Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-03-10

| ful thingI He was rescued, but he is
very weak and Ill. He has asked for me
and may go9 Will you come with me,
mamma? Oh, do, l heg Of your Can't
she, papaT
Her blue eyes filled with tears; her little
feet seemed painting to fly through the cor
ridor.
"Certainly not" said Mr.. Steele. "Let
him wait till he is able to come 10 you or 10
me. Either man is drowned or be isn't.
Because he was imbecile enough to risk
his life, that is no reason for your being the
talk of the hotel"
Laura raised her head proudly.
mo danger Of that, papa; and, besides,
every one Is occupied now with the one
that rescued him."
"And what madman was that1 ?" said
poor Mr.. Steele, who could not reconcile
himself to the present condition of affairs.
81 don't know-a stranger believe
was so interested in Mr.. Stuyvesant for
got to ask"
"Pah - said Mr.. Steele, getting upon his
feet and walking to the door, "Tll go and
find out all about it. Do you stay here till
return"
Before he had gone far Mr.. Steele heard
from the excited guests several different
versions OF the affair but one and all
agreed that the rescuer could be nothing
less than a champion swimmer.
"a regular water-dogr ~ said one gentle
man 10 Mr.. Steele; and as the merchant
had heard this epthe; used but once be-
fore in his life, and that on an occasion of
vital interest to himself he sought out the
hero Of the hour, and found, to his un-
bounded astonishment, IL was John Wa
ters himselfi Hu was quite enveloped in
the nounces and furbe!ows OF pretty and
sympathetic women, who insisted upon
knowing every half second If he was sure
he felt strong and well, and how in the
world could he buffet those dreadful waves
in that grand, heroic way, and how did he
manage to drag poor dear Mr.. Stuyvesant
in to .he shore?
John, like any other hero of the hour, en-
joyed this womanly adulation, but looked
anxiously at Mr.. Steele when he approach
ed.
"Hum r. growled that worthy merchant,
"a pretty fellow you are to interfere with
other peoples plans! How do you know
he wanted to be rescued ?"
ale appeared anxious that way, sir"
said John. "He wrapped himself about
mo like devil fish. thought one time
we'd both go down together. There ought
to be school for teaching people how to
let themselves be saved. It's the easiest
thing in the world; the wafer itself is an
accessory. If you manage it right"
"Oh, DO toll us how, Mr.. Waters, please -
chorused the pretty and sylnpatL etic wo-
men and as John began his lesson, Nr.
Steele slipped away.
"oh, papa" began Laura, show is Mr..
Stuyv esant;"
81 don't kuow-I didn't ask" he replied,
81 was so interested in the fellow that drag
ged him ssbore. He's an old friend of ours.
The way we made his acquaintance was ON
just such an occasion; he saved lady
from drowning"
"Why, papa" said Laura, "hc must be
splendid fellow p
Magnificent ~ said Mr.. Steele. "You
see, we bad travelled over considerable Of
the world together, your mother and !,
while you were yet baby. And we found
it rather odd one morning to discover that
having crossed the ocean and the Alps, loi-
tered in the Hudson Highlands, travelled
thence down through the Mississippi Val
ley, across the American desert to Califor-
mia, and hack again by another route, your
mother bad never been up the East River
as far rs MOrrisania. 1t seemed so absurd
to have neglected this home excursion that
we determined upon it at once. The morn
ing was wet. but that didn't matter. Your
mother looked prettier in q water. proof
and rubbers, with a shovel hat tied down
under her chin, than most women would
in a ball dress. She wasn't a bit afraid
of rain or mud. She was little too reck-
less, for, getting ashore to see one of the in
Stitutions for vagabond boys, her foot slip
ped off the plank, and she disappeared"
Mr.. Steele stopped a minute; his voice
faliered the little plump hand of his wife
slipped into his own; be clutched il, and
wenI on again.
Zone minute 1 saw her as neat aud trim
a littlo figure as ever graced waterproof
and shoyel-hat, the next she was gone"
"Into the water child into the hungry
green waves that surged up 10 take her
away from the fondest heart in tho uni
verse; and If il hadn't beon for one of those
very yogsbond boys, who had been lurk-
ing there for a chance to escape from the
island, you'd have lost US both, my dear,
for made an sgonized plunge after her,
though I'm ashamed to say couldn' tswim
stroke, and should only have gone to the
bottom like plummet OF lead, but all off,
cial standing by caught and held me, and
cried out that Johnny Waters had her, safe
as trivet; and presently that vagabond
boy came up with your sweet mother on
the other side of the boat, and the official
cried out, He's regular water-dog, that
Johnny Watersr And these were the very
words guest here used in relation to John
a minute or SO ago."
"Johnr' cried poor bewildered Laura,
"Our John? Mamma2 My mammaS Was
mamma The ladyf Was John the boyf
Aud is II John, our John, that saved poor
Mr.. Stuyvesantf"
'The very same, darling-John, our John;
he's always on hand where there's trouble
or danger"
"Oh, mamma mammap cried Laura,
forgetting all the years that had passed since
the accident, and crumpling both the coitf-
ured heads in most reckless manner.
"Papa," she then said, tive must go and
find John. want to tell him how much
IL"
Eyes, dear" said Mr.. Archibald Steele,
and all the way through the corridor and
into the parlors of the hotel, with his plump
and pretty wife on one arm, his lovely
dauOhter IN tho oiher ha smiled