Jasper County Democrat, Volume 11, Number 59, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1908 — Down the River. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Down the River.

By FRANK R WILLIAMS.

Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated Literary Press.

Ralph Curtis, sitting at the telephone, smiled as he listened to the words coming to him through the receiver. ‘l’m angry—very, very angry,” said a voice—a sweet, womanly, young voice. “You never should have allowed your cattle to trespass on my grounds. I don’t think I shall ever speak to you again.” “But it really wasn’t my fault, Clare," cried Ralph. “How was I tc know that my cattle were trespassing! All my men have been busy during the day trying to save things from this high water. I’m sure, dear, that if I’d known what the beasts were doing I’d have shot them.” “Too late,” came the answer in rather cold tones. “My garden is utterly ruined and guests coming tomorrow.

Don’t call me ‘dear* any more. After this please call me Miss Wellman. I shall never speak to you again. Goodby.” Ralph started to speak, but the party at the other end of the line bad rung off. “Hum," he mused, scratching his bead in perplexity. ‘‘She’ll never speak to me again, but I'm to call her Miss' Wellman hereafter.-; Rather inconsistent, to say the least. I wonder who her guests are. I wonder if the other fellow— Well, well, maybe he is coming, but he’ll have to hurry if he expects to reach the Wellman home without getting his feet wet.” f Ralph thrust his hands deep into his pockets and strolled to the window overlooking the river which flowed between his home and Miss Wellman’s. Through the gusty rain he could make out the surging stream, swollen till it nearly reached the top of the banks. Dark, discolored, filled with branch es of trees and other light material caught in its flood, the river raced sullenly bnward like an unclean thing. “It’s going to rise a lot more before it goes down,” he muttered. From the river his glance sought the distant shore. Dimly he could discern pale lights through the gloom. “Gee!” Ralph cried suddenly as he realized how much the river had risen in the past hour. “If it comes up much farther ft will go hard with Clare over there.” He strode to the telephone. As he placed the receiver to his ear he caught a sharp crack and rending sound; then the wire went dead. He was cut off from communication with the outside world and with Clare. Again Ralph strode to the window. As he looked down at the angry water

it seemed to him that the river had risen materially In the moment that he had been at the phone. The thought galvanised him into sudden action. He jumped from the window and tore out of the room into the pelting rain toward his automobile shed. Here he quickly stripped his huge car of Its gigantic searchlight and gas tank and with the apparatus rushed back to the room. In a moment he had the gas turned on, and a flood of light poured through the lens. With care he raised the window and projected the light through the opening toward the opposite shore. The powerful light cleaved a way through the dark and rain, showing in outlines clear enough for his vision the opposite shore. Ralph gasped at what he saw. The water was at the second story of the Wellman home. He had not before realized how much lower the Wellman bnme was than his. Rome one came to the window directly opposite the Curtis home. Ralph strained his eyes. Surely it was Clare and alone. Where were the others? Then he remembered that Clare’s father and mother had left that morning for town and had undoubtedly been prevented from returning by the flood. Ralph advanced to the window and ..waved bis arms reassuringly to the girl. She responded. Quickly lie turned off the light. Gathering up the apparatus In his arms, he hurried from I

the room out into the rain again and to the boathouse. " ' • ■ ’ ;■ The frail little launch had been taken from the house when the river began to rise and moored alongside it Now the bouse was wholly under water, and Ralph was forced to swim to the boat, holding the searchlight as Well as he could. In the boat be started first the light and then the engine and put out Into the swollen stream. The little craft was sadly buffeted by the sticks and the waves and time and again shipped water as Ralph sturdily, headed for the opposite shore. The searchlight disclosed the Wellman home with the water now a little above the second story. In the Window stood the girl, waving her hands encouragingly. At length Ralph managed to catch hold of the window. Inside the room the girl stood nearly waist deep in the water. “Quick!” cried Ralph. “Get into the boat!" Silently the girl obeyed. Just as she was safely seated Ralph’s grasp was broken. The water dashed them furiously away and 'then against the house. Something snapped. With a muttered ejaculation Ralph looked to his engine. Nothing seemed to be amiss, and he threw the throttle forward. The engine raced terrifically, and he quickly jerked the throttle back. “The propeller shaft is broken,” he announced in a voice that strove to be calm. “We’ll have to float down with the current and try to land somewhere.” The girl was startled, but also tried to appear unconcerned. “That’s too bad,” she said, with a little catch in her voice. "I was never, never going to talk to you again, but I suppose I’ll have to now.” “Oh, I’ll not force you to!” growled Ralph as he puttered over the machine. “Do you know,” went on the girl, “I think your horrid old cows are the cause of all this? It was only after they trampled over my garden that the river came up. I know I can never forgive them.” “And incidentally never forgive me. I, suppose,” mumbled the man. The girl said nothing. Then suddenly she lifted up her feet with an expression of dismay. “Gracious, the boat’s full of water!" she cried. “I’m so wet, anyway, that I didn't notice It before.”

“Yep," replied the man shortly. “She’s sprung a leak. We’ve got to make a landing, sure.” With the powerful searchlight, which still burned undimmed, he swept the waters. “Look!” he cried. “If those aren’t cattle I’ll eat my hat!” Ahead of them the light revealed some three or four heads rising out of the water and steadily moving from the center of the'stream. “They’re walking!” cried Ralph “They can take us ashore!” He sprang to the steering wheel and skillfully maneuvered the boat so that # passed near the beasts. The girt saw his dntention, and as they passed both jumped, landing safe on the sturdy animals. Almost undisturbed and unswayed by the rushing waters, the cattle plowed steadily onward. Gradually they came into shallower water, and thankfully Ralph and the girl slid from the beasts’ backs. Hand in hand they struggled along now, faster than the cattle. Ralph cast one last look back at the beasts and gasped. “Why, they’re mine!” he cried. That’s Bess, and there’s Doll! Why, Clare, dear, do you realize that the cattle you thought had caused it all have saved us?” “Oh!” cried the girl and turned to him.

“And look there!” cried Ralph, pointing ahead. “See what they’ve brought us to. See: that’s the Rev, Sturgis* home on the road to your bouse, and look there—he’s opening the door. Look, look, dear, your father and mother are with him!” The girl looked, and then. sobbin M piteously, she threw her arms around Ralph’s neck. “Oh. dear, dear!” she cried. “I forgive your cows, I forgive you, And,” she added ungrammatically, but soulfully, as she clung to Ralph and he held her close, “I’m never not going to speak to you again!”

GRADUALLY THEY CAME INTO SHALLOWER WATER.