Year: 1873

|
wealthy widow to slip by unimproved.


But alas for human nature! If
Becky was really so indifferent to
Fred Eckerson, why, did she run up
stairs after that interview, and take
the starch all out of her nice clean
pillow-shams by crying herself into
Mysteries on the bed? 1t was not all
wrath, not all vexation, not all pique.
There was somewhere deep down in
Becky Newton's heart, feeling very
much akin to remorse. She was not
sure that she would not one day be
sorry for what she had done, She
had no doubt she could be very happy
as Fred Eckerson's wife, after all.


"But then," she cried, growing hot
with the recollection, che was so rude,
and so insulting! | never could live
with such a man,--never"


When Fred Eckerson had walked
off some Of his feelings on the piazza,
he concluded to take a look at the
river. The Mississippi, which flowed
within five hundred yards ofthe house
was at that timeZnearly at the height Of
its annual "spring rise Its turbid
waters, rushing swiftly towards the
sea, had nearly filed the banks and
in many places had broken through
the levees and flooded the lowlands
for many miles. A crevassc of this
description had been made III the
farther bank, nearly opposite the
house, and the windows of the New
ton mansion commanded view of
a vast and glittering inland sea, not
laid down on the maps. The main
current Of the stream bore upon its
cofee-colored bosom an enormous
mass of floating timber, which was
dashed along in the boiling flood,
rendering navigation wholly impossible.
The waters were still rising, and the
frequent crashes far and near told Of
the undermining power of the current,
as sections Of the sandy banks. sue
cumbed and disappeared, carrying
with them the trees which overhung
the stream.


Now, it happened that by a curious
coincidence, Miss Newton also resolv-
ed to look at the river. She dried her
tears, and putting on her hat, slipped
out by the back door to avoid Fred,
and soon found herself at the foot of a
huge cottonwood tree on the bank
below the house. Throwing herself
upon the grass, and lulled by the
rapid flood beneath her, soon fell fast
asleep. Had she possessed any power
of foreseeing the future, it would have
been the last thing she would have
done, for although it was very pleas
ant dropping asleep there in the shade.
with the soft sunlight filtering through
the leaves overhead, the awakening
was not all to her mind. A terrible
crash made chaos of her dreams; the
ground slipped from beneath her; the
tall cottonwood toppled and fell and
Miss Becky Newton found herself sud
denly immersed in the cold flood, with
her mouth full Of muddy water. In
a moment more, somebody's arm was
around her and she felt herself lifted
up and placed somewhere in the sun
shine, though precisely where, she
was as yet too bewildered to know
Getting her. eyes open at last, she
found Fred Eckersons whiskers near
ly brushing her face.


"Well!'


"Well!"


"Where am l ?" asked Becky, shiv-
ering and looking around her.


"You are in the middle of the Miss
issippi," replied Fred, Sand you are in
the fork of a cotton wood tree and you
are voyaging toward the Gulf of Mexi-
co just as fast as this freshet can carry
you"


GLOW came you here ?"


'In the same conveyance with your
self, Miss Becky. In fact, you and |
and the tree all came together, to say
nothing of portion Of your fathers
plantation, which, fear is lost to him
forever"


Becky was silent. She was think
ing, not of the accident or the perilous
position, but of her appearance when
she was lying asleep on the grass.


GLOW long were you there before
this happened p she asked.


GAS long as you were. 1 was up in
the tree when you came"


"You had no right to be up there"
she said, coloring-"a spy upon my
movements"