The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1906-09-06


Again Jim was left to eat his even
ng meal alone while the sister started
out with aggressive steps. She saw
Tillle and Mr.. Ripley at the gate wblls
she was yet long way off. She walked
straight up TO them and observed that
II was beautiful evening for seeing
the mill dam and bore the stranger
away. When the pouring waters Of
the dam had been sufficiently admired
the young man was walked to the Hal
liday homestead and kept busy quot
Ing poetry and drinking cider until II
o'clock.
In the course OF couple OF weeks
at least half dozen girls we're intro
duced to Mr. Ripley by the landlords
wife, and each and every one Of them
set out for Irritation with him. Each
and every one OF them came TO grief,
however. Sarah was In evidence, and
when she butted In the others had to
butt out. At the end OF fortnight she
felt herself as good as engaged. Mr..
Ripley bad praised her strength and
skill In rowing, her luck In fishing and
her emotional temperament, and she
had several times caught him glanclng
at her as man only glances when his
admiration Ia aroused. He had been
asked to tea three or four times, and
the two had boated and fshed every
afternoon. and all was going well.
"Hows II coming out, SarahY asked
brother Jim one morning at the break
fast table.
There's only one thing needed" she
replied Haven't you noticed that he
is always talking about heroes and
heroinesT'
Yes"
III were heroine he'd pop the
question inside OF twenty.four hours"
But how can you beY
Il can't say just now, but I'm going
10 think II over during the day"
That afternoon she received note
from Mr.. Ripley excuslng himself from
calling on the ground Of slight H.
ness. and two hours after she had read
the note she learned that be was sit
ting oa the piazza with the Widow
Phelps. who had had two husbands
and wanted third.
Sarah planned fast from that time
on. Sarah had learned that Mr.. Ripley
arose and break tasted at 8 o'clock. He
then spent an hour on the Yeranda
smoking and reading. The mill dam
was not q hundred feet away and In
plain view.
Next morning as the young man on
a vacation sat smoking, he heard some
onc calling bis name. He looked up.
and there was Sarah Halliday In an
oarlcss boat floating down upon the
dam. She cried 10 him again and again.
and II was plain to him that she must
be swept over the falls and drowned.
The best thing he could do. however,
was to fall over his rocking chair and
roll down the steps. Right under his
eyes the boat went over the dam, and
right under his eyes sawmlll man,
/ who had never longed to be hero,
flshed Sarah ont with a long pole. She
was heroine. but insensible. They
rolled her on n barrel, They dragged
/ her around IN the sawdust. They car
rlcd her home on slab and sent for
jim and the doctor. She was wrung
out and put 10 bed. and It was two
days later when Jim was permitted to
ask:
Now. then. what In the old Harry
were you doing in that. boat at that
hour in the morning.
Rowing" she answered.
"IIow came y3l to lose the oars"
II wanted to be rescued"
"Oh, | see You wanted to be hero
inc, oh. and you wanted to give Ripley
n chance to play the hcro?'
HAS he sent me any fowersT she
asked. avoiding direct reply to his
question,
NAV"
But he surely called"
How could he call when he took a
skate that very forenoon" bluntly re-
piled the brother.
"Dld he see me all wet and wopsy?"
"Of course. and that's why he
skated"
Poor Sarah! She had hustled, but
she had lost,