The Lamar register., 1917-09-05
SALT WATER ROMANCE
ey Willis ARKWRIGHT.

were Il sIeHOeTdpueI III u blE olilte I'll
you only had u moderate salary-if
the manager who was a crank could
discharge you ut u moments notice
and leave you penniless to fRce your
landlady while you hunted for another
place
If you were an orphan and had no
relatives to extend hand in Il pinch
If you had hall room in a boarding
house-lf you had to keep the cost Of
your meals down to an exact penny
If you had no amusements, because Of
the cost and the fact that you had no
beau
If you sat down to face the future
and come To conclusion, what would
1t be?
Every girl has a right to look for
ward to love and matrimony and a
home Miss June Benton knew this,
and after an hours interview with her
self she came TO u conclusion.
mo, it Isn't worth the living" she
said.
The thought Of ending it all did not
frighten her in the least. Indeed. 1t
was rather a relief. She planned the
particulars just as calmly as she
would plan walk to the park, and
then went TO bed TO sleep the sound
est she had in month. She walked
into the office next morning to say to
the manager:
81 am not feeling well, and 1 want
to take day Off"
Il am going to suggest that you
take a year or two OFF ~ was his heart
less reply. None of you girls seems
to know when you have soft job!"
Miss June Benton took a street car
for one Of the ocean beaches. She
bade good-by to none of the girls she
had worked with. She was smiling as
she rode.
Bathing suit7 Yes, miss" said the
woman at the bathhouse. Better be
careful, for the tide is going out, and
at this hour the life-savers are not on
duty"
June wandered along the beach un-
til she found board that would float
her, and then she entered the water
and went floating.
Slowly but steadily the tide carried
the girl out. II was like floating In the
air. For the first time in long months
her mind was carefree, and she sang
as she fioated.
81 will drift out a mile and then let
| go I" she said
No shrinking. No fear. No regrets.
Why should there be7 Why not slng7
"Say, now, but you are the happlest
girl ever came across drifting out to
scar
1t was voice at June's elbow, and
a mans hand was laid upon her float.
IL"
Don't be startled ~
1t was young man in a bathing
suit He had a kindly but strong face,
and his deep voice was good to hear.
His bare arms were sun-tanned and
his cheeks almost the color Of leather.
"Not a llfe-saver by occupation" he
smiled. 81 tried to see how far out
could swim and get back safely. Guess
1 overdid IT. If you hadn't happened
| along It would have been all over with
me in five minutes more. Are you an
/ expert swimmer
81 can't swim a strokeI' And her
/ face told why she was there.
She released her hold on the float,
/ but he grasped her wrist and sternly
said:
"None o. that, now. Because, right
here is what they call Shark Reef. The
moment you let 90 you Will be seized
by a shark. 1t isn't pleasant death !"
! "Oh. / don't want to be deyoured
/ by shark = she walled.
"But you came out to die"
"Yes, but Oh, it was dreadfully
silly! know you are thinking 1t was
idloticr'
Somewhat like my case" laughed
the man. II strained the muscles of
my right leg three weeks ago, and yet
1 came down here for a ten-mile swim
five out and five back"
But now-now?" asked June.
Having acted like two idiots we are
now driven to act with some sense.
but our latitude is limited. Our only
hope is to be picked up and that the
sea will remain quiet until after that
event. 1t does not require much cour-
age or muscle to hang to the plank"
"But I don't want to diel" sobbed
June. "NOt now ~
"And I've got something to live for.
| It's chance. When we rose on that
] last groundswell / saw an ocean tug