Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-08-26

I'm lie on my back and let the waves
wash me in" Suiting the action to the
though, Alick threw himself on his
back--ne could float without moving
a muscle-and. closing his eyes, he was
rocked by the swells, which he imagined
were bearing him nearer ard nearer
to the shore.
Five, ten, fifteen minutes passed, and.
wondering why he was not thrown
among the breakers, as he expected.
Alick Freeman turned over on his face
and rubbed the water from his eyes.
Instead of being near the shore he
was half mile out, and the tide, on
which he had not counted, was bearing
him rapidly to the sea.
He took in the situation in an instant.
and, though realizing the danger, he did
not lose his presence of mind. His safety
depended on his GOODNESS.
He struck out for the shore, half
throwing himself from the water by
his powerful strokes, but all in vain.
The tide still dragged him out farther
and farther toward the foaming bar,
on whose white crest tossed the black
buoy.
bathing hat and waved it in the hope
that some one might see him; then, anx-
ious to reserve his strength, he again
threw himself on his back and drifted
with the tide in the line of the buoy.
eff l can reach that" he thought, I
can cling to the chains till help comes
if it ever does"
Before entering the line of breakers
that marked the bar, he again waved
his hat, then threw it away.
He reached the buoy, but the chains
that kept it anchored were Shiny and
covered with seaweed, yet he so placed
his body across the chains as to keep
from drifting farther to sea, and there
he hung for what seemed an age.
The sun was setting, and he was los
ing all heart, as well as all strength,
when he heard shrill voice above the
thunder of the breakers.
He tried to reply.
The next instant a boat with a single
occupant-a girl-at the oars, shot past
him and turned toward the buoy.
'Where are you?" she shouted.
Here! Here!'
Alick let go his hold, and, with q new
strength, made for the boat.
The young heroine caught him and
helped him on board, and the moment
he was safe he tainted.
When he came to he was back on the
shore, and Sam White and Casper Burns,
who had come up, were chatting him
with the aid of a gentleman whom
Alick recognized as Julia Fletcher's
father.
"Take him up to the house." said Mr..
Fletcher, land then go to your cabin for
his clothes. Poor fellow, he had hard
tussle for his lifei"
But the heroine? Well, as the fates
would have it, Mr.. Fletcher, his wife
and his niece, Dora Weldon, had gone
off to see the regatta, and Julia, acting
under within, as the others supposed,
remained at home. She saw the swim
mer in distress, and interpreted his sig
mails, though she knew not at the time
who he was. She ran to the inlet, got
a boat and boldly started out with the
result already shown.
Next day Alick was himself, and he
sent word to the bank about his acci-
dent, the result being that he and Cas-
per had an extension of another week.
How the time was spent we need not
say. Aick owed it to his fair preserver
to become her servant, and so he was
with her nearly all the time, strolling
on the sandy roads and salt-marshy by
ways.
"Never had such a pleasant summer
in my life as at Whites Inlet" said
Alick to friend some years after. Its
so nice and quiet there. Casper and
were unmarried and clerks then, but we
roughed it and enjoyed it, Ell, Casper?"
eve met our wives, or, rather, we be-
came engaged there" laughed Casper.
$50 you see it'd have to be a rough
place that wouldn't seem pleasant un-
der such circumstances."A IN Y. Ledger