The Tupelo journal., 1903-10-02

as ne dropped his oars and leaned for
ward Sadie said she had not, and he
offered to teach her. This he did by
having her come and sit on the same
seat with him, and 1t was the most nat
ural thing in the world for him to slip
his arm about her waist when he helped
her to sit down beside him as, Of
course, the boat rocked while she was
changing her place.
Then 1t was really remarkable how
often he found it necessary to put his
hand over hers where it grasped the oar
in order to steady the stroke. 1t was
contest between two past masters in
the art of tiirting-and each thought
the other novice He told her how he
had been tied up in business in Detroit,
and had had no time for society. and
how doubly lonely it had been for him,
not knowing anyone in Kansas City
until he had met her And she had
confided to him that she had only been
out OF strict boarding school for a
rev weeks, and her mother was just be-
ginning to let her receive company-so
she had met hardly any young men as
yet. t& 8.tfEf&tt
Absorbed in this interesting game of
hearts, neither of them had noticed how
dark 1t was getting. They had left the
penthouse about seven o'clock. shortly
after sunset of beautiful May even
ing. According to schedule, the full
moon should be up at seven-thirty, and
that was what Mr.. Wilbur had been fig
urlng on. OF course. he noticed it was
dark down under the shadow of the
hill, but the hill itself kept him from
seeing the ugly, black clouds that had
been creeping up from the south
He had dropped his oar and his left
arm had stolen around her waist, while
his right hand had imprisoned the two
white ones which still held the oar, and
he was pleading his prettiest for Just
one little kiss" Suddenly there came
clang of thunder that seemed to split
the very heavens, and at the same time
the cloud which had stolen upon them
under cover of the hill rose above and
over them like great black pail.
AS they glanced up to the hill Sadie
screamed and covered her face with her
hands as she covered closer beside him.
My God! What is that?" burst from
Wllbur's lips, as his eyes gazed in hor-
ror at the hilltop. He might well ask it.
From the lower part of the cloud was a
black, writing column, thar as it
rushed over the hill was taking the
mighty trees from their roots as a man
would pluck handful of clover 1t hov-
cred above them like an eagle over a
lark. Even in that awful moment Mart
Wilbur did not lose his presence of
mind. He caught Sadie in his arms as
if she were baby and laid her down
in the stern of the beat, springing back
to his oars just as the awful thing above
them seemed to swoop forward with a
roar like a hundred trip hammers. In
an instant the surface of the water,
which had been SO calm, was boiling
like cauldron, and waves that seemed
as large as any he had ever encountered
on Lake Erie tossed their boat about
like feather. The air was filled with
N>DAAo, "a uhNhCo VI ~ Cco dIlu Slll uUDeTy
from the hill above, while a black mist
seemed to fill the space all about them.
Then came the rama pouring flood
that drenched them to the skin in a
moment.
Sadie had raised herself from the bot
tom of the boat up onto the stern seat.
All the fear seemed to have left her now.
Was it her own natural courage-or was
it her confidence in him? she ask ed her.
self. How cool and brave she was. Yet
only that afternoon he had written his
friend quite the reverse opinion Of her.
Why, she was a girl to make any man
love her.
And he! Could this be the young man
whom she had told Ella was only an
eastern "dude"-fit for summers
filtration? Why he was as cool and
collected as if this was summer breeze
instead Of a cyclone-and how he
could handle boat.
Only for few minutes the terrible
uproar lasted. Even the rain ceased
but darkness was setting fast over the
river as the noise died away. Wilbur
dropped his oars again and held out his
hands to her.
She had lost her hat in the storm but,
gathering her wet skirts about her, she
raised herself forward as he drew her
to the seat beside him. Neither sroke
for minute-only their eyes met-as
he drew her closer to him. There was
no need to plead for the kiss now-she
gave it without asking, and gave her
heart with it, as they rowed slowly back
to the dismantled boathouse together.
Kansas City, Mo-, May %, 1881.
My Dear Frank: I've changed nv
mind about little Sadie. Well she and
l will be married this fall. The night
we went boating we got caught in one
of those cyclones-you don't know what
they are back in Detroit-but they are
the worst thing you ever saw or read of
Nr,< i, Ill