Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1899-03-04

current.
| On, on, the current quickly bore
them, until. had either spoken. the
roar OF the cataract would have
deadened their words.
The hazel eyes and the blue look
ed each into the other and unspok-
en- volumes passed in a glance-a
glance of faith and tenderness.
0n--so swift that tree and rock
could scarce be noted, and though
close to the shore. yet nearer still
were they to the brink of the fearful
fall.
An instant more-she closed her
eyes, for his arm drew her with a
convulslve grasp to his breast-tbeir
lips met, it was the first, would be
the last kiss On eartn---tnen-righ
on the brink of q fall many, many
yards down, he clutched rock
which reared its dark head above
the water.
He clutched it With a desperate
strength that he had never known
before, and swung her slender form
upon it.
Then he would surely have gone
over had it not been for her, for his
effort made his hand slip, but with
both hers she chung to his arm and
drew him so far up that he could
help himself and gain place be-
side her.
They were saved from instant
death-but not removed from peril.
For they were out on that wet,
isolated rock, further from the shore
than he could possibly leap-on the
very brink of the waterfall where
they could not hope for q human
eye to see them or an ear to hear
cry for help.
The deafening roar of the foam
ing waterfall prevented any COM
munication between them but by
looks and signs.
1t was a terrible situation. But
as the strong, fearless man pressed
her trembling form to his sheltering
breast, he looked up thankfully to-
ward heaven as if to say:
"Spared by Him so far, when
hope was gone. He will not desert
us now"
After a brief rest he began to ex,
anime their surroundings. They
were about twenty feet from the
shore, and far above their heads, en-
tirely out of reach, stretched the
huge trunk of a large water-oak.
One OF its gnarled limbs sufficient
~ large to have borne treble their
united weight extended TO within
four or Eve feet-but it was not di.
rectly overhead, or he had been tall
enough to have clambered upon it
with her by his side.
If he only had rope, be thought,
he could swing her and himself to it
and thus escape to the shore.
She seemed by his look to divine
his thought and she took from Der
waist long silken scarf, fine and
strong, which he had given her at
another time.
He looked at it with a sad, de-
spairing smile, which seemed to
say:
at is not strong enough
She took from her pocket set of
ivory tablets on which she often
used to note thought or incident
that she wished to remember when
she made up her diary at night.
On it she wrote these words:
.The scarf is slender, but it is
strong. It will go around the limb
and back to US. Wrench of piece
of rock and with its weight pass it
over the limb. Then we can es-
cape"
sit will not hold my weight" he
wrote. ''Have you the nerve to as
cend it2 If you have, and can gain
the limb, it will be easy for you to
reach the shore. Then you can go
to the road and find some one to re
turn, with rope, to help me-"
She looked at the limb and scarf,
and the color came back to her face.
She again wrote on the tablet:
"Were it only to save myself. /
should fear to try it. As it is, |
win try, and / know ! will sue
ceed."
He broke off a fragment of rock,
and, fastening one end in the scarf.
threw it over the limb, and as it
swung to and fro, caught 1t.
1t was now drawn tight, and then
taking the strong silk crayat from
his neck, he fastened it around her
slender waist and tied the ends of
the scarf to 1t, so that, il her hands
slipped or her courage failed, she
would not go over the fall.
She looked grave, bat self-pos-
sessed, as she commenced to clam
Der, hand over hand; but, as she
swung clear of the rock, she glaze
ed down into the terrible whirlpool
below.
A giddiness seized her, deathly
pallor whitened her face, her
strength passed away, her hands IN
consciously released her hold, and
I