Thomas County cat., 1890-10-30

"You must find your opportunity.
Scream as you fall, and then away ]
will 60. 1 shall be very near you all
the remainder of the day, but do not
notice me at all. You will be very
careful, so that no one may see that
the fall was premeditated And-there
goes .he first bell! Run Ethel! No one
must know we have been talking
And, Ethel, do not let that Lord"-but
she was gone.
slowly passed the day. Luncheon
was over two hours ago and the after
noon was slipping on. In the saloon
the tinkle of guitar mingled with
the sound of merriment and singing;
only scattered few were left on deck.
Watching the waters were Ethel and
the inevitable Lord Fenyll with his
inevitable eye glass. She could not get
rid of him, the miserable young man
was too infatuated to perceive her alb
straction.
Little by little she drew near to a
part of the boat where she might make
the dreaded plunge most easily.
Tom in shadow of sail, appeared
to be absorbed in a novel. No one not
even himself, know that the book was
upside down. Ethel stole a glance at
him. Will he be intime she wondered
in an agony of fear and anxiety. How
blue the water was-and how deep!
What if-but no. no! she would not
think of that. Now was the time she
decided feverishly.
"Is not that sail, Lord Fenyll?"
she asked.
"a SAIL In what direction Eagerly
ne took up his telescope. This was just
the opportunity she wanted, slowly he
swept the horizon with the glass.
"Why, yes" he says. see it quite
oh, Miss Van Zandt! Help. help"
With shrek of terror she had dis
appeared over the side; only one terrified
scream, bnt in an instant the deck was
filled with eager, frightened faces.
Lord Fenyn was rushing from one
end Of the place to the other, dragging
with him an immense coil of rope,
tangling up himself and every one else,
crying out the awful accident at the top
of his voice.
Mrs. Van Zandt and another lady
had tainted; the gayety had vanished;
all was confusion and haste.
Tom saw nothing of this. He was
in the water before the echo of her
voice had died away OH the startled air.
With firm and rapid strokes he beat
the waves, and his eyes were alert to
catch the first glimpse. The sun glared
into his face, but he did not find her.
His heart failed him. God! he could
not see her! Why did she not rise?
| ''Ethel!' he cried aloud in frenzy.
But what was that white specK yonder?
Could he reach it? A moment more,
with ebbing power, as the white face
came to the surface, he threw his arm
around the body. His strength all but
exhausted, he was taken with his life
less charge into the boat lowered to
meet him. The glad news was shouted
to the waiting yacht and willing help
was ready to greet the rescued and
reScuer.
The little figure in its clinging white
seemed devoid of life. The soft baby
curls around her forehead clustered
darkly golden; the large drops of water
slipped off one by one. till there were
little pools on the floor. Pale and pure
and still as death itself she was ah!
pitifully still. The red, laughing lips
were pallid now; the soft white hands
limp and inert.
"My girl, my little girl" moaned and
sobbed Mrs. Van Zandt, and while they
talked in undertones, and while tears
fell, they took her below, and tOiled for
hours to summon back the wavering
spirit.
Tom unhappy Tom-was the hero
of the hour. But he could not he quiet;
he could not wait i'll patience. Great
waves of remorse filled his breast, till
the drops stood out upon his forehead
and his lips whitened. The dull boom
of the sea seemed to roar in his ears: he
felt that lifeless body still laying passive |
in his arms. Never again to see her
smile, never again to hear her voice,
with its gentle, tender accent, never
ah, no. 1t could not be too late she |
must not die! Up and down, outside !
the door, he paced, listening to each
sound, wrestling with his misery, pray
Ing to God as he had never before. To
the excited groups, gathered here and
there, he paid no attention at all, nor,
indeed, did he even see them. Blind to
their curiosity, deaf to their whispered
words of wondering sympathy, needless
TO remOnStrate alone with himself he