The Columbus weekly dispatch., 1908-12-31

the room ont into the rain again and
10 the l.oathouse-
The fraii little launch had bssen tax
en- from the house w1ea the river nr-
gan 10 rise and moored alon4~aAie n
Now the house was wholly unde~ Wa
ter. and Ralph was fo-ced - swim u
the beat. holding the Searchitgnt as
wei as he could
In the boat he started rrSr the lg1<
and then the engine and pat oUr into
the swollen stream The little cr4u
was sadly bUGeted by the sticks ard
the waves and time and again ship
ped water as Ralph srur1lly head@d
for the opposite shore
The searchlight disclosed the Wei
man home with the water now little
above the second story In the Wiz
dow stood the girl. waving her nan[ts
encoura gingly-
At length Ralph managed o cArca
hold OF the window. Inside the roo1
the girl stood nearly waist deep Ia tie
water.
Quick cried Ralph Get tntO tn~
boatF
Silently the girl ooeyed just As she
was safely seated Ralph's grasp was
broken. The water dashed theU cart-
ously away and thea against the
house Something snapped Win a
muttered ejaculation Ralph lOekrt u
his engine Nothing se~EseI - ee
amiss. and be threw the rhrortie for
ward The engine raced terrtncally.
and he quickly jerked the thrOrr.e
back
The propeller shaft Is broke1." De
announced in 4 voice that sgrCve -
be calm. Wen have - aoar down
with the current and rry % An1 Soroe-
where"
The girl was startled. bat also tried
10 appear unconcerned
That's too bad she said. warA =
little catch In her voice 4 was never.
never going 10 talk 20 you again. cu-
I suppose FL have 70 now
''Oh. I'll not force you to- groWled
Ralph as he puttered over the m4-
chine.
do you know" went on the girl Il
think your horrid odd COWS are the
cause of all this IL was Only AFTER
they trampled over my garden that
the river came up. I know I can never
forgive them"
And incidentally never forgive ne.
I suppose mumbled the man
The girl said nothing Then Su1den-
~ she lifted up her feet with AZ ex-
preston OF diSmay.
Gracious. the boats fun of water
she cried I'm 80 wet. anyway. thar
1 didn't notice il before
shes sprung leak We've gox %
make a landinS. SURE
With the powerful scare rchliSht. whlch
still burned undimmsd De swept the
waters
Look he cried II those areur
cattle III eat my hat
Ahead OF them the ushr revealed
some three or four heads rising our 81
the water and steadily moving fror-
the center OF the stream
They're walking cried RALPH
They can take rs ashore
He sprang 10 the steering Wheel and
sktllfully maneuvered the boat - thar
IL passed near the beasts The siri
saw his intention. aud a. they PASSED
both jumped. landing safe ou the
sturdy animals
Almost undlsturbed aud unsvravf.I
by the rushing waters. the cattle
plOwed steadily onward Gradually
they came into shallower water. mnd
thankfully Ralph and the Eiri slA
from the beasts backs. Hand In hand
they struggled along now. faster than
the cattle. Ralph east one last look
back at the beasts and gasped-
Why. they're mine he cried. That's
BeSs. and there's Doll, Why. Clare.
dear. do you realize that The cattl-
you thought had caused 4 an have
saved usT-
oh cried the girl and turned T.
him
And look there cried Ralph. point
Ing ahead ~See what thes .ve brought
Us to- See that's the Rev. Sturxis
home on the road - your house. and
look there-he's opening the door
Look. look. dear. your father and
mother are with him
The girl looked. and thea sshnEnr
piteously. she threw her arms arouuE
RAlph's neck
-Oh. dear. dear she cried u for
give your COWS. I forgive vou and
she sdded ungra nmattcaIly. bur soul
fully. As she clung 70 Ralph and n.
held her close. "T'm never not xolnx
10 speak 70 you again