The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-03-01
SHE WAS PRETTY.

ana III fact was entirely nonplused by
the whole situation.
l determined to retire to nv ham
mock and think over matters in gen
eral. AS l lay there, swinging lightly
over tho water, and with tho distant
sound of the weir lulling my senses
pleasantly, it is not to DO wondered mt
that l fell into dreamy reverie.
Old half forgotten rccollections came
thronSlnS upon me; of little fiaxcn
haired Kitty, whom | used to torment
and langhingly ask to he my little
wife, nearly Il dozen years ago, when
she was Il little chit of 10; of her father.
my old friend John Dobson, who used
to say in his sober business way. "And
SO she shall be, Mildenhall, if l can help
you, and you care to have her when she
is grown up of that quantity touching
clause iii poor Dobson s will by which
he had done all that lay i'll his power to
help me.
And l, engrossed i'll turning over
money i'll the city, had clean forgotten
all about her
/ was aroused by the sound of voices
and looked round. There, in the very
identical place where Mr.. Bob Tyncker
had done his extremely futile fishing in
the morning, he and Kitty were sitting
and talking
And SO the old fcllow-and a queer
old fellow he is, too" Mr.. Bob was say
ing, will be round at the house this
very afternoon to see about claiming
your hand"
ttOh Rnhf'b coil
g say, Kitty" said Bob mischiev-
ously, suppose he really wants to stick
to his old idea of making you his little
wife, eh? What shall you do then?''
"Oh, Bob. don't" said poor Kitty.
He has been such a bugbear TO me late
ly that-that' that there is a dan
ger of young lady shedding tears at
the very mention of his name" |
thought to myself grimly, for Kitty did
not seem to be able to complete tho sell
tence herself).
Never mind, Kitty, said poor Bob,
hugging her tenderly. Il am Il brute to
have suggested such an idea If he
doesn't refuse to have you, why, You will
just have to refuse him, you know. and
that will bring the whole matter to the
usual way of doing things, from young
lady point of view, you see
so it WILL" said Kitty, Frightening
up once more; but, Bob, then the $25,
600 will have to go to the Methodist
chapel, and that is Just the very thing
that has been making uncle so terribly
savage
Let him be, " said Bob stoutly. 1T
won't hurt us after today; you will be
free then. you see, and marry whoever
you like. And we have plenty to set up
housekeeping on between u.s. without
the beastly money-let him he angry il
he likes"
And so he is, SIR" shouted Mr.. Dob
son suddenly, poking his head over the
top of the bank. So he is! 1t would
make saint savage to be set at defiance
in this way. begin to think"--
"Stop"' l called out, rising hastily
in my hammock
Splish! Somebody had fallen into the
water.
Me, by Jove, and so began striking
out Justify OH all sides, with hands,
feet, fingers. elbows-I cannot exactly
call myself a swimmer-and getting my
boots above water more frequently than
my head, l am afraid, till l was sud
denly grasped by the collar firmly.
Keep COOL" said my young friend
Bob Tyncker authoritatively-fo he
it was-nimbly swimming on his back
with two legs and one arm, and draw
ing mo after him with tho other. keep
cool; I've got you all right!'
Cool 1t isl" thought to myself, my
spirits reviving as l felt myself lowed
along-right across the river! For Bob,
it seems, like retriever-he certainly
swan as well as one-would not con-
descend to lay me anywhere but at the
very feet of his mistress.
There at last hurra"--
An overwhelming rush of water
across my face cut short my self con
graduation; l was fairly under, in fact
And the remarkably unpleasant
thought flashed upon mo that | was
driving down under tho dipping BUSH
But spasmodic jerk from Tyncker
brought mo to the top once more. and
as gasped for breath heard his voice:
Shift for yourself-catch hold of the
bush-I'm going!'
l caught the branches as high up as
possible and got glance behind me-
Tyncker was not only going-he was
gone, diving down under the bush, hay
Ing sacrificed himself to keep me from
like fate.
saw his face disappearing beneath