Danville intelligencer. [volume] (Danville, Pa.) 1859-1907, 1906-11-30

And-no, even If she should be will
ing, which is an insane thought on my
part, I've no right to let her sacrifice
herself. I'll stay until tomorrow and
then plead business and disappear"
There was a little stir near the pier.
as of the underbrush, then womans
voice. wonderfully clear and sweet:
Lets sit here and wait for the moon
to rise. The bungalow Is so close and
hot tonight"
Harvell caught his breath. 1t was
she. The voice that replied he recog-
nized as that of his married sister, who
was chaperoning the bungalow party
"You haven't been yourself at all, Mar
garet, during the entire week."
II know it, Agnes" The voice, with
it's tired note, was very touching, and
Harvell stirred restlessly. "Tm use
less to myself and every one else
every one else" she repeated, as If to
herself.
"Oh, nonsense! Peggy, you are too
fine and wholesome to talk so. l
wish Agnes stopped as If not daring
to go on.
Margaret's voice continued: II want
you to help me to steal of tonight,
Agnes. want to go home and may
Joint the Westburys and 90 to Paris.
The stage goes down at 0 and / am
going to catch 1t and steal off without
a word to any one. Please, Agnes"
The perspiration started to HaIvelps
face as he strained his ears to catch
Agnes reply. When 1t came he gasped:
Sometimes ] think brother Paul is a
foolr'
Margarets voice was stern. agnes,
i wish you would never mention Paul
Harvell's name to me. u But het
voice was growing too faint for the
man in the canoe to distinguish her
words, strive as he would.
They've started back to the hunga'
low" he thought. 81 am a cad to have
listened even thus much. But, anyhow
I've lived up to the adage. wonder
why I'm fool
Suddenly realizing sense of Mar
garet's words came to him. She was
going away, going within an hour,
and all that he had been feeling for q
year was unsad. For moment his
stern resolve of the early evening was
forgotten. Then he sat erect, every
muscle tense with stress of feeling
"Its better So" he said bitterly. "It's
my business to begin to forget. If she
never wants to hear my name again.
He looked off toward the bank, then
gave startled exclamation. The piel
had disappeared. His canoe was float
ing rapidly down stream, while his
paddle was safely locked in the boat
house.
II must be almost on the rapids" he
thought With the thought the boat
turned the bend that had shut off the
sound of the falls and the canoe was
In the whirlpool. To swim was out oi
the question, for in the river here was
a mass of jagged rocks hidden in seeth
Ing water. Almost instantly the canot
was broken and capsized Harvell
dazed and bruised, clung to a project
Ing rock that had wrecked him. Figh
as he would with all the force of hi:
wonderful physique, he was dashed
again and again upon the stones. Ye
as he fought he was conscious of only
one thought:
II must get there. | must have JUS
one word with Margaret before sht
goes"
Then he gave n cry of remembrance
He, with the other men of the campint
party, had been planning a footbridgt
across the rapids. The week before
with infinite toll they had laid single
line of heavy planks on the projecting
rocks from shore to shore. They were
not yet fastened in any way, their
heavy weight serving to balance them
-alrly well on the stones. The OAR
ness, not yet lighted by the moon, con
cealed the planks, but clinging des
perately with one hand Harvell felt
about with the other and by rare good
luck found a plank, wet and slippery
with spray, on neighborlng rock
With infinite toll he raised himself out
of the water inch by inch until at last
ha .crannhad tho oraat atana and felt
the teetering plank.
Then on hands and knees he started
for the shore. Blinded by sprays, the
planks half turning so that he could
only pause, struggling with rigid mus
cles for balance, HarveIi crawled along
the foot wide planks. And with eacl
pause came new encouragement. Mar.
garet would surely be gone. In Il
panic of haste he slipped and fought
his way, now half in the boiling water
half on the Shiny rocks, now again OF
the plankway, gaining toward his goa
foot by foot. At last one final spring
ana be felt again the solid earth be
meath him. Without thought Of his
dripping clothing he started on his