The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-05-03


fall then gathered her skirts more
closely and rushed on, measuring with
instructive nicely the length of every
stride. 1t was not an easy path over
which she dashed, for the ties were
unevenly Spaced. Gaping apertures
gave terrible g1impses of the river be
low, ana across these ghastly abysses
she had to leap.
The hoarse bursts of shouting from
the shore ceased as the workmen be-
held her fitting out along the steel
causeway. They watched her in dumb
amazement-
All at once omen saw her and hur-
ried to meet her
Eliza. he cried, ssbe careful! What
possessed you to do this r.
Come away r she gasped. Its dan
gerousg The jam look r. She pointed
down the channel
He shook his head impaf iently.
''YesF' she pleaded. Yes! Pleased
They wouldn't come to warn you
1they tried to stop me. You must 60.
ashore" The frightened entreaty in
her clear, wide open eyes. the disorder
that her haste had made affected OsNeil
strangely. He stared at, her. beWilder-
ed, doubtful; then steadied her and
CROPPED with his free hand for support
He could feel her trembling wretch
edly
There's no danger, none whasever.,,,
he said soothingly Nothing can hap
pen.
You don't know. The bridgeg has
never been tried. The ice is battering
At it and that jam If it doesn't BURST
But 1t will. It can't last much
longer
i
no be sure, but the river win over
How the bank.
Pleasey' she urged. tYou can do
no good here. nm afraid
He stared at her In the same incred-
ulOus bew1lderment; some impulse deep
within him was struggling for expires
sion, but he could not find words to
frame it. His eyes were oddly bright
as he smiled at her.
" ont you go ashore?' she begged. E
9TH take you back, of course, but /
want to stay and see'
Then I'll stay
tElizaI Her name burst from his
lips in a tone that thrilled her, but
with it came a sudden uprcar from the
distant crowd, and the next instant
they saw that the ice barrier was Civ
ing way The pressure had become ir-
resistible As the Salmon had risen
the ice had risen also, and now the mar
row throat was belching its contents
forth. The chaos of upended bergs
was being torn apart; over it and
through It burst a deluge which flied
the valley with the roar Of a mighty
cataract Clouds of spray were in the
air; broken masses were leaping and
ecmersaulting; high up on the shore
were stranded Hoes and fragments left
IN the wake of the moving body. On
ward 1t coursed, clashing and grinding
along the brittle face Of the glacier;
over the alder tops beyond the bend
they could see It moving faster and
FASTER like the crest of a tidal wave.
The surface of the river lowered swift
" beneath the bridge; the huge white
pans ground and milled, shouIdered
aside by the iron sEleathed pillars of
concrete.
See. It's gone already Once it
clears q passageway well have no
more gorges, for the freshets are com
ing. The bridge didn't even tremble-
there wasn't a tremor, not scratchp'
Eliza looked up~to find O'Neil regard
ing her with an expression that set her
heart throbbing and her thoughts scat
taring. She clasped a huge, cold bolt
"
the upheava1 In her soul rfva1ed that
which had just passed before her eyes.
The bridge, the river, the valley itself
were grating slowly, dfzzily-
'sEIizar She did not answer.
ssChilds' O'NefI's voice was shaking.
why did you come to me? Why did
you do this mad thing7 saw some
thing in your face that I can't believe
that I-can't think possible Tit
gives me courage. II I don't speak
quickly III never dare. Is it-true?
Dear girl. can it be? I'm so old-such
q poor thing! You couldn't possibly
care, and yet why did you come p
TIE words were torn from him. He
was gripped and shaken by a power
Eel emotion.
She tried TO answer, but her lips
were eoundless. She closed her eyes,
and Murray saw that she was whittier
than the foam far beneath. He stared
into the colorless face upturned to his
until her eyelids futtered open, and
she managed to voice the words that
Rlung in her throat.
1--we always loved ron like thisl''