The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-11-10
IN The UHOERTOW
BY LOUISE MERRIFIELD.
IfsAsAsAsAstyeAsasAsas

point of view, Bella. He's really a
wonderful boy, perfectly wonderful.
He's saved eight lives this summer
at the beach"
"A professional life saver could
have done as well. l don't like all
these college boys who sweep down
on a place like Tonowa and gobble
up the best positions for the season."
Isabell> tied red and black silk
cap over her close braids firmly It
was warm in the pine dressing room
Of the bath house. She had stepped
in from her own next door to help
Celia with the two Riddles, and as
usual these last days at the resort,
Celia had handed out some sisterly
admonition regarding her treatment
Of Ralph Marden.
"They don't do It for fun, Belle
They're working their way. through,
and I think it's dandy Of them, and
George thinks it is, too"
"Of course, if George says so, you''
agree" laughed Isabelle "You dear
old easy going thing. They work
hard, don't they. A few hours a
day waiting on the table, or here on
the beach flirting with every pretty
girl in sight, and twanging mando-
Inns and guitars to the moon after
dark. No, thanks. Perhaps If l
were a real summer girl myself I'd
feel different, but I'm not"
with a throb of real sentiment in
her" Celia said.
Along the shore line the last rush
of visitors dotted water and beach,
Isabelle stood for a minute on the
sand.
You're not going far out, are you,
Miss Chadwick"
The voice came from just behind
her
Why not?"
1.-THE undertow is heavy this morn
ing. 1t caught even Tod CLOSING
a while ago, and we pulled him out"
He wasn't-it wasn't serious p" She
looked back at him now, her dark blue
eyes filled with quick concern. Mar
den met them stolidly.
mo, he's all right. You like Tod,
don't your
Isabelle flushed slightly 1t wasn't
that she liked Tod at all. He was
simply a young teacher of social sci
ence at western college, and they
had found a great deal in common to
talk over, but some spirit of con-
trariness led her on
He seems to have found his way
in life. I like the worker rather than
the dilettante."
1t was typical feminine bit of
spite. She knew we'll that while Too
had been sitting around the hotel
piazza for month reading books and
a hot beach day after day doing real
work.
Just how it all happened she could
never quite remember afterward De-
liberately she had made her way out
to the second life raft, past all lines, to
show him she was not afraid
Celia was clinging to the life rope,
chatting with some of the women from
the hotel. George and Dot had ram
bled along the beach, squealing and
kicking in the surf with a lot of other
children, when there came a high
pitched scream.
Suddenly Isabelle saw something,
just swirl Of tangled yellow hair,
and the flash Of an upturned face
borne outward by the sea, and she
slipped from the raft after it. Oh, but
she was glad she was strong! She
had never feared the water, and now
she felt she could battle with it, and
make it give her back what she loved.
1t was coming toward her, and she
went under to find it with reaching
arms.
Not my neck, boy" she gasped,
as they gained the surface, the fright
ened boy clinging about her desperate
ly. I'll hold you all right Oh, let
go, Georgier
She tried to reach and unclasp his
grip, but he was half unconscious,
and she felt her strength going She
held the limp little body to her with
one arm and tried to keep afloat with
the other, but it grew harder every
minute, and a great WEAKNESS was
stealing over her.
1t was Marden who reached her
first. Behind him were a few others
Of the strongest swimmers. and back
on the beach they were launching
a boat, but Marden was the one who
held her with George fast in her
arms, and turned to beat his way back
to shore with his double burden.
That night she sat out on the YER
anda at Celia's cottage. Indoors she
could hear Celia singing softly over
her drowsy boy. She had hardly let
him out of her arms since. h-lrden
had given him back to her. Isabelle
caught the crush Of gravel on the