Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-07-27

NE
vERYBODY stared at the woman strug
cling in the water. She screamed no
II n more She horribly busy and silent
l. n among the waves.
Knowles was shy young man. He
sET nsTM felt that it would be almost prcSumntuous
EGSGySM for him to he the first to to her rescue.
@$A lie did not like the obvious. and that was
EE$ @sA so obviously the thing to do.
kG Y ES1 But. seeing that everybody else was as
EEIt1SSS " modest as himself and that any further
\ SyS& n hesitation meant the public death of
q human being he threw off his dfidence
EEaSxzzED with his jumped down TO the beach,
plunged through the crowd asked who
is she?" did wait for kicked off his low
fhuos. WINGED the chill of the sand. charged
htn the boiling smother. shvered the cold thrilled
up his SPINE rainhowod through the green Of
thunderous breaker that formed n groined arch to
crush him. shook his wet hair ctt Of his eyes in time
= duck and split the next wave-and a third
Then he had Il moment Of calmer space. and settled
down 10 the most hideously slow form Of human prog
The tide had carried the girl beyond her depth
and she had lost all her courage; only blind instinct
kept her heating the water. 1t was easy enough for
stout swimmer to get out to her. But to get back
that problem.
The spectators shore bliSsfuy tormented
and their hearts went out to the young man: their
throats ached with the pure beauty Of his decd-and
then everybody gupod. sickencd. for---
As the couple To view again, out Of such
huhbling eddy hooked fish makes the poor girls
arms were round the hero and she chung to him with
all her might. He wrenched furously at her white
hands, got his right Free raised it. clenched his
fist and struck the girl-in the face-twice
naf dead and swimming fcebly with one arm like a
lame fapper. His other hand tangled in the dis
ordered hair of the unconscious figure he towing
to land.
When they safely ashore. the crowd mutey
showed its disgust and reproach for the brute Even
he felt it. and he stammered an apology between his
chattering teeth:
You had to knoclS-ock her ssenseessess to
save her \ miminue more and we'd have both
drow-owned.'
The girl was brought out Of coma by various I'M
graceful processes-n one of which barrel figured
11,, aka +oI.a 80
what manner of being it was had pucked her from
the sea
When each saw the other both wanted to die.
His hair every which way. his collar was
melted. his scarf shedding blue blood over
his dripping shirt, he boozy with fatigue and
nausea-and his socks revealed his bachelorhood and
couple of toes.
Her head ringing with pain from the excite
mcnt and the pummeing Her eyes were bleary from
his blows Her hair was all out of curl and mixed
with seaweed her bathing suit torn and covered
with blotches of wet sand. The young woman hated
The young dircY for saving her outrageousy
hat she could not even squeeze out
much Obliged for my life"
BY this time her parents had heard of the affair
and were running from their hotel near by. They
were too much excited to pay any heed to Knowles
md dragged their daughter to her room.
Knowles had always prayed that he might some day
save somebody's life. And his prayer had been
answered bur, rs is usually the answered with
amendments. He had saved homely and disagree
able girl and he had diSgraced himself in doing it.
When, some hours later. Mr. Smallwood. the girl
father. sent his name up to Knowles and asked
TO see him, Knowles could only believe that the man
had trailed him to his hiding place and had to
beat him to a pulp.
He telephoned down to send the visitor up. In due
time there knock and q voice began so mildly
that he opened the door without delay
"Mr. Knowles. have express my everlast-
ing gratitude Without you should be bereaved of
my only child
Don't mention it. It's nothing. Hollow is your
rhiId?"
she is all right except for pair of black-I mean
Except for the shock the shock We expect her to he
mp and about in day or two and Mrs. Smawood and
should esteem il an honor if YOU would dine with US
Thursday at seven at hotel-the Shoreby"
Thursday night Knowles dragged himself to the
Shoreby. to complete his pcnance and face the homely
fotsam he had brought ashore When they met they
looked very handsome to each other. The shock was
so great that they stared hard ggsled namely, aut
felt extremely juvenile"
Then she swept his feet out from under him By
knowing something of his work.
ITS awfuIly nice to be saved at all, but it's par
ticuarly nice 70 be saved by wcllknown illustrator
"Nou know my work. them" he gasped
"oh yes I've always admired your illustrations
Your men Wear such Well-madc clothes and look 81
strong, and the Slrs-thcyre awfully we'll dressed"
1t not just the Of praise an artist accounts
the highest and she had evidently never heard of hi
paintings, which We're his real expression But an,
praise sweet from lips like those; the very gaz
of such eyes was AN accolade And he liked the wa!
she did ner hair.
Keith Knowles did not want to he an illustrate
Of real people in modern costume. He wanted to h
mural decorator and paint ideal figures in ancieu
costume or in the original costume
lie had devised scheme for immortal frosc
a. and submitted his cartoons in a competition Tn
working out of the idea aud the composition and tn
color plan mad absorbed him day and night for weeks
He had gone without food without sleep, imnurcd i
the rocky fastnoSs Of his idea like an anchOrite.
Whrn tne ran exhibition came round Knowlo
could be forgiven perhaps for lurking in the environ
OF his painting to hear what people thought Of hi
work. He had sent three canvascs, a portrait Of
woman in ball costume, the portrait Of Il general i
full uniform, and n picture of a nymph-also in flu
uniform. TO his delight, the nymph was the on
accepted
As he edged near his painting day trying
look like mere spectator and eavcsdropping "a
every comment, he saw among the mob May Sinai
wood. She all eyes, all alteration; and she ha
sunk on the doublebAcked bench before the Nympl
Wi her was somewhat older woman whose hac
hair. bonnet and black neck frill proclaimed her sta
This was what Knowles managed 10 ovcrhear:
'What | started to say, Mrs. Lahrop was, that onl
an impure mind anything impure in such
subject
May Smallwood. do you mean to say that my min
Is Imp WHY, ! never insulted in my life"
"oh, | don't mean 10 reflect on your character
AIRS Lathrh"