Litchfield enquirer., 1881-06-23

when deny It. Others don't. But every body seems to believe in some sort of connec-
 tion between myself and this lady, who calls herself......or rather is......a Mrs. SpryggYns.
 It is exceedingly awkward for me, because ......l may have in fact......there is no reason
 why should deny it......I have matrimonial | views elsewhere. 1t is net pleasant to pass either as married man living away from his wife......or as one who has lent his name l temporarily to 8 lady......Oh! yes. know about the lady. She is unfortunately per-
 son with whom it would be impossible to re- monstrate......a person of very violent behavior and deep cause of anxiety to her father, who | is certain well-known barrister of the name | of Bruce Blundell-"
 "What!" shouted Mir. Brasthwaite. The one word was like the sharp loud crack of a
 gun. And Mir. Spryggyns retreated step or | two quickly.
 ''Have you-have you been daring to speak | of Miss Blundell all this while, sir?" He glared at Mr. Sprpggyns as he spoke with
 Spryggyns instinctively glanced around him 1 for held. My dear sir......the Parade....
 people......"
 ''D-n the Parade and the people tool | How dare you mention that Iady's name In
 the way you have dOnel Do you know of whom you are talking, sir l-of a lady who
 is as likely to pass herself off as anybodys wife as l am to stand by calmly and hea. her accused of it 1 am that lady's guardian, sir
 --and her fathers friend-and by George sir, I'll pull every mans nose who dares SO much | as mention her pane above their breaths | Now then-be quick with your explanations, tor I'm not patient when I'm reused can | tell you, sir-what is the cause of this imper- | tinence of yours |. Do you know ?" | Mir. Spryggyns gasped, and was perhaps ] about to speak when two or three people h hOc chnH YFnfn fhn a. | leaps on to the bench, and made as quickly as
 they could for the water side
 "Now, then, stupids!" said Mir. Spryggyns | irritably. but more people came running
 up. From north, east and west-from out of
 shops, out Ot houses |. from out of hired l flies all coming to one place X hundred pairs of eyes had seen simultaneous | ly what MT. Brasthwaite and his bench cOtn- panions and MT. Spryggyns had been too ea- l gerly engaged in conversation to notice. A long way out at sea-lOng, that is, under
 the circumstances, little boat carrying far 1 too much sail had suddenly capsized Tn a sud- l den gust of wind and had tumbled an old
 man, woman and child into deep water. MT. Brasthwaite heard this from twenty
 voices as he flew down to the waters edge l and his boots were kicked off, his coat flung | off, and his waistcoat, before one could count | as many seconds. Nothing-not even a dog |
 was, however, Mir. Spryggyns was not very
 far behind him, though in the water the dis | tance wldened between them because of Mir. | Brasthwaite's long, powerful stroke. The crowd was useless one; mostly cam. posed of women and children. At that part
 of the Parade there were no boats, and conse. | Quently no bOatmen. The only swimmers
 that had been handy, as it were, had been Mir | Brasthwaite and Mir. Spryggyns boatman | had intn thp yuo flor oft h,,k | ing that both the others were strong swimmers | and far ahead already of him, he had cop,e back. One or two men had torn along the beach to the boats one or two for the life
 belts. The useless ones, as usual got in
 everyone's way and all talked at once In the midst of life Miss Blundel had been
 nearer death than the idle takers on the
 beach had perhaps imagined. She knew as
 much of swimming, as a means of preserving
 life in any sudden emergency, as is possible l to be learned during a course of six or seven
 founderings and splashings about swinI- ming bath, in convenient bathing dress. But when she found herself in the mighty grasp of the sea, with volume of water be- u1osi-, ~-os-A e-d s--sll;-.s Abe-e her, che 1 y remembered two thingsS one was to grasp | hold of her sister; the other, rot to struggle l The child unfortunately did struggle desper- ately in her terror. For once darling Bab's | voice was poweress. A wave of relentless | water came straight at them, slapped them full in the face, and when it had passed. Bab | and her darling were wide apart. Then she | lost heart and ruggled-struggled to reach ! her darling-not to save her, but to die with her. Then she went under water, and rose, | with such frantic clinging to life that she would still try to save herself if not the child also, l and she struck out feebly once more. But her
 strength was too small. Death came very near.....She felt the shadow of his wings u;J- on her......and there came into her head con- | fused thoughts of " those things which she had
 left undone, and those things which she ought
 no to have done...... But thou, O Lord......!" And then she heard voice along the sur- face of the water: 'Hold on! hold on! Don't | struggle....." How long indeed a time passed | between the sound of that voice and the feel | of the strong arm that grasped her and drag ged her back to life again, she knew not. But the remembered her little darling, and grasp. ed, ''Baby....go to baby"
 l Mir Brasthwaite, however, knew that Me. | Spryggyns had made as straight as he could l for the child, and the boat too. Once glance from any experienced eye could tell that the | tall strong swimmer, who had made for the lady, was able to manage his business single handed.
 "She's safe," said he spluttering, and now
 that he had heard Miss Blundells voice, and
 knew that life was in her, quite enjoying
 himself. Clean on my shoulder; don't be
 afraid. Let yourself go; we're all right new"
 'Good gracious! Itwas that Mrs. Spryg-
 gyms"
 "And that short dark man is her husband, and that the child"
 "No, no! The tall man is Spryggyns. The
 one that landed her."
 "One would think you were talking of a sal
 mon: Spryggyns is the one that saved tine
 child" ''1 tell you it isn't" 'I say it is'' Meanwhile those who did not content them- selves with mere looking on and talking. had conveyed the exhausted woman and child 10 ~the hotel opposite. At first there had been
 some hesitation. Hadn't the lady better be
 taken home at once? But thereupon Mr.
 Brasthwaite had rOared out few decided in-
 structions that admitted of no reply. lie well
 knew what must be the resources of such d
 home as Miss Blundell's present one. and
 moreover now that his hearts darling and her
 hearts darling were safe in his care and could
 n't help themselves, he did not feel at all dis.
 posed to let them go from it. He and Mir.
 Spryggyns soon put themselves into dry cloth-
 ing and were none the worse for their bath,
 and very much the better for certain hearty
 shake of the hands that said great deal.
 'Ill tell you frankly how it is,' said Mr.
 Brasthwaite. 1t was her fathers wish nearly
 as much as mine that should have a nearer
 and dearer right than that of guardian to pro-
 tect Miss Blundell and her sister,. but she
 was not of the same way of thinking. and I
 remained only her very sincere and devoted
 friend. Since then had the great unhap-
 piness to drop her little sister-that is more than two years ago-out of swing and it was at first feared that she would be a cripple f,r
 life. In the intensity of her grief Miss Bian-
 nell swore she would never willingly spcaK to
 me again. Tbis explanation will account to
 you for my great heat......a little while ago
 ......when.. ..... Well......we began our a.,- quaintance very violently, but I trust, Mir. Spryggyns, that we may be good friends for many years to conie......your conduct was SO generous. manly"
 II assure you, sir...s..I am very sorry to have appeared so intrusve......and 1 very