Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-07-15

| party hailed him from the launch 1
| was already casting off its lines, and th
| boy made a careless running leap, ant
| fell short into the deep treacherous wa
ters of Black Lake.
10 saw the danger first The grea
| fruit steamer was loading that day anC
lay at her moorings a few feet beyond
the little gay launch. Courtney wa.
borne by the current to the waters be
tween the steamer and the piling. ANY
moment a chance swell might crush hin
to death.
They tell the story yet at Ocatawa
how Hoskns' girl kept her head, and
threw a life buoy to the lad, and pulled
him out of danger And just for a min
ute she held his head on her lap, just for
a minute. as Courtney opened his ewes
and looked up at her.
whats your name7' he asked
hoarsely. with a boys awkward graft
tude. Say, III never forget this-or-
you"
They call me just Hoskins' GIRL" she
told him.
The Senator offered her reward the
next day of $500, and 10 only flushed,
and went on roasting her peanuts.
Better start volunteer life-saving
station here SIR she had replied mer-
rily. "Wen need 1t soon. Ocatawa's s
booming"
The Senator believed her. Next year
he built the life-saving station, and the
new summer hotel And Hoskins sold
more peanuts
Courtney went back to college, but
often between his eyes and the real
world there would steal a vision. the
face of the girl as she had leaned over
the edge of the dock and thrown the
buoy to him, the look in her hazel ewes
later when she n hfg
brief minute on her lap, and smoothed
back the wet, dark hair from his fore
mead. Courtney had a good memory He
wished he knew her name.
Five years later Lon" Hoskins owned
the controlling interest in the Ocatawa
Beach stock. There were Hoskins' pea
nut roasters all over the resort. The
hanasomest cottage along the shore was
Hoskins' home And yet, there was an
Intangible, aggravating line that HoskIns
never crossed. Not that he cared for
himself. II was only for 10 he thought.
Sometimes he would look at her when she
came home for holidays, note her growing
beauty and thoroughbred ways and
whistle softly to himself, hopinF fer
vently that the peanut trademark would
not handicap her for the race with other
women when she took her plunge into
the big swim. ''''o
10, girl, do you ever wish your dad
was somebody besides the peanut nnan9'T
he asked her one day jocularIy, Vet with
the undercurrent OF earnestness that 10
well knew.
Better peanuts than watered stock
Dad she would say. They're good
The fifth year Jo came back ready for
the big swim She was 20, and even the |
casual visitors at the beach avowed that
Hoskin's girl had the others relegated 10 |
the background
Almost childish she looked in her b,aol, |
satin bathing suit, with its wide irish /
laee collar and jaunty little cap. Court
Iey was standing up in the pier Casino
he nrst time he saw her. He ala MOI
recognize her then. From the long nier
ne watched her swim far out beyond tba
'atts and lifeline. She was fnakins, 60
ne END or the pier to dive OF. Near bt,,,
somebody spoke up. ann
ITS Hoskins' girl, Jo. She's oor,.
oaek 'S a sumner and the best swimmer
along the shore.''
IN nash OF recollection Courtnev -
re iieillDered the scene at the old fruit doct,
1ears before. Surely he remep,hsraS n n
ioshins' Just the memory OF her hsS
ispt tslt ms Ieet in the narrow path many q
cry Of horror rose from the .,.,
long long the beach There came that tensa
nee fat1 i'isub OF stupehed inaction |
naI .,laaI follows tragedy Out on ths 1sst
'iill ,iilns OF the pier, 10 had stood for ,aS
,risht . outlined yividly against he :
'ilsht SKY, and had dived almost racl-
sss y And she had not reappeared. I
Courtney's hat ana coat ian -,
im as he raced hsadlong the Is'sh oshind
ne Casino over the railing ne S,ss, ,,,ol oI
seal straight after the eirl 81 @ @siAe
uueA an Old sunken pile. Do,gn ttii-l il-a :
Z the binding depths, his resebins s.s
'osensa '..hs 5usht IN her thick enris :
"hsh heF cap fell OF. With one