Year: 1866

l with extreme caution, and was saved
My mothers parasol was restored to hel
/ with a cOurtly bow, and he brushed the
dust from his clothes and walked away
/ with US. l walked by his side; but he
/ made no reference to the peril Just passed
/ That evening however, as We sat on the
! piazza Of our hotel, where 1t overlOoks
/ the Tlyer-hOW well I remember therush-
! ing sound of the waters down beloW-he
/ said


We are alone now, Miss Monroe, and
L can thank you for saving my life with
| out offence to the other ladies"
1t was too dark, out there, for him to
see the blush Of delight that went over
my face at these words. How much they
meant.


II knew I was as good as saved" he
said, when [ saw you standing with
tightly y-clasped hands and your under lip
pressed by your shining teeth, while
Belle and the other ladies were trying to
drown the roar of old Niagara with their
shrieks. L never saw one of your sex
before who had the control over herself
which you manifested to-day. fl had
seen such an exhibition anywhere it
would have awakened my admiration, but
when 1t happened to be an exhibition In
which life and death was concerned, you
maypimagine my feelings"


The tone In which he uttered these
words was so tender and true lit said so
plainly that he would gladly devote all
his future life to me But, though tone
and manner said this, his words did not
say it and [ knew the reason. He be-
lieved me already betrothed.


William Willis was the son of a New
York merchant who had been a school
mate with my father. 1t was my fathers
wish that we should be married. I low
ed my father, and was anxious to be pleas
ed with his friends son. Young Willis
had been frequent guest with US, and
many considered US already betrothed
He was an agreeable companion In the
parlor-a good dancer, and all that but
L cared more for one look Of Joseph Har-
rIsOn earnest honest grey eyes, than L
did for Willis whole composition.


According to a previous appointment,
Mr.. Willis came to the Falls during our
stay. He arrived on the evening of the
day which witnessed Mr.. Harrison's 8 mar
row escape from death. He came out up
on the piazza where we sat that evening;
and we shook hands. The gentlemen
were slightly acquainted, but it was
plain Mr.. Harrison did not like Mr. Will
lis much, and with a playful ''Ech 77sass
aCeggeheIs, to me, he rose and went into
the ball room, very politely Offering his
seat to Mr.. Willis


Several days passed While actually
IN the position of a rival toward Mr. VIII
lis, Mr.. Harrison by no means permitted
himself to act as if he were such He.
was very courteous to Mr.. Willis, and
quietly yielded all preferences relating to
me and my society. Heseemed, however,
to be studying us-weighing the evidence
Of regard between us-trying to form a
conclusion as to the probable extent of
our relations matrimOny ward Oh it did
seem to me he might, so brave a man as
he was, plainly put a few questions to me
on the subject l would have assured
him, how little Mr. Willis was to me.
At last I had made up my mind to a
desperate thing; nothing less, indeed,
than to seek the IHJercession of his cOUs-
IN, my friend Belle. / would tell her how
much I loved Mr.. Harrison, and beg her
to inform him In some sly feminine way,
that l should never marry Mr.. Willis, and
that we were not engaged" However, I
neglected to do this, just one day too long


It was on Monday-the last day of our
stay at the Falls. Mr. Willis
invited me to ride. I had no courteous
refusal at hand, and I consented to go
with him. Indeed, [ had half promised
him, some days before. There was New
York friend of his staying at the Falls.
who had with him favorite herse-a
fiery handsome animal-and Mr.. Willis
had repeatedly invited me to ride behind
him, [ could put off the ride no lOnger,
Of course.


I did not much like the vicious n2anaer
in which the horse, at starting, laid back
his ears and bounded away; but ] said
nothing. We had not been riding many
minutes, ere the animal chose to take
fright at the Tapping of line full of new
ly washed clothing in the door yard Of
Al L l. 4
the bit IN his teeth, he ran away. Our
enough, certainly for a ride with a horse
under control but decidedly not the
best place for runaway, because there
was a spot not over half a mile distant,
where the chances we're frightfully great
that we should be thrown over the preci-
pice and killed. At the rate we were going
now we should reach that dangerous
place soon. William Willis, looking
ahead comprehended the danger, and his
face bIanched.


Good Godr' he cried, Its death %


With that he threw up the reins, and
jumped out of the buggy striking, a
rock, and breaking his collar bUue-as |
found afterwards.


As for me, if it should become neces-
sary for me to jump, then l would jump
but / was determined not to take that
venture till it was imperatively demanded,
by iminency of danger at hand. So long
as there was a possibility that the horses
progress might be arrested, / held to that
hope because, when a horse Is running
furiously down a smooth road there Is
no choice between jumping spots, till the
crisis is at hand.


While I sat. clinging firmly to the seat
and looking out sharply ahead, for the
dangerous place | must now be drawing
near, man-iJ was Mr.. Harrison
sprung with astonishing Agility at the
horse head, from among some trees at
the roadside, caught the bit, jerked it back
and out of the horses teeth, and actually
tore the animals lip so that blood flowed,
so energetic was the action. There was
no resisting the iron will, backed by the
iron nerve. The runaway came to a stop.
Mr.. Harrison drew him to the side of the
road, and examined the harness and buggy
carefully.


Nothing broken, said he "A very
narrow escape, Miss Monroe. I saw you
coming, and had just time to get my wits
In order There, don't thank me /
didn't know it was you, and should have
done just the same for any one else.


But you are hurt" said L noticing
that he limped.


"Yes, the horse trod on my foot


"Oh, how unfortunate Shall ] get
out ?'


No, said he, that is, it is unnecessary
that you should; sit still and getrested. He
will run no more to-day, l promise you. -
He came around and placed his lame foot
carefully on a wheel of the buggy, and
spoke In his calm tone When a horse