I
321
tiling", dim. at lb.
ever! Unk., the bright jrflow wj-fi-U. in
valley, the golden pirM pnrpl. hither on t
billi, tho .ft gny of the eragi and the far away
dwp blue of tb aea. ... i i
- We uul vA M at any other new, ihe laid,
- HI. met the tut, the very lul; the night will
U overtaking ua." . .
We walked on. The road Uy around precipi
tin! pi of rock, di,0,,,(1 1" 0n. T
Irfl land wu lb frow which the voicei of the
children who bad goo on their blackberry excursion
camo loud and merrily. On our right i narrow belt
of bramble and gorae buahei hid the edge of a rocky
teep.
- What U that bright thing moving among the
bnihea on tho right?" said the lady.
" It mtut U one of thfl children away from the
others liking fur Im!."
" I.k!" aha said, pointing toward it; and then
aba criv again. " Look ! " but now it wu with a iharp
6iU of terror in her voic at she iprang forward.
I n in a avibd what had occurred. Tho little
child bad strayed jrilouily new the iteep lide, and
in reaching over f.ir mmo blackberries had fallen. A
littlo way Mow tho nlge wu a toft of earth and
grm, with a buih growing on it Ihe child'i hand
clutched the buah to save it from falling, and it hung
uendl over tho abyss Mow. The lady never
heaiUtod fur a moment. The child muat be reached
- the sprang on to tho llgv I could see the dan
ger. Tho Mgo of 1mo earth and bramble bushes,
which wu juit i true g r-noogh to War littlo floorgie'i
weight, lcgan to Imven visibly and to ilowly detach
iUelf w ben the weigbt wu addxL Hut ihe had seizin
tho child and iwutg him op to me, the Tory effort of
tiling so inrreuing ber own danger. Ai ihe taw tho
child aafo In my arma aho looked up in my face with
a anile of supremo joy I ihall cerer forget I cried
tml ia bitter anguish aa 1 uw the fissure growing
wider and beard the rattle of the loot earth and
sUmr.
" Try to riarh my hand," I said, leaning over ai
far u I could.
Merciful (Lxl! If it lad beld for one moment
ttoro - only for on. 8ho made a ipriog to touch my
band. It wu U Ut; with a cruh it fell, and I knew,
rather than saw, tUt aho wu with it I.ittlo G.wpe'i'
lernfi-vl U ba! brought the otlrr children from tho
va 1 tWt rememUr hew I at them for help
or bow I clamUrod down the .Wp.but I wM(,uickly
by ber eldv Hhe had fallen fr. of tx of the di
THE WEST SHORE.
bris, and wm alive and c t
rwbej ber, but the wu d)itg
acio&i a moment aiu-r I
ii q aicit ! Q aick I" she whispered. " Listen, kind
friend, I want your help. Death is coming. The
box?" . .
" It is safe above," I said, as one in a dream.
"Can you be strong?"
" Yes, if yon want me."
" Leave me here; go on with the boi to Tredegar;
it will make two people happy him, and another,
my lister."
" You must be helped first," I answered.
" No, no, it will soon be all over with mo. Go to
Tredegar Hall, ask for Hector, give the box to hia.
The papers are in it; the key is here around my neck,
cut it from there. Tell bim, tell him no, my father
is there-tell him that I say Hector must marry Mar.
garet. These are the papers he requires to see, and
Hector starts for India to-morrow. Can you go? Can
you remember? He starts to-morrow to-morrow."
A deadly faintnees was coming over her. I raised
her a little, " I've sent for help," I whispered. " Oh,
live till it comes, when you've escaped with life after
Bach a fall."
" No, death is coming," she said. " I only lived
to tell you-I thank God for sending you to me."
" You saved little Georgie, he was safe in his sis
ter's arms," I said.
" Poor little fellow, that is best his life is more
than mine now," she answered faintly.
" Are you afraid?" I asked, as I felt her shudder.
" No; I thought once I should be, but I feel no
fear now."
I hid my face, and when I looked again her eye
were fixed in that gaze which sees whatever it is that
death reveals.
14 You will go?"
M I will go," I answered solemnly.
' Do you know the way? Don't miss it; yon
muit cross the river."
" Yes, good-bye,"
" Good-bye," she whispered; then, with one con
vulaive effort, ihe threw up her hands and cried, "Oh,
save mo, iave mel "
There was a moment or two of agony, then fol
lowed calm. The sounds of the river near by, and
tho distant voices of those coming to our aid, were
tho last the heard on earth. Her eyes wandered to
tho distance for a moment
" Is it not a lovely way over the hills?" I heard
her ay, and then I knelt beside the dead.
Help came at last The pitmen returning froffl
their work had beard the story. The lady who had
aved the golden-haired boy, the pet of the village
eotned lait to thcnL jhey j.ftod C(ipl ii
they touched her. They looked, at me kindly and
Ptyingly, little guessing I ad;onty known horoi