The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-06-21
rushing up tho street with crowd Of

people.
| "It's poor little Jennie Seymour, "he
heard man pant, as he ran. "She got
Into boat higher up shore to fish some
thing up that had floated out Of the cellar
the boat swung loose from its moorings,
and the currents carrying her down
stream. She'll go over the falls. There's
no chance for her"
| On the bridge there were 40 or so people,
some running distractedly hither and
thither, Others helplessly standing at the
rail, looking up the river. Dick pushed
his way among the latter and looked too.
Not 100 yards away, borne on the current,
was an upturned boat, with little figure
clinging desperately to the keel. Dick
could see her white, frightened face and
hear her frenzied cries for help There
were people on the river banks running to
keep pace with the swiftly moving boat
and shouting useless directions to the poor
creature clinging to It, A woman behind
Dick was struggling to get to the rail.
"Oh, don't, Mrs. Seymour-don't let us
go there. We can't do any good, Come
away, do" said voice that he recognized
es Ellen's.
"But must Miss Ellen. I have feel
reached the rail and stood by Dick. For
moment she gazed with blanched face
and drawn, white lips then in voice
whose agony pierced to the very souls of
those who heard it she cried:
"Meroiful Godl It's my Jennie, my girl
my grip
The girl on the boat heard the cry and
answered 1t with shrek of Mother
Motherp'
On came the boat, sometimes caught in
an eddy and whirled about until the Door
girl, who chung to 1t for dear life, grew
dizzy and well nigh lost her hold, then
swept away again, steadily, surely, down
to the rapids. And the people OH the
bridge and on the river banks waited dazed
and helpless.
"A rope-if we had rope" said Dick
hoarsely to the men near him. "There's
just chance that she might be able to
catch 1t as she went under the bridge, and
We could draw her up"
Poor garrul, she couldn't get old of
1t with 'er numb 'ands, replied one man.
Dick looked intently down into the
black depths Of the water. He was think
ing that once, when he was boy and the
river low, he had jumped off the bridge
and swan to the boom, dared to the feat |
py some reckless companions. Could he |
A sudden crash-a stifled cry--an ex-
oiamatton of horror from the crowd, The
boat had swept against the boom. 1t |
grated on 1t for an instant then the keel
went down, and the boat righted and float
cd on. For moment the girl disappeared,
The next, they saw her olinging desperate
ly to the boom, her drenched black hair
over her wild face.
Dick had pulled off his coat and shoes
by this time and was standing on the
bridge rail.
Fetch rope, Bill, he said to the man
next him, "long enough to reach from
here to the boom. Run for your life and for
mine and for that poor creature g yonder"
Then his wiry little body shot out into
space. A woman on the bridge called his
name; after that there was breathless ST.
ence. AS Dick rose to the surface, a few
'arus from where tho girl chung, wild
'hout rang out from the crowd.
Would the current bear him down or
'ouid ne stem itP For awhile the chances
seemed equal, then he began very slowly
% gain upon it. But the girls hold was
relaxing, and she was being
lrawn away from tho boom. He saw this
md strained every nerve in his sinewy
'ody in last mighty effort. A little near
r and a little nearer until, painting and
Exhausted, he grasped the boom and, fling
ng his arm about the girl, drew her to-
yard 1t. And there they hung the current |
juggling and tearing at their two bodies.
IF that rope doesn't come soon, it will
70 precious little use," thought Dick, des-
erately Tightening his hold on the now
girl.
he glanced at the bridge and the eager,
rlghtened faces looking down ut him.
Inc face he saw, above all others. 1t was
lien Adair's Her anxious, glowing eyes
'ere fixed upon his own.
"Dick, dear Dick, brave Dck,n she said
! low voice, "hold on moment more;
he rope is here.''
And Dick gazed at her as In a dream. a
alf smile on his lips, and tried to grasp
10 boom more firmly with his numbing ,
ngers.
Exactly how he caught and tied the !
'pe under the girls shoulders he never |
new, but he saw her drawn safely up on
10 bridge with II sigh of intense relief. L
seemed an age before the rope was in +
S hands again, but he was conscious of s
lpping the loop around his body, of cling
. to it with a yiselike grasp, of being
suled through the water for q little space, T.
being lifted into the air, of a wild shout,
womans face bending over him and q
on-a blank. n
Next time Dick took Ellen home from d
DIR rehearsal, which happened the fol. ii
wing evening, he caught the hand she
tended to him at her own gate, and held "
as II he did not mean to let it go.
And you really cared, Ellen" said he, os
nd would have grieved little if l had m
no over the fallsY' And though there tc
IS no moon it was quite light enough
Ellen to sec that his eyes were brim ed
i of love and longing. h,
Yes, dear Dick, really cared. think til
should have died II you had been da
'wned." And emboldened by her look he
! tone, Dick took her in his arms and
sed her. - Frances A. Schneider in 10
nver Republican. 40