Smyrna times., 1902-07-16

WAS WAS told told by Fritz Gross to get out of
'uIs pdrK-get out already"
, frltzie initiated his foe renlvino IN
low winning key, Certainly. sir"
ueC out of this park, l tell Won and
80 take few skate lessons" "
Ohe very cold winter the Lake frono
DIS Iar out as the crib PeonIe tool,
walks on the ice, and skaters crou.dod
~ the lake shore. 1t was at this time
tnat Selma, Becky and Uncle Fritzia
very hvely and noisy, started ont one
AFTERNOON to skate on the lake
II was fine, cold day. Across tbe
Oare' gray paths and roads of the norl,
elllIerlng with little white pockets Of
snow and blue splinters of ico tho,.
walked out to the shore, and there
'nelr afternoon spread before them.
Inc SKY was blue and dazzling with
streaming winter sunlight. In it's mn.
Iathomable heights hung and fiooted
snowy masses of toppling cloud. and nm.
uerneath the ice clad lake reDeated in
the colOrs of its calm scope tba urbi+o
ana azure splendOr of the heavens. Tn
10 the horizon the veiled waters sDrood
cold and vast, and north and soutb
they met the city's smoke hung shores
IN hoary sweeping line.
A little breeze blew from the land
The air was cold as water in ones
mouth, and it seemed TO the children
they could hardly wait to stnap their
skates and be off, flying over the frozen
surface. They seized each others
hands and shouted as they darted
along the curve of the little sandy beach
OF their start and out toward where =
Few other people were whizzing black
specks against the white plain. They
skated on and on. The fresh wind blow
ing behind, the stinging air in their
races, the free scope ahead, all exhila.
rated them, and they had gone PERTAINS
a mile when they saw across the daz-
zling field before them a wide black
bar.
The ice had broken there, and at a
little distance from its edge crowd of
people stood or slowly skated. looking
at the gulf. Uncle Fritzie made the lit
tie girls sit down on the ice and took
or their skates, saying noisily for the
benefit of the crowd:
at is best-best to afoid all danger
Won little slide too far, where would YOU
be so kvick? Vat would your mamma
say to me then?"
lie kept his own skates on. however.
and, with great difficulty. balanced
himself, to the admiration of all. by
sticking one skate point into the ice.
While they were standing looking at
the black, tapping water they saw
skating toward it, a few yards from
them, little boy. He was plunging
forward, swinging his bowed arms. his
cap pulled down over his eyes to pro-
tect them from the glare. He was go
ing as fast as he could. They all cried
out to him in one common voice of hor-
ror. But his impulse had been too
strong. He turned a questioning little
face to them as his skate runner slid
over the verge, and he was gone.
A woman in the crowd began to
wiring her hands and groan.
Men and boys glanced nervOusly at
each other and the water, and they all
with one accord moved nearer to it.
Meanwhile Uncle Fritzie had unbuc-
kled his skates and thrown off his coat.
His ruddy face had turned white. He
ran along the ice to where the little
boy had fallen, his high shoulders
twitching, his purple tippet floating
behind.
Eere he turned, half faced the crowd,
raised his chin proudly and waved a
reassuring hand to Selma and Becky.
Everybody shouted, and he dived.
Whether he reached the little boy,
whether they came up under the ice,
no one ever knew. In the sight of the
watchers they did not come to the sur
face again.
1t was a comfort to the little boys
mother to see the Einsteins and weer
with their bereavement. Fritzie Gros
had no relations, but remote kindre
were proud to mourn him.