The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-16

SOHtIdSV u bue CiuSlef5 OIL WdNY bHONH HtlT
which fell on her neck and nestled above the
gentlest and healthiest of faces.
Every well, my dear Enid said mamma, a
big, resolute-looking lady; but pray be careful,
for the sea is high, and that horrid horn has
been going all the morning
Never fear, mamma dear said Miss Enid;
L can swim like n duck, you know. And she
tripped off down to the sands.
Il am not a masher. and it is not one of the
chief items in my holiday programme to SIT and
watch the girls bathing, especially when they
are attired as in England in those horrible blue
shrouds which we call bathing dresses; but |
confess that | crossed the jetty to watch the
movements of Miss Enid, because | had grown
suddenly interested in her. | watched her
across the sands and up the steps OF the ma
chine.
1T certainly was a rough sea, and very few
people were bathing-absolutely none were
swimming-and mechanically l descended to the
sands. Miss Enid did not go out as do most
young ladies-irst a toe, drawn back suddenly
with a shiver; then all the toes, likewise drawn
back, but not quite so rapidly; then by inches
the entire frame but the head. No; she
bounced out of the machine head first, like
a parti-colored ray of light, and in a moment was
striking out deity and strongly, now over a
wave, now under a wave, as if born to the man
ner OF 1t. Further and further and further she
went out, as if triumphing in the disturbance of
wave crest and floating spray; then the horn
DleW. Mamma on the shore was in an agony
ana screamed. Both she and the horn might
just as well have been silent, for the wind was
blowing shoreward, and the girl could evidently
hear nothing but the tumbling and the dashing
OF the waves. looked about for the usual man
in the boat; he was padding away calmly, a
hundred yards off. The horns blew and blew,
and a small crowd of urchins and isherwomen
assembled. Enid was getting further and fur
Their away, although she was striking hard for
the shore. The horn man had no rope where
with he might have gone out, and moreover, as
he was old enough to be a grandfather, would
have been of very little use had he done so:
mamma was screaming and crying, with the
water over her ankles, and Enid was evidently
fast losing strength. A scream from her deter
mined me.
II tore off my coat and waistcoast and
plunged in. l am a good swimmer; l remenber
a long battling with the waves, a graphing with
something heavy, but nothing more until found
myself lying on my stomach on the sand, a
crowd of people around me, and two men vigor-
ously engaged in pumping the water out of me
according to the rules prescribed by the Humane
Society.
"Tl r~evient! II revient!' were the first words
| heard. Where is che young ladyP were the
first words 1 uttered.
''Quite safe, sir; quite safe; thanks to you,'
was the answer. 4 don't know how to express
my thanks to you for your gallant conduct
'""Fhe speaker, of course, was Ends mamma;
So I murmured out a few c-ommonplaces about
only having done what any other fellow ,7ould
have done under similar circumstances, and SO
forth, and assoon as ] felt well enough made the
best Of my way home through the crowd.
GOT cor je this led to my making the ac-
quaintance of Enid and her mamma, whose
lame was Mountjoy; for, although l would will
ingly have escaped the prominence into which
my deed of momentary enthusiasm was sure to
bring me-, [ felt under an obligation to ask after
Miss Mountjoy, and, moreover, L was smltten
with her. So | dined with them at their hotel,
and went about with them as if they were ae-
quaintances of many years standing. l think
Mrs. Mountioy must have made some inquiries
about me before permitting this intercourse, for
H. ,u,- 49, g 80 -.@,I a.~kN -oNnnn who
do not even deem the saving of a daughters life
an excuse for STOPPING to gush and extra graft
tude, and l remember the smallest pereeptible
curl in her lips when my name was announced
as plain Jones. She was very severe on 'snObs'
and harmless holiday folk, and people who
dined early and who did not dress according to
the Partisan fashion sheets. She was brimfHl of
society and societys doings, and knew more
about dear duchesses' and charming lords
than any woman 1 ever met with who conde-
scended to spend a summer holiday at such a
plebeian watering place as Boulogne.
However, we got on very well together; |
was the more enchanted with Enid the more |
knew of her. and 1 fattered myself that my ar
dent devotion was not unreciprocated Still, |
had not pluck enough to make any serious ad-
vances, much less to put the all-important ques-
ton, althounh l had plenty of opportunities, as
Mrs. Mountjoy, being of a penderous physique.
was not given to much active exercise, and Enid
and I were left constantly alone.
Sat length the period of my holiday was
drawing 20 q clOSey ana L Ielb THAT IL bl6 Sbep was
to be taken it must be taken soon.
ENID had a hobby; she suffered from acros-
tics on the brain. Every week a pile of papers
arrived from England-soeiety papers, which
Mrs. Mountjoy devoured for their fashionable
news and Enid for their a~crostics, and her ex-
element every week as the list of correct solvers
appeared was amusing to me, who had hitherto
regarded acrostics as simple puzzles for young
folk.
but when I was introduced to the formidable
array of reference books, quotation books, gazet-
teers, geographical. photographed, and other
dictionaries, when | often found Enid, with a
severe frown, seated at a table Uttered with pa
pers, | hogan to think that, after all, there must
be something in them.
Zone evening, after dinner, she said:
oh, | would give anything to find out this
light! It's the last aerostie of the quarter, and
I'm already well up for a prize. and l do so want
to beat Mrs. Nuns and Nil Desperandum,'
who are old solvers, and are always winning
prizes. Do look at it, Mr.. Jones, and sec if you
can make anything out of it,
81 took up the paper and looked at the acros-
tic, as if it were a Telegu poem or a native edi-
ton of the Koran, and l read out
Ancient name Of English town
Something very near a crown
"rYou see,' said Enid, the sides are Radical
members, so that this light must begin with r
and end with NJ. I've done all the rest, but this
beats me-
II murmured the lines a score of times with n
profound air, but the more l thought the fur
Their l was from solving their meaning.
"a sudden idea struck me. Smith. the bore,
will be sure to know it. Ill write and ask him.
So l said in a low voice:
Miss Mountjoy, didn't you say you would
give anything to find this outF
p" Yes, that I would; anything in reason she
replied.
"'Then,' said 1, stealing her hand and a glance
at Mrs. Mountjoy, who was doing over the
World, suppose l ask you TOTO give me your
heart and handP
ENID blushed and said nothing: her hand was
actually in my possession, so would be her heart
if the bore sent me back a right answer.
Il stole away to my hotel and hastily scrib-
bled as follows:
my Dear Smith: You will think Tn resuming a
long.interPupted friendship for very interested reas-
ons. But can't help it; and when | tell you that my
future happiness depends on your answer, | am sure