The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1891-08-22

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The man reused himself with a I,iliIo e:
smile and the boy made hurried moose
of the rope and cast it down. The
father steadied himself and at length
got the moose over the child's head anc
around it's body. Then he kissed he1
and said, faltering]y; 'FIdontl1 know who
We are, little thing, an I ant made
out a, word we've said, but we've saved
me SO far, and mebby if we get o'1te1
here yell keep me saved from something
worse than this. Goodbye
Then grasping the rope tightly Paul
began to pull and the child swung
away from the man and hung over the
p;unging waters with wide, terrified
eyes. Slowly he drew her up, and the
man watched until she was safe on the
ledge; then he said: sNow, son, I'll see
what good I ami and he began strug-
CLING to get upon the end of the leaning
column.
Again and again he essayed it: he
was SO numb he could scarcely move.
The boy watched him, with every
muscle rigid from sympathy. The
action seemed to warn and freshen the
man, and at last he got upon the pillar s
end and sat still, with his forehead rest
ing against the cool wall before him
Now, my son." he said, when he had
gotten his breath, take all the time ye
need for gettin' the little thing onto dry
ground. I'll be a-restin' while y're gone.
Don't hurry, I'll be- a~restin', Keep the
rope round the child, an if she fails
nebby We ken save her again. I'd
rather ye'd save her than me. Good
by5''
Slowly and warily the boy picked his
way through the curling mist, guiding,
lifting, leading the frightened child
along the dizzy path. At last they came
down and out upon the beaten sand,
child's quivering form he heard a cry,
and looking up saw his mother coming
down the rain-gullied bluff, with the
gray light OF dawn breaking over the
edge of the cliff behind her.
s'Oh, mother, he's come! Fathers
comet" cried the boy. ''He's just
round yander! I'll bring him in a min
ute!"
The woman's haggard face lit up as
she ran forward to meet him. When
she saw the child she stopped short.
''Why---why, where did that little thing
come from?' she asked.
! ''I don't know, mother. Father said
she'd been holding him round the neck
an lSeepin' him from drowndin'," said
Gl,e, boy, and he looked at the shivering
zyaif with something like awe.
The child sat still on the rock where
Paul had placed her, and looked from
one face to the other. Her clothes were
tiue and thin, but torn and wet, and her
tangled curls chung about her thin neck
like yellow silk. Her blue eyes were
very appealing, and the woman dropped
down on her knees beside the child with
great pang Of pity at her heart.
ooh, you poor, drowned, starvin' lit
tie thing!'' she said, whats become Of
your mammy?" The child gazed at her
wonderingly moment, and 1nurmured
something in d foreign tongue.
''Mercy.' exclaimed the woman. sit
cant speak English; it's a foreigner
and she put her faded shawl about it
onapassionately.
Suddenly the boy started up. Tim
goin' now, mother" he said. I'm go
In after father!'' and before the woman
could comprehend he snatclled the rope
and ran up in the spray and was swal-
lowed from her sight The act appalled,
her, and she sprang screaming after
him, but she slipped Oh the wet rocks and
the p1unging surges beat her back. To
her mother heart it was much as it he
had passed into billowing fire. The mo-
ments seemed interminable; would he
never come back from that battering,
pounding gulf Of foam and noise?
A half hour Of terror went by; then
suddenly he burst out Of the wreathing
spray above her, with cry much as it
he had opened eyes in Heaven. Behind
him came his father. dropping and stag
gering forward, and husband and wife
fell into each others arms, and stood
swaying and sobbing on the sand. while
Paul crept away, sick and broken, and
CRYING to himself.
All! he had been through great peril;
he had done noble deed; he had
brought back his self respect; but had
not the old lowering darkness come
along with it?
When Trave Arznor, following his
wife, bent his tall, sham bling form and