The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-11-30
The EVENING STORY
Down the River.

Ralph Curtis, sitting at the teIe-
phone. smiled as he listened to the
words coming to him through the re-
ceiver.
I'm angry-very, very angry" said
| a voice-a sweet, womanly young
voice. "You never should have allow
ed your cattle to trespass on my
grounds. I don't think I shall ever
speak to you again.
But it really wasn't my fault.
Clare" cried Ralph. How was 1 to
know that my cattle were trespassing?
All my men have been busy trying to
save things from this high water. I'm
sure, dear, that if I'd known what
the beasts were doing I'd have shot
| them"
Too late" came the answer. in
rather cold tones my garden is ut
terly ruined and guests coming to-
morrow. Don't call me dear any
more. After this, please call me Miss
Wellman. I shall never speak to you
again. Good by"
Ralph started to speak, but the par
ty at the other end of the line had
rung off.
Hum he unused. scratching his
head in perplexity. She'll never speak
to me again, but I'm to call her Miss
Wellman hereafter. Rather inconsis-
tent, to say the least. I wonder who
fellow Well, well, maybe he is COM
ing, but he'll have to hurry if he ex-
poets to reach the Wellman home
without getting his feet wet"
Ralph thrust his hands deep into
his pockets and strolled to the win
dow overlooking the river which flow
ed between his home and Miss Well
mans. Through the gusty rain he
could make out the surging stream,
swollen till it nearly reached the top
of the banks.
Dark. discolored, filed with
branches of trees and other light ma
ed sullenly onward like an unclean
thing.
TITS going to rise a lot more be-
fore it goes down." he muttered.
From the river his glance sought
discern pale lights through the gloom.
Gee" Ralph cried suddenly, as he
realized how much the river had risen
in the past hour. IF it comes up
much farther it will go hard with
Clare over there"
He strobe to the telephone. AS he
| placed the receiver to his ear he
caught sharp crack and rending
sound, then the wire went dead. He
was cut off from communication with
the outside world and with Clare.
Again Ralph strobe to the window.
AS he looked down at the angry water
| it seemed to him that the river had
risen materially in the moment that
he had been at the phone.
The thought galvanized him into
| sudden action. He jumped from the
| window and tore out of the room into
the pelting rain toward his automobile
shed.
Here he quickly stripped his huge
car of it's gigantic searchlight and gas
| tank, and with the apparatus rushed
back to the room. In a moment he
had the gas turned on and a flood Of
light poured through the lens.
| With care he raised the window
| and projected the light through the
| opening toward the opposite shore.
The powerful light cleaved a way
| through the dark and rain, showing,
in outlines clear enough for his vision,
| the opposite shore.
Ralph gasped at what he saw The
water was at the second story of the
| Wellman home. He had not before
realized how much lower the Wellman
home was than his. Some one came to
the window directly opposite the Cur
| tbs home.
Ralph strained his eyes Surely it
the others? Then he remembered
! that Clare's father and mother had
| left that morning for town and had
undoubtedly been prevented from re-
| turning by the food
Ralph advanced to the window and
| waved his arms reassuringly to the
girl. She responded. Quickly he turn
off the light. Gathering up the ap-
| to the boat house.
The frail little launch had been taken
| from the house when the river began to
| rise and moored alongside It, Now the
house was wholly under water and
Ralph was forced to swim to the boat,
| holding the searchlight as we'll as he
| could.
| In the boat he started first the light
and then the engine, and put out into
the swollen stream. The little craft
hlTff hxy he toll nd
| the waves, and time and again shipped
water as Ralph sturdily headed for the
| opposite shore.
The searchlight disclosed the Well
man home with the water now little
above the second story. In the window
stood the girl, waving her hands en-
couragingly.
At length Ralph managed to catch
| hold of the window. Inside the room
the girl stood nearly waist deep in the
water.
"Quick?' cried Ralph. 'Get into the
boat"
Silently the girl obeyed. Just as 81
was safely seated Ralph's grasp was
broken. The water dashed them furi-
ously away and then against the house.
Something snapped. With a muttered
ejaculation Ralph looked to his engine.
Nothing seemed to be amiss and he
| raced terri1calIy and he quickly jerked
the throttle back.
1.-The propeller shaft is broken" he
announced, in a voice that strove to be
calm. Wen have, to float down with
the current and try to land some
where"
The girl was startled, but also tried
to appear unconcerned.
That's too bad" she said with lit
tie catch in her voice. ct was never,
never going to talk to you again, but L
suppose I'll have to now"
ooh, I'll not force you to-" growled
Ralph as he puttered over the machine.
do you know" went on the girl, Il
think your horrid old cows are the
cause of all this? 1t was only after