Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1881-12-16
THE APPRENTICE's LEAP.
BY DON JEEARDo.

lying in the midst like broad sheet OF
gold, save where it was fecked by the
dark shadow of London Bridge, then a
regular street, with houses along each
side of it.
lust above the middle arch rose a
house larger than the rest-that of Sir
William Hewet, cloth worker and Bur-
CESS of the city of London. The sun
set made a glory upon the windows OF
the old mansion, and lighted up the
balcony, on which Sir Williams baby
daughter was growing and clapping her
tiny hands with glee at the sight of 1t,
and stole into the work room, where the
youngest apprentice, Edward Osborne,
was beguiling his task by singing the
ballad of "Brave Lord Willoughby," :"
which was as popular in that age as
"Glory Hallelujah'' is in this.
"Ah, if could but have the chance
of doing such deed as that! murmur-
ed the boy as he ended.
"Well, well, my brave lad," answer
the CHEEKY voice ofold Sir William, who
had entered the room unperceived,
YOU'RE on the right road to it by being
dilegent at your work. Keep to that
meanwhile, and never fear but the
chance of doing great deeds will come
all in good time"
Little did either speaker or hearer
guess how soon and in what way those
words were to come true Scarcely
had the old Knight left the room when
the boy was startled by a sudden shrek
from the balcony overhead. and by
something white flashing past the VIM
dow into the depth below. Sir Will
liam Hewett's only child had leaped out
other nurses arms and had fallen head
long into the water.
The faint splash was instantly answer
ed by much louder one, and the dis
tracted household, as they rushed in a
body to the fatal balcony, saw Edward
Osborne's curley head far down the
shining stream, shooting straight as an
arrow toward the tiny white speck that
foated a little way beyond him.
"He has herr
"Now
"Yesr'
mo, he's gone past. Stay! he's turn.
ing again"
"Hurrah. he's got her at last. Thank
God"
The anxious fathers strainlns eyes
were already too DIM to see anything
clearly; but the joyous shout ofhis keen
eyed sering-men told him that all was
well, and in another moment he was
hurrying toward the scene of action as
fast as his feet could carry him.
But the peril was not over yet. Good
swimmer as he was, the furious swirl of
the current, together with the weight of
his own wet clothes and those of the
child, was fearful odds against the brave
apprentice. Twice his head dipped
below the surface and all seemed over;
but he still held the rescued infant
above the water with one hand, while
struggling for life with the other.
Courage, my hearty" said a hoarse
voice beside him. "Hold up just an
other minute and all's well.''
AT the same moment boat pulled
by two sturdy watermen, who had put
off from the shore on the first alarm,
came sweeping up to the sinking boy.
A strong hand caught the child from his
failing grasp, while in another instant
he was seized and dragged into the
boat after her, just as the last remnant
of his oyer .tasked strength gave way
"Get her head round, Tom," said
one of the 'boatmen to his comrade,
'and pull with will, for that's the
father running this way or
I'm much mistaken"
Scarcely had the boat touched the
wharf on her return, when old Hewett
prang into her like a madman, and
hiding his child unhurt, flung his arms
round the neck of the half drowned :
pprentice.
"God bless thee, my son - cried he
''Let them never call thee
boy again, for few men would hayo
ared so much"
"Let them call him Aero," said I
oice from behind. n
The boy looked up with a start. Be. :
de him stood the handsomest man he
ld ever seen, in rich court dress
oking down upon him with grave, \,
ndly eyes. 1t was Sir Walter Raleigh, y
mous even then as one of the great in
It men whom England..had ever pro- a' a,
iced but destined to become more SC