The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1904-03-18

anxiously of those about the garden
chair, "Whcre is AmyT Nobody
could tell him. Presently he spied far
out in the grass one of her little lace
mitts. Running away from it were
faint footmarks on the warm turf.
Billy followed the marks. his face
whitening fast. "Jock could not be so
cruel as to take her near that old well
house," he said to himself-then
groaned aloud; he had come in sight
of the well house, where the crumbled
floor told him the tale.
Jock! Amy! Answer me! Oh,
God!' he cried aloud, peering over the
crumbling rim into the blackness. No
articulate answer came to him, but
was it fancy that down in the deeps
of earth he heard low, gasping means?
He sprang up with shout that brought
the whole crowd huddling about him.
Mrs. Brown was ut the head, weeping
and wringing her hands. ''They are
lost, lost! she moaned. Nobody ever
came out Of that well alive. It's al
ways half full Of choke damp! That
Is why my father had it built over!
Why didn't think to tell everybody?"
Billy seemed not to hear. With giant
strength he wrecked the rotten lattice,
clearing the we'll mouth, then flung Off
coat and shoes, and prepared to clam
Der down. He had already sent for
ropes. "No, I can't wait, with Amy
dying" he said to those who tried to
stop him. 1--WE got to save her or
die with her. Stand by-listen close.
and let me have ropes the minute you
can"
The last words were shouted up the
well mouth, whence already there
came faint earthly smell, half sweet
ish, half repulsive. Some Of the curl
ous were for crowding the edges to
watch him, but wiser ones held them
back. "Give him all the light and air
possible, poor fellow; he needs both"
Squire Clark said. Young Alanson,
stripped and barefooted, sprang to the
edge of the curb. who'll follow me?
he asked. "Im going down, right be-
hind Billy; we may make live chain
before it's too late"
"Ill follow! And I! And Iv came
from all about. In little, the human
line was over the edge, creeping down,
down to the dangerous deeps, noisome
and cold. Billy heard it coming, and
shouted up:
In time, thank God! hear moansv'
Then he gave great inarticulate cry.
There, clinging to the rough rock wall,
was Amy, five feet above the glmmer-
Ing water, which Tapped something
dark and limp.
Here, you! Take her up!" he cried
hoarsely, outstanding his breath all he
might. He had come to the thick, dead
ly damp. Unless he was quick and
bold 1t would make an end of him, as
1t had possibly already made an end
of poor, light hearted Jock. Clinging
fast with one hand, his feet we'll braced
across the well breadth, he swung Amy
up with the other into young Alan
sons hold The others knew enough to
pass her on up apd out. Drawing a
long, long breath, Billy leaped down
beside the insensible figure at the bot
tom, caught 1t up and began a desper-
ate ascent
Hold hard, Billy! I'm coming TO
help! young Alanson cried, setting his
feet firmly and bending until his head
was almost level with them. Thus he
gripped Jocks collar and somewhat
eased the strain on Billy. Both were,
however, so near to smothering their
tense muscles gave down. Lights
swan before their eyes; their heads
were bursting; the subtle heaviness in
chest and nostrils numbed them to the
bone. Alanson felt himself almost fall
ing when a rope struck his hand, flung
with such force 1t almost drew blood.
"Send up, Jock! Well pull you two
out safe! the men higher up cried to
them and then, when they saw their
plight, came down like Trojans to help.
1t was little short Of Il miracle that any
of the three got out alive. But some
how, by the good Gods mercy, they
all came INFO reviving upper air. Jock
had the face of a dead man. At sight
Of him Amy fell to sobbing. "He-he
lifted me up and bade me cling" she
said brokenly, "but stayed on the bot
tom himself because there was not
room for two to hold in the crevice of
the wall"
HE won't die for it," DR.. Payne
said, looking up from his patient. Billy,
lying spent and white upon the grass,
beckoned Amy imperatively to him.
you must marry me-right off," he
said, patting her hand. "After this I
dare not trust you with yourself"
Nor l." ANY said nesting to him