The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1917-10-06
Quick
Conversion
By r. A. Mitchell

1 selected the last two weeks in Au-
gust for my vacation. am what is
called a new woman-that is, 1 have
departed from the ways of those wom-
en- who sit and hold their hands. wait
ing for some man to come and marry
them.
Until that summer, when l went
to the %seacoast. l thought that 1 had
no a in my nature. | was ex-
tremely practical and had no sympa-
thy with any one who was anything
else than practical. I felt quite COM
petent to make my own living and
scorned to relinquish the work to any
man.
Nevertheless in all our natures there
is the germ of romance. | first discov-
cred this germ i'm me on that visit to
the %seashore. and, having discovered
it, it grew up like a mushroom.
One evening ! went down to the
beach to plan some school work. for l
was a teacher. and walked over a mar
row strip of sand to some rocks a cou-
pie of hundred feet from the shore.
Arrived there. | found a convenient
natural seat and began my planning.
The moon was full. and presently |
saw a glimmer of light on the watery
horizon. Then the bright upper edge
of the moon showed itself. and lastly
the round disk stOod upon the ocean.
1t was at this moment that | became
conscious of the germ of romance
within me. | forgot my work and
drank in the beautiful scene-the SHIN
mer on the water. the gilded wave
crests. The starry heavens seemed to
invite me to their infinite depths: the
splash of the waves lulled me.
For a long while | sat e%nraptured by
the beautiful scene. The sounds on
the shore. Il babel of voices. dance
music in the hotels, an occasional burst
of laughter. formed a pleasing back
ground for the ocean. the MOON. the
heavens. Gradually the sounds be-
came confused. the splash of waves
sank into a rustic. and I fell into a
slumber.
This birth of romance within me. the
first romantic fervor | ever experience
ed. was followed by an awakening of
another kind. Something cold struck
my ankles. and. starting up, l saw a
wave receding from my feet. All
about me was the ocean. | looked to-
ward the beach and saw that the strip
of sand over which | had reached the
rock had disappeared, and the water
there. so far as | could see. was as
deep as that before me.
This second awakening that | have
spoken Of was not from slumber: it
was the coming of Il sense of weak
ness. There must be an inherent feel
ing of dependence lying dormant in
the breast of every however
she scOrns the stronger sex. At any
rate. the first mental impulse that
came to me OH looking over those mer-
CHESS waters was for some man to
come and rescue me.
| could not swim Il stroke. There
was no boat. not even a stick of tim
Der. near me. The sounds on the shore
had ceased. the lights in the hotels
were few. My voice was not strong
enough to make myself heard. for |
must have been Il quarter of a mile
the waves. now stronger with the flood
tide, would drown my voice,
Oh. how | longed for a mana strong
man. a brave man-to rescue me!
l had spoken at women's gather
ings. stating that there was no Situa-
ton a woman might enter upon that
she could not extricate herself without
brains. What use was my brain In
those watery surroundings? The few
square yards of rock on which | stood
would soon be covered. Next | would
be washed off it by the force of the
waves and at last a lingering agony.
ended by death.
From one of the houses on the shore
emerged a spark. 1t was Il lighted
cigar. | had always hated tobacco, but
now | would give worlds if that cigar
would bring the man who smoked 1t
to save me. | called. but my voice
did not reach him He walked away:
then turned and came slowly in my di-
rection.
| took off my white petticoat and
waved it as a signal of distress. He
saw it and came running toward me.
AT the verge he stopped and looked
about him. evidently for a boat. See
ing none. he threw off his Goa and
vest. for there was nc time to waste.
Then. divestirg himself of his shoes.
he walked toward me till the water
was up to his chin: then began to
swim. When he reached me | wound
my arms about him so tightly that.
ctrop0 aS ha was no fOund difficulty