The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1908-08-19
The Ways
...Of Fate.
By leila Marsaret Walters.
Copyrighted, 1908. by Associated
Literary Press.


When 1t became an established fact
that Daniel Forbes would never so
wooing Oh his own account, his mother
| undertook to manage the delicate af
fair for him. She selected Lucy VIII
son, 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. Lucy's SO lively and runs on so l
| 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 fled
Thus abruptly ended David's first aid
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 blueberrles We're ripe
Mrs. Forbes asked David to take u
| half day from the farm work aud go
to the mountain for blueberries. David
agreed and started off with basket
on either arm. Many berry pickers
| We're at work on the lower slopes and
near the path, but David, who had suf
fered often from their rough wit. went
farther on, eircling around to the
wilder, sleeper side Of the mountain.
He found 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 glimpse of woman's
gown and started to retreat noiseless-
ly. Then he noticed that 1t was II
pink gown and paused The farmers
daughters and the village girls did not
wear thin pink dresses when they
Went Deriving ON the mountain side.
David had observed more than his
friends gave him credit for, SO he
waited moment to see who this gir
WAS. Quite unexpectedly she stepped
into full view, scarcely five yards from
| him. There Vas no retfeating then
| David bent over the bushes indus
triously.
The fair stranger lin the one brief
| glance David found that she was both
fair and stranger was picking too.
She had half filed Il 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. aud
she was at once interested.
why doesn't he speak," she thought
."The others all do. ! wonder who he
liz. | haven't seen him anywhere
I'll just stay until he does say some
thing" she reflected as she watched
him.
David was chained to the spot. His
ditiidence urged him to flee, but some
thing stronger held him almost within
arms length of the girl. In his wild
est daring, however, he never thought
of doing more than glance In her di.
rection Nothing less than miracle
would have made him change his at
titude
Fate, which one time in thousand
is unexpectedly kind. interposed with
something very like a miracle. There
WAS Earring and II rending of the
earth, followed by a mufiied roar. The
ground yawned In an awful gulf at
their feet.
Man and maid, elutching wildly al
each other, slid down, down. blinded
and ehoked by the flying dust.
Through it all David had kept his arm
about the girl, whom he had seized
when the nature Of the calamity had
burst upon him.
| His first thought when the uproar
ceased was that he still held her lie
moved cautiously to assure himself
that he was yet In the body and then
opened his eyes and found that lie was
not buried, as he had expected TO be-
| At distance above his head he sa "
the branches of tree barring the blue
Of the sky. Then he looked at the
lovely stranger lying in his arms. Her
eyes opened. fixed ON his In terror
TO David's own everlasting surprise
he found himself stroking her hair
soothingly. His tongue was Embossed
Don't be afraid" he said 1.-THE
danger is all over now"
You saved my life" she said In Il
hushed voice.
Not at ALL" he answered briskly
Il only held you when l saw that we
were going down. We're mighty lucky
that we came out on top"
| For David knew that they had fall
en- into an abandoned pocket Of the
coal mine. The supports had rotted
away, and the pocket had run too near
the surface Of the mountain Dide fol-
safety
The girl, weeping softly, elung to Da-
rid. The surest way to win her graft
tude would be to get her out as soon
as possible. He racked his brains fol
a plan Of escape. Crawling up the per
pendicular sides Of the pit was out OF
the question
Some Of the berry pickers may have
heard the noise" he said cheerfully
"and your friends will soon be lookin Ing
for you"
NO" she said; .they are so far from
here. Besides. ran away from them
and they will think have gone home .
They'll search for me when | don't
come to supper" Though he spoke
laughingly to reassure her. he knew
the futility Of this hope. The territory