The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-06-29

| uttSut nave all lllStlUCUNc lOs% OI gamblers appeal to luck Oil the loni | chance. .,-s,r
 Look here. Tod-crlckenthorpe.'' sait | Bruce rapidly. Miss Pearson meant tha either you or I should escort her tonight We were both too slow ana she wen alone. Two just found out that she ma, | be in danger-or worse-from the freshet l There's no use of soaring the l,. womeI 1 Right" said his rival, blinking. "Bu | why"
 Two couldn't either of us decently fol low her alone" resumed Dick with q scowl. Get out of this window to the piazza. No one is watching Over the | railing to the lawn. There we are"
 'I say. old chap. this Is square of you | rather
 ''Oh. cut that. Good thing the moon E 1 out
 | Whats the noise?'
 It's the devilish creek" snarled Bruce | breaking into a run.
 Thd water course which separates the Farrell place from the Pearson's lies T little ravine about quarter mile or SC | from the Judges house. Ordinarily it Is 8 placid and peaceful stream and 1t Is spaned for foot passengers by an orna- i mentally rustic bridge. The two men speeded over the soggy turf Tod d-Crackentho-pe ran heavily and puffeG after tho first hundred yards and Bruce was well in the lead when he reached the edge of the declivity. There
  angry greeting.
 There isn't any bridgeS' panted Tod Crac:enthorpe.
 "yes there is." said Dick. peering over; ''or a par. of it, at least. just on the sur | face" and they both foundered down the slope to the edge of the torrent.
 The liVht was dinner at the bottom of the ravine. but they could see that the h1nd rails had been swept away and that one stringpiece only of the bridge re- maned. on which an occasional strip of , kfiooring swung to and fro as the water beat upon 1t. The stringpiece was merely flimsy log, and the end nearest them had already broken loose from it's moor ings and was slowly slipping in the mud of the bank. Dick braced it with his foot and turned to Tod-Crackenthorpe.
 Now then!" said Dick
 "Wrat next? That stick won't hold a man."
 Ut would hold g. girl"
 You don't mean to say. by George, Miss Pearson would never"
 You don't know her as well as I do," observed Dick with grim satisfaction. If Miss Pearson followed the path as far as here. she wouldn't stop. She'l dance over that like bird'
 Good God! sput.ered Tod-Crack r. thorpe and pointed with shaking finger.
 A moonbeam had struggled into the darkness of the gorge; 1t showed on the opposite bank something covered by a Scotch plaid cloak. lying close to the wa
 
 cloud shifted in the sky. the moonbeam perished, and the two men were left gasping at one another in the gloom.
 Mildred. are you all safe?" yelled Dick. There was no answer. Bruce stepped on the stringpiece.
 Hold yard.' cried Tod-Crackenthorpe grabbing Dicks wrist This is my bus mess. I'm going across. The two of us stay here to hold it. Let me pass. Man alive, every second counts. and this is my business, l tell you"
 He moistened his lips nervousy, kept fearful eye on the growing water, and attempted to shove Bruce out of the way. But Dick looked at him squarely and didn't budge.
 That's so," said the young engineer. There's no chance that both of us can get over on the other side. Why shouldn' { I have that pleasure? Haven't I as much right to earn her gratitude as you have? Why is she your business rather than mine. od-CrackenthorpeT
 "Because-because she Is to be my wife, If you must know"
 "Is that the truth?''
 The truth? How dare you"
 Dick held up his hand, and his face waa white in -'. darkness.
 ''I beg your pardon said he. humbly. and, stopping over, ne gripped the end of tho log tightly between his knees and arms. Go on, and hurry, ho groaned.
 MT. Tod-Crackenthorpe d' S'!ot present
  crously bent and elbows balanced like a tight-rope walker, and it was apparent that he had no confidence in his footing nor liking for his task. When a voice which he had left. Tod-Crackenthorpe toppled wildly and covered the remaining distance in ono staggering rush. Dick strengthened up.
 talking" called the voice, and 1t was Mildret,'s. Sho stumbled toward h.m among the trees.
 Here we are at the foot bridge re- sponded Dick. cheerfully How did you rccross this Niagara"
 "Oh. l came back by the carriage road. further up the creek said Miss Pearson. "One crossing over that log was enough it exciting? I ripped twice on the cloak and 1t m 1dc me SC mad that | left the thing on the ground. Who's that over there?'
 That's Tod Crackenthorpe. said Bruce He went after Your cloak, and l don't believe he can get pack this way. because the timber seems to be going overheard. "fou'l havN to return by ;he stone bridge. od-Crackenthorpe. he shouted 'Th 1t last contortion of yours was too much for this rigging. It's awash."
 Well. I'm not saying that Dick did not covertlv push the log with his foot; d great deal may be forgiver4 him. At all events, the long stick pitched into the flood.
 And thank you so much for bringing the plaid" cried Mildred. "l meant t0 send, Michael for it. It was really good of him to take the trouble" she added. as Dick followed her up the slope. T suppose MT. Richard Bruce was afraid of getting wet. How did you happen to start on this expedition?
 'I'l tell you. Mildred" said he trying to swallow q queer tremor in his throat, "Wo thought that you were-you had tainted on the other bank. We agreed that should help him cross because he Mildred, I wouldn't tell you this unless all our lives we'd been the two best friends in the world. I wouldn't speak of 1t to you unless I was saving good bye for a long time. He said that you were Dick! It's not true! How could he? Never mind now!' cried Dick delight edIv They had reached the open lawn. Judge Farrell's windows glowed hospIt- ably in the distance; the moon was shrouded in a gray wrack of whirling clouds. Bruce grasped the girl by both her strong young shoulders.
 .'Dear dear heartr' he began.
 But surely there are some questions and answers which it is well to take for granted; besides. in this case. neither of these two people can remember the words which were spoken that spring evening under the clouds. The pingpong bat fell several times on the wet grass and be- came disreputable. Dick and Mildred col lided with the piazza steps without quite realizing where they were.
 ''I can never let YOU see me in the light and before all those people" whispered