Smyrna times., 1881-07-27
Fanny and I.

L
had revenged myself by flirting with Net
tie Brown. So we had parted. You may
smile, but it was rather serious to me at
times. We had given back rings and locks
of hair-mine was red-and letters. and
we passed each other in the street without
a glance, and somebody told me she was
engaged to Fitz Poodle | don't know
what they told her, but her little face was
two inches longer than it used to be.
Make up? No, indeed; we never were
going to make up-never! There could
be no reconciliation for us-of that l was
sure. l wrote piece of poetry and called
it . Parted Forever" and sent it to the
paper. The editor declined it with thanks.
1t was touching thing, though, l feel
sure, and l shed tears over it.
Of course when happened to meet her
| felt the iron pierce my soul; and when
l didn't meet her for long time l was
still more wretched. At last, one day.
stepped upon crowded Brooklyn ferry
boat, and trod upon some ones dress.
apOlOgized; she turned; it was Fanny.
| gave her an awful look. She gave me
another. Then ] stared at nothing. and
the boat started, and the great train of
foam followed us, and the big towers of
the bridge-tO-be loOmed up before us, and
the passengers pushed and poked each
other, and the woman with the market
basket with sausageapd I.imburger cheese
in it, stood back to back with Fanny, and
the infant with the molases candy took
hold of my coat sleeve with it's sticky
hand, while its mother instructed it that
it wasn't pa, and the horses attached to
the wagons stamped about, and | was
within an inch of Fanny-Fanny whom l
used to kiss as much as liked-and dared
not touch her; and thought of plunging
overheard and dying before her eyes
when crash, crash, crash The most awful
noise, the most horrible ringing, changing
sound ringing in our ears, and every
woman on board screamed, and every man
said words not in the catechism, and some
one called out, "The boiler is burst and
we're all going to the bottomr' And /
what | had cried out was Fanny" anC
what she had screamed out was "Willr =
and now had her in my arms. helC
her close and said: "Oh, Fanny, Fanny =
and she sobbed, "Oh, Will, WHIP
"Oh, forgive me, Fanny" said, "W,
cannot die angry with each other"
"Oh, forgive me, WILL" said she, cit il
all my fault"
"Oh, no." said !, lit was all mine bu
we die together, darling. Better die thai
live apart"
"Oh, no" said she, mot now; we mus
not die now; we must live for each other
Oh, save me, try to save me-try to saw
mew
9 will" said, II will try to swim
Fanny-Ill get life preserver."
dragged her toward the spot where tn
life preservers were kept and handed on
down. | did not notice what the othC
people were doing-I did not care. l fas
tened the preserver about Fanny, and pp
, another about my own body and took he
i'll my arms, In Il moment more / shoul
6 have jumped overheard with her, br
, some one caught my coat tails.
, Stop" said voice. 81 say, are va
going crazy? There is nothing the matte
The boiler isn't bust. That noise Wa
! only lot of iron bars and rails split OIL
of wagon over there. It skeeped mol
of us, but we have all come to ourselv,
but YOU"
So they had, and most of them stoc
= grinning at us, and Fanny grew as red
8 a rose as I embarrassed her. and the
took off my own life saving jacket.
! We had quite restored the spirits of Il
company, especially of the lady with Il
= Limburger in the basket, who evident
thought us the greatest joke of the seaso
:, But what did it matter2 We owed t,
: much to that foolish fright to mind beil
laughed at; as tucked the dear girls ar
!; under mine at the dock felt happier tn;
king. A man was driving slowly befo
us with a load of iron bars on wagon.
"Were you the man that scared us
on the boat just now?"
: Yes but it is none of your business
said he.
gave him five dollars on the spot, al
: | suppose he thought I was crazy. /
:: did not know what he had done for us.