Mrs. Falchion, Volume 2_

which, rising in the far north, comes in vari

ged the names of the rivers and towns mentioned in the second part o

ghts. The morning was fresh and sweet, and we were all in excellent spirits. Roscoe's depression had vanished; but there was an amiable seriousness in hi

g-ground, Ruth Devlin, who was walking with me, said: "A large party of tourists arrived at Viking yesterday, and h

nough as it is?" I answered.

dies,- without loss of life, of course,-merely catastrophes of broken hearts, and hair-breadth escapes, and mammoth fishing and shooting achievements, such as men know how to invent,"-it was delightful to

ightly and quaintly. Sh

hing achievements,-please do not forget that basket of trout I sent you the other morning,-and broken hearts and such tragedies are not impossible; as,

u are becoming invol

am only a mo

ut are you not a little callous to speak of such

ensue if the lovely daughter of an American millionaire should be in danger of drowning in the Long Cloud, and a rough but honest fellow-a foreman on the river, maybe a young member of the English aristocracy in disguise-perilled his life

ope to see you in Lombard Street some day, a very Katherine among capitalists?-for, from yo

, sonnets, 'and such,' is guilty of breaking the peace at Viking and its environs. Besides, such things should always be left to the parson. He must not be outflanked, his thunder must not

s expressed the most sinister sentiments about Viking and your very extensive parish. Miss Devlin," I added, turning to her, "I

laugh. "Yet Cordelia was misjudged very wickedly, and traduce

n and clear skies and hills go far to make us cheerful and harm

utiful experience, at the threshold of an acknowled

m the underwood and stole away with glancing feet down the valley; we could scarcely refrain from doing some foolish thing out of sheer delight. At length we emerged from a thicket of Douglas pine upon the shore of the Whi-Whi, and, loosening our boat, were soon moving slowly on the cool current. For an hour or more we rowed down the river towards the Long Cloud

superscription. What I saw there I did not think necessary to disclose to the other members of the party; but, as unconcerne

the envelope?" she s

evasively: "I fancy there was, but a man who is

e selfish in holding your cigar more important than a woman's curios

y in the Whi-Whi Valley," interrupted Roscoe, breaking off the thread of

of that the night before, when I heard the voices on the hill. Ruth Devlin stopped for a moment in the preparations to ask Roscoe what he was humming. I, answering for him, told her that it was an old sentimental sea-song o

them. To this I could testify, and he sang them very well indeed-quietly, but with the rolling tone of the sail

Jane' went

at the S

was fair as e

ter of a th

arose as she c

used her ma

her fill of the

ewise sprai

ng cried, 'If

Davy Jones

't aspire to

quatoria

erved between the acts of the touching tragedy. When lunch was over, and we had again set forth upon the Whi-Whi, I asked Ruth to sing an old French-Canadian song which she had once before sung to us. Many a time the

was by her. Her voice was a mezzo-soprano of rare bracing quality, and she had enough natural sensibil

rince, my he

hus my snow-

e drake, my l

ife-blood sta

bill sinks o

o floating e

lant ma

ant, ma bou

t ma boul

ant ma

Slide. There was one channel through the rapids by which it was perfectly safe to pass, but that sweep of water through the Devil's Slide was sometimes a trap of death to even the most expert river-men. A ha

cherous passage, which culminated in a series of eddies, a menace to even the best oarsman ship. They certainly were not aware of their danger, for there came over the water the

d Mrs. Revel sat perfectly still. But the man in the other boat, thinking, doubtless, that we were attempting a race, added his efforts to the current of the channel. I am afraid that I said some words below my breath scarcely proper to be spoken in the presence of maidens and a clerk in holy orders. Roscoe was here, however, a hundred ti

apped in the rocks, and the other one shot from the man's hand. Now the boat swung round and round, and dipped towards the hollow of a whirlpool. When we were within a few rods of them, it appeared to rise from the water, was hurled on a rock, and overturned. Mrs. Revel buried her face in her hands, and Ruth gave a little groan, but she held the rudder firmly, as we swiftly approached the forms struggling in the

e. We heard her words to her companion: "Justine, do

oat, was eloquent in prayers to be rescued. I caught the bow of the boat as it raced past me, and with all my strength swung it towards the smoother water. I ran the rope I had brought, through the iron ring at the bow, and was glad enough of that; for their lives perhaps depended on being able to do

e woman and her presence of mind in danger. Immediately afterwards she said-and subsequently it se

nd was followed by Mrs. Falchion, whose first words to R

I am glad no harm

en hide his nationality, for his race are generally more gallant. But he was wealthy, had an intense admiration for Mrs. Falchion

elf-possession, scanning her face and form critically the while, and occasionally turning a glance on Roscoe, who was now cold and impassive. I never knew a man who could so banish expression from his countenance when necessary. Speaking to Belle Treherne long afterwards of Mrs. Falchion's self

that I was not predisposed towards her, and th

o, she is only a subordinate in the story, and not a chief factor, and what she said or did here is of no vital consequence at this moment! We

I came from San Francisco, I heard of your being here. I had intended spending a month somewhere in the m

her words which I did not like, nor did I think that her eye was very

dden the horses which we had sent over for ourselves from Viking, and we men walked in front. Besides, the thoughts of some of us were not at all free from misgiving. The spirit possessing Roscoe the night before seemed to enter into all of us, even into Mrs. Falchio

ful that both doctor and clergyman are called upon to use

Devil's Slide. The drama is not ended yet, and the chief actors cannot go until

it is said, but it is orthodox, I fancy, if we exchange G

ly bade him good-night. Partings all round were made, and, after some injunctions to Mrs. Falchion

of corroding passions; of cruelties, ingratitude, hate, and catastrophe. We are all ambitious, in one way or another. We climb mountains over scoria that frays and lava that burns. We try to call down the stars, and when, now and then, our conjur

iveness. A man errs, and he must suffer; his father erred, and he must endure; or some one sinned against the man, and he hid the sin-But here a hand touched m

her life. In youth, in early manhood, we do wrong. At the time we seem to be injuring no one but ourselves; but, as we live on, we find that we were wronging whomsoever should come into our lives

he girl not so beautiful, young, and ingenuous. I tried not to think further of the matter, and talked much to Ruth,-Gait Roscoe walked wit