Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1889-06-28

In his progress. In minute he stood on
the spot from which his child had fallen,
and realized with thrill of hopeless hor-
ror that the water below him was full
twenty feet in depth. To attempt rescue
was to 90 to certain death, for he could
not swim yard but at the very instant
when this horror attacked him he caught
q fash of something white in the water,
and realized the fact that Paul Jones was
there, swimming at prodigiOus pace to-
wards the spot where Lila had fallen.
The painter had thrown off his coat in
running and the flash of white came from
his shirt-sleeves. He swan like seal or
an otter, for he had many a time spent the
third part of long summer day mile or
two out from the cliffs of his native place,
wallowing in the waves of the salt Allan
tic, and was almost as much at home in
the water as upon the land. The wretched
father, wringing his hands together. stood
helplessly to watch. Lila had sunk, and
his agOnized gaze sought her III vain; but
Paul Jones knew her whereabouts, and,
arriving Just rs she came to the surface,
put one mighty arm about her, and held
her there in safety. He looked up at Med
hurst and sang out cheerily-
"She's all I'ght, old man! It's nothing
more than a ducking. Don't be fright
ened, darling; you're all right now. No
danger. Nothing but dipand out again"
He rolled over like some monster native
to the deep, and swan in shore, bearing
his light burden easily. AS he waded to
the land, he took the child in both arms,
and saw that she had tainted from the
shock of fear.
Come on to the hotel" he beloved to
Medhurst. There no harm done. She'll
be all right in half an hourI'
He ran to where he had left his jacket
on the beach, and, folding it tightly about
the child, he raced off towards the hotel
with her, leaving a shining track of moist
ure behind him as he went. The million
aire and DR.. Morris, who had arri we'd in
time to witness the rescue, hurried after
him; and Medhurst, climbing back to the
footway in wild excitement, shot past them
at racing speed in pursuit of the painter
and his burden. They arrived at the hotel
almost together.
she's all right, the little darling" said
Paul, as Medhurst came up painting
Look ut her. There's them pretty little
viOlets opening again, and the roses com
ing back. Scared, wasn't you, prettyf
No wonder neither. Send one of the wO-
men-folk up" he added to Medhurst, ito
get these wet things off her I'll carry her
up to my own room"
The house was in hustle for n moment.
but it was soon over Five minutes later
Medhurst was seated by the artists bed,
and the child, warm and dry, and safe and
sound, was lying in it beside him. He
STRANGELY ynnVa1 falt hot
he had tried to speak he must needs have
broken into tears. Somebody had carried
out PAM = pOrtmanteaU, ana the young
fellow, when he had changed his garments,
In another room. came and raped gently
at the door of his own chamber. Med
hurst, rising TO open the door. took him bv
the hand and wrung it hard, without say
ing word.
IAN right, old man." said Paul, himself
more moved by the sight of the fathers
emotion than he cared to show. How
are we nowf Nice and warm2 That's
children rs a general rule Captain; but 1
don't think little drop of port with hot
water and, maybe, just half an hours nap
after it. would do any harm in this case.
Shall send it up?"
Medhurst, not yet able to trust himself
to speak, nodded in assent, and Paul slip
ped away.
"a gallant rescue, sir" said the old doc
tor, warmly, as the painter appeared upon
the stairs Paul gave his order before re-
plying, and the old gentleman repeated
his eucomium, and was even so far carried
from that repose which stamps the high
bred BOstOnian as to pat the young Her
cules on the back.
well, no." said Paul; sit don't take
much gallantry to swim fifty yards and
back in smooth water"
1T was most providcntial thing" said
Paul, the millionaire, that strong
swimmer happened to be so near at hand"
81 am with you, sir" Paul, the painter,
answered, That's another pair of shoes.
That poor fathers in a state!'
The recollection of Medhurst's emotion
was too much for him, and he had either
to be silent or to break down. He chose
to be silent. and the doctor insisted upon
ordering bottle of wine and made him
partake of it, though he laughed at the
precaution.
Medhurst administered the port negus
by the spoonful with some confused recol-
lection of the danger of taking nourish-
mcnt too rapidly after long period of
hunger Every now and again he set the
glass down to kiss the child, and alto
getber he experienced more emotion and
became aware of tenderer affection than
any man who had known him would have
given him credit for. When all the negus
was consumed, he closeed the jalousies at
the window, and drew the curtains
TRY to so to sleep for little while, my
darling" he whispered, "and you will
wake up quite strong and we'll"
He took hf seat by The bedside again,
and, waiting there in the darkness, was
struck upon a sudden by one curious and
unpleasant thought. This same Paul
Jones, who was not millionaire had
saved his child's life, and he had won a
hundred and twenty pounds from him,
which the young man could ill. indeed,
afford to lose. The Major had lost every
thing. There was pretty heavy bill to
meet at the hotel Without that hundred
and twenty pounds. the firm would be
very near poverty again, and yet it began
to look base To keep il. 1t was, of course,
impossible to return it openly.
Captain Medhurst had certain natural
qualifications which would have allowed
him TO shine rs a card conjuror, if he had
cared for the sort of fame which is to be
earned in That direction. He preferred to
employ his cultivated gift in coaxing For
tune, whose proverbial fickleness of regard
grows stable when she is courted after a
certain manner. Vulgarly. to interfere
with chance in a game of chance is said to
be 10 cheat; and people who cheat ut cards
are held up to universal appreciation. even
by other people who cheat at cards and
have not yet been detected The only plea
on which Medhurst could surrender the
money was that he had won it unfairly
an altogether impossible confession Med
hurst was not very delicate man: but
everybody has his limitation, whether in
the way of virtue or its opposite; and he
did not like TO rob poor people Against
the wealthy his method of war had a GER
tain aspect of fairness. If a rich man
risked u little money which was Of no
great value to him, Medhurst risked a
reputation, without which he was doubly
and trebly ruined. The intellectual ways
of most people are full of crookedness. and
to think straight is one of the rarest OF
human gifts. But when mans morals
have gone crooked, and his intellectual
part gives itself over to the task of r~aviuC
tina; they keep the just right line of recti-
tude, the SinuOSitieS of the mental way
grow curious indeed.
He thought of sending Paul the money
anonymously, and could find no means of
doing it which would quite divert sus-
plciou from himself He would be SEEM
ing TO pay the painter for the child's life,
and that did not look like a chivalrous