Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-07-10

NIAAAnk anu az AutHHaa- /
delivered the missive. olive noticed
his anger and knew its cause and re-
celved the letter with a defiant toss OF
her head The result was a bitter
quarrel and the end Of their engage
ment. Next day she posted letter TO
Lawson. and from that time on their
correspondence was fast aud furious.
II he had dared, Mcdonald would
have destroyed the letters; but. with
all his faults, his sense Of duty was
too Keen 70 allow him TO commit such
n wrong. But 10 be obliged to take
love token from his rival TO Olive In
stead Of merely handing ii out ut the
office was simply maddening.
As he neared the river flats where |
| Olive lived the storm was rolling away |
TO the east, and the moon In her first |
quarter was casting faint light
through the broken clouds. A short |
distance from the river bank his horse |
stopped suddenly and stared before
him. Mcdonald raised his head and
peered sullenly into the semidark-
ness. The little valley through which
the Spadina wound was in reality the
channel 1t had originally cut for itself
through the plateau which 1t drained.
As Mcdonald looked at Ii this valley
appeared TO be filed with a gray fog.
While he was wondering vaguely at
the unusual occurrence he became con-
scious of dull continuous roar and
realized that what he saw cleaning
before him was not mist, but water.
The little river was flooded and was
once more filling Its ancient channel.
He then remembered that all the pre-
vious night and previous day there had
been an unceasing series Of thunder
storms sweeping across the north.
where lay the sources of the river.
Owing to the improved drainage sys.
TEN the rainfall had all poured into the
river at once. and the result was food
as sudden and overwhelming as comes
with the breaking of mighty dam.
AS he looked at the flood of water he
knew that the Lucas house on the river
fats must at least be surrounded by
water. Urging his horse to gallop, he
reached the river bank and found there
group of farmers who were looking
out on the scene Of destruction. By the
, dim moonlight and flashes of lightning
that were still vivid they could see all
| kinds of wreckage floating in the boil
{ ing torrent. The Lucas home was al
0 ready submerged to the second story,
r and Olive and lier parents could be
4 | h,,IHlaI on bn roof aitinu a
e rescue that seemed impossible. The
n few boats owned by the farmers had
9 been swept away by the waves that
had rushed down the valley. The wa
n ter had risen ten feet in as many min
{ utes and was still rising. When Nc
8 Donald realized the situation he was
q conscious of a fierce feeling of eXulta-
d ton. This new difficulty would only
l. serve to make his martyrdom more
e complete, and Olive would get her gift
It from his rival with a greater sacrifice
g ON his part. He felt that 1t would be a
n glorious revenge.
Having been raftsman on the lakes
: in his youth, the stormiest water had
r no terrors for him, and he began to
e cast about for some means of reaching
8 those who were in such deadly peril.
He remembered that the farmer whose
barn stood few rods away had tank
wagon box that was used to carry wa
ter to the thrashing machine engine.
1t was made water tight, and, as 1t
could keep water In, it could also, II
closed, keep water out. 1t would make
an excellent float for a raft.
Calling on the men who were stand
ing on the river bank to come and help
him, he ran to the barn, telling them
on the way what he wished to do.
Willing hands carried the tank to the
edge of the water, and others lifted
one Of the wide barn doors from its
hinges. This door they spiked secure.
ly ON the top Of the tank, and with a
few strokes of an ak Mcdonald made
a rude oar from plank. This oar he
fastened to the end of the raft with q
rope. and. taking with him the Ian
tern with which the farmer had beer
lighting him at his work. he got aboard
his strange craft and was pushed out
into the stream. With his heavy oar
which he used chiefly as a rudder, he
worked his raft out into the current
which bore it toward the Lucas house
| Mr.. Lucas also had lantern, and al
| he saw that rescue was coming he
| waved it frantically. Calculating his
I direction to nicely and fighting TIT
I unfamiliar currents with the skill of {
j raftsman and the strength of giant
! Mcdonald forced the angry water t.
\ drive him straight toward his destina
ton. The raft struck the house square
ly, and as it did the building yielded
\ perceptibly and tottered to its founda
> ton. R"alizing the danger, Luca.
n grasped olive and hurled her forward
upon the barn door, where Mcdonald
! who had fOrsaken his oar for a mo
ment, caught her and laid her in safe
q ty. As Lucas followed with his wife
, in his arma the roof seemed to slil
- from under him. A moment later they
were all sweeping forward over the
spot where the house had stood, anC
"a a mass Of wreckage was plunging anC
- tossing in the current ahead of them
- AS soon as they had trimmed their raf
~ so that there was no danger of its up
y setting Mcdonald again took the rud
der and tried to steer for the shore
. but they had been caught in the cur
- rent, that was rushing like mill race
~ and were being tossed along like {
20 cork. Seeing that his wife and daugh