The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1896-11-27

"at ~ WONDERFUL Kill an
swered. simply wonderful. What do
you haev about hcrs
Il am going to tell you" said lack.
1T is very pretty little story OF hero
lam. but It came near being a tragedy.
Agnes Farrell is eighteen years old.
] have known her for four years. She
Ia one OF the brightest girls ever
saw. Her tastes are intellectual. and
yet she Is as far from being a 'blue-
stocking as she could well be. Few
Of you editorial 'know-alls' are 30 we'll
Informed in general literature. philo-
sophy, natural history, science and as
tronomy as she Is.
fAnd yet she has her sail boat at the
seashore. and few men can equal her In
tie management She swims like a
iish and Is as brave as bravery itself
In fact. she exeels In all outdoor
sports that girls indulge In. and enters
into them with as much spirit as abe
exhibited on the stage Just a moment
ago.
But let me tell you the story that ]
referred to. Her father has a cottage
at a quiet little place down on the
coast. place separated from the main
land by a broad. generally placid inlet,
where may be had delightful sailing
and fishing. The family goes there ev-
cry summer.
Il spent three weeks there last sea-
son. and Il was during that time that
the incident happened OF which ] am
going 10 tell you.
"A family by the name Of Graham
has cottage near the Farrell's. one
member Of which Il a boy about Agnes
age. His name IL Harold. He Is
great sailor. too, and his boat. the
Ariel. Il almost as well known for lis
achievements as Agnes sprite. In fact.
there has always been a sort Of good
natured rivalry between them. for
while Agnes and Harold are warm
friends. they would never agree on the
relative speed and other qualities Of
] thtif Two uoatt.
NO actual test had ever been made
for they did not care 20 have a regu-
lar race; they rather shrunk from the
publicity that a race would give them.
But one day IN July an opportunity
occurred that neither felt disposed 10
decline. and 30 they at last matched
their little crafts against each other.
IL happened more BY accident than
design Harold had gone out early IN
the morning for a sail around the In
let. taking with him only one OF his
friends. Sam Colslon. Two hours later
Agnes took her boat out. with her
younger sister. Bertha. as her compan-
ion. This was nothing unusual. for
Agnes IL 30 good a sailor that no one
ever thought Of iorblddlng her 20 20
even alone. n she 90 desired.
THE girls had not been out long
when they saw Harold'a boat Just turn
ing the point Of pretty green, reed
grown island on the western side Of
the inlet. There was a brisk wind
from the south. and the Ariel was feel
ing is fun force as she rounded the
island and turned her prov toward the
north. where the broad unhroken body
Of water stretched out before her.
1T happened that Agnes boat was
headed In the same direction. and a.
they we're now fairly abreast Of each
other. though stlll some distance apart.
the conditions for a trial Of speed we're
almos, irresistible In fact. they were
Irresistible. for Harold presently stood
up In the stern OF the Ariel aud waved
his handkerchief In a challenging man.
nor Al the young sailor Of the sprlte.
Agnes could not stand that. and she
lost not a seconds time In waving def.
ance AZ the Ariel.
why. Agnes. said her sister In
surprise. are you going 10 race with
Harold Graham Oh. but I'm gladi
know ven beat him.
~ am going to Try. a. any rate an.
swered Agnes. and settle. once for an
which is the faster boat, or which "a the
better sailor. as you please
And so the long-deierred race was
on az last. Circumstances seemed "a
have brought a. and now that il was
here neither OF the contestants cared "a
avoid Il. both were confident Of victory
1t was a beautiful sight. The dark.
blue water was leeked an over Us sur.
face with little foam-caps that were
raised By the sweet south Wind. For
moro than a mile toward the north the
course extended. with no obstruction Of
any kind. not even a hshermans boat
being In view. On each side OF them
we're little ialands with their reed.
grown banks reaching clear down "a
the waters edge. thus looking Ike bis
emeralds that had been dropped upon
the sapphire bosom Of the inlet. And
over all was the glorious light u a
cloudless. sun-lit sky. touching every.
thing with beauty and beamlng life.
over such course sped the two
pretty boats. their prows cutting the
water and sending the spray bach
along their glis,enlng keels.
"a he boats had now approached
within talking distance o; each other
and each young sailor was han,erlnr
the other. but all the while intent upon
the progress Of the race. And as they
talked they sieerod closer and closer
to each other. until finally the i've
hoate might have been covered with
oae big sheet.
Realizing the danger OF sailing 81
close together. Harold said that b,
would sheer on toward the west. warn.
Ing Agnes OF his Intended movement
She turned quickly. looked toward him
lost her grip Of the uller. and befor,
she could regain Il or could realize
what Il all meant. the nose Of the
spri,e had thrust itself with tremen.
dous force into the Ariel and knocked
! her over like an orr-ehell