The Opelousas courier., 1893-03-18

Patty flushed deeply, but she was not
the woman to let Rachel Frost 90
alone on such an errand, and the muslin
cap had scarcely reached the first turn
ing when the obnoxious ringlets were
beside her. AS may be imagined, they
had little disposition to converse, bu'
even if they had the roar of the creek,
now a black, swollen torrent, and the
grinding, cracking and crashing Of thu
huge masses of logs and ice rushing b.
would have drowned anything softer
than a speaking trumpet. A few mo-
nents of quick walking brought them
to the mill Zone of the red, shaky struc-
lures, perched on almost every respectable
brook in the state), and Patty's hear
beat fast as they entered it, partly at tbs
thought of danger and partly with th'
convection that the gauntlet had. q
length, been thrown down and was com
menced between herself and Georget
mother. T@
The goods of which Rachel hal
spoken were in the upper loft and con
sisted of clothing and furniture-fo
which Rachel had no room in the home
stead-hardly worth, Patty thought, all
this peril of life and limb; but she made
nc comment, obeying in silence the brief
directions of her mistress, who worked
with furious zeal, apparently careless or
insensible Of tie fact that the whole
building was quivering aud trembling
from base to summit. Suddenly came a
rush and q gurgle. Patty started.
"Graciousl what is what3 The stream
is rising!"
"stuf!" painted Rachel, as with her
cap off, her hair down, her face covered
with dust, she tugged at the huge chest
in the corner. The stream won't raise
this half hour. Come here and help me.
/ want to get out"
She was Interrupted by a second ter.
rife roar. Then came a gurgling and
heavy thuds, as it logs striking against
the building, ard a shlver and tremble
and then a curious swaying motion-all
the time the roaring, and grinding, and
gurgling growing louder. as though in
some inexplicable way they had come
closer to it. Patty left the trunk and
ran to the windew.
"Wha is it2" asked Rachel, still tug
ging at the brass handle.
No answer, only a bowed head and 2
figure Standing motionless, as if turned
to stone.
Rachel got up and went toward her.
"What is it7 Has the" then as she
glanced out Of the windew-"oh, my
God!"
The mill was moving down the stream.
Down sank Rachel Frost. All her cour.
age gone, every thought swallowed up
ire fear, wailing, moaning, groveling on
the foorQ Then life came back to the
still figure by the window, and stopping
down Patty wound her arms about
Rachel's neck, and all her soft wealth of
curls, escaping from the comb, fell
down like q veil around her who had SO
long made them 9 taunt and sin.
'HGod is herel" whispered Patty.
$50 is DEATH" shuddered Rachel.
"Hear it laundering and rushing out.
side. How shall I meet Coda Will He
have mercy3 I had came here
full of wrath and bitterness against you,
who had never injured me-"
"Hark!" exclaimed Patty, and, STILL
ing the very beating of their hearts. the
two women listened breathlessly. Once
more-above the dash, and the gurgle,
and the grinding and cracking and thun.
deriug-came that faint, shrill sound.
Patty sprang to the window and threw
it wide.
"saved! savedi They see US. They
have boats-they are coming. On your
knees-on your kneesl I soy, and thank
God for His mercyl" And there, in
the %outpourlng of that solemn thanks
giving, old prejudices melted away, old
grievances were forgotten, and, clinging
together3 the women watched as with
one heart and soul, the frail boat strug-
Cling to their rescue through huge float
ing masses that a hundred times would
have crushed it into atoms had it not
been for the skill and nerve of those
who guided her.
But when, after N agony Of suspense
that seemed a lifetime, they were at last
within hearing distance of the anxious
watchers a new difficulty arose. How
was it possible to transfer the women to
the boat9 To arrest the progress of the
building drifting with that mad current
was, of course, not to be thought of; to
fasten the boat and let it drift, even for
a moment, at the mercy of floating ice,
equally impracticable. Precious mo
ments were being wasted in discussion,
when with one bold stroke George
brought the boat close under the window
at which the women stood. 'Jumpl"
he shouted. "It is your only chance"
"Jumpl" echoed Patty, pushing
Rachel forward. "Be quick-the boat
is swinging round already"
Rachel glanced fearfully out on the
dark heaving mass of water and shrank
back.
"Ne; do you go first. If a life is
to be lost let it be mine. I have but q
few years more. What does it mat
ter9"
Patty hesitated. Argument was use
less with Rachel, whose terror was so
extreme that if left to herself she would
have persisted in the mill rather than
make the required exertion; and even
the seconds were precious, fraught a.
they were with the chances of life.
"Jump!" shouted George once more.
Patty was q little woman, but now she
seized Rachel around the waist and
pushed her through the window as If
she had been a child, following herself