The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1904-04-22

II you care 10, you may Ihh" my
easel and try another sketch this morn
ing Miss Payzaut, I've got to run up
to the city You do wonders, consider
Ing how little I'VE shown yOu I wish
you'd try those guarIrd old trees in the
rayInc below the reservoir; they are so
picturesque"
"Oh. thank You Mi dc Pledge It's
So kind of you! When DO you think the
light will be brst?'
This morning. | think Eve boon
working there myself every morning for
week, and I've found o." .ight at IT,,
best about ten
Then must hurry of. Tor MS aftcr
nine nov" And Mamie hustled about
and finished her mornings work and
was soon on her way to III" ra'lnu
Willow Cap" us the raymr was
called. was a deep cut Through n h3lI,
made BY the ccasclcss wear Of n hrDoI,
which empticd into the river beyond
willows with Enarlcd roots clutchinr al
the stream iiourishcd in this deep re-
cess, which. since the two great rcscr.
yoirs had been built above II for the
towns supply of water, was almost dry
through the summer months
Mamie was hardly out of the house
before Louis de Pledge, the young artist
who had come up from New York In
search of few weeks quiet in the cOun-
try and was boarding with the payzants.
started for the railway station Seeing
that ne was likely to miss his train II he
went round by the road. he decided 10
take q short cut over the hill past the
reservoirs. As he approached the upper
reservoir he saw something flash In the
sunlight at the end of the sluce and
looking more closely. saw n hand grip.
ping something bright disappear behind
a projecting buttrcss. In moment
there was n crash, as the timbcrs which
supported the massive gate Of the
sluice gave way; the water came
through with a mad plunge, and ut the
same time John Drew leapt nimby up
to safety, the saw with which he had
done the dastardly deed still in his hand
He wheeled suddenly round. and when
his eyes rested upon the artist they
seemed to start from their sockets.
You here?" he asked in a husky
voice. II thought saw your easel
down in the ravine minute ago"
VERY likely" replied de Pledge, eye
ing the ruined sluCe through which
the water was now laundering into the
lower reservoir Miss PayZant took
my easel few minutes ago. and has
gone to the ravine to do some sketch.
ing"
i've cut the timbers In the lower
slulce," exclaimed JOHN Drew, and
dashed down the slope toward the
raylne. lie had not gone five rods he.
fore the weakened gate gave way. and
with a deafening roar the water poured
into the ravine.
For moment Louis de Pledge stood
In blank establishment, thinking Drew
mad. Then. as the horrible truth
dawned upon him, he sped away after
the retreauDg figure.
When the artist arrived at the ravine
II was a seething mass of water which
bore down everything before 1t. The
willows were wrenched up by the roots
and swept along In one mad tumble of
swaying, swapping branches whitened
with foam.
John Drew was running up and down
the shore, waving his hands like mad
man. i've drowned her! I've drowned
her!" he kept shouting Then his eyes
rested upon de Pledge. at was you. you
hound! that meant to drown for try
Ing to take my Mamie away from me-"
And, SELLING the artist about the waist
he tossed him into the middle OF the
tumbling waters.
When Louis de Pledge opened his
eyes he was lying on sandy beach
His head throbbed SO badly that at first
he could not think; then. as he saw a
twisted willow branch near him. It all
came back to him. In the distance was
the high ridge crowned with naples,
where he had discovered John Drew Mt