Feliciana sentinel. [volume] (St. Francisville, La.) 1877-1892, 1892-06-04

y /
that other boys can do. wanted to
make friends with you, but somehow {
couldn't. It wasn't your fault. suppose
am different from other fellows. am !
going away tomorrow, and-and hope
you will forgive me-"
He spoke hurricdly. in q choked voice, J
and broke down at the end. He was
ashamed of the tears he felt spring to
his eyes. and turned away quickly,
without waiting for any reply. He had
taken a few steps when he felt hand
mon his shoulder, and Denzil Graham
Joined him. The two boys walked on I
in silence, side by side, for short dis
lance, then Denzil said, earnestly:
Look here, Caleb, you don't mean
what YOU said about going away to-
morrow"
"Yes, answered Caleb. You see
didn't know they hated me, or wouldn't
have stayed so long
"Thcy don't hate you" said Denzii.
| Its just their talk They don't KNOW
| you as do, that's all
| lyon spoke up for me like brick,
| Dcnzil," and Calcb's coarse, honest face
| lighted up with an affectionate smile;
II thank You, bat must 60"
II will come to your room this after
noon," said Denzil. I'm going back 10
| the others now, but think shall have
something to say to you then that will
| alter your feelings"
The two boys shook hands warml y;
| Denzil returned to the party on the
lawn, while Caleb went to the carriage
house where his bicycle was, and,
mounting it, rode away at great speed.
Denzil Graham had Invited a nuEno Der
of boy and girl friends to spend part
of the vacation at his fathers place, the
| tod In ho little
valley among the Laconic mountains.
Among others, he had asked his class
mate, Caleb Orion. to come. foor
Caleb h;l few friends, but DenZl had
learned to know what q sterling good
fellow there was hidden under the boys
uncouth exterior. and he believed that
the rest Of the party would soon come
to like him as warmly as he himself
did But the result had been quite con-
trary to Denzil'e expectations. and Ca
3 leb's first week at Mill Farm had been
t one Of the uphappiest of his life.
: For few moments. as Caleb rode
f along the silent country road, his re-
n Elections were very sorrowful: then
a gradually he forgot his own troubles in
a discovery which he believed he had
G made day or two before. The Mill
!, Farm had received its name from the
: sawmill which stood some distance
/. from the house. on the bank of the
a brook which ran through the midst OF
n the valley. Half mile above the
dwelling. q heavy stone dam had been
k built across the stream. making Pond
of some acre. in extent. which supplied
?, power to the mill Riding about the
4 country alone on his bicycle, Caleb had
d found this dam, and had visited IL ire
s. quently.
,Ch.re had been a heavy rainstorm at
,. the beginning of the week. and the
"A " alter in the pond had risen to the very
~ brink of the dam. The structure was
old, and the pressure of the water had
., started a number OF seams in the ma
10 sonry. This was Calcbs discovery.
He had spoken of this to Mr.. Graham
-. who had laughed at his fears, saying
- that the old dam had lasted fifty year:
"A and would last another fifty. But Calct
- had not been satisfied Ike had made
"A a Journey to the pond every day, ans
Mt had seen that the cracks in the wal
nj were surely growing wider, while tn
an water was escaping in quantity Oh
the previous afternoon he had found
h. new crack in the stone work, near tn
middle, from which 4 small torrent wa
-, rushing Though Mr.. Graham certain
20 ly ought to know best, Caleb felt un
III easy about it. He was sure there mus
~ be danger of the old wall crumblin
away.
When he REACHED the pond, and lear
ing his bicycle in the road, ciimbe
\, down to the foot of the dam, he wa
startled first by a loud roaring SOUND
ne and then by the sight of mass c
~ brown water pouring through larg
..s gap in the wall which had not bee
I've there on the day before. Wide crack
Az scanned the masonry in every direction
-. As he rested his hand against the stone
he felt them tremble as under su
sse' cession Of heavy blows.
" While he stood there aghast, thel
. came n loud report, and another crac
~ opened in the wall from top to bottom
~, Almost at the same moment hug
block of masonry fell out, followed /
'"s a tremendous rush of water. Every i
slant smaller pieces crumbled down al
H. new jets of water burst forth. III
dam was going!
Poor. slow Caleb stood clutching
on ON, sapling. wondering what he ought
do He knew that the Mill Far
dwelling was in the very confer OF Il
narrow valley, and if this great mass
water were to rush down upon it su
denly, it must surely be swept avn
with all in or near 1t.
II In the midst Of his doubt and tcrrc
g another section of the wall gave wa
y and. driven by a blind impulse, Cal
" climbed the bank, mounted his bicyt
va and raced down the road like the win
WI Behind him he could bear the deepe
wv ing roar Of the water. and as he turn
IN into the gate at Mill Farm, shaki
ME with fatigue and alarm, there came
NV dull, heavy boom, that seemed to sha
"a the pond. The dam had given way.
a A number of the boys and girls we
IN sitting upon the porch. He did T
~ pause to SEQ who they were. but mount