard vague rumors Of fears for
the great dam above, but had not needed
In moment it was all over; the sound
had come upon her in all its awfulness.
She fell back, overpowered with terror,
and became unconscious.
A violent blow ON her head reused
her to herself She found herself float
ing on the strong current, borne along
at sickening speed, upheld by the
strength and fury of the roaring waters.
Near her she saw the great elm tree
that had stood before her house ever
since she was child. 1t must have been
a branch of that which struck her and
brought her back to life.
With great, dark eyes dilated with
horror, and face white and CHASTITY as
the faces of the dead, the girl flew along.
tShe had caught hold of the branches of
the great tree, and was clinging with
grasp like death itself. Life was sweet
too sweet to lose. In her first mo-
ment of consciousness she had thought of
Richard Holmes. Where could he be 2
DrownedY o, God forbid-not drowned
- the thought was dreadful to her. In
flash she was revealed to her self. She
loved him--loved him with her whole
heart-had loved him all the time with
out knowing it. What had he come to
the door for that night--it seemed ages
ago to her now--to bring message of
warning2 Her father-was he safe2
o, Heaven that appalling darkness
that dreadful roar of rushing wateEl
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. Orchard
Richard!"
She thought she heard human voice,
faint and far away--could it be his2 He
was near her when the flood struck the
house; he might be somewhere near her
now.
She raised her voice again and called
his name with desperation born of fear
and love. A dark object was floating
near her, tossing up and down on the
resistless current. She could see that it
was man clinging to mass of boards.
The face was turned from her, but the
head was familiar. She called again,
and the man turned and looked at her.
''Is it you, Eloise2" he screamed and
then she barely heard him-''you,
Eloise! Thank God"
She breathed 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 of the boards and trust
himself one instant in that mighty cur
rent. She could see his face, white and
agonised, turned to her-always tanned
to her. Something had struck him, and
cut 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, bleeding from
cruel blow she had received-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
clung. The shock loosened his hold and
tossed him far out in the water. The
horrible under-current 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 appeal
ing look at her, one cry from his 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
himl Only 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 Sbove
the water as they were borne along. She
called TO him wildly. He heard and un-
derstood, made one 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 clung with what frail strength
was left him; but he was too weak for
words. 1t was no time for speech. The
scene was Ore terrible than any of the
imaginings " Dante. Great masses of
timbers, that ten minutes before had been
houses and homes, came rushing by with
shrieking women 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 un-
earthly moan would mean the death-cry
of 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 Rich
ard were hurled into the air and fell to-
gether, ciinging to whatever they could
find-a door, anything to keep
aAoat. At last they climbed to the ridge
pole of a house and chung there. All night