The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-13

him IS Wouidnt ike YER see on no man.
swaal, sir, we didn' t gain much on the
Mermaid an war well down near them
hospital islands wen I seen flaw O.
wind a-comin, adancin an a-swoopin
acrost the water, an I'd jist time ter put her
head ter IL wen IL struck us. She'd "a
keeled over Of she'd "a tuck 1t bro dside on.
An Miss Eleanor, she made shift some'ow
ter git in the jib an put reef in the main
sail, me a-kecpin her head to, fer we
knowed what that fiaw meant. An, sure
enough, the storm war on us afore ye
could say 'Ja.k Robinson, an the wind
roared past us an druv the spray in our
faces, an the sky war overcast with clouds
as come ND from nowhere like, an in that
mint looked back an seen the Mermaid,
with all sail set, leanin over on her side
an plowin her nose in the breakers. vile
that thar Cronin sat at the wheel with the
same face on him he had afore.
"'Hes sailin like crazy man. says
Miss Eleanor, excited like. He'll capsize
sure, cap'n. Call ter him ter bring her head
to. for heavens sake. l yelled till war
black In the face, but he didn't hear,
leastwise he kept right on, an all we could
hear war the rushin of the winds an the
swishin of the big waves as tumbled half
over us, an presently Cronin give a yell
that war kind Of a laugh, an we seen the
Mermaid keel clean over.
"Jist fer mint seen the gal cover
her face with her hands, an W en- she tuck
'em down she says, Put about, Cap'n
Martin; we must save that mani 1t war
list what war a-goin ter do, though how
war a-goin ter save Mr.. Cronin, an me
Almost helpless cripple, didn't know.
As we come about bouncin an tumblin
like a cork we could see the Mermaid iy:n
over on her side, her sails fappin in the
water an her beautiful body a-liftin up an
a-fioppin down with the motion of the
waves an Mr. Cronin a-clingin ter her hull
bareheaded an drippin We run the Duck
lin up as clost as we dared an lay to, but
we warnt near enough ter throw him a
rope, an the dipgey war full of water ter
the gunwale an a-hangin onter the yacht s
stern like a lump Of lead.
"'He kin only swim a few strokes, says
Miss Eleanor low an quiet like. Vile
she war speakin Mr.. Cronin either made
ND his min ter try how far them strokes
would kerry him or else he couldn't hol'
on no longer, fer we seen him slip off n
the yachts hull an flop in the water, an
next mint Miss Eleanor war haulin off
her skirt an shoes, an afore l knowed it
she war a-standin on the gunwale in them
thar bloomer things an no shoes. Miss
Eleanor, fer the Lord sake, what be We
goin ter doY' says l, but she didn't heed,
an afore could git ter her with my lame
leg on that heavin boat she'd jumped over
board an war swimmin with them strong
strokes of hers t'wards the fiounderin
drownin man. He warn't more'n 80 feet
away, but the sea war runnin high, an
'twarn't no cinch ter git ter him, but she
done it. s'posed at the time he war too
played out ter know wot he war a-doin,
fer no man in his senses, least of all Mr..
Cronin, would catch hol' of the person as
comes ter save him like he done ter Miss
Eleanor / seen him clutch her arm des-
peratelike-my God, III never forgit the
sights longs live-an me helpless thar
ON the yacht!
"waal, sir, she struggled with him, an l
could hear her speakin sharp an stern, an
then he began ter sink an drag her with
him. Then somehow, with u mighty eff
fort, she give him an herself suddint jerk
out of the water, an see her raise her fist
an bring it down with all her strength
square atween his eyes She done it twicet
afore he kept quiet, an then she swan in,
a-haulin him along. 1t didn't take more n
few mints, but it seemed a year ter me,
thinkin she'd give out an go ter the bot
tom with him. But she was a strong
swimmer, an she kept me ter heave her a
rope, which / done, first a-tyin loop in
it, so she could slip it of engineerin ACCT
tin him aboard the Ducklin an a-keepin
her stiddy W lie we done it. Miss Eleanor
left him a-hangin by the rope, vile she
climbed aboard with my help, an then we
rugged pulley on the mast. But, Lord, l
war glad w EN- / seen Mr.. Cronin safe over
the Ducklin's gunwale, though he might
"a ben log fer all the signs of life war in
him An we laid him in the cockpit an
she poured brandy down him Vile l sat
holdin the tiller. An 1 seen her push his
han away from his temples and lean his
head ag' in her breast an stoop an kiss the
mark her fist had made atween his brows,
mindin me no more'n eff I'd ben a sand
flea. He come to, wanderin in his min
an talkin ter hisself, jist a lot of gibber-
ish. By gosh, what with him as deler' :
GUS as loon an what with the wind an
the sea, we had rough time gittin home.
"Howsumever, we done 1t at last, an
Mr.. Cronin war carried up ter the Beemis
house, an then it come out that he'd ben
sick fer a week with kinder low fever,
but able Ter De aDouU, an on inc ody VI tne
storm he'd gone down by hisself an TUX
the Mermaid out alone, the foolhardiest
thing fer we'll man ter do, leave alone a
sick one But Mr.. Cronin never war no
sailor, an that day his head war gone
wrong!
at war six weeks afore he got over that
spell of illness, an Miss Eleanor, she help
ed nuss him, but 1t allus a-kinder puzzled
49, u<,r
atween 'em afore she saved his life.
lean ter the belief that they war engaged,
or as good as, an had a quart What dye
thinkS" And the captain looked with visit
full inquiry into my face.
81 think it very likely" said. But
what Of the Mermaide"
"Oh, they picked her up. She's in COM
mission this summer, but Mr.. Cronin
most Qinerally prefers sailin on the Ugly