Evening journal., 1908-11-19
BEN'S RESCUE

The little group Of skaters paused
TO look as Alice Brainerd came out
upon the ice. More than one of the
Young men proceeded to give an exhi-
bition OF fancy skating in the hope ot
attracting her attention. but Miss
Braincrd struck out with long swinginl
strokes and aDparentlv did not per.
ceive that there was any one else upon
the ice.
II was this verv eXclusiveness which
made Miss Brainerd so attractive. She
had come to Crosgrove only three
weeks before when her father took
charge OF the railroad shops. and she
had met few persons. One or two or
the girls had called and reported that
she was charming. but the young men
had found It more difficult to make
her acquaintance.
There had been no social event at
which she could be generally intro.
duced. and so. as she skated up the
river she was all alone.
Ben Turner looked after the trim
little figure with longing eyes. He was
"A comparative stranger himself. Tor
he had come only a month before to
work in the drafting department az
the shop. He had begged an after
noon off to take advantage Of the first
good skating of the season. and he
was enjoying it TO the full until Alice
Brainerd had come upon the ice.
Ben had seen her once or twice. ana
from the first there had been no other
girl in the world for him. He would
probably make her acquaintance in
Time but he gruged every day that in
tervened and he wished that he might
skate after her and introduce himself
as one of her fathers stan
II was with this half-formed inten-
ton that heN slSated slowly after the
girl. following past the bend of tho
most Of the skaters
He had lust passed the bend when he
heard an ominous cracking and then
a woman's scream. shrill and terri.
fed.
quarter Of a mile beyond there
was a dark sDot on the glare Of ice
and in the black water he could soc
womans face. white and agonizcd.
Desperately Ben pushed ahead and
presently he was lying on the ground
ice trying TO reach the girls hands.
In her terror she pulled him toward
her and he felt the ice giving beneath
his weight and then came the chilling
submersion the icv water.
AS Ben felt himself going he strucl
out for the girl and caught her by th'
shoulders. supporting her in an effort
to make his way to the sound ice.
She threw her arms convulsivell
about his neck. and it was with diff.
GUILTY that he could prevent them boil
from being drawn under the ice.
The water was freezing cold and hi
hands were so numb. while the skin
was cut and bleeding from their con
tact with the rough edges Of the ice
He felt that he could not hold out mucl
longer His strength was failing fas
and presently his frozen limbs would re
fuse to answer to his will and the'
must slim into the black gulf that seem
ed TO vawn for them.
"I hear some one coming" mur
INJURED the girl Can you hold out ;
few minutes longer?"
"I must" he answered grimly. "Ar
tile people near?"
The girl turned her head. There d
one old man coming out from the shor
with board. The others are skat
ing
"Tll hold on somehow" assured Ben
his teeth chattering so that he coul'
scarcely make himself understood
"What is the old man yellingg
''IIe saws to stand uD." answered th
girl wonder what he means