The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-21


| frightened and agitated
Il say, you will marry me-" he repeated,
while with his left hand he grasped my
| right arm so tightly as to cause me consid-
| cradle physical pain.
saw that must say something.
''Mr. Randall, surely you would not in
suit and assault helpless girl!"
Insult you? No, curse you" he said.
ct is you who insult, for you have snubbed
me on every possible occasion since you
came to Snakeville Insult you? Pshaw!
l return good for evil | say, you will
marry me"'
you are mistaken" replied. "If you
intend by your strange language to 90 me
the honor of requesting me to marry you, l
regret that must decline. Please drive on. ="
"Ahr' he almost Kissed. mo, | cannot
force you to marry me, but / CAM can
make you yield me those sneering lips OF
yours for a while! Yes, you Shall'-
One Of his strong arms was thrown
around me. drawing me all unw1llingly tc
his side His other hand held me as in a
wise. Hq bent his face to me, and could
almost feel his lips upon mine.
But he did not Kiss me. Some one sprang
uEon the wagon and struck Randall vio-
lent blow upon the head, and, before the
brutal fellow could collect his scattered
senses, be was tossed out of the wagon on
to the roadside The opportune arrival was
the cripple, Charlie Champneys
My deliverer spoke a word to Randall, who
was not seriously hurt, and then drove me
on to the depot. He did not say very much,
nor did |, though felt like telling him a
great deal; when the train drew up we said
gOod-hy, and | never returned to Snakeville.
IwO.years later spent my summer vaca-
ton with some friends who resided in
small town on the shores of Lake George,
within driving distance of the scene of my
first efforts at teaching. was exceedingly
fond of rowing, and frequently spent whole
days alone on the lake.
Late in the afternoon of what had been
an intensely hot day | started out in my
little skif and pulled lazily along the shore.
1t was so pleasant that the time slipped by
unnOticed, and for a long while was IN
aware OF the darkness which was slowly
creeping over the water When | did per
ceive the evening shadows they served to
cover more serious blackness which was
already filling TIE western skies. Had !
been weather wise | might have known
that one of those terrible summer storms,
so common in lake regions, was about to
break. The first intimaCiOn which | re-
ceived, however, was slight fash of light
ming, followed by the low rumbhng of
thunder. was, perhaps, three miles from
the village and half mile from the shore
which at that point and at that time was
covered by dense woods | had always
been afraid Of lightning, and the sudden
flash, added to my knowledge Of the fact
that | was alone on deep water, made me
very nervous.
3 more vivid fash lit up the dar&eDed
skies, followed by loud thunder, and before
l had time to gather my fast scattering
senses a fearful wind storm blew, in ter
rife gusts, over the lake. My frail boat
spun round and round like boys top, so
swiftly that the motion made me quite
dizzy. II is wonderful that / was not up
set, but in less than two minutes the wind
passed away and found myself still safe
IN the boat but-without oars!
And then the rain came. Not in drops,
but in solid sheets, while the binding
flashes Of lightning aad the incessapt vol
leys of thunder mingled so closely together
that it was impossible to tell which fol-
lowed the other. cannot remember just
what my thoughts we're at that time;
was greatly frightened and believed that
the time had come for me to die. But
did not cry out, and know did not pray;
just sat tremblingly still.
OUt there, amid that weird storm music,
IL would have been quite impossible to dis
tingUish the splash of oars or the sound Of
voices. | heard and saw nothing until
felt my boat give g sudden ,urch, after
which / became CONSCIOUS that | was being
steadily rowed towards the shore. Then l
heard a voice, which sounded strangely
familiar to ne, saying
BE brave, Mss L-alOX, you are quite
safe, now, and We shall soon be ashore"
Was I dreaminc: Could it be-Ah, yesl
For the lightning flashed that instant and
revealed q face X hich had not beheld since
when, one evening az a country depot, l
CuTiOusly and gratefully gazed upon it
while / babe ITS )W0er farewell, 1t was the
face Of Charley Ch&mpneys.
Soon We were ashore, and at least safe
from the danger OF drowning But the
shelter which we were able TO secure was
very poor being only a small deserted log
cabin, the door of which had been carried !
away and whose one window was entirely
innocent Of glass or shutters.
Champneys, cripple that he was, almost
carried me to this welcome refuge which, /
poor as il was, served to keep off the worst
of the rain. My rescuer piled up some
large stones upon which we sat down, side /
by side.
Strange as it may seem, although we had /
not met for two years, we talked very lit
tie; indeed, after the stones were arranged |
for our seat. we were quite silent, for the
storm was so very loud and fierce that con- .
versation could only be carried on with !
difficulty. And yet as | sat there, soaked /
with the rain and terrified by the light /.
ming, / was singIlarly content, for l knew, /
then and forever, that Charlie Champneys /
was more 10 me than an old friend
Presently the rain subsidized somewhat, |
and the peals Of thunder became less fire. /
quent. 1t WAS in one OF these short inter |
walls Of comparative silence that l said:
You remember when we were last to- |
gether?"
Yes" he replied, and added, but why
speak of that:"
"Charlie"' | answered, Il have felt sorry /
not for you alone, but for myself also /
ever since Without once seeing you or /
hearing from you, have Learned to love /.
you very much. If you still feel towards /.
me as YOU did on that Sunday evening /
when You said you loved me, take me, /!
Charlie. we will love each other and''-
But again the thunder rolled and roared /
and cut of the remainder of what | said. (
When It ceased. Charley began again:
You must not talk so, Miss LenOT. l /
have seen Tor long time that l was foolish /
and selfish to tell you of my love. Yet, |
though am so unworthy of you, DO love /
you truly. and for that reason ! cannot &C /
re0t any such sacrifice from yCu. But oh, /
Miss Ien0y, oh. Ruth, my darling, il l /
may have one s5Ss while we are here to- /