The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1901-09-19
. ught him great sympathy and skill

III utatlDT WIN oIlcr--Sna greater
sinners it YVES not, perhaps, without
its uses. The yellow-iaired woman
realized the supposed and actual
character of the fancy intutively;
but the knowle dye that he believed
himself a sore sinner was as indie
finally comforting as his wise silence.
Day after day the little minister
cheered, strengthened and encour-
aged her, heroically regardless of the
meaning glances east toward them
by women whose hair was not yellow,
and by men who considered facetious
speeches concerning firtatious par
sons and the latitude of the
her to postpone further compact
with the Giant Despair at least
until she had made effort a lit
tie longer. And all went well until
the afternoon when he was powerless
! to fight the recurring battle with her
because of the determined compan-
ionship and questioning of the ascetic
maiden lady who wanted his views
upon the Athanasian creed question
and also to talk about the yellow
haired woman. The little minister,
whose gertlemanly instinct never al
lowed him to discuss one woman with
another, found anxiety dispossc ssing
his patient and polite boredom as he
noticed that the yellow-haired woman
was leaning through instead of over
the rail. But before he could
carry out his swiftly formed resolu-
tion to go to her Immediately there
was the flash of n falling figure, a sud
den commotion-and he realized that
the long-dre AIDED circumstance had
come to pass.
He was in the water almost as soon
as she was. Three other men made
| themselves ready, but were trife
slower, for various reasons. Before
| they reached the rail the little minis
| ter had caught hold of the yellow
haired woman-who struggled and
fought him wildly
"Don't save me-" she gasped, moan
ingly. 81 can't help struggling, but
I don't want to be saved. Please,
please let me drown."
| For all answer he slipped hand
under the little, round, delicate chin
| which told such a clear story of the
weakness which loves and finds it
| hard to resist temptation, pushed her
at arms'-length from him. and swan
as strongly as he might until a rope
came to him over the stern of the
| ship. First she was drawn on board
safely, then he followed and was hur-
ried downstairs for brandy and hard
rubbing. Almost before the two
combined brought warmth and vital
| ity back to the limbs which were so
| insignifcantly weak and untitled to
contain the mighty spirit which up
| held them a message came to his
| stnteroom. The yellow-haired won.
an hoped he had no been injured in
coming to her rescue; she would like
to see him to say Thank you" when
ever he should feel inclined to leave
| his berth. She herself had been com
manded by the surgeon to remain mo-
| tionless for some hours.
When the a.sles and staterooms ha6
been emptied by the dinner-gong the
| little minister traversed the former
| and stood at the side of the yellow.
haired woman-pathetic weak and
young-looking in her physical weak.
ness and spiritual abasement. At
sight of him she broke into sobbing
regardless of the now sympa thetic
stewardess, who considerably slipped
| from the room.
"Why did you save me?" she asked
him, still weeping. "You knew I want,
ed to die. I want to die now, as Goo
hears me, although I have learned
this evening Just how sweet it would
be to go on living-if one only had a
chance to start over"
And then it was that the soul Of
the man and the gentleman stood ur
in the eyes of the preacher, and the
divine instinct which had healed SO
many sins and sorrows failed not the
little minister, even though the rem
edy required was unusual.
81. too, learned something while
down in the water" he said, with the
hesitating precision of one who re-
cites a lesson but hastily learned
ST learned that my life will never be
quite perfect, never quite what il
should be, unless you consent to be,
come part of it, my-my dear. VIII
vou"-his manner as reverential as
'houoh she had been the most con,
ventional of conventional good WON
en."-"honor me by promising to be
come my wife %
The hope and the wonder which
flashed out in her face transformed
md TRANSPORTED it; but the glory
lied out a moment later.
''You are only saying this for char
tvs sake, to save me, TO give me an.
other chance" she told him.
NO" answered the little minister
with quiet tenderness and gentle de
termination, ''you are quite, quite
mistaken, my--my dear. | am saying
it because I love you"
And tie good God, hearing these
words of nobility and resurrection,