The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1899-01-18

-a---..SN
.'hefclcai uoar snrieKea Mrs.
Faulkner. tits Laura VIM. She
went mp toward the falls not ten min
utes ago."
Vain fool! What could have been her
object? Barclay, never dancing, had
been looking smilingly on. Both the
Frazier girls had been led, not too will.
ing, away by partners. Four sets had
been formed, and Mrs. VIM, pleading
fatigue, had asked to be excused, had
sauntered past Barclays seat, and be.
fore his eyes had turned up the narrow,
winding, sheltered pathway by the
Blanca. Had she dreamed 1t possible
he would follow? Follow her he did
not. Was it-a far more charitable
thought-in search Of Harry she had
gomez Somber and absentminded, he
had earlier slipped away among the
trees. avoiding even Brayton. But now
Barclay was seen on the near side Of
the torrent. linping up and along tho
steep slope, In imminent danger Of
slipping In. swinging in his hand q
long lariat that he had drawn from the
nearest wagon when the wild up hill
fight began. They remembered later
that he was the last man out Of the hol-
low. Already Brooks, Brayton. De
Lancy and half dozen men were hur-
rying along the hillside to aid. but
Brayton reached him first and seized
bis arm just as another cry went up
from the hilltop-just as from the op.
posite side of the seething torrent the
tall figure Of Harry Vim came bound
ing through the stunted trees, and, hat
less, wild eyed. he seemed searching the
tossing mass Of wreckage OH the bosom
Of the waters. Another instant still a
white hand was waved aloft in their
midst, then white arm enciroling
log, a terror stricken white face, all
showed dimly one moment before again
borne underneath, hidden by the yellow
body Of o whirling ambulance, and in
that one instant, far leaping, VIM
plunged into the torrent and struck out
savsgely to reach his wife.
Vain, hopeless effortl Eddying in
huge circle at the rocky shoulder just
above the entrance to the gorge, the
wild waters near the eastward shore
bore their burden, jarring and crushing,
close under the heights on which were
clustered the panic stricken jewellers
from Fort Worth. But on the farther
side, as it narrowed toward the en-
trance, the Kissing torrent tore like a
mill race OH its way. Into this heaving
flood leaped VIM, and before the eyes
Of screaming women and helpless, hor-
ror stricken men was sucked into the
rush and whirl of foaming waves
sweeping resistless through the rocky
canyon away toward the fair White
Gate, away out and beyond the lovely
foothills, tossed and battered and crush
sd by whirling logs, dragged under by
the branches Of uprooted trees, borne
away at last, rolling, gaspine. still
Rebly, family struggling, until on the
broad lowlands the torrent spent tho
fury of its concentrated spite, and,
swiftly still, but no longer raging a.
when curbed and held by the barrier
gate, the Blanca foamed away to strew
the tokens Of the fearful storm right
and left for miles along it's banks and
to land all that was mortal Of Harry
VIM, bruised, battered, yet SO placid
In death that strong mems voices broke
when telling how they found him, rest
ing with weary head upon his arm on
the sandy fiat that lay just beneath the
little summer house on the overhanging
bluffs, just where Laura had looked
down over the misty shadows from that
very height the morning her soldier
husband had reached his home at re-
veille and found her-wanting.
They bore her wailing home that
night, widowed and crying, "Woe Is
mePA Yet with what wild thoughts
through her brain. Who was
ii that came leaping to her aid as she
felt herself again dragged under in that
swirling eddy? Whose voice was it that
rang upon her drowning ears? Whose
strong arms had clasped and sustained
her and held her head above water,
while other strong hands, hauling at
the lariat made fast about his waist,
drew them steadily to shore? Then all
gels came and ministered to her-the
the men clustered about
her dripping hero, Galahad. Only for
though, for there was mount.
ing bareback in hot haste and thunder
ing away at mad gallop. despite the
drenching rain, for he who had saved
the wife implored those who could ride
to haste and save the husband.
All Fort Worth again went into
with the setting Of that woe
full sun. II had borne its fill and more
Of battle and Of sudden death.
And people resurrected Hodges
stories later on, though Hodge himself
was readily excused. They recalled
how Channing's widow and little ones
were cared for after that officers I'M
timely death In the shadows Of old
peak. They recalled Porter's
ailing wife and the seaside sojourn,
and the old ordnance sergeant's family
burned out ut Sanders. 1t wasn't many
days before the lovely, dropping widow
Of poor Harry VIM was quite well
enough to be sent the long journey to
the north, yet some weeks elapsed be.
fore she would consent, she said, to be
torn from her beloved's grave When,
gently as possible, she was told in July |
that the quarters she still occupied
were needed for her husbands success
BOT, she proposed to spend few weeks
with Mr.. aud Mrs. Faulkner, but they
were forced to limit that visit to few
days. There was no reason why she
could not have started in June, for that
devoted mother, Mrs Waite, had drop
ped temporarily the pursuit Of senator's
and Representatives in congress Assem-.
bled and wired that she would meet
her daughter in New Orleans, and tile
general at San Antonio
notified her that abundant means for