Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-02-07
JUST TOO LATE.

l walkel over to the postoffice, two
miles away. to see if there was any
letter from Bert Phillips, a young New
Yorker, whom | expected some day to
marry. 1t was very slow in Boone
mountain, and | don't know what /
should have done for society if it had
not been for Ed. Parsons, the handsome
son of farmer. 1t was 50 dark when
| was ha,f way home that l missed my
road, and with visions of bears in my
mind l climbed tree to see where
was.
From my breezy station l could look
down through moving network Of
boughs and sprays and see something
dark pausing at the foot of the tree, and
presently it settled down among the
dead leaves ther as if with the full i'll
tention of placing me in a state of siege.
My heart stood still. How long wa,
this to last? How far could | calculate
on my own strength and persistence?
closed my eyes and Il feeliHgof dizziness
came over me. 1Cp"ned them again and
there was ihe horrible thing still crouch
ing steait.liv at the foot of the tree. !
had never tainted in my life, but now |
comprohendel how pc pie might feel
when sense and consciousness deser ed
them and left them at the mercy of the
Great Hey yond.
Hush! A Clear, sweet whistle! Surely
that was Ned Parsons whistIing his fav-
orite air of My Ain Countree" down
the mountain sid. | summoned up all
my ,uragn and sh uted aloud:
"Help! Help! HeIp!'
A loud haIIo answered me; there was
the sound of footstcp; plunging through
brambles, springins over fallen logs
"Neliy! Where ar you, Nelly? In
the name Of all posses d, What are you
doing up there?" cried Ned, co ing to :,
stand till half dozen yards or SO from
my haven Of refuge.
"Oh, be careful, Ned!" I shriekel
"The bear! the oenr!"
"WEat bear? Where ?"
"Close to the foot of the tree. DONE
you see him?' ga~pel.
"B It it isn't bear, said Ned after !;
few seconds Of careful investigations
DO you suppose Il bear will stand still
like this when h sees Il man and a riff ,
approaching him? It's Nick, the dog; /
missed him five minutes ago. He is
waiting for me here.
To this day 1 am not prepared to an
swer, on oath, as to how l came down
out of that tree-whether | fell out of
it, whether | jumped, or whether |
climbed down after the regulation fash.
ion; but | certainly came down and in
another second | was clasping Old n &c
about his shaggy neck, and Laughing in a
wild way that was nearly akin to tears
"To think, cried out "that Pve taken
old Nick for a bear! To think that he
frightened me so.
walked home, leaning on Ned Par
sons's arm. He had never seemed So
manly man to me before. He did not
laugh at me, as he might have done HIS
did not make fun of my ridiculous
blunder; but he was as tender and gen
tie to me as if had been o frightened
child,
And then and there | made up my
mind that Ned Parsons was more wor
thy of: a woman's love than Berthe
Phillips, down in New York. | re-
solved TO play the coquette no longer.
| determined to abandon NY role of II
modern Lady Clara We're de We're,
No, l would not
Break country heart
For paStme, ere went to town.
"How can l ever thank you?" l whis-
pered as we parted at the foot of the
winding wooden stairway.
Il am already thanked " he said cour
teously.
Mrs. Parsons was much edited when
she heard of my adventures, for | tol
her the whole story as | sat warming my
chilled feet before the fire, while she
was frying the chickens for supper
swell, 1 do declared" said she. "To
think that e ward should happen along
so handy. And he don't generally get
back so early from Black Valley. But
she amt to hum just now. Shes gone
to New York to get her weddin' fiXin's
"Who isn't at homer" said l. "Who
has gone to New York;"
"Why, Fanny Bolton, to be sure. The
minister's second darter."
But who is Fanny Bolton?"
"Don't you know? The girl our Ed
ward is engaged tot
Engaged! My eyelids fell; a sudden
rush of crimson sufTused my fac.
"Oh, said l. II hope they'll be
very happy, I'm sure. "
And so it happens that Bert Phillip,
is yet without rival in my list Of suit
ors. l had not been in any danger Of
becoming Lrdy Cara We're d We're.