Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1903-07-16
lfter III" her mother shrllled mou,s,

| The first use she made Of h.r
crutches on the second morning took
her to her upstairs bedroom window
She shrieked for Drusilla. The girl
came, white and trembling. VI
"Drusilla, Drusilla, the water has
never before passed the big spirea
at the front gate, and now only Its
topmost branches are waving over
the yellow food
1T is terrible, mother, but pray be
calm. The house is high and as
firm on its underpinning as rock"
Rock, rock. You are the only rock
in sight; fint-hearted creature that
you are. Where is Michael?''
II have sent him away with tho
turkeys" She would not say that
Michael had note to Arthur Denni-
son in his pocket. If he should not
find the engineer her mothers wrath
would be too much for mortal nerves
to stand.
''Sent him away with the only boat
we could have escaped in! So like
you, Drusilla."
He will come back, mother"
''And where is Maria?" -.
''Kneeling on the dining-room table
praying"
ION the dining-room table? Do
YOU mean" ,a .
''That the water is an inch deep
down stairs, mother. Ria will bring
your breakfast upstairs to YOU" I.
breakfast; what does drowning
woman want with breakfast? I tell
you, girl, we are all going to be
drowned like rats in a hole"
Drusilla said that she must see to
removing the provisions from the
storeroom, glad to get. any excuse to
get away from the wailing voice and
streaming eyes that tore Ler heart
with futile pains.
She was glad when darkness yelled
the outer world from her mothers
terror-stricken eyes. Glad when the
poor, querulous voice was stilled by
sleep which, with no sense of crimi-
nality, she has insured by mild mar
cotic dropped in her evening cup of
tea. nv
She must have some time to her
self to plan the morrow's campaign.
Should Michael fail to find Dennison,
what then? Leaning on a broken reed,
indeed! She had written simply:
s'The danger line has reached us. Can
you come or send help?" Michael
could not possibly get back before
10 o'clock. And when he came?
She sat alone on the veranda up
stairs. The white radiance of a full
moon was. shed on an unfamiliar
scene. Steadily upward, still upward
the waters from the crevasse had
crcpt until but foot or two OF space
remained between the waters and the
floor of the upper veranda. Should 1t
rise during the night as il had dur
ing the day there was still the attic
left to retreat to.
She leaned forward with low. cry
Of relief. She heard oars. The moon
sailed under a heavy bank of clouds
and left her only the sense of hear
ing. 1t was Michael. She knew the
old mans jerlky, feeble way of using
his oars. OF course he had rot found
anybody. He was coming home to
tell her so. She leaned forward in
the darkness and sent a piteous, Sob
bling cry towards the sound.
''Michaef?" a
"Here, missy."
ibid you find him? Don't say no,
old man." ~., .4.-.r s..-.
Was Michael laughing at her? 1t
sounded marvelously like it. She felt
a slight vibratory shock. The boat
had come in contact with one of the
long pillars supporting the veranda
roof. The moon sailed out from un-
der the bank of clouds. A mans hat
was on the level of the gallery floor.
A mans hands reached upward to
clasp the hand-rail. The leap of an
athlete-and Arthur Dennison stood
by her side on the moon-lighted
veranda. With a sob she flung her.
self towards him. With glad laugh
he clasped her close and then with
soothing touch he passed his hand
over the tumbled mass Of shining
hair that lay against his shoulder in
a perfect ecstacy of relief.
She lifted her wet eyes to ask
TREMENDOUSLY:
''What would I have done, oh, my
beloved; what would have done If
Michael had not found you?"
michael? AM she really thinks
that waited to be told when she
had reached the danger line? 1 knew
it before you did, my own, and was
on my way to you with a great,
clumsy barge as soon as the levee
gave way, but Michael's boat was the
swifter, and although his lop-sided
rowing could scarcely be called fetch
ing me on the wings of love, I came
as directly as could" r. ~ .
With his arm about her he turned
and looked out upon the watery
world about them. .s.r .g.-,..-.,. 1.-
ut is good to know that you sum-
moned me, dear, when you had got.
ten to the end of your own resource
full devices. You are in serious peril
''Were," she corrected, nesting