The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-05-19

1tct
''e ..1;srtainly not. said mr.. Steele; let
him wait till he is able to come to you or
me tsit,ier the nnaa was drowned or he
isn;t. Because lie was imbecile enough 10
risk his life that Is no reason for your being
the talk OF the hotel.' :,
Laura raised her eyes proudly.
mo danger Of that, papa; and besides,
every one is occupied now with tue one t MAJ
rescued him."
poor Mr.. Steele, who could not reconcne
himself to the present condition. OF ana'ie;
.atrI don't know stranger, pe',ese.,
was so interested in MIR. ssuyVesahe l'io' se'
- IS Rah -, Sid Mr.. Steele, gettiog upon MS
,a.t and walking to the door. "Fil 20 and
find out all about it. Do you stay here I'LL
ATeturn." ,, e.,, Road
Before he bad gone far, Mr. Steele heard
from the excited guests several guerrero
versions OF the affair; but one 3ad all agreed
that the rescuer could be nothing less tnan
champion swimmer.
GA regular water-dog (" said one gen.
tleman to Mr.. Steele; and as the merchant
had heard this .epithet but once before 10
his life, and that on an occasion OF vital ID.
terest TO himself, he soUghI out the nero OF
the hour, and found, to bis unbounded as,
Punishment, it was John Waters hlmseH
He was quite enyeIoped in the fiounces ana
iurbelows Of pretty and sympatoetlc Wo-
men, who insisted upon knowing every
half.second If he was sure be feit strong
and we'll. and how in the world; could LIE
buffet those dreadful waves IN tnae granu,
heroic way, and how did be manage 10 drag
poor Mr.. Stuyvesant in to the snore
81 hprn nj the hOtlr,
endowed this aduIation. but looked anX-
io,isjy at Mr.. Steele when he approached.
{. Hum" growled that worthy merchant,
"a pretty fellow, you, to interfere win
other peoples plans. How do you kno"
he wanted to be rescued?'
"He appeared anxious that way, SIR,
said John. "He wrapped himself ABOUT
me like dewitt fish. ! thought ct one time
we'd both 90 down together. There ought
70 be school for teaching people how 10
he saved. It's the easiest thing IN the
world: the water itself is an accessory, II
YOU manage it right" ;,
"Oh. do tell US how, Mr.. Waters, please
cborused the pretty and sympathetic wo-
men: and as John began his lesson MI.
Steele slipped away.
aOh, papa" began Laura, "hoW IS MI.
Stuyyesant?"
Sc doD'tknoW-1Q lQll> CaSk,' DeTeptleu,
81 was interested in tho fellow that dragged
him ashore. He's an old friend Of ours. The
way we made bis acquaintance was on sucn
an occasion; lie saved lady from drown
ing"
"Wby, papa" said Laura, "he must be a
splendid fellow"
Magnificent" said Mr.. Steele. "You
see, we had 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, lol.
tered in the Highlands, travelled thence
down the Mississippi Valley, across the Anne
rican desert to California, and back again
by another route, your mother had never
been uD the East river as far as Morrisania.
II seemed SO absurd to have neglected
this home excursion that we determined
upon it at once. The morning was wet, but
we dldu't mind it. Your mother looked
prettier in waterproof and rubbers: with
a shovel-hat tied down under chin, than
most women would in a ball-dress. She
wasn't bit afraid Of rain or mud. She was
little too reckless; for, getting ashore to
see the institution for vagrant boys, her foot
slipped of the plank, and she disappeared"
Mr. Steele stopped minute; his voice
faltered the plump little hand of his wife
slipped into his own; he clutched it and
went on again. ...
GONE minute I saw her as neat and trim
a little figure as ever graced waterproof
and shovel hat, and tue next she was
gone" =,
"Gone!' cried Laura; "gone where!"
"Into the water, chld-into the hungry
green waves that surged up to take her
/ in ho IN
verse and if it had not been for one OF
those very vagabond boys who had been
lurking there for chance to escape from
the island you would have lost us both, my
dear: for made an agonized plunge after
her, though am ashamed to say l cannot
swim stroke. and should only have gone to
the bottom like plummet OF lead; but an
official standing by caught and hCl1 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 officer cried
out, Hes a regular Watchdog, that johnny
Waters y and these were the very words a
guest here used in relation to John minute
or so ago."
/ "John !" cried poor bewildered Laura.
/" our John Mamma? Was John the boy!
And is it John, our John, that saved poor
Mr.. Stuyvesant?",
"The very same darling John, our John
he is always on hand when there is any
trouble or danger"
..Oh. mamma mammal" cried Laura,
forgetting all the years that had passed
since the accident, and crumbllng both the
colfaured heads in the most reckless man.
ner.
t.Papa." she then said, eve must goand
find John; Iwant to tell him how much
i"
Eyes, dear" said Mr.. Archibald Steele !;
and all the way through the corridor and
INTO the parlors of the hotel, with his plump
Fand pretty wife on one arm and bis beauti-
full daughter on the other, he sailed.
But John was still surrounded by the
pretty and sympathetic women, who had
cruelty deserted the blue blooded descend
ant of the old Dutch governor, lying in bis
most graceful and languid OF attitudes on a
neighboring lounge-the descendant, not
the Governor-and had focked, one and all,
to the handsome and heroic founder Of the
new school for teaching people the way to
be rescued from drowning.
These charming creatures spend so much
OF their time at the sca-shore, and it was
nice to be wise.
John WAS almost hidden in tiounces and
iaces; but when bis eyes met Laura's be
plunged out Of those costly pillows with his
usual ease and trepidity. There was some
there before; tempting languor abe
witching shyness; a bewi'dering splendor
that stepped his soul in mad sweet hope.
Laura stopped one moment to whisper to
her mamma, and John gasped out to Mr..