The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-15
EueningStoy
The June Rise.
BY FREDERICK HART

lazily thru the flat land Of the valley,
apparently taking always the longest,
LATEST course to get where it was go
4 ing and not very particular as to when
| it got there. But the stream, inno
Gently enough to all appearances, could
make trouble when it chose. Once it
did choose, during q late spring fol-
| lowing a hard winter. On this oc-
| casior, swollen by the melted SHOWS
| from the surrounding hills, it rose in
its might and carved out new cham
mel for itself, making straight cut
where formerly it had made wide
| bend.
There was no loss of life entailed
| in this whim of the rivers; but it
caused much trouble for the two faTni-
! lies who lived on opposite sides of it.
| The title deeds to the land gave the
! boundaries as the river-no more, no
/ less; and the new channel added TWEEN
| ty acres of land to the Montgomery
estate and suhtracted an equal num-
Der from the Trenholm holding-good
farming land, too, enriched by the de-
post from the stream. 1
| The Trenholns went to law about
| it; the Montgomerys defended their
| newly ACQUIRED estate with Vigor; and,
as is the way of lawsuits, the case
dragged on and on, arriving at no par
ticular conclusion except to cause
much bad blood where there was little
before and to make enemies OF former
| friends. ~
| Margaret Trenholm, blond. pretty
and just turned twenty, came in for
| her share of the family feu6 Her
| father, hard and stern ever, 1nstllleu
or tried to instin into her mind his
luminosity for his neighbors; and 1t is
| likely that he would nave succeeded
| had not fate taken hand and de-
/ creed that one day when Margaret was
riding her favorite horse near the
/ boundaries of her estate she should
IA
home from the college where he was
| studying law. The two strangers greet
ed each other as strangers do who are
obviously bound by the fraternity OF
Fhorsemen and passed on their ways
but fate was indefatigable.
Three more meetings eemented
| their friendship before either found
| out who the other was. When the
names were disclosed it was too late
Those two young people had pro-
crossed past the point where inherit
ed differences of opinion have any
weight. If they had not fallen in love
at first sight they had at least accom-
| plished that desirable thing at thlrd
| or fourth sight, and that amounts to
much the same thing. They did not
| dare to breach the matters to their
respective families, but they met oc-
| casionalIy, and each meeting cement
| ed the bond Of affection more firmly
Thus it came about that one show
|
| gonery received a note with his morn
| ing mail which he read in private ana
which gave him apparently great
deal of satisfaction. After breakfast
he announced to his father that he was
| going to take turn down by the
river to\look at the banks. The floods
of spring were still on, there was n
report of high water from up the
valley and he wanted to assure him
self that all was well in the lower
| 70 a r
prised at his sons determination to get
a wetting, but made no objection.
Down to the river bank rode young
| Davis Montgomery, and in moment
there came to the opposite pank
vision in a riding habit-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 a wetting
when it 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 1t rolled, a
| suIlen brown flood, with here and
there a piece of driftwood. The June
rise was on indeed, and the river had
risen in its might.
Davis" Margaret called to him.
Good morning, dear!'
Davis Montgomery forgot about the
y
Thoughts on the fact that across that
river was waiting the girl he loved.
Good morning, darling!" he called
in return. Margaret, the better to
speak to him. urged her horse to the
edge of the bank where it overhung
the stream. BE CAREFUL" shouted
Davis. THE banks undercut there!'
! But his warning came too late. The
bank, dug under by the ceaseless wor-
rying OF the river. crumbled and gave
5rrt,E i
horse. In an instant Margaret was
struggling in the swift stream, cling
ing to the bride of her frightened
mount; but in another instant Davis
had leaped his horse into the stream
and the two OF them. were making the
!. best time possible out to where the
brown head of Margaret could be seen
beside the black head of her horse.
The struggle was brief but violent.
Davis's Dandy was used to the water
and kept his head efficiently. Aft
, er what seemed ages of battle, but
which really took only a few moments,
Davis and Dandy succeeded in drag
ging the almost unconscious girl up a
fortunately shelving bank, safe on
: dry land. Fifty yards further down
! stream they could see Margaret
horse. which she had abandoned in
the effort to save her own life, strug-
Cling ashore, frightened but safe.
ooh. Pm so gladi'' were Margaret's
first words. Poor Black BEAUTY If
he had drowned I couldn't ever have
forgiven myself
THANK goodness he's safe!"
breathed Davis. tAnd thank the
Lord that you're all right" he added
! in an unguarded tone.
Margaret heard his voice, tense with
! anxiety, and saw the look in his eyes;
: and in another moment she was in
= his arms, laughing and crying at once
glad after the tension of her escape to
: be able to lean on some one whom sha
loved.
5 Then suddenly the thought of her
stern father and Davis's equally stern
parent obtruded.
; families be friends? If only that
stupid lawsuit could be settled we
E we could get married and everything
: would be all right; but my daddy