Norwich bulletin., 1913-12-04

Those are my trees. The creek di- vides the two estates and
 Which creek, miss ??
 Mary stared Why, that one over there This one never used to be here. This must be a branch that has gotten looee from the old stream and sWelled with the rain. Please tell your mas ter what I say and that l shall De very much obliged if he lets my trees alone in the future
 The man lifted his cap again. Yes, miss" He picked up his axe and started to go.
 Do you think the tree will die? she called after him. anxiouHiy.
 He stopped. Hardy. miss; only whacked at a few of the roots The look of amusement was still in his eyes. Mir. Willard intended, miss, II you care to hear 1t, to clear out this place and let in the sun. He was talking, I think of making 1t into swimming pool-huilding dam, you see, and having the sides and bottom of marble and making it very nice He likes to be outdoors most of the time, they say. Has to be always do- ing something and they say too, when he takes a notion to thing he's only just conla and I don't
 Tell MT, Willard what l told you, please" said Mary, white with fury. Bathing pool, iadeed!"
 Mary had planned to make a few improvements ca the old house and grouE6s betore settling down in it. Her present stay had been limited in prospect until she got things started, and her idea had been to live with some relatives in town until the work was done. Instead she now tele- graphed for her entire belongings in cluding a widowed aunt, and settled herself to stay. She was ready for a. fight. It was a shameless steal! Of course he knew which creek the deed meant!
 When her aunt arrived she found Mary encamped comfortably in large tent in the ravine, and imper- Vious to entreaty or argument. She conceded the fact that she might die of swamp fever or pneumonia. but added, grimly. that they could bury her there then and she guessed the Willard man wouldn't eHJoy swim ming over her bones. And if neces- sary she could live in the glen al- ways, for possession is nine points of the law, and the only way he could ever get this ground for pool would be to drown her.
 So her aunt retreated to the house and Mary held the fort, receiving her friends and lawyers informally in the tent.
 An injunction prevented MT. Willard from taking further steps toward the HTOC@ the law. Old Jenkins the butler, lived in a second tent and acted as messenger, page and cavalier, having occasion to shoo off a stray cow at o'clock one morning,
 MT. Willard appeared not-but ey- cry day Mary saw "the man. across the creek. But on his own side," she thought triumphantly. Then she add ed contemptuously Proxy! Why doesn't he come himself and size up the old termagant that's squatted on the bottom of his bath tub
 One night Mary Wakened suddenly something was wrong. Men were shouting in confusion and above it all was queer untitled roar Jenkins was calling her frantically to get up ito run quick, missy" but the road was thunder in a couple of minutes She slipped into a kimono and reached for her electric flash, and almost in- stantly she was struggling in ice cold water with the heavy sagging tent weighing her down. That was the last she knew.
 She opened her eyes in a beautiful room bright with sunshine. Her head ached when she tried to remember what had happened, so she closed her eyes again and prepared to go to sleep. About thousand miles away she heard a watch snap shut and 8, man say. Five o'clock. A tough pull MT. Willard, but she'll pick up now"
 Mary didn't go to sleep. Instead she opened her eyes again and turned her head. She wanted to see MT. Willard. The voice sounded familiar Where had she
 A man in white f1annels was stand ing near the window. He turned and came toward the bed. A distinct shock ran through Mary. It was the man who had cut her trees! He smiled. She closed her eyes and tried n nj S0 hno or6 ha %r7- say: Well, Willard, I've got to get out of here if I want to catch that train. The nurse ought to be here before l go. Willard, you are the best nurse that ever helped a doctor. Miss Mary would have died if I'd had her alone, with her aunt in mysteries when she was most needed. Second, it's no kind of a house without woman. Better find the right one soon. Hello! I hear the nurse now. We'll I'll give her a few orders down in the hall as l go out. Good-by."
 Mary opened her eyes wide You you are" she whispered.
 George ViIiard.' he said simply, and this is Lauden Hall. But l will tell you all about 1t. You are not al lowed to talk-not a single word" He moved nearer to the bed.
 Mary's rapidly clearing brain was beginning to understand q few things. Something, perhaps his clothes, per haps the expression in his eyes, made him seem altogether another person from the one she had known in the woods. She turned away confused.
 He sat down by the bed and re- garded her simply for a few minutes.
 Miss Mary" he said, finally, very softly, the nurse is here. She will be in in 8 few minutes, but before she comes I have a confession to make and may not have another opportun ity. If you had died last night it would have been my fault The res ervoir at BFowntown broke about 2 o'clock. They warned the whole country by phone. We got to the creek just in time to see your tent go down. We got Jenkins out first, but we couldn't find you. It was-it was - He stopped.
 Mary looked at him, wondering. She gave a short gasp at what she saw. His face was pale and drawn. In his eyes was a look of wretched- ness and misery.
 "Oh, don't. please" she began.
 He put out his hand and said: You will never know how nearly dead you have been. We thought-you were, and brought you here"
 He walked to the window and back again. Mary, l love you." he burst out, suddenly, and because I love you I let you risk your life down in that hole. I thought it was romance ito have my lady love near me, where I could go and look at her when I wanted. A loVesick fool will