The Portland daily press., 1880-06-07
THE PRESS.
"A Peculiar Position. y
[CoNITUED FROM MoNDAY.l

conversation with the mistress; Dut seeing
Leslie enter, she began to gather up her
materials, saying as she did so:
"Well, Pll see what we can manage, Mrs.
Crew-something will turn up before long;
and meanwhile we must have patience and
wait. Good morning." and she walked
hastily out of the shop.
''Bless herr' said Mrs. Crew theoretically.
'sIf ever any one deserves the name of
Angel she does! God grant for us poor fish
folks sake, she may not be too much of an
angel to bide long in this world"
''She is so kind to you then?'
"Kind!-well, as | say, sir, she is an angel
There is no one like her on earth, | believe"
''You will miss her then, when she goes
away. How fortunate you are to have two
such friends as Miss Angel and Miss Celia.
You will still have her to help you"
tWel, sir,' said the woman in very diff
ferent voice, "she's civil enough, but she'd
not go out of her way to help a body; and
then-well, sir, she haven't saved my boys
life like the other did, else perhaps 1 might
feel different
"Saved your sons life! What! did Miss
Angel do that?"
''Indeed she did, sir, bless her! saved his
life from drowning. Tommy owes every
thing, his very life, to Miss Angel"
Leslie started up, his face burning with
shame.
Saved from drowning! No wonder she
spoke so earnestly about the duty of every
one learning to SWIM" The woman talked
on, but he didn't hear her as he stood turn
ing over every pencil and piece of indi-rub-
Der in the shop. 3}
At last, noticing his inattention, and sup
posing it to be from want of interest in her
Tommy's miraculous deiverance, she stopped
short in her story, and begged the gentle
mans pardon for being so free with her
tongue. She was sure he would be so kind
as to forgive her; she was widow, and this
was her only son, her only child, in fact.
Then Leslie reused himself; he wanted to
hear the story from the mothers own lips;
and Mrs. Crew, nothing 10th, began:
'You see, sir, Miss Angel was, as | was
telling you, walking as it were, on those
cliffs yonder, only it was really on those
nearer, nearest the bathing cove, and that
naughty boy of mine-he was little enough
then, sir, only five years old-he was seeking
gulls' nests in some crevice good way be-
low, low enough to prevent him hurting
himself greatly if it happened to be high wa
ter, and he fell right into the sea; and even
then, you see, sir, the child was bound to
drown, at least, so it appeared to me, not
knowing Miss Angel had learned him to
float a little, only so little he couldn't have
kept up for long, as you will see, sir. But
Miss Angel, she saw him fall and set off run
ming, quick as thought, the nearest path to
the sea. was owner of the bathing-m achine
that summer, and happened to be on the
spot at the time, but was so struck with hor-
roE that though tolerable swimmer
couldn't move hand or foot, but could only
Shrek like a distracted creature, and wait
for the end to see my pretty darling drown
before my eyes, when up runs Miss Angel,
painting for breath, but very determined
looking. Thank God Pm strongr she cried
as she pulled off her boots in less than a
second. The sea ran high that day, and it
needed a strong swimmer to fight against it;
but bless her, it wasn't Miss Angel who
wonld be daunted by the waves when there
was little child to be saved from them, so
in second she stood with all her cunlber-
some petticoats stripped off. Perhaps you
are shocked, sir, at such an action on the
part of a lady. Well, sir, you see my boy
would have drowned if she had stopped to
think what was the proper thing to do, so
she did the right thing, which is better; and
if you had seen her turn for one moment to
me while undressing, with her dear face all
bright and smiling as she cried, Never fear,
mother, God will give you your child again
you get a nice warm wrap ready for him,
against we come back and then, thinking,
perhaps of the crowd that would have gath
cred by that time to wait the result, and a
large.cloak for me, also.' If you had seen
her plunge III so fearlessly, knowing that
the good God would care for them-a woman
and child: seen the long struggle against the
fierce waves which had already sunk my
child twice before she could reach him, 1
think you would have felt as ready as We
did to kiss the beautiful white feet that
showed under the cloak as she walked, al
most fainting, into the nearest cottage"
Sand she saved himv' cried Leslie, eager
ly, xuite carried away by a deeper feeling
than mere admiration. -
SAY, saved him, did she, else / should
not be here to tell this tale. How she
did it none can tell, not even she, for she
knew little enough when she 1oated in shore
holding my little one safe, and just able to
whisper, Give God the thanks, mother, we
were in His hands,"
When Leslie left the shop he hurried up
the cliff walk, where he was certain to find
Angel sketching. He was longing to tell
her all that he felt; what he had discovered
during the last hour-that he loved her with
all his heart and mind, and that the greatest
wish he had now was to call her "wife''.
Of course he could not ask her yet, sthe
girl would think him mad; why,i they had
not seen each other three months ago! No.
he must wait, but in the meanwhile he
would try to make her love him, he would
show her how deeply he loved her; perhaps
he might even take Mrs. Treherne into his
confidence. Innocent Leslie!
He walked up to Angel, full of excite
ment. How scurious lit seemed to see
her sitting there so peacefully, when his
mind was in such a tumult.
She greeted him with such quiet gentle
ness that Leslie felt it impossible to sgeak of
the subject nearest his heart and they
talked for some time on Indifferent subjects
before he told her of his conversation with
Mrs. Crew; of how he regretted having
treated lightly subject so serious ia Angels
eyes; and of how intensely he admired the
courage of such deed.
Angel seemed little vexed when he be-
gan, but looked up with smile at the first
pause.
"Well; was it so very wonderful after all?'
Leslie replied to the effect that he thought
it was. !
81 wonder what you would have done I'M
der the circumstances" replied she, ''know-
ing you coald swim and that there was no
one else by who could save the child?'
"In a mans case 1t is different--a fellow
would be worse than brute to let child
drown before his eyes without trying to
help it; but for woman-it was grandly
plucky thing" And he looked at her as he
spoke, with such a depth of tenderness in
his eyes, that Angel dropped hers and an
swered in quite nervous manner:
'Don't overrate what / did. Mrs. Crew
is so grateful that she doubtless exaggerated
the circumstances of the case. And don't
think l am depreciating myself when say
that there was no pluck in the case-the ac-
ton was Involuntary"
Leslie felt almost jealous of the boy who
must have gained such large share of An
gels large heart; he felt longing to take
this little, brave soul in his arms and tell her
all he hoped and felt. The very thought
that before long perhaps he might daro savo
new tenderness TO voice and manner as he
answered, using her Christian name for the
first time quite unawares, "You don't know
all you have done for me, Angel; bless you
for it; some day hope"
sob, you faithless knightp' cried Celia's
shrill voice. 'Here have we been searching
the wide world over to find you, and you
promised to escort me to Moncton Mills and
be ready to start punctually at ten, and now
here it is past twelvev'
Leslie rose, greatly embarrassed.
GLOW can ask for forgiveness? had
forgotten"
Il don't mean to forgive you. You shall
be made to do penance by riding with me
every morning, sir! Angel shall not appro-
pirate you in this Manner was the playful