Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-07-17

saving Laura. Did you see his thin, crue
lips and treacherous eyes ?"
81 only saw Laura, SIR" said John, sim
ply.
Later on, Mr.. Archibald Steele and hi
e plump, pretty wife were alone together il
u their private parlor. Her dimpled hant
!: lay lovingly in his, and her shapcly head
:, fresh from the hands of the coffeur, restet
r recklessly on his shoulder.
a Suddenly the door opened, and there was
e heard the rustic of silked drapery. A still
$ shapelier little head. and fresher from the
7 hands of the coiffeur, all unrumpled by
the audacious hands of mortal, peeped in
at the door. Laura was pale; her LITTLE
: white hands were clasped together, and
) her musical voice trembled.
, "Oh, papa, mamma, come directly Mr..
Stuyvesant ventured too far, and-and-''
} "Was drowned?'' said Mr.. Steele, with a
queer combination in his voice of pity and
, relief
mo, no; how can you suppose SO
dreadful thing? He..was..rescued, but is
very weak and-ill. He has asked for me,
and may l go? VIII you not come with
me, mamma? Oh, do, Il beg of you. Can't
she, papa?''
Her blue eyes filled with tears her little
feet seemed to be wanting to fly through
the corridors.
"Certainly not" said Mr.. Steele. sLet
him wait till he is able to..come to you or
me. Either the man was drowned or he
isn't. Because he was imbecile enough to
risk his life, that is no reason for your be-
ing the talk of the hotel.''
Laura raised her eyes proudly.
mo danger of that, papa; and besides,
every one is occupied now with the one
that rescued him.
"And what mailman was that p said
poor Mr.. Steele, who could not reconcile
himself to the present condition OF affairs.
81 don't knOw-a stranger, believe. l
was so interested in Mr.. Stuyvesant l for
got to ask"
'Bah!' said Mr.. Steele, getting upon
his feet and.walking to the door. ''I'll go
and find out all about it. Do you stay
here till return.''
Beforesshe. 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 champion swimmer.
"a regular water-dog!" said one gentle
man to Mr.. Steele; and as the merchant
had heard this epiti,et but once before in
his life, and that. on an accession of vital in
terest to himself. he sought out the hero
Of the -Four, and found. TO his unbounded
astonishnlent. it was JOHN Waters him
self! He was quite enyeloped in the
tiounaes and f,,rbclows Of pretty and SYM
pathetic women who insisted upon know
ing every half second if lie was sure he
felt strong and well. and how in the world
could he buffet these dreadful waves in
that grand, heroic way, and how did he
to drag poor Mr.. Stayvcsant in to
the shore.
John, like any other hero of the hour,
enjoyed this adj ,ltion, bat looked anx-
iously at Mr.. Steeic when he approached.
''Ium," growled that worthy merchant,
"a pretty fellow, you, to interfere with
other peoples plans? How do you know
he wanted to be rescuedr'
''Hc appeared anxious that way, sir,''
said John. ''IIe wrapped himself about +.
me like a deyil-fish. l thought at one
lime we'd both go down together. There i,
ought to be school for teaching people :
now to be saved. It's the easiest thing in :.
he world; the water itself is an accessory,
f you manage it right"
"Oh, do tell us how, Mr.. Waters, please I
TO-" chorussed the pretty and sympathetic ;
ard as John began his lesson MIR. |.
steele slipped away. i
''Oh, papa" began Laura, show is MIR. Il
'tuyvesant
IL don't know, didn't ask" he replied.
I was interested in the fellow that drag
ed him ashore. He is an old friend of d
urs. The way We made his acquaintance :. .
7as on such an accession; he saved lady . .
rom drowning" "
"Why, papa," said Laura, che must be m
splendid fellow.'' j
"Magnificent!' ~ said Mr.. Steele. ssYou in
,e, we had Travelled over considerable of
le world together, your mother and l, 4.
lille you were yet baby; and we found +
rather odd one morning to discover that q,
aving crossed the ocean and the Alps, -,
itered in the highlands, Travelled thence =,
,wn the Mississippi valley, across tho p
merican desert to California, and bacl: co
,ain by another route, your mother had th
,ver been up the East river as far as Nor CO
SANTA. 1t seemed so absurd to have neg
cted this home excursion, that we deter
ined upon it at once. The morning was In
ct, but we did not mind that. Your Pc
other looked prettier in a waterproof lol
d rubbers, with shovel hat tied down 'ol
der her chin, than most women would su
a ball dress. She wasn't a BIZ afraid of eu
in or mud. She was little too reckless, Is
{, getting ashore to see the institution PIC
: vagrant boys, her foot slipped off the co'
INK, and she disappeared" cei
Mr.. Steele stopped minute; his voice
tered the plump little hand of his wife grs
pped into his own; he clutched it, and bes
nj on again. ten
title figure as ever graced waterproof cei
shovel hat, and the next she was mo
ne." 10
Gone - cried Laura. 'sGonc where !" aiit
Into the water, child into the hungry 'Ia aIa'
en waves that surged up to take her In
az from the fondest heart in the uni isst
Sc; and ii it had not been for one OF I
se very vagabond boys, who had been Coz
king there for a chance to escape from The
island, you would have lost us both, said
dear; for made an agonizing plunge maj
r her, though am ashamed to say pro-
not swim a stroke, and should only to h
E gone to the bottom like plummet of box
|, but an official standing by caught Hor
held me, and cried out that Johnny but
ters had her, safe as trivet; and pres man
ly that vagabond boy came up with laue
I sweet mother ON the other side Of
boat, and the officer cried out Hes Cl
liar water-dog, that Johnny Waters cost
these were the very words guest here boy