Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-01

Polly should slip and fall. He glanced
old crib was filed. He must tell him:
Polly was by this time at the foot of tie
| inclined way which led to the top of the
| pile. Ned fastened a ter him and called.
Polly, don't try it: It's too risky, :,
replied the lad. without pausing in his
climb nor deigning to glance back. -,
you. ! don't want you to try it: I'll take
II will stop him" he thought. as he
began to climb the pile. IF 1 have to
| But alas! AS his head rose above the
pile his first glance ST owed Polly running
across the insecure logs right at the edge.
Ned's lips opened to shout a warning.
but ere he could utter the words Polly
| was gone. leaving no trace of his presence
behind save, at the very edge. one cedar
The group of boys watching from below
had noticed the loose logs, and, relieved
to see him pass safely beyond them.
watched with absorbed interest his prog
ress through the air.
-.
They saw his head and arms turn down
and at the same time his legs straigtten
out and begin to swing upward more and
more slowly till his whole figure was in
perfect line and flying downward to the
rapidly nearing water.
A burst Of applause greeted this clever
performance, but was quickly hushed as
| they noticed that the divers legs were
slowly passing the perpendicular.
They understood his efforts to control
| tt EN-, throwing back his head. following
nothing ava.ied. and slowly. but without
a check, his feet went farther and farther
from a straight line.
Then they noticed the agonized and
hQlnlpSS the final 1noS If
control and Splash; he struck the water
on his shoulders and back and disap-
peared.
They waited silently for him to come
up-a second-two; he did not appear.
Faces began to grow red, then white.
till Jack Griffith broke silence with,
| Hes fetchin' bottom to fool u.s."
mo he isn't: he's drowned ex-
claimed Ned. as he rushed to the edge
of the dock.
He had heard of many rescues of
drowning men and boys. and had wit
messed thu resuscitation Of one such
case. and he knew that if he kept his
head, with George Brush fastening to
| the rescue in the skiff, Polly might be
saved.
Here. Ned: I think I can see him
on the bottom" shouted George to Ned,
as the latter was pulling off his shoes.
''Where?" cried Ned.
Fright there" the latter renlied. and
| in moment Ned had plunged straight
for the bottom.
Stretched out fiat on the rocky bot
| tom Law that 1.-THE form he knew so
we'll. Mortified as he was at the sight.
| he struck out wildly for it. That min
| He never could we'll remember Just
what he did. bnt the first thing he can
| recall was seeing George Prush's face
over the e6l~e of the boat and feeling
| the boat. where he fell helpless and
tense on the seat at the stern.
| few deen-dravn hreaths Of the fresh
| summer air revived Ned wo-6errullr-
1"'d across the miad,e .th-vart of the
| hoat. RESTING on his chest with his head
and arms DANGLING on one side and his
| legs on The othAr. and bevnnd hi~,
George nu11ine his hardest to the dock.
| which thew soon reached
Here together thew lifted out the lad
as rently as possible and laid him first
on his face. while Georpe. kneel;ng
| astride. pressed firmly on his shoulder
| blades and back. to expel the water
from his chest. under which he placed
a tightly rolled coat. Then. turning him
on his back. he endeavored to induce
| respiration.
Ned. under Georges direction, had al
ready dispatched Bobby for Dr. Watt,
WuOSc house was near at mana, and had
| set Foster to chafing POLL legs. and
| thus they worked for nearly ten min
utes.
What's that? The futter Of an eye
lid. another a tinge of red on that
deathlv cheek, a faint sigh. and, as Ned
| fled his hands. lone-drawn breath,
| hurryinR footsteps near and the doc
tors CHEEKY voice. ''Bravely done. nv
boy; you've saved him." and Ned past
| the limit of his endurance. fell like a
| log in dead faint.
Returning consciousness found Ned
in his own white bed at home with a
| vague remembrance of being carried
and Of riding in a carriage. bnt with a
very real throbbng headache and a
soreness Of body that he was at a loss
for. while to account for.
| Gradually. however. the whole exciting
experience Of the morning came back to
him.
His first question was: How is Polly,
| unother"'
ALIVE. dear. thanks to your skill and
courage. And now. not another word
| ~uiet.''
| IT was all very well to be dubbed a
| hero and ''noh'e SON. and ALI that
hut that little performance Of his In the
W neither noble nor heroic It was, he
| admitted to himse'f. 'Iow-dnwn' and
''sneakv." and he went to sleep with a
&rm determination tn tell Polly all about
Il as soon he saw him
| No evil effects deveInn'ng IN the morn
| ing. Ned WIS release from confinement
and str"lled In to breakfast with AL the
airs which he felt his present dignity
| renuired
| Ned had called with numerous mes
| ca ges TO Polly. who was improving daily
At last. one evening. Mrs. Brown tod
him that as Polly wished to see him
| 4hev thought. he MIGHT do so the neyt
\ morning if Ned would come up about IL
| O'clock
| He was promptly on hand. and was
| ushered up TO the sicllroom by the nurse
There was his friend. pronped up on his
pillows. with an eager smile of welcome
on his pale face.
Hello, Ned. I'm mighty glad they let
you up. I've been awfully lonely said
Polly. "Sit down.
Ned took the chair which the nurse
placed for him at the bedside
"How is your back now Polly? Does
it pain you much?" he asked.
mot half so much as it did when old
Farmer Haskins got through with us the
day he caught us riding his old mare.
Do you remember"
do IT, replied Ned, put at his ease
at once by this assurance Of Polly's in
terest in earthly affairs. II should say
did,
Polly" said Ned, after an interval of