Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1864-10-20
LOVE IN THE BREAKERS.
A STORY OF CAPE MAY.
BY ETHELBERT THE WANDERER.

places, either on the sea-board or inland
Yet Fate, or my restless wandering spirit
has more than once led me in " the season
to Saratoga, Newport, Cape May, and tn
now desolate yet once famous 'W hite Sui
phurs of Virginia. Those who know me
and few, very few are those who know me a
| am-know well that | am happiest when
shut out from the wolld, its frlvolities, it
designations, and its hypocrisies, L wander il
the wilderness of my own mountain-home
watching the wild deer in its gambols, the
trout sporting in the crystal water, or the
eagle piercing the clouds, far, far above the
lofty mountain tops.
But to my story.
1t was many summers ago when " the spiri
moved me to make flying visit to Cape
May 1t was in the height of the season
when | reached the Cape, going by steamer
from Philadelphia. Every hotel was crowded
the company was as various as companies al
watering places generally are-belles looking
for mates beaux on the same scent, any
quantity of fortune hunters, and few, very
few, really sensible men and women in that
vast crowd. The fair sex was not represent
ed as | thought by any killing beauties.
| wandered in at three or four OF the eve
ming hops" and made up my mind that
had seen as much beauty at Mexican fan
dangO, more in a dance on the green of an
Andalusian village, and not less at back
woods dance, where one fdler formed the
band, and q Virginia reel the dancing
card,
| saw nothing, in fact, to drive away my
natural melancholy, and had made up my
mind to take one good swim in the surf OF
the Old Atlantic, and then on the next day
to start once more Tor my wildwood home
among the glorious old Adirondacks.
So | took my bathing suit from my trunk,
and when the sun began to droop toward
the pines i'll the west, | sauntered down to
the beach where hundreds were already
sporting in the surf-the shrill laughter and
pretty screams of the fair ones making a fine
contrast with the heavy roar of the surf
For u few minutes | hesitated to enter the
water, being more pleasantly engaged in
scanning the scene before me. barley new
er had finer chance for sketching from life
than he would have had there. A Hogarth
would have been only too happy for the carl
caturean opportunities afforded him. For
instance, a tat, beefeating citizen, carrying,
at least, two hundred weight of mortality in
his own person, went into the water with a
wife on his arm whose lean and lank figure,
taller than his own, was too thin to cast shad-
And vice verSa, very fat lady and a man as
lean as Romeo's apothecary would be seen
the one waddling duck fashion, into the wa
ter, the other lettering" toward it like a
halt-starved sandsnipe.
Not handsome woman in the water! y
l muttered, as gazed over and among the
crowd
But at that moment, as if to rebuke me for
lack of ora ilantrV a vision paSca6 dina "a
seemed to be too beautiful to be anything but
vlsion-which made my spirit retract the
thought IN an instant for the lady was beau
titul-gloriously beautiful. One glance Of
her eyes-great, black, acknowledging eyes
fell upon me as she passed, and | felt thai
| blushed from my head to my feet. She
gllded-She did not seem to walk-so close
by me that her snow-white bathing robe &C
taally touched me, and the contact threw al
electric glow through me in an instant. Tall
her figure could, even III that ungainly garb
be seen to be perteet-her complexion al
most too fair for the waves of jetty hal
which hung about her white brow and neck
and, to crown ALL q look of melancholy upol
her perfect features that made my but toe
susceptible heart ache to be her sympatheti,
conhdant, her comforter, if only such thing
could be.
With bitterness in my heart against tn,
happy man who could be privileged to wal
upon such an angel, | turned to see wha
heathen was attending the goddess of m,
hearts sudden alteration.
There was no masculine present, no one Sc
near as myself. She entered the water alone
not timldly or with shrinking step, bu
like calmly proud Diana, when no prying
Action was near.
Involuntarily l followed, though at re
spectful distance. l watched her every mo
ton, as she advanced farther and farther int
the foamy 'yeast OF waters"
Moving out until more than half her queen
ly form was immersed in the briny waves, she
stood, and gently bowed her head to the
great breakers, as thy rolled in, in snowy
wreaths, upon her. ca, how | wished thai
was one-just one c. those breakers p
Would not clasp that ,ueenly form in my
chaste embrace, and be.r it away to some
lone isle of beauty" to i,e mine, mine, for
ever? Yes, l would
But hoarse shout from tie men. a CRY OF
warming and thousand Sc. ANS from rosy
lids suddenly white, recalled ME from the
wild dream which was taking session of me
Ny queenly vision had gone i Their out than
all the rest; so had l, when : roller of al
least thrice the usual height came tumbline
in upon us. In a moment she was hidden
from my view; the next second was under
hundred tons of water, or so it seemed.
Half strangled, buffeted my way to the
top of the water, only to find that the sun.
sdertow had swept me outside If the surf
beyond the outermost breaE and that the
tide was bearing me seawa.d.
/ thought not of my own danger. Where
was she At that instant saw her-a look
) of despair upon her beautiful face-within a
few feet of me, just sinking; for she evil
IDENTIFY could not swim, as she made nc at
tempt to do so. .....-.....
HEAVIER! what strength came to me then
Never did strong swimmer in his agony y
strike out more boldly than / did then and
there. In an instant, 1 was by her side, my
hand supporting her, and my voice uttering
these words: t..
"Lady, do not despair. Twill save you OF
die with you !"
Oh, how her look went through and through
me. Words never could so express gratitude.
Wave after wave beat over me, but l lifted
her bright, beautiful head above them all.
eff your strength will last few minutes,
we are saved !" she said, in tones that were
melody condensed, rariied, angelically mod
ulated (excuse my rhapsodies-I cannot help