Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1896-07-20

poSe sOlnetnluS lOr my ulDum ueioCe
You CO."
"l'm really afraid" he began,
'that you do me too much honor, 1
couldn't"
"Now, you mustn't say that, broke
in Mrs. Skimpley, archly; ga little
bird has told me all about your New
gate poem, SO, you see, you are found
out"
Abercrombie laughed. A light had
suddenly burst upon his mind. He
was being mistaken for the absent
Wedgewood. "Well," he thought,
"TIl try to play the part; it will be
moro amusing than figuring as mere
muscular animal"
And so he forthwith accepted the
poetical crown wrongfully placed upon
his brow, and proceeded to talk senti-
ment with admirable gravity.
He had quite discussion with Miss
Vernon on the subject of the superior
ity of mind over muscle, and lament
ed that SO many young mon should
think more of winning d race than
composing sonnet.
And Miss Vernon, who thought that
If Mr.. Abercromble were not quite SO
POLITICALLY languorous he would not at
all be bad specimen of young man
hood, was moved to open wrath by his
lackadaisical sentiments.
The Skimpley party dined, and then
Ambercrombie, weary of poetical i'm
posture and his hostess's gushing ad-
miration therefor, slipped quietly
away for walk and pipe along the
bank.
His thoughts were not altogether
happy, although they were mainly oc.
cupied with Miss Vernon. "What a
fool I am making of myself" he re-
aected. "Here's delightful girl
whom l should like to please, and yet
| am deliberately figuring before her
in a character she despises, which is
exactly the opposite of my own. What
perverse fate tempted me into this
senseless deception?"
AbercrombIe's meditations had Just
reached this disagreeable point when
they were interrupted by startling
incident. He heard splash, and then
q loud scream rang out on the air,
followed by agonized cries for help.
In an instant the dreamer became
q man of action. He ran forward and
found woman standing on the waters
verge, wringing her hands in terrified
grief. She 1ncoherently cried out
that her child had fallen into the riv-
er, and that her husband in trying to
rescue it had also sunk.
Abercrombie flung off his jacket and
shoes and dived in. He found the
pair at the bottom and seized the
child to rescue first. But her clothes
were tightly gripped in the drowning
fathers hands
Abercrombie tried to drag her
away, but the grasp would not relax.
The desire for breath was upon him !;
he seized the girl with both hands,
put foot on the father s chest and
tore her from his clutch; and the next
instant he drew blessed inspiration
on the surface.
A dozen willing hands-for the
scream had attracted others to the
scene-helped him with the child to
the bank; thea he dived again and
easily recovered the body of the father.
He swiftly set to work to restore
consciousness to the latter, noting
that the child was already in skilled
hands. His efforts were presently
successful and the man began to show
signs of returning animation.
When he reached the boathouse he
found the party still chatting and
laughing amid the soft light Of Chinese
lanterns.
He hoped that the condition of his
clothes would pass unnoticed, and
that he would be able to change
without attracting attention, but
if was not to be. The sharp eyes
of Mrs. Skimpley noted his dripping
vestments, and her vivacious tongue
Immediately made the fact public.
"Why, Mr.. Abercrombie is soaking
wet" she cried. "Have you been try
ing to get water lilies for Miss Yer
non? l heard her say she wanted
some"
"At any rate my search has been in
vain," said Abercrombie, coldly, for
he was annoyed of being found out,
and vexed at the allusion to Miss Yer
non.
Abercrombie vouchsated no explana
ton of the cause of his wetting, and
even tho lively hostess had sufficient
tact to not again refer to the mishap
when he returned to the company in
dry attire.
1t is curious how these things get
about, but next morning nearly all
Henley had heard of the gallant rescue
of the night before. The local pur-
veyor of eggs told the Skimpleys' mau
and he told his master, and much
speculation was indulged in as to the
identity of the heroic unknown,
whose modcsty seemed on e par with
his courage.
After breakfast n stroll along the
banks was proposed, and Abercrombie
took care to secure Miss Vernon for a
companion, They chatted idly about
the regatta for n while, and then Miss
Vernon referred to the rescue.
"What noble thing to dol" she
said. "How | should like to meet the