Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1911-02-10

| that was also used as a post office, and
| she was often kept waiting when she
| tried to raise the postmaster. Now, how
| ever, every minute was of importance.
| Possibly he had stepped out with some
message, or had gone to his rooms above;
he was a careless and aggravating man.
| And the water was rising and various
| objects were humping against the tower
| She would try once more Then her
! duty would be done and she would start
| for the hill
Two minutes later her "call" still being
unanswered, she FASTENED down to the
! door. She was in n panic of fear now,
| the nervous strain having fairly overcome
| her. The water was up to her knees and
as she stepped outside some large, heavy
/ object struck her legs and she collapsed.
| Fortunately the door faced the current,
so she was thrown back into the flooded
| tower, where the floor was little higher
| than the ground outside and the water
| not so deep. She regained her feet and
| clambered back up the stairs.
There was a small gully between her
and the hill where the water would be
waist-high. If she could not keep her
| feet where 1t was only knee high. what
| chance would she have In the gully? She
| must call for help.
| There were several men she could reach
| by telephone, among them some big
| husky fellows; but somehow, in this
1t was the house where Wakeford boarded
| that she rang up. He answered himself
| she recognized his voice.
| Then before she could state her pre-
| dicament, the tower was frghtfully
| Jared, and her fear completely over
| whelmed her. She spoke no word, but
| only shrieked. There was startled ex-
camation at the other end of the line
| and she distinctly heard the words, I'm
| coming" In some strange way this
| quieted her; she did not reason, but she
| accepted it as a fact that he would come
this easygoing man of little prowess.
He would come. There was nothing for
her to do but wait and-she suddenly re-
membered the people down the valley
and calmly now, tried again to get Long
Hollow but there was still no answer.
1t was maddening to know their danger,
to have means of communication. and,
through their neglect, to be unable to
give them warning The postmaster
would surely be back soon, If he had
gone out, but would he be back before
she had to leave? How could he be
notified then?
From headquarters of course. Why
had she not thought of that before? She
| could reach headquarters over the trunk
| line, and they could telephone back.
She head steps on the stairs as she
was giving her message, and as she
finished she was picked up bodily from
| her chair wet, bedragged, her hair
stringing down, but still, fortunately
small enough to be no heavy burden.
you've been in the water!" she caught,
and there was no other word said as he
| carried her down and out.
At the door he paused a moment to
| brace himself for the shock of the swirl
| ing current. She felt him stagger as
| floating objects struck him. and once he
| went down on one knee, which brought
| n a hove his waist and still fur
Their drenched her. But he regained his
| feet, again braced himself, and slowly
advanced in the direction of the hill.
1t was hard and desperate work. The
| smaller objects struck and bruised him
| and there was ever the chance that some
| thing large enough to knock him over
would come rushing down.
| If he once fairly lost his footing there
would be little chance of escape. She
| knew this, but her hysteria of fear was
gone. With one arm around his neck
| she lay quiescent in his arms
| At the edge of the little gully he paused
| a moment, then went cautiously down,
| until the water was breast-high. He
swayed a little with the force of the flood {;
| for a moment she thought they would be
| swept away, but she moved never
| muscle, and he succeeded In keeping his
balance.
She noted. however. that they were
keeping down the stream; he had to give
| a little to the force of the current, and
| they were getting beyond the houses on
| the hillside. Lights were moving about,
| showing that people were awake to the
danger, but the two in the flood were
| hidden by night and rain
AS they came out of the gully there
! was one last struggle. large tree
branch doomed up suddenly a few feet
| away, In the gully it would take but a
| slight shock to upset them and 1t was
| even worse on the incline leading up from
| it,
| He stopped short to let it pass, balanc-
| ing himself carefully and bracing him
| self as well as possible to withstand a
shock. One of the smaller protruding
| branches caught her gown and for mo-
| ment they swayed uncertainty. If IT
| did not swing loose. they would go with
| the branch swirling down the stream.
| She left his fierce effort to overcome
| this new force; she felt the slight jar as
| one OF his feet slipped in the mud and
| then-a long strip of her gown went with
| the branch and he still stood breasting
the current. In few more steps he had
| reached shallower water and the current
had become gentle.
| He paused then to regain n little of
| his breath, but on the instant there came
| a roar from far up the valley. The dam
| had broken
Gripping her more tightly he ran. She
| knew when they left the water, and she
knew that they would have to get much
| higher on the hill to escape this second
| flood. She felt him stagger she knew
| that his physical strength was exhausted
| and that pure grit and nerve force kept
him up. She tried to tell him to put her
down, for she could climb with him; and
| then he stumbled and she knew nothing.
| She found herself in his arms when
| she regained consciousness. They were
| higher up the hill now and the water was
| tearing over the spot where he had
| stumbled. 1t came almost to where he
| sat on the hillside but the worst was
| over and It was receding.
1t gradually dawned on her that both
| arms were around his neck and she
| gently dsengaged them. He took each
arm in turn and put It back where it had
| been and she held him a little closer.
Wet, bedra ggled. muddy. worn, torn,
| bruised. they looked silently into each
| others eyes and there was no need OF
| the SDOken word III ynn item