The Van Buren press., 1903-06-20
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II was never decrecd that parents
should suffer for the folly of their
children. Your insane obstinacy
passes belief"
81 am very sorry. mother"
"Oh, Lord, what good does that do?
A pleasant prospect ahead Of me. To
be housed with a superior sort of
crank with the Mississippi river slop-
ping over the front doorstep. 1t new
er has come any higher than that and
] presume there is limit even TO its
powers for evil"
To which the girl replied nothing.
II was inevitable that she and her
mother should share their watery
isolation with each other alone. All
of their neighborS had "rcfugeed"
over in the hills or gone to the city
10 be out of harms possible way.
Since that explosive sound had start
led her from her harG-wun sense of
security the girls brain had been
working very actively. She must eX-
crt every nerve to reducing the dis
aster TO a minimum. Already the
larger portion of the live stock had
been sent back TO the Mason hills.
Bat there were the cows and her
poultry to he housed in the gin
rooms. There was fuel TO he stored.
and general preparations made for a
siege Of uncertain duration, Four
short weeks ago escape had been pos
siblc. She had put the chance away
from her, acting on conviction Of
duty from which nothing on earth
could make her swerye. She was not
given to looking backward, but with
the frightful roar of that crevasse
making itself heard in the stiffness
Of the soft spring morning, she al
most wished the chance might be
given her once more.
THAT nscience Of yours is always
getting in the way Of your own com
fort. | will be glad if it does no
worse this time" her mother snapped
querulously
Yes. it was certainly her conscience
that had made her say mo- instead
of 'yes" when Arthur Dennison had
asked her to marry him without any
feminine trippory' and let him place
her and her mother in place of
safety before returning to his ardu-
Gus duties as engineer in charge OF
the levees along the whole front of
one district.
Every fiber Of her being had thrill
led with the glad affirmation she
would not let her lips utter. She
would not let him burden himself so
heavily because of a generous i'm
pulse Of pity, "He does not know
poor mother" the girl argued with
herself conscientiously after the
danger is over and we secure she
would make life unbearable for him
and he shall not come TO hate her
nor me either. ! will chance it with
her alone. Poor dear she is my bur
den No one shall share her with
me"
Which was the cruel reason why
she Lad looked up into the face dear
est Of all the world to her and said
with that mendacity which only your
truly good woman is mistress Of;
81 have known you such a short while
Mr.. pcnnison and ! have never
thought OF you in--in this light 1t
would be a great injustice to YOU TO
settle so vital a matter under the i'm
pulse Of self-prcseryation,'
Unprotesting he had given his hand
in farewell. There was no time for
prolonged alliance. Lives and prop
orty were in his hand for prcscrya-
tion. lie had smiled graNely down
into her sweet, troubled eyes as he
faid;
81 had hoped for different answer,
dear but should you see cause 20 re-
call your decision send for me. |
shall be found -wcl-auywhcrc near
the danger line | am sorry | can-
not be more explicit"
And conscicncc-up to that danger
fraught moment had sustained her.
She had done right, She reiterated
the words fercely to herself, She
would do it all over again, Yes, she
would
But oil that had happened weeks
ngo. And Dcnnison was--she knew
not where What she did know was,
chat, within a few miles Of them the
safest lcyoc in the state had Just
rlvcn way without moments warn
ing aud that she was alone with her
crippled mother in the old plantation
house SO far away from ucighbors or
help, Alone, but for the corps of IN.
capahlcs who had remained on the
place when the hands had been on.
rolled TO fight dhe common enemy uu-
der Donuison's PencroI.hip, Her
hardest TASK would hc managing her
m0,hcr She assumed her Poycst air
of cuoadouEco,
"Ihe water never hus come mp into
the house, mother Perhaps we
shGn't lose anything but the ,iolcts
and the spring vegetables"
"What hns been Is no rule for the
Mississippi river, You have heard n
dozen people say il is going higher
this year than ever
The girls d0rkcnirF cycs turned
towards the outer world whore spirca
had wistorin were making q white
and purple tNnglc against 'hc trel.
SONG OF THE CHEERFUL.