The Washington herald., 1913-11-25
DAILY SHORT STORY

'T did. but something has happened to
make me change my mind. now ind
myself chuck full of romance"
That's bully, That makes It easy!
I'll have you swimming on the top wave
in another week II you'll put yourself
in my hands"
81 am inclined to do so, but"
"Oh, you can trust me not to get you
into a humiliating position. l shall ar
range for you TO make the acquaintance
OF one particular young lady, and when
that Is done society viii admit you. It
must be done romantically, however"
Must 1 stop a runaway horse and
save her life?" laughed Mr.. DeIray.
Just leave 1t all to me. Permit me
to manage"
The youth was silly, and yet he was
quaint. He seemed to be talking non
sense, and yet he seemed very much in
earnest The engineer couldn't quite size
him up.
II the name Of the boy was Ashley,
then the name OF his sister was the
same. An inquiry or two brought the
information that the Ashleys were
among the aristocrats and wealthy. As
for Miss Claire Ashley-hadn't his eyes
beheld her?
The public improvement at Ashley
was canal from the river to a valley
In flood time. In the center of the mill
pond was a small island, and on this the
engineer had his office in a rough shanty
He kept boat to ferry himself to and
fro. From his island he could see for
half a mile UP and down the pond. There
was good fishing there, and boats were
out almost every day.
Young Bob Ashley hadn't been seen
by the engineer for four days. He had
been grharninO Nd
with his sister Claire. He wanted to 20
| fishing, and he wanted her to go along
She had never been in a rowboat, and
she declined. She had never fished, and
she didn't want to.
"I'll have to go or you will never stop
pestering!" exclaimed the sister at last;
and the persistent Bob had won his
point.
At o'clock in the afternoon the en-
gineer sat before an open window In
his shanty office as a rowboAt passed
within thirty feet OF him. 1t held Bob
and his sister. She was looking the
other way, but he wasn't He looked
young Delray In the eyes and gave him
a wink and a nod. Sometimes a wink
and a nod can be perfectly understood,
and sometimes they simply mystify.
What did Bob's wink and nod mean:
II he had anything TO communicate why
didn't he call out?
The engineer wasn't myetihed over
sixty seconds. Bob lost an oar and
stood up and reached for It. and the
skin upset He shouted and his sis
ter screamed. Fifty people saw the acci-
dent, but they were on the river banks
ard had no boats. Just about twenty
seconds had passed when the engineer
was in his skin and pulling to the rescue
Don't faint. sis!' admonished Bob as
he got an arm around his sister to sup
port her.
.cBut-but we shall be d-drownsd." she
sputtered.
Not unless we are swept over the dam.
and I think Mr.. Delray will reach US in
time to prevent that Just watch his
strokes, He fully realizes our awful
peril, and that but for him we must be
lost. He comes, He will make it, We
are saSedI Hear the cheers for his heroic
work.
And what came after was the usual
program. Mr.. Delray was thanked and
thanked and invited to call He was
a hero. No girl heart free was ever
more than two minutes admiring q hero.
and never more than two weeks in as
certaining whether or not he was en-
gagged. 81 .e-..- l.
Just how long it was before 1t was
known that Mr.. Delray and Miss Claire
Ashley were engaged has nothing to DO
with the case II was about that time.
however. when the sister walked up TO
Bob and asked:
Young man. when we were ciinging
to the boat that day, didn't you say that
II We went over the cam We should surely
be drowned?''
such was my remark" was the re-
ply.
But there wasn't drop OF water run
ming over the damr'
No"
"And you lied to me, sirr'
"And II I hadn't would you now be
engaged to the best fellow IN seven
States?'