Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1919-06-12

steady stroke beside her, though
scarcely ware of what sne was doing.
Life seemed going from her ebb by
ebb n t was not worth while to
try to hold on to it any longer, and
yet the memory of her mothers fears
kept her trying. After that she kept
on, unconscious of anything save that
she must keep going. she must, she
must-till finally eve that dim i'm
pulse fiickercd out and the water
flowed about her very soul; softly,
dreamily. possessingly. Yet still she
was drawn OIL and on through the
%blackress to a distant shore.
He dragged her up on the bank at
last, tho man who had saved her out
of the chaos of peril and brought her
with him at the expense of his own
almost exhausted strength. He was
gasping and all but finished himself.
when lie dropped beside her among
the tall reeds that served to shelter
them from the night, and for a few
moments they lay quiet, passlve; the
girl unconscious, the man painting for
breath and unable as yet to think what
to do next ;two stranger souls in
common peril. knowing naught of each
other or of what was before them.
In a moment, however, the chill of
the night reused the man and he shiy.
cred n sat up. Whoever it was that
he mad saved-a woman-her long
hair and trammellng garments had al
ready told him that-she would die if
she lay long in that condition. What
could he do?
He shlvered again and got up. He
shook the water from himself. 5 His
splendid strength reasserted itself and
ms breath was steady nov. He was
surprised that even a. swim like that,
c~ncumbered as he was with heavy
clothing and shoes, and bearing an
other helpless creature. should have
knocked him Out SO completely. Then
he. reflected that he had lost much
sleep during the past few days; still,
that was not cough to make him feel
so worthless. He shook himself again
and stretched his muscles, as he used
to do on the football field in his near
by boyhood days, after a knockout,
when he heard the call back into the
game. II ever there was q call to
come back into the game it was now.
for this woman would die IL he did not
do something at once.
Tho night vas wild and chill. Across
the river, farther away than he
dreamed they had come, the sky was
lurid with the fire that flared gro.
tesQuely against the darkness. The
current must have carried them down
stream as they crossed. He had
thought to go back and help a v 9th.
ers SO soon as he had this one safe.
butsthe way was far and this woman
was apparently helpless, perhaps un-
conscious, or at least exhausted. II
h lay here in her wet garments she
would die I rom the cold. He must
get her to her feet aid keen her warm
somehow
STOPPING, he lifed her light weight
and bore her farther up the bank into
the woods, then laid her down ON the
ground and knelt to listen to her
heart. It was beating weakly. II
oniyrhe. had, fire or ,stimulant or both!
Perhaps there was q house somewhere
near. He would carry her q little
way and see. So he picked her up
again. holding her close to keep her
warm. and struggled on through the
thick underground in the darkness.
That night was an experience to be
remembered through q lifetime. The
young strength OF the man seemed TO
revive with the necessity. and he q
ried the woman q long distance be-
fore. with the warmth OF his body and
the motion Of the going. the girl came
ito her senses and was able to walk
for herself.
For the first instant Of her waking
to consciousness her soul seemed to
stand still with horror Where was
she and who was carrying her? : What
would happen to herr Would she
lever 9 her. home and friends again?
The questions rushed madly through
her mind and almost paralyzed her
thoughts for an instant. Then mem.
DRY s~reasserted itself. All the facts Of
the disaster rs she had seen them,
came back. She knew that whoever
was carrying her must have saved hsr
orr Of kindness. She knew that he
must have had to swim alone during
at least a par tot the way through thu
water, for she could distinctly re.
member. now, the horror Of; being m.
able 10 keep up any longer. Then
athascsN~aA .somethtngs else. = hndly,
lIstsoag. inapsssoral clasp that made