Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-08-04

that I'd marry him myself, and 1 hats
him."
The next day she went in bathing Just
as every one else was going out. Murray
stood on the end of the pier and watched
her dive of. She was an expert SWIM
mer. She swan straight out from the
shore, and when she was forty OF fifty
yards from the end Of the pier she turned
over ON her back and hoated like nymph.
Murray started to walk away. She threw
up her arms, uttered a scream and went
down. OF course Murray bit. He wasn't
going to stand by and see her drown. He
must have cleared twenty feet in his fly
ing dive OF the pier. He was at her side
in few seconds.
'I'm all right now" she said, painting.
cit was just amomentary cramp."
you're not all right, and you're COM
ing ashore with me. Float"
She fioated, and with one arm under
her he swan toward the pier with her.
"What made you jump in after met"
she said.
''Do you think I'd see anything hap
pen to you while the breath of life was in
my nostrils2"
A great thrill of Joy swept through
Florence. 1t was the first time great
thrill of Joy had been caused in her by a
man since the era of the tall, handsome,
strong, ct cetera. She did not like it, on
second thoughts. 1t frightened her. She
escaped from him as soon as possible
when she reached the shore That night
Mrs. Chasby Soden played her right
bower. She watched till she saw Flor
ence sitting on the veranda just outside
window. Then she went up to one of
the old Mons, who was sitting Just in
side the same window, and said
"Do you know, really believe that
Jarvis has just proposed to Nellie9 I
saw them in corner and he was holding
her hand and talking passionately to her.
l stole away, and they didn't see me-"
Florence did not know just how she
got out of her chair, but she was some
distance away from that window when
she recovered her self-control. Then
she stood still and clasped her hands.
Great Heaven Why did she feel that
way2 What difference did it make to
her whether Jarvis Murray proposed to
Nellie Soden or not9 At that moment
the miscreant came to her.
1--WE been looking for you," he said.
81 don't believe you!" she answered.
He calmly took possession of her arm
| and walked away with it. She tried tc
free herself.
"Don't be ridiculous" he said.
az won't stand itw she exclaimed.
''You are insufferably impudent. You
treat me as if were your poperty."
"After pulling you out of the water
feel sort of personal interest in you"
"You did not pull me out of the
water" she answered, losing her mental
balance. "There was not anything the
matter at ALL"
He stopped short and looked her in
the eyes.
"Honor bright2"
"Honor fiddlesticks!"
Sand you did that just to see whether
would try to save you"
eyes, mo, what nonsensel / di5 it
just-just-for fun"
hands. Florence, will you be my
wife?"
"How dare you, sir! How many girls
do you propose to in one EVENING""
"Some one has been slandering me- I
have never proposed to any other woman,
and never shall"
Oh, wasn't she glad to hear that! And
she believed it without a moments hesi-
tation.
"You haven't answered my question:"
he said; twill you be my wife2"
"What for?"
because / love YOU"
"No.n
That was her little triumph. He had
made her feel miserable so often, and now
she had her chance to be even with him.
So she said "No," and then waited. And
what do you think he didl Dropped her
hands and walked away without another
word.
The next day he met her and treated
her as if no word of love had ever passed
between them. 1t was simply incompre-
hensible. Any other man would have
gone away, or hung off in the distance
and looked miserable, or proposed again.
but this one did none of these things,and
he never left her side. He did not sigh.
He did not look miserable. He looked
rather contented than otherwise. And
he was simply knightly in his attentions.
He not only fathomed her thoughts and
executed her commands before she uttered
them, but he frequently knew just what
she wished when she was not quite sure
of it herself. The result was inevitable
There never was girl who could be
comfortable in the presence of a newly
rejected sutton, and the peculiar conduct
of this one was enough to set girl mad.
Florence was so upset by it that she
wanted to drive him away. But he would
not be driven. He staiJ. And before
night she actually felt ashamed of her
self. He OWNED that, too, and told
went off into corner and patted herself
on the back.
Jarvis Murray kept it up for week.
He was gentle, kind, tender, and manly
in his treatment of Florence. He neither
said nor did any more rude things.
He embodied her in his protection.
He perpetually famed her nostrils with
the incense of his devotion. But
of love he spoke no word and made no
sign. At the end of the week he told
her he was going away the next day. He
regretted that he could not remain longer,
as it gave him great pleasure to think
that his humble efforts had contributed
to her enjoyment, and he battered himself
that they had so contributed. Was il
not so?
Yes, that was so.
Well then, he said, he should feel that
his summer had been put to the highest
use. Goodbye. He hoped she would
spare him kindly remembrance once in
while when she had nothing better to