The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-20

Julia ran to the window and looked out.
cry of fright burst from her lips as she
did SO, and hearing ii Mrs. Frayle nerved
herself to join her.
The moon was high and its white light
Tell on the world outside, bringing out the
salient points with Photographic definite
ness. The broadened sheet of water that
had so disrnayed Mrs. Fragile the previous
evening had now so widened that IL seemed
as If nothing but water filed the lower
part of the town. The sound of its impetu-
Gus onward rush made itself evident to the
watchers at the window, while the town
bell elamored spasmodicaliy as If TO call
the inhabitants 10 witness the inevitable
obstruction of whatever lay in its path.
Mrs. Frayies inherent helpfulness as
serted itself.
Il guess we'd better be dressin' OF our
selves. she said, moving backward and
pulling down the window shade with
resolute snap.
When she and Julia went down the hill
a little later they We're passed continually
by people hurrying to the lower town. The
hillside above the water line was black
with watching crowds.
It was indeed a thrilling scene upon
which they We're gazing. On this inland
sea, as out of place as if the product OF
mirage, the three little houses rested, COM
plete and pitiful wrecks of the tidy little
places so recently the pride of their oceu-
pants. The two lower ones, though twisted
out of position and shorn of chimneys and
all outward decorations, were not in as de-
plorable a plight as Miss Polly's, which
had beer completely overturned and crush
ed into splinters at one end. A portion of
inextricably entangled with this ruin, and
the two swung back and forth in the cur
rent like some threatening and formidable
marine monster of prehistoric times.
There amt nobody left there, that's one
comfort" said a man of evident local
prominence 'They all had fair warning
Yesterday an the whole kit an bilin of
EN- got away. Lucky move too L m THINK
I'M .:,,,a po,., Andorson 90 sou;req"
asked anxious-faced Mrs. Frayle, who had
arrived lust in time to hear this reassur-
The man turned upon her with falling
Moses an Aaron!' calculated he. "Ain't
she with you, Mis- Fragile? She sent
word she was goin' to your mouse, an
s'posed of course she Went: .r
'tShe never gasped Mrs Fragile, I
couldn't git her started no ways when L
was down there"
In stenfopian tones the squire put the
question whether anyone Wlthln nearing
knew Of Polly Anderson S. whereabouts. no
one did The crowd had assembled to watch
the destruction of the houses, but the pos
sibility that human life had been or was
to be sacrificed aroused it to a hlgh pltcn
of excitement. The squire was prosecuted
with suggestions and advice.
IF she was there don't. you spose she q
have common sense enough 10 SlSHdl soIile-
how?" he inquired irritably.
perhaps she's stunned The bridge must
have give the house an awful Jar 10 Keel
il over halfway" remarked'a Worklngnah
Julia Fragile, turning quickly at this re-
mark to look again at the displaced coIIa az Se,
stumbled against Reuben Garter. me ne
e en- tePi She spoke impuisively: o.,
60 Reuben, do you think she $ IN there
Pm afraid So he replied. I've asked
everybody who'd be likely to know, " an an
nobodys seen her: Nat Means s boat ha isd
am Nat an | are going to see II we can
git through all that floating ruoplHsh' an
find out whether she's there or not. ..A,u,4
Julia gave a little involuntary cry, AIN |
If 6angerous?" she asked, looking up at
Reuben with frightened eyes. u+ ),
mot very, l guess. The logs Is the Wusei
he answered shortly, becoming suddenly
Very i'll at ease. Julias concern instead OF
pleasing him seemed to have a contrary e.
feet. He turned as if about to go, stung
evidently by some ranking recoliectlon,
then fingered a moment longer. PoIy "a al III
derson's played me a nlghoy I'll, Ir,e' nebt in
his deep-set eyes, but L can't see heT
drowned out there if she has; I wish
could tell you about it, Julia, but ooh
see how | can, ever" His face clouded
more deeply, and he stopped abruptly u n,os1
must be hurryin' off, he sald' almost
Julia flushed holly, and retreated 10 the
eroup in. which Mrs. Fragile was stalulnS.
wiz M which to form a raft, for the preser-
walton Of Nat Meanss boat was uithl1 10y, " "a
to any but the two young men anu 'u I'D
Frayle. The sound of their hammers re-
verberat ted uncannily at that place ana
hour. So universal was the interest IN US
construction that Reuben Garter ana ms
f eorn p 4baW We're observed The sensation
created by the appeal @--te CT lheII poa !
spread like the overflow anu GnGTrs aSSnidng
the logs that were continually drl1tlnS 90" Il
fEoIIowed bv the straining gaze of the
neonle on the hillside the boat moved eau
fiolislv toward the overturned cottage anu anu
AT la st was seen to encircle the mousse me
men rising and peering into every aValI-
nhin onening' Then it stopped, and Reuben
| Carter climbed through a window ana uls-
appeared. ,,,o+;or+l,,
from the chorus OF wild EXPLANATIONS that
at once arose. The sound lrr1tateo nSr.
She wondered what Reuben had seen Wlln5
in how long it would be before he would
reappear and a picture of Polly ANDERSON,
manned suffering pinioned under heaVy
furniture falling beams; unn s4r mel nea,
that left white lines along the knuckleS,
and she screamed aloud as hand was
i' t-Tn Nv Frayie, I've been looking every
where's for YOU Do you spose he's found
hers painted her aunt, scarcely able to
SP Il dunno drGeu He's gittin' out now. Look!
Look! Aunt Liar cried julia.
I'm afraid to I s6odid see M hm
bringin' Of her out I should feel as though
''Well, you needn't feel that way, yet
Mis- Frayle.' remarked a bystander, dryly.
HE amt got her. an they're comm TINS
way agin she can't be there arter all
Frayle, feebly She frightened her hold on
Juiia's arm Don't you go an leave me
alone agin," commanded She L can't stand
Reuben Carter was dripping when he
stepped ND onto the bank.
II poked an waded into every hole an
corner an 1 can't find a sign of her any
where's" he announced to the gaping
crowd -,
an got kerried off by the current, sug-
gested palld woman. Somehow I've felt
all along as if she's damned in among them
logs somewhere"
This grim theory found numerous adj
herents and armed with poles and axes,
and with q third man to assist, Reuben
Carter and Nat Means again set forth In
quest of Polly Anderson, while the ratt
was hurriedly finished and poled down in
the same direction.
Morning had now dawned, but the
wearied people could not be induced to
leave the scene of the disaster: 1t seemed
SO probable that Polly Anderson'S body
might at any moment be discovered in the
floating mass of debris that covered the
meadow lands and stopped in its progress
bv the broken remnants of the bridge,
blocked the egress of the waters below,
that they remained If rooted In their
places. pale with anticipation of what
might be disclosed, and almost wordless In
a movement of unusual activity on the
mart of the searching party would be recog-
nized by surging chorus of explanations
or a shuddering sigh that seemed to en-
anate from a single huge throat. Then
all would be breathlessly quiet again until
. fresh cause for the exhibition of emotion
arose. a..