The daily gazette., 1879-05-31

pale; her little white hands were clasp |
ed together and her musical voice trem-
bled.
"Oh, papa, mamma, come directly!
Mr.. Stuyvesant ventured too far and
and" .If+ls-
"Was drowned ?" said Mr.. Steele, with
q queer combination In his voice Of pity
and relief.
"No, no; how can you suppose SO
dreadful thing? lie was rescued, but
is very weak and i'll. He has asked for
me, and may 60? Will you not come
with me, mamma? Oh, do, beg or you.
Can't she, papaw -.
Her blue eyes filled with tears; her lit
tie feet seemed wanting to fly through
the corridor.
"Certainly not" said Mr.. Steele. "T.et
him wait till he is able to come 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 fer four
being the talk of the hotel"
Laura raised her eyes proudly.
"No danger of that, papa; and be-
sides, every one Is occupied now with the
one that rescued him."
"And what madman was that ?' said
poor Mr.. Steele, who could not reconcile
himself to the present condition Of af-
fairs.
81 don't knOw--a stranger, / believe.
l was so interested i'm Mr.. Stuyyesant
forgot to ask"
"Bah ~ said Mr.. Steele, getting upon
his feet and walking t0 the door. "I'll
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 diff
ferent versions of the affair; but one and
all agreed that the rescuer could be moth
ing less than champion swimmer.
"a regular water-dog!" said one gem
tleman to Mr.. Steele and as the mer-
chant had heard this epithet 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 unbounded astonshment, 1t was
John Waters himself! He was quite
| enveloped in the flounces and furblOw
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 waves in that grand, heroic way,
anu IlOW ulu llC W Idt, pun AAi .
Stuyvesant in to the shore?
John, like any other hero of the hour,
enjoyed the adultation, looked anxiously
at Mr.. Steele whed he approached.
60 Hum" growled that worthy mer-
chant; "a pretty fellow, you, to inter-
fere with other peoples plans! How do
you know he wanted to be rescued"
'He appeared anxious in that way,
SIR" said John. ale wrapped himself
about me like devil-fish. i thought at
one time we'd both go down together.
There ought to be school for teaching
people how to be saved. It's the easiest
thing in the world the water itself is an
accessory to it if you manage it right"
"Oh, do tell us how, Mr.. Waters,
please" chorused the pretty and sympa-
thetic women; and as John began his
lesson Mr.. Steele slipped away.
"Oh, papa" began Laura, show is
Mr.. Stuyvesant?'
| II don't know-I didn't ask" he re-
piled. 81 was interested in the fellow
that dragged him ashore. He's an old
friend of ours. The way we made his ac-
| quaintance was on such an occasion; he
saved young lady from drowning"
"Why, papa" said Laura, she must
be 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 dis
cover that having crossed the ocean and
the Alps, loitered i'm the Highlands, trav-
eled thence down the Mississippi valley,
across the American desert to California,
and back again by another route, yOul
mother had never been up the East river
as far as MOrrisania. 1t seemed so alb.
surd to have neglected this home excur-
sion that we determined upon 1t at once
The morning was wet, but we didn't
mind it. Your mother looked prettiel
in waterproof and rubbers, with q
shovel hat tied down under her chin
than most women would in ball dress
She wasn't bit afraid of rain or mud
She was q little too reckless for, getting
ashore to see the institution for vagran1
boys, her foot slipped off the plank, ant
she disappeared"
Mr.. Steele stopped a minute his voice
faltered the plump little hand of hi
, wife slipped into his own he clutched j
and went on again.
"One minute l saw her as neat ant
trim little figure as ever graced water
proof and shovel hat, and the next sh'
was gone"
"Gone!" cried Laura. "Gone where?'
| "Iuto the water child into the hungr.
green waves that surged up to take he
/ away from the fondest heart in the uni
| verse and if it had not been for one o
| those very vagabond boys, who had beer
lurking there for chance to escape from
the island, you would have lost us bot
nay dear for made an agonized plung
a after her, though am ashamed to say
cannot swim a stroke, and should Onl
e have gone to the bottom like plumme
4 of lead but an official standing by caugh
4 and held me, and cried out that Johnn
Waters. had her, safe as a trivet an
! presently that vagabond boy came u
n with your sweet mother on the other sid
a of the boat, and the officer cried out
i sHes a regular water-dog, that Johnn
e Watersr and these were the very word
a guest here used in relation to John
minute or so ago."
d 81 hn!" cried poor bewildered Laur
sour John, mamma? Was John the boy
i And is it John, our john, that saved poo
y Mr.. Stuyvesant ="
n "The very same darling John, ou
: John; he is always OH hand when ther
/ is any trouble OF danger"
c "Oh, mamma. mamma j." cried Laura
forgetting all the years that had passe
q since the accident, and Crumblipv bot