The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1916-02-25

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pass our entrance examination. And
then to work your way through-why,
my boy, your plan is impossible. Give
it up"
Tom shook his head. IN try. I've
got four years" he said.
A year later Tom HoIloran passed
the entrance examinations. He en-
tered upon a three years course At
the end Of the time he put his sheep
skin into his bag and went to the me-
tropolis, with a decent suit Of clothes
on his back and a dollar in his pocket.
The butler who admitted him to
the tinancier's house looked at him
obviously.
I'll give your name to Mr.. Henry"
he said, in a non-committal manner.
He stopped. Tom barred the way.
Miss Helen Tom stammered.
I'll see, sir" said the butler.
Ten minutes passed. Then the finan-
cier entered the room. He did not
know Tom.
Il am Mr., Holloran,' said Tom. You
remember our agreement-that was
to marry your daughter in four
years"
The bankers face grew purple, You
imDudent rascal" he said. Get out
Of my house,"
81 shall wait on the doorstep till /
see Helen" said Tom.
The banker glared at him and left
the room. A quarter of an hour later
he returned with a stylishly dressed
young woman, who looked at Tom as
if ne were hardly a human being.
But 1t was Helen. Tom hardly heard
her scathing words, he only knew that
his pride was crushed. Her ringing
laughter dismissed him. He stumbled
from the room.
The next day he entered his IA
theirs house. The old man, hardly
changed, looked up and nodded.
Il recognize you, son." he said.
Still a fool, l reckon. Still banker
ing after that girl. warned ye.
l told ye."
Eyes, l was a fool" said Tom. i've
come back to get a job with the
boats
III that's all you're worth" said the
old man, you'd best have stayed
where you was"
The panic year wiped out many
fortunes, and loudest was the crash
Of the Henry chain Of banks. In a
day the banker was a ruined outcast,
and the next week a suicide. The
house was sold. The papers contained
strange stories of Helen's discovery
upon the island, and reporters came
and pestered Tom. But nobody knew
anything Of the girl.
Still a fool, Tom?" His father
asked one day, as the young man sat
brooding over his nets.
Il reckon So" said Tom.
You've given the best years OF
your youth to a worthless woman
said his father. "Now is the time to
look for another
Tom did not answer. His spirit
seemed broken. All the nelghbors
thought that. He seemed to take no
interest in life. Gradually they &C
cepted him as one of themselves
again, and forgot.
There is a legend along the coast
that what the sea gives, 1t takes; what
It takes 1t restores. The winter Of that
year was m Of raging storms. Many
a ship in distress far out at sec was
sighted, but 1t was not till February
that the lifeboat rockets signaled
a wreck upon the rocks in the bay.
They launched the boat. Tom, bend.
ing to the oars, saw dimly, through the
blizzard the bulk of a great liner ly-
ing between the needle-points. The
cold cut him like a razor edge. Me-
chanically he bent his strength to the
BAR.
AS the boat drew near and tried to
lay alongside, while the breakers
pounded her, a desperate cry Of a
multitude fell on their ears. A mighty
wave had swept the decks Of half their
huddled humanity. The waves were
black with bobbing heads, hands
clutched wildly for aid and found
none.
Tom leaped into the sea to where
a woman's head appeared for a mo-
ment in the suck Of a giant wave. He
seized her by the hair and hauled
her to the boats edge. Somehow they
got her in.
Laden to her gunwales with all
that they had been able to rescue. the
lifeboat made her difficult way to.
ward the shore. But when she reached
It at last and the men and isherwives
who had assembled there looked into
Toms face they knew who the we'll
dressed strange woman was.
Tom kneeled beside her, chatting her
cold hands. A tress Of her hair hung
like a wet wisp over him. Her eyes
were closed. but a faint pulse stirred
In her.
"She will live" said the doctor that
night. "But her brain is injured. How
far. l don't know. It is impossible to
say until she wakes"
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