Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1902-03-08

by uun, IndG boy SOG H1c Oc1S
sure" unused the old man. IL
amt never asked no mans advice
before in all my life, but reckon I'll
hev ter git some light threw onto
this sittoowation. I'm go daown
and git Parson Marvin ter wrastle
an hour with it this evenin'."
Mandy" said Hal, few minutes
later. Last night you refused to
marry me, because you would not
stand in the way of my future; and
after I had gone home you wrote my
father to the same effect. Now, 1
have not come to ask you to recon
slider your decision. I believe to-day
it was a wise one. But I have come
to tell you that 1 absolutely refuse
to take advantage of it. The people
who took over the wreck of my bust
ness offered to take me with it on
a salary. 1 have written, accepting
their offer, and I shall leave for the
city tomorrow morning. When I
am in position to marry you, I
shall ask you again"
HAL, Hall" she protested.
But he would not let her go on. mo,
sweetheart; if this must be a contest
between wills, you will find that 1 have
one as well as you and father. And
now, kiss me goodbye, little playmate,
for am going away in the morning,
and may not see you again for long
time"
Mandy never quite knew how she got
through the rest of the day. There was
supper to get; and boarders going and
lNFNn 1arrc
endless.
1t was nearly ten o'clock before she
could break away from it all and be by
herself and think.
Her mood was restless and troubled
and drew her, as if by some uncon-
scious attraction, to the river. She
walked out on the wooden foot bridge
that spanned the rapids above the
mill, and leaning against the hand
rail gazed into the turgid current
which ran swiftly far below. She
tried to set in order the thoughts that
surged through her brain. She might
as well have tried to calm the bub-
bling, roaring stream beneath. Like
one in a dream, she seemed to see the
events of her short life pass in review
before her in weird and impish pro-
cession. She saw little to attract her,
few compensations for all it's hard
ships and narrowness. Hal was the
one bright spot in it. Sadly she turned
from the past to look into the future
and contrasted what it might haze
been with Hal-what it would be with
out him. She looked into the river
running unanimously, darkly, dis
tractedly through its contracted, rock
walled channel to it's ceaseless task at
the mill. In one smooth, eddy-like
spot in all its turbulent course, she
saw the reflection of a single star:
but it was only the reflection, and the
star itself was shining far above. She
felt the likeness of the stream to her
own life and strangely attracted to it
by sort of hypnotic fascination.
Then she remembered how beyond the
mill the stream broadened out and
flowed placid1y through a fair mead
owland. And the thought came to her
with a fierce bitterness, how through
the stream another, feebler woman
in her case might find peace, while she
must struggle blindly, hopeless1y on
A strange dizziness came over her,
she swayed and clutched at the rail-
ing. With sickening feeling she felt
the frail support give way. The
weary, respondent soul said to itself:
81 did not seek this-then let me, too,
find peace" But the active, healthy,
human woman screamed.
"What's that, brother?" Josiah and
Mr.. Marvin had been 'wrastlin' " over
Hal all the evening; and the parson
was returning with the older man to
light him through the glen.
"Some gals fell in!" shouted Jo-
siah; and with unsupported agility he
bounded down the steep bank in the
direction of the splash that closely
followed that night-rending, heart
rending cry.
"Hold the light!" he commanded,
| as he stood an instant on the brink
peering into the darkness, before
plunging in to where a small, dark
object momentarily appeared above
the surface.
The river was deep and swift, but it
was narrow, and though long out of
practice, Josiah had been a famous
| swimmer, and his strength had not
| left him. With the aid of the minister,
who rushed in waist deep to help,
Josiah soon had the limp form of the
girl stretched on the shingle.
''Fetch the lantern, parson," he said,
as he chafed her hands, and bent to
listen if she breathed. "She's livin';
let's see who we got"
Mr.. Marvin obeYed.
Josiah gazed guiltily into the up
turned, unconscious face. He felt as
if his heart were in the grip of a
! tourniquet.
"Parson,'' he faltered, "do We s'pose
she done it a-puppose?"
Mr.. Marvin looked up at the bridge.
''No,' ~ he added, pointing to the broken
hand-rail.
Thank God fer theft"
Amen echoed the minister.
''Now, brother, what is best to be
done?"
There amt on'y one thing tew be
done-fetch her hum
isn't that rather far, neighbour
'''Tis, ter her hum, faint ter mine.
Thet's wher' she b'longs naow; that's
wher' Hal is. Their, lift her easy.
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