The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1902-03-20
,irn. She loved him too we'll and she

uouDteu ner own aDl1Jy TO nelp nlHn'
and refused to stand in the way of
his future. Then to clinch the mat
ter she wrote the short note to Jo-
siah which Hal had just read.
"Wher' be we goin'?' asked his IA
ther, as Hal started for the door.
"Oh, just to tell Mandy what l
just told YOU" and he went out.
by dunn, that boys got me beat
sure" unused the old man. II
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'll go daown
and git Parson Marvin ter wrastle
an hour with it this evenin'."
Mandy" said Hal, a few minutes
later. Last night you refused to
marry me, because you would not
stand in the way of my future; and
after had gone home you wrote my
father to the same effect. Now,
have not come to ask you to recon
slider your decision. l believe to-day
it was wise one. But | have come
to tell you that l 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
salary. l have written, accepting
their offer, and | shall leave for the
city tomorrow morning. When l
am in position to marry you, 1
shall ask you again"
SsHa1 Hn1fD bo
But he would not let her go on. "No,
sweetheart; if this must be a contest
between wills, you will find that | hs We
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
boarders coming. Her duties seemed
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 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 its 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 have
been with Hal-what it would be with
out him. She looked into the river
running unanimously, darby, dis
tractedly through its contracted, rock
walled channel to its ceaseloss 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 placidly 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, hopelessly on
\ strange dizziness came over her,
she swayed and clutched at the rail
ing. With a 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.
whats 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 I'M" shouted Jo-
siah; and with unsupported agility he
bounded down the steep bank in the
direction of the splash that closely
followed that ight-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 single
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 ne