The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-08-17
The Ways
...Of Fate.
By Zelia Marsaret Walters.
Copyrighted, 1908. by Associated
Literary Press


that Daniel Forbes would never go
wooing on his own account, his mother
undertook to manage the delicate af-
fair for him. She selected Lucy VIII
son, a capable girl.
Now, you go over there tonight"
she directed her son. ''Lucy's willing.
and the old folk have given their con-
sent, so there's nothing to be afraid
Of Lucys so lively and runs on so l
guess you won't have to do much talk
ing"
Although David turned pale under
his tan, he prepared to obey. He drove
past the Wilson farmhouse twice, but
on approaching the third time, just as
he was about to enter recklessly, he
saw Lucy on the porch, and. turning
his horse about, he fed
Thus abruptly ended David's first adj
vance toward matrimony. Indignant,
Lucy quickly accepted another swain,
and David settled down to what
seemed hopeless bachelorhood.
One morning in midsummer when
the first luscious blueberries were ripe
Mrs. Forbes asked David to take
half day from the farm work and go
to the mountain for blueberries. David
agreed and started off with a basket
on either arm. Many berry pickers
were at work on the lower slopes and
near the path, but David, who had suf-
fered often from their rough wit, went
farther on. circling around to the
wilder, sleeper side of the mountain
He found a place yet unvisited and
| settled to picking where the bushes
were loaded with fruit But even in
this lonely place he was disturbed By
some one approaching through the
brush.
He caught a glimpse of a woman's
gown and started to retreat noiseless-
". Then he noticed that it was a
pink gown and paused The farmers
daughters and the village girls did not
wear thin pink dresses when they
went berrying on the mountain side.
David had observed more than his
friends gave him credit for, so he
| waited q moment to see who this girl
was. Quite Unexpectedly she stepped
into full view, scarcely five yards from
him. There was no retreating then.
David bent over the bushes indus
triously.
The fair stranger lin the one brief
| glance David found that she was both
fair and a stranger was picking too.
She had half filed a fanciful little bas-
ket. David wondered why she was
alone so far from the frequented
paths.
The girl examined the big. handsome
farmer through downcast lashes, and
she was at once interested.
why doesn't he speak?" she thought
1.-THE others all do. l wonder who he
is. 1 haven't seen him anywhere
III just stay until he does say some
thing" she reflected as she watched
him.
David was chained to the spot Hi:
difidence urged him to fee, but some
thing stronger held him almost within
arms length of the girl In his wild
est daring, however. he never though
of doing more than glance in her di
rection. Nothing less than a miracle
would have made him change his at
titude
Fate, which one time in a thousand
is Unexpectedly kind, interposed will
something very like a miracle. There
was a Earring and a rending of the
earth, followed by a muffied roar. Tht
ground yawned in an awful gulf a.
their feet
Man and maid, clutching wildly a
each other, slid down. down, blinded
and choked by the flying dust
Through it all David had kept his arm
about the girl. whom he had seizet
when the nature of the calamity hat
burst upon him.
His first thought when the uproaI
ceased was that he still held her II,
moved cautiously to assure himsel
that he was yet in the body and thel
opened his eyes and found that he wa
not buried, as he had expected to be
At q distance above his head he saw
the branches Of a tree barring the blu,
of the sky. Then be looked at tn
lovely stranger lying in his arms He
eyes opened, fixed on his in terror.
To David's own everlasting surpris
he found himself stroking her hal
soothingly. His tongue was Embossed
Don't be afraid" he said 9TH
danger is all over now
You saved my life" she said in
> hushed voice.
mot at all" he answered briskly
81 only held you when saw that W
| were going down. We're mighty luck,
that we came out on top"
For David knew that they had fall
Z en- into an abandoned pocket Of tn
coal mine. The supports had rotte,
away, and the pocket had run too nea
the surface of the mountain side 70
safety.
The girl, weeping softly, chung to Da
vid The surest way to win her graft
tude would be to get her out as 500
e as possible He racked his brains 70
= plan of escape. Crawling up the pei
pendicular sides Of the pit was out O
the question.
Some of the berry pickers may hav
t,oor5 %ho ,oJco. ba coyd nhoor<,,fTr