The Press., 1900-02-22

I believe he won't have anything to do |
with me simply because I'm woman, |
and some silly people think a woman
can do nothing but receive admiration.
Now, If could show him that i am
brave and strong and can think and
act for myself perhaps he would learn
to love me. So want you to help me.
1 want you to fall overheard and let
me jump after you.
''It come on me bit suddenlike, and
I sorter reeled with establishment. But
she took 'old of my and and squeezed
1t till / thought / should faint away
In 'er arms.
".Now, don't look surprised she
SEES; I'm an awful good swimmer! I've
won lots of prizes at our baths, and I'll
see that we throw buoy or two over
board, SO that we shan't be in danger.
And when it's over, sailor, I'll give you
f5. Now you can't say no to me, can
you-you dear, kind MANI
sNo, couldn't, and that was fact.
It's bad enough when you've got
lovesick maiden gasping and a-leaning
on you, but when it comes to five guild
In ard cash dangling before your nose
it's too much.
$50 we arranged it that next day, IL
the sea was smooth and the weather
fine, I'd sprinkle few life buoys over
board and accidentally tumble among
| 'em. Then, with a cry as 'ud bring
| the skipper on deck, the gal would dive
| after me, and we'd go through sorter
life saving performance, and IL that
didn't make the old man fall on 'er
neck and ask to be forgiven-well,
then we'd ave to throw i'm in next,
and let 'er ave a try at saving i'm"
| "Well, next day was fine, with just
bit of breeze as kept the bark steady
under all sail, and as we were only
making about four knots an hour |
reckoned this was the time for the
final scene. So whistled to the gal to
get ready, and then got old of all the
buoys 1 could find and pitched 'em
astern when nobody wasn't looking.
Next slipped off my boots and drop
ped quietly over the side.
"When l looked up / seed the gal
a-looking as if she was a-wondering
low cold it was. And then all of sud
den she gave yell, and dived in and
"Lor', the commotion there was on
board when they heard that yell! First,
up come the skipper from below. He
looked astern and saw the girl in the
water. Of went is coat, and splash e
came after Ter. Then l seed the cook
rush out of the galley. e took in the
situation, and the next moment e was
taking a header from the stern. Two
seamen as 'ad 'eard the cry next tum-
bled over, and before 'ad time to 'ol-
Ter out and tell 'em it was all right the
other two seamen and the boy was a
bobbing about in the water.
'By this time the gal 'ad got to me,
and we was each of us Angling to a
buoy. Away in the wake of the bark
we could see seven leads a-bobbing
about. and one by one they came up to
us and collared old of a buoy, to wait
for what was going to 'appen next
And all the time that blamed b:ark
was standing away under full sail as
if nothing 'ad 'appened.
Suddenly the skipper looked round
and said something as didn't seem tt
just fit the occasion.
"'Who's left in charge of that bark
he yelled.
Nobody answered, and then e look
ed round agen and counted us all a:
we was a-bobbing about together. T
counted us twice, and then e swor,
agen.
"'How dare you leave the ship with
out my ordersY he shouted. Don
| you see that there isn't man on tn,
bark, and that we're left here like 1
flock of fools while she drifts on II. tn,
nearest lee shoreY
Somebody begun to giggle, and thu
skipper swore as ed blow is brain
out if e found out who it was. TIL
gal said it was 'er, and sure enough
she was a-laughing away as If it wa
= the best fun in the world, while Their
was the crew of the Liza Jane a-bob
. bling about in the water, while GU
ship was a-sailing steadily away b.
'erself, without a and to guide e
, from the cruel rocks. 1t was an awfu
= moment for me, as lad bin the unWil
ing cause of it all, and it seemed as
= the utter uselessness Of women was
fact, after all.
- "But there was the gal, still smiling
!, and when a tramp steamer picked u
= up and carried us to Plymouth sh
= wanted the skipper to report us to tn
authorities as a picnic party as a
;, got out of our depth. But the old ma
was wild with the loss of is ship, an
=, e couldn't do nothing but stamp abou
and threaten to kill us all.
1--WE did ear afterward that the Liz
= Jane 'ad stood out to sea and wcr
down in a squall somewhere in the II
gion Of the tropics. And that's as lik,
=. ly as not, for we never set eyes on e
- agen. -
II "And when the skipper got over
and come to look upon things in til
right spirit he sorter veered round I
the conclusion that comfortable 'om
and a good looking wife wasn't such
poor consolation after all. No MOI
was the ESQ each of us got for O,
share, either''-Chicago Times Heral
Cost of Living Abroad.
An investigation into the compar
tive cost of living at the various e.
i ropean capitals resulted in the follow
! ing facts: At Vienna the prices of mo
articles of food are lowest. At Madr
they are dearer than in any other car
tai, and such things as bread, mea
sugar and coal are very expensive i
deed. At st. Petersburg also the pri,
of bread is still considered a luxu1
above the means of the working elias
es. Next to Vienna, Brussels is an /
4 expensive city; Paris is a little high
in the scale, while London is still mo