Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-10-18


had been engaged on his account At
last Joe remarked, looking fondly at his
wife: I'D be the happiest fellow in the
world if Phil could be happy, too.
His wife shook his arm impatiently.
''See here, Joe" she said, 81 think
you are absurd about Phil Somers, and
you may as well understand, once for
all, that if this thing falls through, I'm
not going to bother about his marrying
at all. It's none of your business or
mine. l don't believe he wants to
marry, anyway. Some natures are SO
constituted that they can only love once,
| and believe all the love Phil had to give
any one was squandered long ago on
our dear little Dridemaid After all.
there's something very sweet and touch
ing in his remaining faithful to the one
memory all these years.
Joe shifted uneasily from one foot to
the other He picked up a stone, and
sent it savagely whirring over the water.
Polly" he said, 81 think III take a
plunge in the sea; it will tone me up,
and give me an appetite for dinner.
There's bathing suitin one of the little
cribs behind us.
''Look at that big black cloud, joe
81 won't stay in long, Polly" He
gave his wife a tender squeeze, looked
down upon her with an expression that
seemed to say he'd kiss her if it wouldn't
shock Miss Mortimer's sense of pro-
priety, ran up to the bathing house, and,
to the surprise of Phil and Miss Morti-
mer, presently disappeared in huge
green wave that covered them with its
! spray.
Joe is a regular water-dog," said
Phil.
Miss Mortimer made no reply. She
! had not come down to the sea-shOre
that day to listen to laudations of Joe
Barrett and his wife. Miss Mortimer
felt that she had no time to lose, and
was resolved to waste no words upon
| Joe Barrett's maritime prOcliVities.
Phil, however kept his eyes upon Joe
as he swan out to the open sea, and
went on talking about him without re-
! curing any special reply.
Joe is a little impulsive and reckless,
perhaps" said Phil, ''but he's a capital
swimmer"
cit is growing cold,'' said Miss Nor
timer, contracting her shoulders in that
graceful way that some women have of
making even SILVER attractive.
Phil remembered with remorse that
|
his arm. He FASTENED to put it about
her shoulders, but the wind, which was
rising to gale, made the effort pro-
longed one.
''Don, you hate the wind?' said Miss
Mortimer, coquettishly.
II am never ungrateful,'' said Phil,
capturing the ends of the shawl again,
and holding them fast this time about
| Aov. 11o A 80 -,
cipent triumph flashed from Miss Nor
timers eyes. Pills words always
seemed to mean so much more then they
said. And she could not, unfortunately,
see that his ewes were still looking fixed
over her head upon the water beyond
the surf.
A shaft or two of wild light flashed
! down the scene. An ominous rumble
from the clouds mingled with the roar
of the sea. Suddenly the earth and sky
were enveloped in a binding glare. In
this spectral light Phil distinctly saw
Joe Barrett fling his arms wildly aloft,
and disappear in the darkenlng waste.
Phil threw off his shoes and his coat
as he ran to the sea, and Miss Mortimer
had great difficulty in rescuing his vest,
which was nearly carried out by re-
turning wave. Her costume was
drenched with the spray, and she nearly
lost her footing; but she saved the waist
coat, which contained Pills watch and
other valuables. Then she hurried to
the shelter of the bathing-hOuses, for
the rain now began to fall heavily.
Through the blackness of the storm she
saw the white face of woman. Miss
Mortimer knew it was Mr.. Barrett run
ming wildly down to the water, but she
attempted no remOnstrance. She had
made up her mind that of the party OF
four that went down to the sea that day
two would probably never return, per
haps three. 1t was impossible to say
what might happen where such impul-
sive people were concerned.
Some men from the inn were now
hurrying to the scene of peril, and find
ing it impossible to induce Mrs. Barrett
to seek shelter, had thrown about her q
rough tarpaulin, from the harsh folds OF
which her haggard face and wind-blowp
hair was q sorry sight to see.
The two bodies were now coming in
atop of the foaming surf, with no help OF
hindrance of their own, and closely
locked together, were swept swiftly
ashore with other prey of the elements.
They were narrowly rescued from the
greedy NAV Of the returning wave, and
carried with all speed to the little inn,
where everything was in readiness to
restore consciousness to the one, and fOs-
ter it in the other
The storm passed away as suddenly as
it came. The pale glow of twilight
deepened into night. There was no
moon, but the stars shone over the bay
and the harbor and the dusky little prom
ontory. To look at the gentle ripples
of waves, tapping lazily along upon the
lieve that so little time ago two men had
been done almost to their death. He
could scarcely stagger ont into the
wooden porch of the inn to breathe the
cold sea-scented air And as for Joe,
God only knew what would befall him.
He had been brought back to life, but
not to consciousness. Polly had man