Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1890-05-22


None of us know how we should act
in such n desperate moment. Mary
never thought of the danger to her
self, of the lonely shore and the wide
ocean, and only the stars looked
down upon that death struggle.
She only saw that n woman was
drowning, and she rushed in after
her, rushed in madlv, and, just as a
wave OF the incoming tide carried the
floating form nearer her, she seized
the suicide by the dress and shouted
for help, and dragged with all her
might, struggling tiercely to keep her
own feet to the ground and her own
head above the waves.
1t all seemed the work of a moment,
and then she was on the shore-One
desperate tug, and she and the sui
eide lay together side by side on the
beach.
She heard the sound of voices-she
saw two men leaning over her, she
heard Il shout, and she knew no more
until she opened her eyes and found
herself in strange room.
"Where am II" she said. '.~3.>
A kind voice answered her: 's~
"You are all right"
She looked up and recognized the
doctor she had been to fetch ON the
previous night.
"Oh, DEAR" she said, ''however did
l come here? Let RE go home.
They'll be wondering what has be-
come Of me.
Then she remem bered something
OF what had happened. "The young
lady," she said, was she drowned.
"No." said the doctor, "you saved
her, but you mustn't talk any more
yet awhile. You shall know all
about it presently"
Flows missus?"
CAS- well as can be expected, and
SOS the baby"
"That's all right said Mary, with
a deep sigh, and then the wicked
girl closed her eyes and dropped off
to sleep again.
When Mary had quite recovered
from the excitement and terror OF
the nights adventure and was able
to get up, the doctor told her all
about it.
The young lady she had seen com.
ing out of his house was a young
lady patient who had been staying
with him and his wife for the benefit
of her health. She had had a love
disappointment and had given way
to mclancholia.
The night that the doctor was call
ed out the young lady was awakened
by theringing OF the bell. The nurse
who had been suffering from neu
ralgia, had taken an opiate to make
her sleep, and the young lady must
have opened the door and crept dow,
stairs noiselessly in her night dress
and walked on into the street.
Then she saw the sea. and the idea
of suicide came into her poor, wan
dering mind.
But tor Mary's lost latch key hav
ing brought her back to the spot, tn
young lady's body would probabl
have been found the next day on tn
! beach, or perhaps picked up at sea.
When Mary got back to Prospec
Mansion, missus, of course, was u
} stairs in bed, but cook received he
r and tossed her head, and said it wa
nice thing for respectable servan
;. gals to go a-roaming the street a
= night and jumping into the sea, an
= she never heard OF such things"
Q She wanted to call Mary II "wicke
e gall" but she didn't quite see how
Z do it.
Mr.. Perkins seemed very much W
o set, and looked more scared an
r dazed than usual. The affair ha
Q made a great deal Of commotion i
Hastings, and people called at tn
l. house to make inquiries about j
1t had got into the papers. too, an
d this Mr.. Perkins, on his wife's behal
4 resented.
Mary went about her work 6
}, though nothing had happened. SIM
ly grateful that she hadn't been di
l. charged tor her carelessness in losin
q the latch key and her wickedness
e rescuing young women from the ocea
instead OF hurrying home to wait @
l. her missus.
It But instead of being punished fl
d her wickedness she was rewarded.
q few days after she had resumed HI
d domestic duties, and just as she We
le settling down into her old wicke
a habits ofleaving the bucket on tt
stairs and the dustpan on the dra,
ing-room sofa, and answering tn
- front door with a dirty apron O.
and stopping the gravy from Il
e, joint on the stair carpet, the doctt
d arrived with an old gentleman ar
requested to see Mary Jones.
IL Mary came up into the hall, coo
g listened ut the top OF the kitch'
lie stairs, the missus had the bedroo
I'll door wide open to catch what q
could, and master hung SO far ov
1T the banisters on tho drawing roo
floor that he was in imminent dang
ne once or twice OF falling bodily in
the hall below.
in And this is what they heard: tt
L