The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-06-03

into which she had fallen by the iing-
ling of cracked bell. She fastened to
arise and dress herself. When she
went down stairs breakfast was on the
table.
We ginerally git up earlier N this"
said Mr.. Hardy, but to-day bein'
Sunday, we let ye sleep a bit over
time"
cit is the Sabbath" said Lena, rev.
erently, "and l should like to go to
chapel very much. Is there one?"
"Not within fifty miles"
Lena sighed. She said nothing fur
ther, but she knew how much she would
miss the devotions to which she was so
used. She noticed that Tom was not at
the table, and inquired the cause of his
absence.
cob" said the father carelessly,
"Tom? wall dunno whar he is-least-
ways not certain. | recken he's gone
afishin'."
Lena was greatly shocked, for to break
the Sabbath was her ideal of all that
was wicked and bad.
"I'm sorry Tom should go fishing on
Sunday, Mr.. Hardy" she said gently.
He's got ter go'n Sunday, eff he
wants ter go at all )" responded the lum-
herman; " other days he's got somethin'
ter do besides fool"
Lena wished to be alone, and the day
being so beautiful, she decided that
stroll would be preferable to a morning
in her little room. So she took her Bible
in her hand and walked away deep into
the sweet-smelling pine woods; the air
was fresh and pure and cool; the ground
was little damp, but she did not care
for that.
Lena had walked good way along a
little footpath she had discovered, and
was just wondering where it would
lead her, when, all of a sudden, she
came out upon the bank of the Saginaw
river. She stood silent, watching with
wonder the swift flow of the roaring
water.
BY and by she seated herself under
the shade of a great tree, and, opening
her Bible, she began to read. The
birds were twittering in the branches,
and soft breeze rustled the leaves
overhead. 1t was such a charming day
that Lena felt quite cheerful.
Presently she glanced up from her
book as a great log came floating down
endways upon the stream and struck
the bank near where she was sitting,
and lodged there. Then another log
came floating down and struck the first
log, and was stopped. Then another,
and another still. Then in twos and
threes they came; but none of them
passed the place where Lena was sit
ting, and finally there was a great mass
of logs wedged in between bank and
bank, and forming complete, though
somewhat shaky, bridge across the
river. The water thus damned up,
rose fast
Lena now became conscious that a
person, a man, was making his way
along the opposite bank of the stream.
He carried in one hand fishing rod,
in the other basket 1t was Tom.
Lena shrank from being recognized
or addressed by such wicked person
age, and drew back still further into
the shade of the friendly pine.
But Tom had not perceived her.
Never once looking in her direction, he
sat down and cast his line into the river.
Evidently, the fish did not bite very
well, for after moment he sprang to
his feet with an impatient gesture. He
looked around for moment and then
ooh N.Y." said Lena, with a gasp of
amazement, " he's going to cross on the
logs"
And even as she spoke the rash Tom
set foot upon this perilously shaking
bridge"
Tom did not get down upon his hands
and knees and crawl, as Lena was per-
fectly certain she would have done, but
walked boldly upright, balancing him
self with his arms. He had reached
the middle of the stream, when sud-
denly log broke away from its fellows
and foated on downwards. Tom
stopped quickly and looked behind him.
Lena almost imagined she saw his face
blanch, and
"There goes another log" cried
Lena.
There went another log, and three
others followed in quick succession.
The whole pile was trembling now.
Tom had evidently come to the con-
clusion that to proceed was less hazard
GUS than to retreat, for now he was
stumbling blindly forward as if his life
depended on his efforts, as indeed it
did. But the mighty volume of water
was 700 SlrOng LOT even lnOSe huge logs
to resist. With loud crash the whole
jam " parted, and went tumbling and
leaping and bounding down the stream;
and the great rush of water thus let
loose spared Tom no more than it did
the logs. Lena caught sight for mo-
ment of white, upturned face and
wildly waving arms; but only for mo-
ment, after that she could see him no
longer.
"Oh," cried Lena, Help help!
help!" and she ran out from the shadow
of the tree. AT the same instant Tom
arose to the surface of the water, and
saw her. He was carried under again,
but before he sank he managed to utter
the one word,
Bridge"
Lena heard and comprehended. She
started off running with all her might
along the bank. She stumbled tw ice,
and fell, and opposing bushes delayed
her, and rough branches beat her back.
Her dress was torn, and her tender
flesh was scratched and bleeding. But