The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1880-09-08

"He was 8 tall, handsome, distracted
looking man, OF middle agc, land gentle,
man every inch of him, by his walk and
bearing, in spite of the miserable, i'll
fitting old bathing costume they had
palmed off on him.
"He seemed to be unaware Of tn
presence of any other bather on this
particular rope, for the lady was pretty
far out, with her back turned toward
him, and it was a question whether he
could have made out her features in any
event, ust then, they were so over
Swallowed by the overhanging coal
scuttle bat, which every now and ther
the white-caps toppled over, making
her look like a mermaid in the waves.
"The little girl, tn Tough, who was
still playing near ut hand, attracted his
momentary attention rs he was about
entering the water, and / thought l saw
him give a painful start and muttel
somethingt to himselfupon observing her,
as though she might have suggested
some troubled recollection or resem-
blance of the past.
"That was all, though. Then he
went into the sea, making his. way
steadily out along the rope toward the
lady, with that frm-feoted case Of an
experienced bather.
"A vague Notwithstanding
cannot exactly defne-caused ME to
keep my eyes riveted upon the group
composed of the two on the rope and
the swimmer beyond, who was slowly
but surely making his way to within
wading distance of the beach.
II hardly think that the last conner
the absent-minded gentleman was
well aware of the lady's proximity until
he was within a few feet of her. Sud.
denly, however, he made the discovery,
and I saw him start back, as though to
place a greater distance between them,
perhaps out of q ~gentlemanly regard for
her sense of modesty.
"He must have uttered an exclama-
ton as he did so, for simultaneously
the lady turned toward him, her head
and bosom rising gracefully over a
smooth incoming swell, while just then
her hat blew of, leaving her handsome
face and pretty blonde head exposed to
view.
"a wild cry of recognition burst from
the lips of both at one breath.
"'Henryn she screamed.
"'Louisa! he cried.
"And then the rolling water bore
them together, and they were locked in
each others arms.
cat this instant another cry, hoarse
and terrible-that of the swimmer, who
had regained the rope, and was strug-
Cling toward the pair, with fury and
hatred in his dark face-rang out above
the tumult of the waters. Oaths and
curses were mingled with his shouts.
He came swinging along upon a tall
waves crest, and as the three came to-
gether with a sort Of shock, / saw him
grasp the woman's shoulder with one
hand, and with the other strike her new
companion q blow that sent him stag
2ering back, though he managed to re-
cover the rope in time to keep his feet.
"sOh, let me 20. He is my husband
my dear husband! screamed the
woman, struggling vainly with the
swimmer, who was dragging her furi-
ously out into the deep water, while the
man Who had been struck was courage
ously endeavoring to reach her again.
"'Never! curse youn roared out her
captor. You shall be mine, Or deaths!
III drown you before his eyes, sooner
than let you return to him.
"'Help! helpr screamed the woman
he will drown mel
"And then they all came together
again by the action Of the waters, the
woman shrieking, the men striking des
perately It each other over her head and
through the spray, and, as they had ali
lost hold of the rope, I knew that it was
but a question of tins for them to be
caught in the in1uer ce of the fatal I'M
dertow.
"'Follow me with the catamaran,
Enochn I shouted to my assistant, who
CHANGED, most fortunately, to be neal
at hand.
"And then, with my big life-preservcl
over my shoulder, aud old Zip here al
my heels. I dashed into the sea
In spite Of my experience in running
out, watching for chances with the
back tow, and the like, the three strug
clers were considerably beyond tneil
depth, and the woman almost gone, by
the time 1 reached them.
LEU ~ vi (l1S Oult i SllOuGSu
with an oath, to the swimmer, who was
still endeavoring desperately to DRAG
her from the others grasp and out to
sea.
His only reply being q torrent OIL
curses, l struck him with all my force
between The eyes, which caused him to
lose his grasp and drift a little to wind.
ward.
Then, seeing the other man was un-
able to swim, / tossed him the life.
preserver, with q few words as to the
best method Of using it, and then took
hold of the lady, whom, with lips as.
sistancc, I easily managed to keep aaoat,
the intelligent dog Selling, her short
bathing. skirt upon n side: while
supported her elbow on the other.
The skeleton lite-raft, or catamaran,
as we sometimes call it, came up soon
afterward, and 1 presently had them
both on board, with Enoch at the oars
and headed in shore.
- have never known whether the
other man drowned himself intention.
ally, or, exhausted by the previous
efforts, he found himself unable to cope
with the undertow that must have
caught him in its embrace soon after ]
compelled him to loosen his hold upor
the lady's arm. At any rate, be was
certainly drowned, ard his body was
never recovered.
"Thc last l saw of bis ugly head wa:
far to windward, when his dark fac'
was turned glaringly toward us for
single instant, only to sink into a deeI
water-trough, and to be seen 40 more
We'll, that is pretty much the end of m,
adventure, Sir. The lady and gentle
man reached the shore, but little tn
worse for their ducking, and shortl,
afterward left the hotel together, &C
companied by the little girl. Hello
wasn't that some one crying outP"
"But stop! What about the sequel
the explanation" l cried, as be Wa
moving away.
Just then, however, an unmistakabl
cry Of fright came from somewher
among the bathers in the surf, and m
narrator, the beach patrolman, with hi
faithful dog at his heels, fsprang ava
J to the rescue.
-FAH