THE WEST SHORE.
347
brushwood. Now there comes a low murmur, which soon
swells into a louder sound.
" Hark! " Mary stands still. " Surely we are noar a
river; you said your friend lived noar a river?"
" Yes, it is a river." Then he says more gently;
" There, there, my dear, you mustn't take notice of my
strange way, it's all along of my being glad to see you
again; you mustn't mind; we are a bit rough out horo,
you knowj" and he puts his hand on hors, draws it
through his arm, and keeps it tightly clasped.
She has not known how frightened she was till now;
her misgivings melt in,a sob of relief, and, boudiiig down,
she kisses the hand that holds hors.
"There, there," he speaks ronglily again, "we must
hurry on if we're to reach Mrs. Davie bofore night; wo
shall have the old woman turning in before we get there."
" Doesn't she expect me? " Mary timidly asks.
"She expects you, sure enough," he aiiHwors, "but
the day wasn't fixed; I wasn't sure about that till tlm
vessel wnt signalled; seldom anv one has so quick a pas
sage." Then he says abruptly, " You mtiHt be very tired,
I've half a mind to oarry you, and ho laughs loudly.
"No, oh, no, thank you!" She shrinks away, his
strange mnnner frightens her; if she did not know it is
impossible, she would fancy he has been drinking since
he left the station. She has wnkened thoroughly at last
This is not the Willie Somorfiold who left lior sobbing
her heart out for his sake something has altered him.
But she reproaches hersolf ; when she is his wife he will
soon be all right again.
The wood has beoome thinner; it is not so dark as it
was, the noise of the river is nearer, they have reached
the edge of the forest. As Mary looks out between tho
, trees she sees that a deep gully separates thorn from the
road She cannot pass this without help.
"The devil!" hor oompanion exclaims; "while you
have been jawing me we have come out of the way, but
it don't matter." He flings first one bag and then the
other across, and thon, bonding down, lie raisos her in
his arms, and goea carefully down one sido of the cleft
and up the other. "Thorel" he says, as he lauds her
safely on the other sida ....
"How strong you are!" She looks np admiringly,
while he stands breathing hard from the exertion he has
made. . ...
" It don't take much to lift you." Thon, turning to
her, he adds, "You're such a dainty little morsel, lady.
blf The sight of the broad, gray river makes Mary fool
giddy, and she clings closoly to hor lover's arm aa they
walk beside it She cannot help shivering, the water
looks so oold and deep. Somerfluld point onwanL
"There's the bridge," he says. ,
The place is so wild, so fc.noly, and the bridge ia ao
slight, that it seems wonderful it has not boon awept
nWlShall we have to cross that bridge?" As alio siieeks
Mary stands still, trembling. She feels a sudden dread;
it seems to hor the bridge will break when they nwh the
middle of the river, and tho cold gray water will cl.me
oves! "T'y-; f r vr?
cross it. what fools women are!" and etching her hand.
hXrriea her on at auch a pace that .he aoou Imm h-r
breHtop, stop, Willie; oh, please atop," she gasj. "I
nfanetner with an oath, bond down hi. frown,
ing face to her. and then he ;hfU her auddonly from the
CToundaa if aho wore a child am burn. on. At first
So Uea"tiU in hi. arm, but a. her breath oou Uck
sho feels that he is turning to the bridge; again an irre
pressible horror seizes her; she cries out and struggle
violontly to free herself, "lie quiet, you little fool."
She see Somorfiold's red oyo alare fiercely aa he awing
her forward, then his grasp on hor loosens, but aho cling
desperately to him now. He wrenehea ono hand, then
the other, away, and pushes her from him. She fooU
that she is falling; thoro is a despairing cry, a splash,
and the dark water closes over her.
IV.
Mary routes from what seems deep slumW. There
is a rushing sound in her ers, and she ommi her eyes.
She sees only the gray, oold river. Is she floating alonit
with it? No, her right hand grasps some substance, and
she fools fastened down by the weight of her clothes.
Sho cannot move, she looks no, the stara are shinliiif
overhead; and as by degree she rouse to fuller con
sciousness, she sos that she has been caught among tho
roots of a hutro withered troo.
She lies thorn white and oxhviitod, and a memory
brings back the terrible scene aho passed through she
wishes she had never wakened
lint lovo of life soon asserts iteelf, and after a white
she manages to free her hnir and then her clothes, which
have kept her fast to this refuge. Crawling along the
fur-stretching roots, she at Inst reaches tho batik in
safety. She is still too tinned to think one Idea only
lighten through her stutetlod brain she must find the
little station, get back to New York, and to a steamer re
turning to England. She fools dimly that the friendly
oaptain will protect her. She does not darn to remember
what sho needs protection against, alio is dully ootisciou
that her senses may forsake her if she Itegins to think.
As at last she rises to her foot sho tremble ao vio
lently that she can scarcely stand Sho ha lost her hat,
and her long hair hangs round her like a dripping clonk.
Wringing tho water from it with Isith her oold hands, sho
rolls it up tightly, and then aho liegius to walk Iwuik be
side the river. She can make out tho bridge at a little
distance olT; and this tell her that sho haa not been car
ried far from whom sho fell Into tho water. It does not
occur to her that in the dnrkne who may find it iinMwsl
bio to make her way back throng! the wood to the sta
tion. Sho gist on ami on between the river and the
wood in a (logged, determined way. She know aho can
not cross tho gully, but surely if alio goo on there must
be on easier wny.
Suddenly tho wood ends in another clearing; a wild
heath stretehes before her, overgrown with low hushes,
and among those at aome distance Mnrv fancies that alio
see a light Sho steps and gnxe keenly; it may bo only
caused by some Insect but then it may oomo from a log
cabin, lint soon, as alio walks toward tho light, alio feels
sure that it i shining from a window, Every now and
then she stumble over the uneven ground sometime
sho gU enbinglml among bramble and brushwood, but
sooner than she oipoot she eouie to a long low cabin
a dark, solitary building - from which the light come
through chink in the shutter'! window. Too confused
to aook for the door. Mary make her wny diwperntely
toward tho light and knock on tho shutter no answer.
She wait a minute or two, and then she knocks agaiu
vehemntly.
" Who anryou that knock?" a voice any behind tho
shutter a Woman' voice, timid but uot unkindly iu tone.
Mary fool her courage come back.
I am a poor girl lint has lint her wny, and iu tho
dark I fell iu tho water. I am dying of oold plena let
mo In."
Hume instinct seem to worn hor not to tell tho truth.