The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1907-02-09

| round you ana hitch IT to 1e dock
when you go in swimmin'."
The crowd gathered around Frank
and began to congratulate him on hi
double achievement. But that your &
hero responded grimly:
Oats all right, but look at me
pants. Me mother II know I've been
IN de water for fair I'll need a life
savin' committee meself when I get
! home"
He started dejectedly for home, but
at this point Mrs. Hurtis appeared.
! added her thanks to the congratula-
! lions. and invited Frank to come
around and have his picture taken
| free at her husbands studio. She al
SO bestowed upon him a 50-cent piece.
This created diversion. Frank head
ed for place where so cents might
| suitably be spent, followed by his
friends. Then he went home, Slipped
into his own bedroom very quietly and
changed his clothes. Whether it was
the proverbial modesty of the hero or
Il prudent desire not to call attention
to his pants" Frank did not say
but anyway Mrs. Duffy knew nothing
about the mater TIL she saw it in the
paper. Then the neighborhood said
to her: Say, Mrs Duffy. did Schmid;
blow frankie to a new pair of pants?"
BLOW nothing" replied Mrs Duffy.
We've bought our groceries of
Schmidt for five years, and he never
so much as spoke to Frank about saw
ing Charles life
Never mind" said Frank, philoso
phically; he'll give me somethin'
next Christmas. He'll give me cal
endar.'
Frank was called in from roller
skating on the asphalt under the VIII
liamsburg Bridge to discuss his feats.
He came rather grumpily as he pre-
fers roller skating to fame
"Dey said | saved dem both at de
same time-brought one of dem in in
me teeth said he, scornfully. "Wot
do they take me fora dog Dey was
ten minutes apart, the two savin's.''
But how about that affair On Labor
Day, Frank?"
Dat? Oh, dat was harder Dat
was Walter Conran. He's sixteen
years old, and bigger dan me. l was
in de water when | saw some one
push him off de dock l knew he |
couldn't swim. He was always afraid |
of de water. 1t took me ten or fiji
teen minutes to get him in. cause it
was against de tide was played |
out; and de tide took us right into de
sewer water, too"
well, what was it about two other
boys you saved this summer"
Frank reflected.
I'D almost forgotten DEM" said he
I'VE don't bother about dem things.
Some one is always gettin' picked up
DOWN dare Dey was two Polacls.
It was early in de summer. Dey was
in de baby hole"
"The baby hole"
Yes. We walled up place wild
stones and brick, So at low tide de
water was about three feet deep in
It., and de little chaps could go in
1are and play. Desc little chaps was
only eight years old. De tide kept
,reepin up, and at last it swept dem
1ut OF de baby hole. l took dem in.
OATS all dare was to dat
Frank glanced suggestively at his
'oller skates.
But what was it about horse
,ou stopped one time?"
"Oh, dat? Well, his trace came un-
,uckled, and he started to run away,
md | stopped him. OATS all there
vas to dat"
Frank evidently thought it rather a
,ore to be called in from roller skat-
ng to discuss such small matters as
aving the lives of five boys and stop
ling a runaway horse.
Frank is sixteen years old, but very
mall, scarcely larger than we'll
,rown boy of twelve. His growth has
,one all to muscle and strength, in
tead Of height, and he is "as hard
S nails. HE is also very cool head
d 10y, thinking quickly and never los
ng his wits in an emergency. His
prowess came to him ~
eredity. His father was gree.
winner in his youth, and an uncle
f his was awarded a gold medal 70!
aving life in the water.
Questioned as to why some boys
vim and some do not, he pondered.
Its just accordin' to de boy, I
uess," said he finally. "Some fellers
at live two miles away II come down
or a swim. Some dat live right near
e water will never go in it. II a
oy likes to swim he can't never get
nough. He wants to be in de water
II de time. If he don't, you have to
row him in. Most of de boys l know
at know how to swim learned at de
aths."