The broad ax., 1896-12-12
Reeled from the saber strUke.

MOI I1e SIX hundred.
u The slight figure of the girl tremoleo
y 18th enthusiasm. her face glowed ike
b that Of one inspired and her marvellous
INl<e sweet, clear and resonant cut
!! ths ar like one Of those flashing sa-
= bers." At the close of her recitatiOn
the audience. until then rapt In silent
admiration. burst into a perfect storm
Of applause. / had never seen hui
heard more brilliant performance
Come" said Darcy. I'VE can 80
now. That is what wanted you "
hear: What do you think OF her!
''She is a wonderful girl. an
swered. simply wonderful. what 10
you know about herr"
II am going to tell you" SAID 1acA'
at is a very pretty little story OF nero-
ism, but il came near being Tragedy
Agnes Farrell is eighteen years OLD
have known her for four years she
is one Of the brightest girls l ever
saw. Her tastes are intellectual. and
yet she is as far from being a 'olue-
stocking as she could we'll be. Few
Of you editorial 'know-alls' are so we'll
Informed in general literature, philo-
sophy, natural history, science and as
tronomy as she is.
"And yet she has her sail boat at the
seashore, and few men can equal her In
| it's management. She swims like
| fish and is as brave as bravery itself.
| In fact. she excels in all outdoor
sports that girls indulge in, and enters
into them with as much spirit as she
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, a 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.
II spent three weeks there last sea-
son, and 1t was during that time that
the incident happened Of which l am
going to tell you.
"a family by the name OF Graham
has a cottage near the Farrell's. one
member Of which is a boy about Agnes
age. His name is Harold. He Is
great sailor. too, and his boat, the
Ariel, is almost as well known for its
achievements as Agnes Sprite. In fact,
there has always been a sort Of good
patured rivalry between them, for
while Agnes and Harold are warm
friends, they would never agree on the
relative speed and other qualities Of
their two boats.
mo actual test had ever been made.
FIR they did not care to have a regu-
lar race; they rather shrunk from the
publicity that race would give them.
But one day in July an opportunity
occurred that neither felt disposed to
decline, and so they at last matched
their little crafts against each other.
'Tt happened more by accident than
design. Harold had gone out early in
the morning for a sail around the in
'e,, taking with him only one Of his
friends, Sam Colston. Two hours later
Agnes took her boat out. with her
younger sister. Bertha. as her compan-
ion. This was nothing unusual, for
Agnes is so good sailor that no one
ever thought Of forbidding her to go
even alone, II she so desired.
THE girls had not been out long
when they saw Harold's boat Just turn
ing the point Of a 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 its full force as she rounded the
island and turned her prov toward the
north, where the broad unbroken body
OF water stretched out before her.
1T happened that Agnes boat was
headed in the same direction, and as
they were now fairly abreast Of each
other, though still some distance apart,
the conditions for trial of speed were
almost irresistible. In fact, they were
irresistible. for Harold presently stood
I'D in the stern Of the Ariel and waved
his handkerchief in a challenging man
ner at the young sailor Of the Sprite.
Agnes could not stand that. and she
lost not a seconds time in waving def
ance at the Ariel.
why. Agnes said her sister in
surprise, are you going to race with
Harold Graham? Oh. but I'm gladi
know well beat him.
at am going to try. at any rate an
swered Agnes. and settle. once for all,
which is the faster boat, or which is the
better sailor. as you please
And so the long-deferred race was
on at last. Circumstances seemed to
have brought 1t. and now that 1t was
here neither Of the contestants cared to
avoid It: both were confident OF victory.
1T was a beautiful sight. The dark
blue water was fiecked all over its sur
face with little foam-caps that were
raised by the sweet south wind. For
more than a mile toward the north the
course extended, with no obstruction Of |
any kind, not even a fsherman's boat
being In view. On each side OF them
uara lfffIa islands with thafr raad