The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-02-24


4 w the water will get up to
.~Or the house."
1T may not; but if it does, what shall
we do? In the night, too; if it was in
the day, we might be able to save our.
selves"
IF ii does rise so high, we will not
be the only ones in trouble, for II will
cover the whole town north of the
river"
"Nelly, why can't we sell our chick
ems, and get money enough TO keep us
till the danger is over?'
''If it were not so near night, and
Sunday, too. we might; but what would
we do without them7 They are al
most our only dependence"
In short time the dark. chilly,
dismal night settled down. The dark
est night in all the twenty-five years
of Nellie Anderson's life. she and her
sister Grace. aged fourteen, sat wait
ing and watching for some sign that
the river would go down.
The house was so near the river, the
lot so low, that of all those who would
suffer from the food. they would be
the first to face the danger; and they
were the least able TO do so; and it
being the last house along the river
bank. in the city, they would be the
last to receive help.
"Oh, Nelly, what shall we do II the
water gets to the house? wish we had
gone away before 1t was dark"
"It may not reach the house; but If
It should, 1t must get much higher be-
fore it puts us in much danger. We
can move such things as we will need
for q day or so upstairs, and we will
be safe there"
"1ts coming. Listenw
With rush that threatened to car
ry the little house away. the water
was around them, and they had no
time to save anything. They crouched
down beside the window in the little
chamber, trying to see the water; but
the only thing of which they could
be sure was that it was still rising.
Nelly took the lamp and went to the
stairway, to see If there was much
water in the lower story; she found
ceiling. 1t was impossible to get any
thing from below, now, and they had
brought no food with them. Again
they sought the window. They could
plainly hear the cries for help of those
IN distress in the town Just around the
bend abeve them; and sometimes they
added their cries to those they heard;
but the entire attention of those en-
gagged in the work of rescue was de-
voted to saving those nearest at hand
Again Nelly looked below. The
water had nearly reached the ceiling
now; in few minutes more it would
reach the upper story, then what
should they do? Nelly tried to cheer
Grace by telling her that it surely
could not get much higher; that a
little water in the upper story, would
not hurt them; that in the morning
some one would be sure to see them
and come to their help.
With another sudden rush the water
was in the chamber, and the house
trembled and shook. By the light Of
the lamp they could see it was nearly
up to the window sill. The faces of
both girls We're pale now.
"Grace, If it rises much higher, we
must try to reach the roof. We must
not be caught in Lere"
'How can we get out on the roof?"
81 think l can help you up from the
window then you can help me-"
Lets not try it yet; we may not
need to. Oh"'
The house gave mighty qulver, as
If shaking itself loose from its foun-
dation, swung part way round, caught
on something, and hung. rocking wild
~ in the food. The water was not
so deep in the chamber now as it had
been before the house fioated.
Il think we will be all right now,
Grace. The heaviest articles are be-
low, and they will act as ballast, and
keep the house right side up"
'If the house stays right side up. we
will get no deeper in the water than
We are now"
With a sickening lurch the house
shook Itself free, whirled around
caught again. swung part way round,
came loose. and fioated down with the
current. AS their light shone from
the window they could see the trees
glide by.
'Nelly, don't you think we would
better put out the lamp? We don't
want fire as well as water"
They were soon glad they had done
this, for occasionally the house would
strike some obstruction with such
force II seemed as If 1t must 60 to
pieces. They knew that they were
going down stream rapidly. for some
times they could get glimpse of 9
tree as they swept past near it, and
when the chamber window would turr
toward the town they had left they
could see the reflection of the light,
on the clouds. 1t kept growing fainter
and farther away, and then they saw
the reflection Of the lights Of another