The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-07-15

make any prOtests-let's lunch to-
gether, fellow castaway"
She looked wistfully at the daintily
prepared food. "I ought not to-" she
was objecting, when Raymond spread
paper napkin in her lap, placed the
sandwiches before her and filled the
thermoS cup with hot coffee
Drink thisi" he ordered, "And, eat
those sandwiches-every crumb. Then
you've got to answer a few questions.
meantime, I'm going to swim. out and
get my boat"
He slipped off his shoes and drop
ped into the water. Once he looked
over his shoulder and saw that the girl
was watching him. He lifted his arm
and she waved in response
He swan easily with the tide and
had almost, reached the boat when,
without the slightest warning, he was
overpowered by an attack of cramps
He waved his arms desperately before
he went down.
A long, shrill cry came back over
the water. When he rose to the sur
face he saw round, dark, wet object
bobbing through the water at incredi-
BILE speed.
1t was the girl. He went down for
the second time, swooning from that
gripping agony. When he came up
again, she was very near-so close
that he could see her scared brown
eyes He tried to smile as he felt him
self sinking, but she hurled herself
through the water and gripped his
shirt collar with firm. steady fingers
Pant1ngly she dragged him toward
for long time before she could help
him into it. He sank in an uncon-
scious heap on the bottom while she
found the emergency oar, lifted the
anchor and sculled the motor boat
slowly toward the sandy beach.
When he opened his eyes he was
on the warm sand before a shabby
cottage. A tall old man was chatting
his wrists and pumping his arms while
the girl sped fleetly down the beach
for assistance.
1t was hours afterward when he
awoke from a refreshing sleep in the
living room of the cottage. Painfully
he recalled the events of the after
loon, remem bering that the fisher girl
had saved his life. Her voice reached
him now, low pitched and melodfous:
Come, grandfather, your soup is
ready: You better eat it while it's
hot"
Just as 1 thought" muttered Ray
mond. She's starving herself to feed
the old man! I'm glad owe my life
to her. 1t will serve as my excuse to
rescue them from this certain death
by starvation"
Then the grandfather came in. He
proved to be feeble old man of near
~ eighty. Raymond's gratitude and
sympathy invited confidence and pres
emily the young man was listening to
-
artist had been overtaken by relent-
less poverty.
Little by little his money had
dwindled. He knew that his grand
daughter was starving herself for his
sake, but she eVaded all his attempts
to compel an equal division of the
scanty store. Now winter was COM
ing nearer every day-what would be
the outcome? he shuddered and his
eyes filled with bitter tears.
1t took hours of argument to per-
suade them to let him come to their
rescue, but Raymond succeeded in
their scruples and took them
away with him in the Sea Urchin.
Under the tender and watchful man
agement of his mother, the half-fam-
ished maiden who had saved his life
was restored to normal and altogether
charming young womanhood.
Although the aged painter did not
long survive the hardships which had
been the burden of his later years, he
lived long enough to see his grand
daughter become the happy wife of
the man whom she had saved at the
risk of her own life.-(Copyright 1915,
by the Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate