Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-12-22

gone before, then righted herself
quickly. We slid little, everybody
who could catching hold Of the rail o.
of some friends arm. laughing, bu
down ON the steerage deck there ros,
cry which wasn't laughter.
"Child Overboard!" some one scream
ed. And l realized with horrid feel
ing like suffocation that tiny boy
down below, who had climbed up OF
the rail to watch the dancing, wal
missing.
1t was q woman who had screamed
and everything followed so quickly
that my mind was confused, as If
whirlwind had rushed through 1t ani
blown all the impressions on top of on,
another In heap. There was babe
Of voices on the steerage deck. more
cries and shouts and screams, and peo
pie surged In solid wave toward tn,
rail to look over. But Of that wava
sprang one figure separating itself from
the other atoms. and then heard my
self give cry. too. for the man wht
had been In my thoughts had throw
off his coat and vaulted over the raj
into the sea.
"Jove! He'll be caught by the pro.
ptltrr' l heard somebody near me
say.
turned sick. The thought Of his
life being crushed out while we all
looked on helpless was awful. The
sea was terrible enough In itself-the
great. wide, merciless, blue water,
which sparkled so coldly and laughed
In its power-but to be crunched up
by the jaws of monster-I shut my
eyes and couldn't open them Until l
heard men saying the strong wind to
starboard might save him. | believe
| must have been unconsciOusly pray
Ing, and my hands were clasped SO
tightly together that afterward my
fingers ached.
People on our deck made rush to-
ward the stern, on the port side, for
the ship had been steaming so fast
that already we were forging away
from the child who had fallen and the
man who had jumped after him. Sal
ly and were carried along with the
rush. She seized me by the hand,
but we didn't speak word. II dear
friends Instead OF two strangers In
far remote sphere Of life had been in
deadly danger / don't think the sick.
ness ut my heart could have been
worse. would have given years II
at that moment l could have had the
magical power to stop the ship in
stant!y with one wave Of my hand.
But it was being stopped by anoth'
cr power than mine. felt the deck
shiver under my feet like thorough
bred horse pulled on Its launches
Tie accident had been seen from the
bridge. An order to stop the ship had
been telegraphed down to the engine
room and obeyed. Still when Sally
Woolburn and had been carried by
the crowd far enough toward the stern
to look out over the blue wilderness
of water we were leaving behind the
ships heart hadn't ceased its throb,
throb, to which we had all grown so
accustomed in the last few days.
"He's got the childr exclaimed Sal
ly. "See. he's hauling the little crea.
ture onto his back with one hand and
swimming with the other Glorious
felloww
Yes, there were two heads bobbing
like black corks in the tossing waves
close together pictured so vividly
what my sensations would be II ]
were down there mere speck in that
vast expanse Of blue that | almost
tasted salt water in my mouth and
felt the choking tingle Of 1t In my
lungs.
Then suddenly the ships heart ceas
ed to beat, and the unaccustomed still
ness was as startling as an uneXpect
ed noise. A boat shot down from tht
dayits, with several sailors on board
A few seconds later they were rowing
away toward those two bobbing blaci
corks, and loved them US they bent
to their oars.
can't remember breathing once, oi
even winking. until l saw the chile
being lifted into the boat and the maj
climbing in after. What shout wen
up from the ship! Sally clapped hei
pretty, dimpled hands, but / only lei
my breath go at last in great sigh.
There was such crush that J
couldn't see them when they came OF
board, but there was more shouting
and hurrahing, and men slapped eacl
other on the shoulders and laughed.
Throb, throb went the machiner!
again. and there was no sign that any
thing out of the monotonous rount
had happened, except In the excited
way that people talked. Several mel
we knew paid visit to the steerag'
and came back with stories which flew
about from group to group In the frs
class cabin and no doubt the secont
too.
1t seemed that the little boy wh'
had fallen into the sea was the onl!
son of his mother, widow. They
were Swedes, and the woman, who b
on her way to the States to try ant
find a place as a servant. was quit,
Frustrated with the agonizing sus
pense she had suffered. AS for th'
little boy himself. he was not seriously
the worse for his experience. The doc
tor was with him and said that b.,
would be as well as ever in a few
hours. A subscription for the mothe
and child had already been started
among the first class passengers ant
would probably be made up to quite {,
good sum.
"But what Is going to be done fo'
the one who saved the little bOyi
ifeY asked the man who was tell
ing me the news, a Mr.. Doremus, WHIT
is a cousin of Mrs. Van der Windts
very full Of fun and good natured.
"a nice little pedestal labeled 'Ou
Hero will be built out Of the ladies
admiration and given to him to poss
on" said Mr.. Doremus. However, !.
must say for the gentleman-thougl
I've only seen him dripping wet ant
shaking himself like big dog-h,
iidn't give me the impression of beini
The sort Of chap to say thank you fu
The perch"
"Of course he isn'tv' said l. "But !
do think it's a shame II he's left ou
when subscriptions are going round
| OF course he must be poor or b.
! wouldn't be travelling In the steerage