The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1905-06-30

filling at the supper table tonight. ana
| warned father that he could not sol
on like this. And now ruin Is upon
him and us all. But we are losing
time." she exclaimed, starting aw.s
from her lover: father must be warn
ed at once." Yes" replied Burke. III
put of right away. and | think AM
make the six miles before the offlcers
can get there" -
NO, no, Will, that won't do. Father
does not dislike you but he mas oecn
rather sore lately because we have Geen
SO much together. / must go, myself.
Hurry down TO the stable, dear. ana
saddle the gray mare for me, while II
run up stairs, and slip on my riding
habit
It was the work of but five minutes
when the young man swung his sweet
heart into the saddle at the frontl
gate. as he said: Il will be so uneasy
that | will wait here till you get back
Well" replied Lizzie, archly SMILING,
in all her trouble, las / am riding ana
they are afoot, I'll get here first, II
you can take care Of the house TIL l
come back" Then she was gone In
a sweeping gallop along the road.
The girl had ridden about a mile on
her way, not a breath OF air surfing.
all nature resting in p~reternatuiai
stiffness. when a strange voice, hhe
the rushing of a heavy train over Tue
hills in front of her, with a simultane-
Gus, rocking, sliding, grating notion
here. there, everywhere-aS IL the eerF
earth were slipping from beneath Der,
amazed and stupefied the fair young
rider, while a nauseating, s~ea-sickness
oppressed her. h mare, frightened
badly, swerved from the road, and then
stopped suddenly, in full career, her
fore-feet planted firmly in front. n
great trees on either side rocked ana
swayed, not as if in a wind, put as II
riding on the waves of a troubled sea.
! Again came that fearful su~bterranean
J grating; and, filling all the air. was a
! mysterious, sobbing, muffled sound. as
if the deep down tortured heart OF the
hills wonder was breaking in one deS-
Dairing groan. Then this mysterious
!. thing passed as it had come, and as
! Lizzie urged her trembling mare on
, ward, the meaning of it all came to htr
! in q fiash-an earthquake!
Lizzie Raynor had almost reached
: her destination when three men came
out through the spur of the hills in'o
} the main road, whom, even in the dark.
) ness. she recognized as her father ano
5 brothers. Riding up and bending over
! to her father, who was astonlshed &c
see her, she cried. "Oh, father, l an
+, so glad | am in time" But o are
e not. Lizzie; it is all passed, but 1t wa
e awful" 81 came as hard as conie
. to warn you" How could you kno"
9 ANYTHING about it, gal? Do you re
s member the dream? 1t came true al
most. The hills rocked and sWaye1
:. and threw us to the ground, and unGar
i meath the rocks groaned and shivered
We thought every minute the ea"tf
would omen and swallow us up, just a:
YOUR poor mother said in your dream
Then I looked at Jack and Tom, enc
they looked at me. And Lizzie, III,
daughter. we tore own the still an
the worm, and they. went whiflln'
down that steep hill. and are now a
he bottom of the creek. No NOR
moonshining for us-never more; neve
more! We took a solemn oath
The old man was badly shaken by III
nights experience, and the boys trudg
S, ed along behind as subdued as lambs
As her father moved along by lie
horse. a wave of tender feeling for mn
e swept over Lizzie; but, though deVout
81 " thankful for anything that ma
brought it about, she could not 1oroea
l. a smile at the superstition which ma
s broken up his nerve, and put hin GU
of the CROOKED" whiskey business.
81 lust then four men could be dlhli
n seen moving towards them, but n
n they got nearer they left the road, IN
were lost to sight IN the woods. "Ihos
ri are no doubt the men l rode to wa"
n you against, father" said Lizzie, an
then she told the story in a few words
Is! 'Ah."%chuckled Howard Raynor,"the
y are too late to bag the game. The
x are welcome to all they'll find up yor
n der. It'll cost 'em a bath to get a Ell
., and worm now"
l. This is about all of the "moonshlner
story. Of course he very soon four
1 out that an earthquake had fooled hi
ID into repentance, but he did not an
= the more for that return to his sins.
I happen to Know that VIII BURR
TX did marry Lizzie Raynor, less than
wear after the earthquakes; n II
a old man not only rave his consent,ll
oq for wedding dover stitched to NJ
lg petticoats" a fine little lowland farr
4, as Sir Walter Scott expresses 1t
nfi .sThe Bride of Eammermoor."
as Fayetteville, June 10. j. II. Nj.
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