Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1894-08-30

Nittt 0iQSSCu 81 lCulouSlN WIFI DlOSb
people. There and then and thus L
told my love to her-and she listened
to me. She made me swear that if the
| would go with her. If that could not
be, she begged me to let her stay and
drown with me.
Oh, what glorious time that was;
with the storm beating me almost
senseless, the ship furnace beneath
my feet, the utter hopelessness of boats
living in such sea, should the fire
break through the battened down
matches and drive US from the vessel.
Never shall forget the dawn of that
day; the clouds glaring spitefully as
they fled away before the sun; the
waves covering into sullenness; the
storm wind screeching in baflied pas
sion-and my deck chair gone!
They had found the fire and eXtin-
guished it; and with the morning light
came the cry of "Land aheadp' from
the lookout.
We should get through it all safely,
~, then; and beyond lay-paradise!
Not the same paradise that we had con-
templated in the dark hours, but still
paradise; such one as l would be con-
tented with for all the rest of my life.
X X X X
A pilot joined us. We steamed into
Sandy Hook. They steered the bat
tered hulk of the Atalanta into the
grand harbor of New York under as
goodly a sun as ever smiled on lovers.
Millicent Bradley once again stood
by my side and spoke no word. Her
dark eyes surveyed the shore and took
stock of the monster excursion steam
ers, the statue of Liberty and the
Brooklyn Bridge; but she made no COM
ment. She had not referred to that
sweet night of terrors since l found her
standing on the promenade deck neatly
dressed for going ashore.
We passed the Battery and drew
near to the company's landing stage.
Presently we were being hauled into
the dock. In five minutes the gang
ways would be run up, and we should
have to go ashore. And up to this
time, although l had told her all about
myself, my family my position and my
prospects in life, all unimpeachable,
she had not confided to me any of her
own affairs, not even her destination.
But now she turned to me and looked
me squarely in the eye. "You We're
very kind to me last night, Mr.. Frank
linz she said, in tones that / fancied
trembled little.
''Misteru' stammered, aghast at her
GOODNESS.
81 am very grateful shall Away
be. Don't think badly of me for being
SO weak and foolish. | could not bear"
she hesitated, and shook back tear
that seemed about to sparkle in her eye
as she corrected herself: 81 should not
like you toto despise me-"
"Oh, Miss-Millicentn' | began.
But she went on firmly: "Of course,
we must not take seriously anything
which circumstances exceptional
so very, very dreadful, indeed-we
must not bind ourselves by what such
circumstances forced upon us. We will
say goodby' now; and-and Tiff we
never meet again"
"Millicentv' I cried, catching both
her hands, quite needless of onlookers,
"don't coquet with me after what we
have both gone through! You can say
calmly to me, eff we never meet
again." say to you, "Must we ever,
ever part?o
eyes, we must part Horace" The
words came slowly, and she did not
disengage her hands.
"Why? Where are you going?"
"To Manitoba-to my brothers.
ranch. am going to settle there. If
you would like to call"
X X X X
Manitoba is some 5000 miles from
New York and the Bradley ranch is
eighty miles from the railway. But [
did "call;" and it came to pass that 1
settled there, too.