The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1905-07-27

No; it does not seem to be-"
Were you ever there:"
"Oh, yes, often"
And is that old dam still across
the river:'
Il believe it is"
She looked at me curiously. I went
on without waiting for reply:
Would you mind showing me the
way to it," 1t is 4 long while since
l was there
She drew herself up with slight
hauteur. Then, thinking that perhaps
l was unaccustonled to the CONVEX
tional ways of civilized life, she said,
pleasantly:
You have only to walk through the
wood straight, at the back Of the house
and YOU will come to it,
Thank YOU l replied; "but l
hoped you would show me the way"
She looked puzzled.
Miss julia" 1 said, altering my
tone, Il once met you when 1 was a
boy here at school,
Il knew 4 number of scholars" she
said. more interested; who are you"
I dreaded to tell her. If you will
pilot me to the dam," said. Il will
inform YOU.
She thought a moment, then turned
and looked out at the wood. With the
quick motion with which she had
| made the same move as child, she
started forward.
We walked side by side to the wood,
through it out OH the river bank.
There was the water and the dam;
everything as it had been ten years
before.
Did you ever try to walk out there"
I asked.
"Once, when 1 was a child, 1 came
here with boy, and we walked to
where the water pours over. 1 met
with an accident. 1 fell in.'
The boy overpersuaded you, I sup
pose:"
It was difficult for me to conceal a
certain trepidation at the mention of
my fault.
No, l went of my own accord"
"He certainly must have been to
blame. He was older and stronger
than you.''
"On the contrary" she said, with q
slight, rising irritation, "ne jumped
after me like the noble little fellow
that he was"
7 turned away on prcten:e of exam
ining boat down the river.
"At any rate, ne must have begged
your forgiveness on his knees for per-
mitting you to 80 into such a danger"
II never saw him again. He went
away
l fancied--at least, I hoped- I could
detect u tiuge of sadness in her
voice.
Il have often wished" she went oo,
that lie wonld cone back. as the other
scholars sometimes do, as you are now,
and let me tell him how much thank
him for mis- noble effort
Julia" I said, suddenly turning
and facing her. :'This is too rauch. I
am that boy. 1 led you into the wood.
I forced you to go ort in the dam with
me. I permitted you to fall in.'
"And more than atoned for all by
risking your life to save me!'
All, that look of surprised delight
which accompanied her words! It was
worth all my past years of suffering,
of fancied blame; for in it I read how
dearly she held the memory of the boy
who had at least shared the danger
for which he was responsible.
| 1 do not remember if she grasped
my hand or 1 grasped hers. At any
rate, we stood hand in hand, looking
into each others faces.
blessed the Providence that ended
my punishment; blessed the good for
tune that had led me to knowledge
| of the kindly heart beside me.
Of all the moments of my life, I
still count it far the happiest.
Then we walked back through the
woods, over the intervening field, and
stood together leaning against the
fence between the old school and her
hole.
We did not part after that for IN
other ten years, which she spent as
my beloved wife. Then she left me
to go whence l can never recall her.
Yet there is c trysting place in the
woods, through. which we once passed
as children. and often afterward as
lovers.
There I watch the flecked sunlight,
ard mark the quietness, and it seems
to me that I can ''hear the silence"
More than that, I know the pure
soul looks at ne through her honest
cves.-New York Weekly.
a Detective Eek Terrier.
The story Of the Cog which recently