The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-09-01
"Were non ever on the dam2n

chO lOohtu At ilie CuIiOuSly. W6ut
on without waiting for u reply;
"Would you mind showing me the
way to it7 1t is long while since was
there"
She drew herself up with a slight
hauteur. Then thinking that perhaps
was unaccustomed to the conventional
ways of civilized life, she said pleas.
antly:
lyon have only to walk through the
wood straight back of the house and you
will come to it,
"ThaEk you" replied, but | hoped
you would show me the way
She looked puzzled.
Miss Julia" | said, altering my tone,
IL once met you when was a boy here
at school,"
II knew a number Of the scholars
she said. more interested; "who may
you bey'
! dreaded to tell her IF you will
pilot me to the dam said, 81 will in.
form you
She thought moment. then turned
and looked ont at the wood With the
quick motion with which she had made
the same move as a child she started for
ward
We walked side by side to the wood.
through 1t and out on the river bank.
There was the water and the dam;
everything as it had been.
did you ever try to walk out there"
| asked.
"Once, when was a child, came
here vicn a boy, and we walked 70 where
the water pours over. ! met with an
accident. fell in"
"rhe boy overpersuaded yor. sup
pose?"
1t was difficult for me to conceal Ger.
tain siepidation at the mention of my
fault.
mo, | went of my own accord"
He certainly must have been to
blame He was older and stronger than
you"
''0n the contrary" she said, with
slight rising irritation, she jumped after
me like the noble little fellow that he
was"
turned away on pretense of examin-
ing boat down the river.
"At any rate he must have begged
your forgiveness on his bended knees
for permitting you to go into such a
danger"
a never saw him again. BE went
away"
/ fancied-at least hoped-I could
detect tinge of sadness in her voice.
II have often wished she went on,
''that be would come back, as the ether
scholars sometimes do, as you are now,
and let me tell him how much thank
him for his noble effort.
Julia" said, suddenly turning and
facing her, "this is too much. lam that
boy. led you into the wood. forced
you to go out on the dam with me.
permitted you to fall in
"And more than atoned for all by risk
ing your life to save mel"
All, that look of surprised delight
which accompanied her words! 1t was
worth all my past years of suffering, of
fancied blame; for in it read how dearly
she held the memory of the boy who had
at least shared the danger for which he
was responsible.
do not remember if she grasped my
hand or | grasped hers. At any rate
we stood hand in hand looking into each
others faces,
blessed the Providence that ended
my punishment; blessed the good for
tune that had led me to a knowledge of
the kindly heart beside me. OF all the
moments of my life | still count it far
the happiest.
Then we walked back through the
woods, over the intervening field, and
stood together leaning against the fence
between the old school and her home
We did not part after that for another
ten years. Then she left me to go
whence | can never recall her. Yet
there is trysting place in the woods,
through which we once passed as chill
dren. and often afterward as lovers,
There watch the hecked sunlight and
mark the silence; and it seems to me that
can "hear it be still" More than that,
know the puresoul looks at me through
the honest eyes F. A. Mitchell.