Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1894-10-17


greatest freedom.
The captain, despite his good looks,
made himself immensely ly unpopular
among the ladies by his persecution of
their friend, and on the day when we
first met him upon the bridge, had de-
cded to return home forthwith.
When he had read his book IN the
grove he sauntored off to discover
some solitary means of passing the
afternoon; and finding on the shore
IN old man with rickety sail-boat,
feed him literally to take him on board,
Meanwhile Paul Holden escorted
Mpttie home to Silyerspeer.
Mrs. Siverspecr and Mrs. Cooley
the other married lady of the party,
were preparing to go to n certain
sheltered nook Of the river to bathe.
Their bathing dresses were on their
arms, and their great hats Tapped over
their eyes. Matte proposed at once
to Join them and the three women
hurried away, laughing and chatting
about all manner OF things, on the
way, and enjoying the ridiculous fig
ures they mlde in their hideous flan-
mel bathing dresses, when they were
at last equipped in them, and their
musins hung suspended in the little
dressing house at the top of the sandy
stretch which lay between it and the
sea.
Matte loved the sea. She plunged
into it fearlessly. She went ont to
meet the waves as though they We're
friends. She hoated on her back, and
dipped under, to the terror of her
friends. Her laugh as silvery as the
chime of bells rung we'll in tune, went
out over the water and ca ught the ear
of gentleman reposing with cigar
in his mouth upon the deck of Il rick
ETY. sail boat
"Hang it!' said this gentleman.
"That woman again. There's no get
ting rid of her. Put me on sh ore old
gentleman You're rather too tipsy
to go much further with under any
circumstances.
"Tm not tipsy yer honor" said
the man who had much ado to speak
Mt all. "No mnrrcr, all ri. We'll
tack about" And he proceeded to
''tack about at once, the Captain
lying with his eyes closed and his Gig
ar between his lips. The next moment
the patched and dirty sail dipped into
the sen, and the bont turned bottom
up, and its occupants of course went
with it. The old man had grasped
the edge of the vessel and clung to it.
The Captain clung to nothing. He
had put out that remembrance of II
right arm which was all he brought
from Seven Oaks, but it scarcely serv-
ed him. BY the time he remembered
that the sleeve was actually empty he
wns in the water. He could not swim.
His heavy clothes weighed him down.
The tipsy boatman could not held
him.
cts over with me" he thought.
Then strange, underlined thought
fitted through his mind. He could
not have analyzed it, had there been
time. 1t was II somehow softened and
regretrul thought about the girl OF
whom he always spoke as 'that wo'
man."
Meanwhile "that woman" looked
ont from the bathing nook IN the
arms of the shore across the water, and
cried ont, with an exclamation of con-
Germ and anxiety:
'Look it's Bogle's old boat, ant
one of our gentlemen in it. It's youl
brother, Mrs. Silverspeer. How clum
sv! How stupid! What are they try.
ing to do? They'll be over.
"Old Boyle is drunk, | suppose
How could Cap go out with him,
cried Mrs. Silverspeer. Gap can
swim; he never could. And since h,
has lost his arm, of course Oh, my
dear, they are going over.
"They'r over" cried Matte, anC
at that moment the sail dipped into
the sen.
"NIy brother, my helpless broth
cr, "cried Mis-. Silverspeer "Oh, help
help! Why AIN not man? Help
help! help! Cap is drowning"
"Run tor help,' cried Matte. "I'm
not quite sure how long can hold out
but he shan't drown. L can swim.
And with II wrench she tore the sleeve
from her bathing dress, flung her ha
, away, and dashed into the water.
| At the door of the quiet room wher
her life hung in the balance, he waite'
3 many IN hour. When she grew bet
, ter, he sent her flowers and message
t of interest. And when she was wei
again, he became her shadow Thu
, woman was beginning to be the great
| est object of interest to HIM in all tn
| world. So one autumn day foun
= them together in the grove, sittin
V upon rustic chair, he looking in he
1 face, she at the mossy leaves strew
2 around. Suddenly she spoke:
II "Do you really think it wrong for
n woman to drive, and row, and swim?
r she asked.
e His face flushed scarlet.
"It would be scarcely gracious c
). me to find fault with one of these aC
complishments," he said.
i NDnn,t tnlk of TINT " Che mnI