Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-03-09

suddenly began to lose my air,
and was Mortified to see small piece
atthe rubber hose drop down from
before my eyes, and knew that
Bill had severed the pipe-but still
at that moment | remember think
ing that it must have been an acci-
dent, as Bill, even in anger, would
not take such mean advantage
over his adversary.
"Suffocation quickly followed,
but before entirely losing conscious
ness ! gave the signal to be drawn
to the surface, and then knew no
more until | found myself lying
upon the schooner's deck, with he'll
met off, and my head resting on
Bills knee, who was wiping the
blood and foam from my lips and
nostrils. He was dressed just as he
had been when going into the water,
barring the removal of the face
piece in his headgear.
"Nhen ! opened my eyes and look
ed around, | saw him wave the rest
of the chaps aside, and then he bent
down until the cold copper of his
helmet touched my cheek, as he
whispered: Thank God, Tom, you
are safe. But don't for the sake of
our friendship, say word of what's
happened to our shipmates. And,
oh, if you can, forgive me yourself.
Forgive him? Why, bless him,
I've loved him ever since that mo-
ment. And never from that day to
this has the affair been spoken of to
any one but ourselves"
How was it he cut your hose,
willing to take your life, yet still
did much to bring you to-" asked
the captain incredulously.
Bill was quick-tempered, and he
was in an awful rage. He would
not have hesitated to have thrust
his knife into my heart, albeit he
would have been sorry for it the
next instant; but cutting the pipe
was an accident, and when he saw
the terrible death with which | was
threatened, his anger disappeared
like the mist of the morning be.
fore the gentle sea-breeze. The
boys told me that when came to
the surface | was in Bills arms,
and it was his own hands which un-
locked the helmet from the collar
and gave me air. They also told
me that he would not stop to have
his weights unbuckled, nor his
head-piece' removed, but just knelt
down beside me, calling all the
while for me to open my eyes, just
as though ] had been Il brother"
How about the young woman
who was the cause of this trouble
What became Of herr" inquired the
captain, with much interest.
"Oh, Nancy? Poor girl" said
Tom. "Why, she didn't care moth
ing for either of us two fools. All
the time we were thinking we might
prevail upon her to cruise in our
company she had agreed to sign
articles with a young mate of All
East Indiaman. So when we found
that out, We both of us took jol
which lasted about two years down
lin Key West. But when We go,
back VIC heard that Nancy had been
a bride, mother, aud was then a
widow, the poor chap whom she
married having been lost at sea on
his very next voyage.
"Then we hunted her up, and
when we found her we adopted hel
| for our sister. We came out here
to Frisco, where business is better
than on the Atlantic coast, and she
came, too, and we've looked after
her ever since"
"Her child. Did it live?' inquir.
ed the captain, interestedly.
well reckon it did. Leastwise
it was alive a couple hours ago
when | saw it going over the raj
yonder with months pay in his
pocket to gladden. u mothers heart,
replied the old diver, with a quick
chucklc.
"What! DO you mean that Ned
dy, your tender, is Nancy's boy?'
"That's just about the size of it.
cap'n. And he's a boy that nc
woman need be ashamed of, either;
and if his mother will let the lad
follow the business into which he's
started-and that's what Bill has
gone mp to the house to find out
I'll wager my gear and dress that
within five years there won't be a
diver on the Pacific coast who will
dip deeper or work longer than the
same boy
But Nancy?" asked the captain
"Will she never marry -