The Cairo bulletin., 1911-11-13

"Oh, yes--l thought 1t was the
squee gee kind said Vera as she
pulled at the lever and then almost
screamed at the loud "Boo,oo!" that
followed.
MY own invention-tha lever"
chuckled the voice Great, isn't it?"
"Fine-its very loud" admitted
Vera. How often shall | sound it,"
Whenever the other fellows stop"
he laughed
There are so many Of them the
sounds lap over one another" COM
mented Vera as she managed to get
in another alarming "Boo-oo!"
Again her fellow passenger laughed
and his voice mad ring OF familiarity.
1t was very battling to sit there SO
close to him and not know what he
looked like~-who he was-or anything
about him. 1t was very romantic, too,
but Vera was not thinking of that
somehow, for there was such a babel
Of sounds about her that all she could
think of was that If she really knew
who this man was she might feel more
confidence in his ability to protect her
from the excursion steamer that was
their greatest menace. So far her
rescuer had proved himself to be quite
ut home in his motor boat; he was
strong and cool-headed and he was en-
tirely practical and impersonal All
those things counted in his favor with
Vera Gale. Suppose the excursion
steamer did run them down would he
be the sort to save her or would he
let her go?
Vera received an answer to that
question with startling swiftness.
From another direction there came a
medley of sounds--a tooting blowing,
pounding of steamers screw and
then out of the fog astern there loom
ed a dark shape and before Vera's
frightened lips could utter sound,
her new acquaintance leaned forward,
a gigantic form in the mist, and grasp
ing her in his arms stepped overheard
into the bay while the putting steam
tug sent his boat with the dangling
canoe straight to the bottom Of the
harbor where 1t was not recovered for
many day..
The man and the girl went down
ara then UP again, miraculously es-
caping arising under any one of the
craft that surrounded them. Veras
companion held her closely with one
arm and with the other he stroked
vigorously to keep them atloat Pres
emily Vera recovered her wits sufii-
Gently to strike out with her free
arm
Bravo he painted when he found
that she, too, was swimming. Then,
amid the shouting and whistling and
screeching about them, his voice
arose Boat ahoy-two in the wa
teri" he yelled.
After that there was danger of their
being run over by rescuers but all at
once he shouted joyfully that he had
found something, and then friendly
hands pulled them over into an open
boat and only then did the man give
up the girl he had rescued.
"If--it-hadn't been-for you-u-u-l
! w--w--ould ha-have been drowned
said Vera through chattering teeth
MY canoe w-would ha-have gone tc
| the bottom-so w-would l.
ITS at the bottom now and so Is
mine!" returned the other cheerfully
Say, mate, have you got a~ythine
warm to wrap this lady in?''
"Aye--here you are!" and a knitted
! jacket was tossed from the fog anC
her new acquaintance, sitting beside
her, wrapped Vera In its comforting
folds
Show about YOURSELF" she asked
! after little while.
ooh, never mind me--Im tough,
was his careless reply. But say,
earnestly, you're plucky, do you know
| it?"
II was scared to DEATH" admitted
Vera.
$50 was l." he retorted and the!
both laughed.
They sat there side by side. Vert
listening to his conversation with thu
other occupants of the open boat. Sh,
was trangely contented and happy
For some unknown reason she Eel
that something new had come to he
that afternoon--some new experience
that was to color all her after life.
Then all at once the fog lifted A
suddenly as 1t had enveloped them
Whitfield away before light breeze
showing all the maze of boating In tn
harbor and everything sprang into re
newed life and activity.
The two who had spent an hour Il
the fog together-who had touche
hands--had spoken--had gone dow
to the gates of death and up again
turned and looked at each other.
ALLEN Cramer." cried Vera breath
lessly.
Vera Gale!" he cried equally a.
tonished, and then these two who ha
J known each other all their lives an
never dreamed Of falling In love fel
a strange sweet embarrassment
J creeping over them.
1T seems like stepping into ne'
! world--after the fog" said Vera {
cover her embarrassment.
at is new world for meP said A