Alice Wilde: The Raftsman's Daughter. A Forest Romance

back, and that the wind was driving the fire in a broad belt of a mile wide directly toward the house; that if the wind did not subside with the setting of the sun, nothing could preserve the place

drifting sparks. The foresters shook their heads and told her to be prepared for the worst; Pallas groaned and prayed as if she had been a

the skiffs you can muster-there are two or three, are there not? They will be ready by evening, and if the wind does not change, or go d

ink of nothing now but of being equal to the emergency; her calmness had a salutary effect upon the charact

ittle articles of household use which become so dear from association, a looker-on would hardly have guess

t like an embodied storm; "jes' see him, Miss Alice; he's went and put on his bes' clo'e

nxiety, to find that he had made provision for that which was dearest to him-his

looking foolish, "it's the

o; then you'll have your hands

d on went the boots, after which Saturn was

accomodate the heavier pieces of furniture, were moored under the stately old elm which had so long stood sentinel over tha

days at a time, in the autumn months, rose higher and higher. There was no moon, and as twilight deepened into night, the thick smoke which hung abov

the hot breath of the flames aroused the wind, until it rushed in fury directly toward the cabin. Light flashes of flame would run from tree-top to tree-top, while farther back was a solid cone of fire-trunks from which all the foliage and lesser branches had fallen, stretching

from which her pale, excited face shone like a star, kindling the enthusiasm of the rude men about her

itin' any longer. That fire will be on this very spot by break of da

us begin. My father's desk, with his papers, stands in his

the cabin of all its contents; every thing was put into the

at, while Alice paddled out into the stream in her own tiny canoe. The track of the fire was a mile in width; but the mill was not threatened by it, nor much t

high above, and rolled in dark billows far beyond. The stream was crimson with the reflection, and the faces of the party looked pal

who was in advan

ed, as she came along side of the boa

o late. It's getting mighty warm here no

something in the garret I must have. Father would n

unk! sure enough,

it," said th

ry it down. Come back! oh, come back, dear chile, won't yer? What's forty trunks to yer own preci

ak it open," shouted Alice, now f

Perkins; "here Saturn, take these oars,

ff. Both reached the house at the same instant, they were gone perhaps three minutes, and came forth again, Ben carrying t

y, who would fain have lingered yet around the home which had grown dear to her with her growth-alre

id; "but I will go. Oh, Ben,

. I don't believe the canoe 'll hold you and the trunk both," he remar

ill-but y

as a trunk," he replied, bitterly. "

until you come with me, Ben.

yer don't get out of this soon. I'm going to swim 'long side. What's a mile or two,

se he became exhausted; the river at this spot was over a mile in width, and it would hav

suffocating waves. The cold surface of the river kept the air comparatively pure for two or three feet

ed her companion in a voice which betrayed the agony of h

ould endure the heat no longer, and she, too, leaped into the river, and sheltering herself beneath the

ade their appearance in an alarming condition, Alice having become exhausted in the water, and Ben havin

le had not one of his comrades been ready with a flask of spirits. It was thought best to administer the same

nd then she could only row along the river and gaze upon the blackened and smoking mass, for the earth was still too hot to be ventured upon. The cabin smoldere

wish to live too near to his mill, as he had always kept his home aloof from it; that he would be satisfied with such a spot as she liked; and she was ambitious to begin the work, for she knew the winter would be upon them before they could complete a new house, if plans were not early made. There was a lovely spot just beyo

e of helping him. There was timber, plenty of it, already sawed, for the frame of the new house, and while a portion went to work upon it

, at the mill, and her own bed put up in it; but she did not like the publi

estruction of valuable timber, as he did the waste of that snug little, vine-covered cabin, with the garden, the flowers, and the associations clustering ab

rtant in it, and she would go back;" and Alice felt repaid for all the r

e time be increased, or not, certain it is that he made liberal allowance for such a contingency. He had much natural talent as an architect, and from some printed plans which ha

all the fixin's over the windows and the porch afore spring; I'll have to m

s. Poor Ben! work as he might, gain her expressions of gratitude and admiration as he might, that was the most. There was always a reserve about her which held

longer had pleasant remarks to make; no longer brought daily gifts of fish, birds, berries, squirrels, venison, or

lled her mind, when she sat so long without moving, looking of

s, glass, etc., for the new house, which was to be ready for those finishing touches, by the time of his return. He

e. They stood together, on the outside, consulting about it, so interested in the detail that they neither of them not

pale and then red. He saw the great throb her heart gave, heard the sudden catch in her breath; and he was still looking at her when Philip sprang gayly up the

ight of his own passion; she almost shuddered at the dark look which he flashed upon Philip; but

so good-looking and young," remarked

elt constrained to say in his defens

youthful face, Alice. I'm afraid he'd h

, Mr. Moore, I assure you," answered the yo