The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-30
BY ALEXANDER BEAcK.
(Author of miss Americn,', civic q

| and the Gardsman." Etc.)
| Copyright. 1906, by Joseph b. Bowlcs)
Sometimes he Eat on Il pine chair.
sometimes In the sand. sometimes on
| the edge of the life-boat. He was tall,
square-shouldcred, very brown from the
! summer sun. Dressed in Il fashion re-
semblng the running rig of an athlete.
his bronzed. skin seemed statue-likc in
the beach throng. His teeth shone cx-
tremcly white IN smooth face Drowned
| to the roots of his yellow hair. The
| bathcrs, men and women. circled about
him In the free attire of an American
seaside resort. He was the life-savcr.
| He had torn several exhausted bntlicrs
from the clutch of the nndertow. usually
without much effort. 1t seemed that lie
| knew the Atlantic very well.
| One day Miss Convcll. of Troy. stopped
TO speak to him. as she had several
| times before. This time she had with
| her tall blonde girl with extraordinary
| eyes, as blue as his own. though they
| were wider and without hesitation.
| Miss Convell introduced her companion
/ as Miss Raycc, of Georgia. Kramer gave
| his short nod. a nod n trifie shorter than
4 usual for Miss Rayce had startled him.
| She was very beautiful. he thought. not
! one of those merely pretty girls, such as
| you see pictures of in the summer resort
4 columns lie did not know that Miss
| Rayce had asked her friend about him.
| Was he n college fellow earning his next
terms's wherewithnl? Evidently yes,
though Miss Convel had not asked.
Hes several times n hero" she said to
/ her friend from Georgia.
Tire next day Miss Rayce spoke to him.
| Kramer talked much better than usual
He rather surprised himself. He had
| never met any one who had seemed so
delightful to talk with. Miss Rayce did
| not appear to be in hurry to go into
/ the water.
1T is so cold" was her comment She
thought she liked the sun and sand bet
| ter. Meanwhile she made remarkably
| pretty picture. Kramer had hard work
keeping his eyes on the dead line Just
within the floats.
] On the third day she asked him about
| himself. and he told her how he worked
on the beach patrol during the winter
and watched the dead line in the sum
| mer. She seemed Immensely interested
| when he told her about the wrecks. and
| the rockets. and the life-boats. She gave
a little SILVER at the thought of how cold
1t must be In winter with the deserted
shore frnged with Ice. and did not make
her plunge until Miss convell was coming
| out.
II appeared that she could swim.
/ Kramer told her she was built for a
/ swimmer. But he warned her about
the undertow
What is, the undcrtow?'' she asked
him.
/ IT'S the devil part of the water
| he said.
He suspected that she had been dis
| appointed when he told her that he
was not a college man. though she
continued to talk to him every day.
and when he came to the hop at the
hotel as he sometimes did under the
| easy privileged life OF the place. he
came up and spoke to him. making 1t
quite comfortable for him to ask her
to dance.
4 She told Miss Convel that he was n
peach" OF dancer, and awfully hand
some in his Tux"
| Presently 1t began to be true that
krainers day did not begin until he
saw her coming down the beach. This
was generally about four o'clock.
once she appeared in the morning Just
after he went on duty. No ono else
was bathing and she challenged him
to go out with her
He was astonished when she dove
! through the breakers and started to
swim straight SEWARD.
I've always wanted to do It," she
! said.
"only little way" he warned her
over his shoulder.
j but she Kept on in n straight line be-
You'd the floats. laughing, tossing her
head, scattering the spray from her
shining hair.
Far enough!' he said then. in his au-
thoritative tone, swimming beyond her
and crossing her path. 1T Is a hard
/ pull getting back"
She cut obliquely past him with an
excited laugh until he caught up again
and put out his hand.
i You must go back" he commanded,
She half turned but continued swim
ming at n right angle with the shore,
her head still high, then suddenly turned
and began shorter. quicker stroke
shorcward. He watched her eyes mar
rowly without speaking. He saw them
acquire a new glitter Her lips opened
and her chine sank lower In the water.
Put your hand on my shoulder" he
said. gently, as he drew up beside her.
"I'm all right she returned but with
4 only half her voice. They did not get
any near the shore.
you must" he insisted. and she put
E up her left hand 1t merely touched him
and fell off. She had gone under
He knew what to do and did 1t
a uucky They could see on the shore.
the group that had gathered to watch.
Miss Convell was there wringing her
hands,
won't sombody launch tho boat?
shc cried. 'sHe never can carry her SC
fart"
They started to get out the bont, but
they saw, too, that no was gaining
slowly. The back of his blond head
was coming nearer the floats, her tan
rled gold Just beyond his chin.
When they reached them with thu
hont he was almost in shallow water
and was disposed to- scorn their help
!, nut they helped him with his burden
j, and presently the girl from George
was in her room with an embarrassing
number OF nurses. Kramer lay prone