Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1906-12-08

HE was only a little girl a

"a HE was only little girl trine
~ younger than myself when l met
- her the first time near the play
grounds Of the boarding school, where
| had gone to seek some of my play
mates, but found them all gone.
Though l heartily desplsed girls % a
most inferior class Of beings, Julia,
with her blue eyes. her dimpled chin
and golden hair, was better than no
company at all, and was, l imagined,
greatly nattered when l asked her II
she would take a walk with me.
We went into the woods until we
came to the old mill down across the
river. 1t was a dangerous place to
cross, and she was at first afraid to
come with me until dared her to do
so.
She shrank back as led her along.
determined that she should go to
a point where the water poured over
a portion OF the dam lower than the
rest. l turned my back to step up on
the post. 1t was but a moment.
heard a cry and saw Julia in the food.
The expression that was in her eyes Is
to this day stamped clearly In my
memory-an expression OF mingled re-
prosch and forgiveness
could scarcely swim a dozen
strokes. but not a second had elapsed
before was in the water.
swan and struggled and buffeted
to reach her, all in vain. An eddy
whirled me In a different direction.
Ny strength was soon exhausted.
was borne down the river, sinking and
rising. till came to a place where l
caught a glimpse as / rose to the sur
face OF a man running along some
planks extending into the river and
raised above the water on posts. My
feet became entangled in weeds. l
sank. l heard a great roaring in my
ears, then oblivion.
When | came to l was lying on my
back. l remember the nrst thing l
saw was light cloud sailing over the
clear blue. There was an air OF quiet
and peace in 1t that contrasted with
my own sensations. Then I saw man
on his knees beside something he WIS
rubbing. l turned my head aside and
saw It was little fgure-a girl, Julia.
She was cold and stark.
Ny agony was far greater than when
had plunged after her into the
stream. Then l hoped and believed
that II she were drowned I would be
also. Now l saw ner beside me life
less, and | lived.
The next day my father came and
took me home. / was III after thai
too III to ask about Julia. but when
recovered what a load was taken from
my mind to know that by dint' Of rub
bling and rolling and a stimulant She
had been brought to and had recov
cred. also learned that the man who
cared for us had seen Julia fall ant
had rescued her. When l saw him
running along the planks 1t was to hi
boat chained to the end
Ten years passed, during which
was constantly haunted by one Idea
that was to 20 back and ind Julia anC
implore her forgiveness. The year
that must be boy and dependen
seemed interminsble. At last l came
> OF xze, and received a small fortune
that had fallen to me, and as soon Al
the papers in the case were duly sign
ed and sealed l started.
1t was just about the same time o
} the year and the same hour OF thu
|, afternoon az when l first saw Julii
, that I walked into the old schoo
groundA
was standing at the school en-
trance with my hand on the bell whei
heard a door IN the next house opel
and then shut. From that moment.
could feel that Julia WAS near me.