The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1921-10-13
d
|sEI II STORY
The June Rise
nYlFREpERIcK HART

!
the Trenholm estate was p
peaceful enough stream to all APP
peaFsnces; It wound lazily through
kiis nat land Of the valley. appar.
nifty taking always the longest,
laEtegt couTPe 70 get where 1t was
going and not very particular 90 to
when Il got there. But the stream,
lAAoeently enough to all appear
Rpees, could make trouble when 1t
chase. Once It did choose, during
late spring following HARD
winter. on this occasion, swollen
~ the melted SHOWS from the sur.
rounding hills, It rose In its might
and carved ont new channel for
itself, making g straight cut where
formerly IL had made wide bend.
There was no loss Of life an.
Eaiied In this whim OF the rivers;
6ut ID caused much trouble for the
Two families who lived on oppo-
sidte sides Of IT. The title deeds
10 the land gave the boundaries as
the river-no more, no less; and
the new channel added twenty
acres Of land to the Montgomery
estate aand suhtracted an equal
number from the Trenholm hold
lnKT-good farming land, too, en-
rtohed by the deposit from the
The Trenholms went to law
about II; the Montgomery defend.
"a their newly acquired estate
With vigor; and, as ig the way OF
lawsuits, the case dragged on and
on arriving at no particular con
Cipsion except to cause much bad
blod where there was but little
before and to make enemies out
/, Of former friends.
Margaret Trenholm, blond, pref
ty apd Just turned twenty, came
n for her share OF the family feud.
Her father, hard and stern ever,
instilled or tried to ipstill into her
mind his animosity for his. neigh.
bors; and It Is likely that he would
have succeeded had not fate TAX
en- hand and decreed that one
day when Margaret was riding her
eayortte horse near the boundaries
young Davis Montgomery, just
home from the college where he
was studying law. The two
strangers greeted each other az
strangers do who are obviously
bound by the fraternity OF horse
men and passed on their ways;
but fate was interchangeable.
Three more meetings Cemented
their friendship before either
found out who the other was.Whep
Eha names were disclosed It was
too late. Those two young people
had progressed past the point
where jnherited differences of
opinion have any weight, II they
had not fallen In love at first sight
they had at least accomplished
that desirable thing at third or
fourth sight, and that amounts to
much the same thing. They did not
dare to breach the matters to
shelr respective families, but they
'nnRt pGeasionqlly and each meet
Jilngt eameRted the bond Of affec'
lien more firmly.
Thus 1T came about that one
Sfld#ery day In early June Davis
lfaptgomeFy received q note with
.ip,fprtvpts\and which gave him ap-
Datently aNgreat deal Of satisfac-
lion. After breakfast he announced
.toGhis father that he was going to
take turn down by the river to
look at the banks. The floods OF
Spri4g were still on, there was
report OF high water from up the
valley and he wanted to assure
himself that all was we'll in the
lower fields His father seemed
bit surprised at hls sons deter.
imitation to get watting but
made no objection.
Down to the river bank rode
young Davis Montgomery, and in
moment there came in the op.
posite bank a vision in a riding
habtt-a vision not less lovely to
his eyes because she was soaked
with the rain. Neither OF the young
people. bred as they were to the
/, outdoors, minded wettlng when
.sit was a question OF seeing each
other. Margaret waved gayly to
him and he returned the signal.
Then he glanced at the river
It was very different from the
usual placid stream. Bank high It
rolled, a sullen brown flood, with
here and there piece Of drift
wood. The June rise was on in
deed, and the river had risen in
its might.
'Davis!" Margaret called to him.
Good morning, deRr!"
, DAYS. MAntgomery forgot about
the June rise and concentrated
his thoughts on the fact that
ACROSS that river was waiting the
SirI he loved. Good morning,
darling!" he called IN :, return.
Margaret the better to speak 10
him, urged her horse to the edge
of the bank where It overhung the
stream. BE CAREFUL" shouted
Davis. "Ths banks undercut
thereI"
But his.WarninE came too late.
The bank, dug under By the cease
less worrying Of the river, crum.
bIed aud gave way under the
weight OF the girl and horse. In
an instant Margaret was struG.
Cling in the swift stream. clinging
to the bride OF her frightened
mount; but in another instant
Davis had lsaped his horse into
tbs: etream and the two OF them
Werb making the best time pos.
sIb1e ont to where the brown head
OF Margaret could be seen beside
the black head OF her horse.
Tha struggle was brief but VIC.
lent: Davis Dandy was used to the
water and kept his head maguif-
i, icsntly. After what seemed ages
Il ~ y = =.