Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-11-06


When 1t became an established fact
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 Will
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 I
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
bis horse about, he fed.
Thus abruptly ended David's first ad-
vance toward matrimony. Indignant,
Lucy quickly accepted another swain,
and David settled down to what
seemed hopeless bachelorhood.
One morning In midsummer when
the hrst luscious blueberries were ripe
Mrs. Forbes asked David to take a
half day from the farm work and go
to the mountain for biueberries. David
agreed and started of 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 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 a woman's
gown and started to retreat noiseless-
ly. Then he noticed that. 1t was n
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, 30 he
waited moment to see who this girl
was. Quite Unexpectedly she stepped
Into full view. scarcely Eve yards from
him, There was no retreating then.
David bent over the bushes indus
triously.
The fair stranger Gin the one brief
glance David found that she WAS both
fair and strangep was picking too
She had haif flled a fancfful 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 p she thought.
"The others all do. / wonder who he
Is. 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
dihdence 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 thought
OF doing more than glance In her d.
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 with
something very like a miracle. There
was tarring and a rending of the
earth, followed by a muffied roar. The
ground yawned In an awful gulf at
their feet.
Man and maid. clutching wildly at
each other, slid down, down. blinded
and choked by the flying dust.
Through 1t all David had kept his arm
about the girl, whom he had seized
when the nature OF the Gala nifty had
burst upon him.
His first thought when the uproar
ceased was that he still held her. He
moved cautiously to assure himself
that he was yet In the body and then
opened his eyes and found that he was
not buried. as he had expected to be.
At distance above his head he saw
the branches OF a tree barring the blue
or 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 unloosed.
Don't be afraid" he said. .The
danger is all over now"
you saved my life." she said In a
hushed voice.
'Not at ALL" he answered briskiy.
81 only held you when saw that we
We're going down. Were 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 side FOR
safety.
The girl, weeping softly, clung to Da.
vd. The surest way to win her graft
tude would be to get her out as soon
as possible. He racked his brains fol
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 looking
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 I don't
come to supper" Though he spoke
laughingiy to reassure her, he knew
the futility OF this hope. The territory
to be searched was very large. Thes
might have to pass the night In tn,
N oxuP,t StaaA Of f,aoh IN nth foIIin0 az