Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1922-06-30
A HARD SCHOOL
By MARY LOUISE 6UZZELL

the beach. SIowled MS he SAN ELLEN
aud that fellow" rcmpietnn hurryin:
down 10 the inlet where t.1 yuiu:
mans boat lay: for Tenpleton. while
UStenSihly tnkin. a much needed rest.
was paying nsSiduouS court to the girl
whom Jerry had looked upon as his
future wife ever since they had played
together as children.
Jerry tUrned his back on the APP
proachiny couple. but when they had
passed he gave his rival u surrepttious
glancc-notinX the white silk shirt. the
immaculate white trousers and the
wrist watch. Turning suddenly. Ellen
caught his criticizing eye laughed and
called back:
Better forget your lobster pots to-
day. Jerry, and bring Sarah over to
the island and picnic with us" to
which her escort added langAid.
Yes. dear boy. get your Sarah and
come"
"ThaniS." snapped Jerry. Il have
no 'Sa:ah'-and I've something To do
besides pirnicking aud-anI-r"aiins
poetry" seeing the book TrHvlc!on
carried.
Receiving no an>wc: save Il tolerant
>hrug from his rival. Il" s:li"rly re-
>u;iIcd his work. but 4 i"":2lrnt lat.".
after Il troubled look III the SKY. Ii.
strobe after the picnichvrS, and as
rrmp!r:rn pushed OF tie wharf, he
save him Hvi:SIus:
BETTER keep an eye on t!.n i."r'wrS
ter. I"!nn!rton. those c!):i,i> u!ean
wind; ana I'd come in wiz. the ode.
its tough rowing against H."
T"npeton raised his hrows. t,cn
N"uch>afed SuperciliuUs: AN.
Thanks awfully, my good man. bat
have 10 fears, I've handled boat scv-
eral times before today" with an
emphasis on the "scverar that made
Jerry long to pitch him into tie wa
ter; but instead. with Smoihcrcd
"Humph." he swung UP the ,cach TO
the cottage he shared with his crippled
grandfather. The old man seeing
Jerry lie stopped smoking TO mutter
fretfully:
IF that chap had sense of a-a-
ScUlpin, he'd keep off'm the water with
such clouds abroad" waving his pipe
skyward; then added with spnil =
chucklr: Il shouldn't wonder II he
found it true that experience is Il
hard school, but fools will learn from
no other aforc he gets home"
Very likely, but il anything hap
pens to Ellen through his ignorance
Tll-I'll--"
You amin to let that whippcrsnap-
per grab your girl away right from
under you noSe?" queried the old man
iraScibly.
"Why, no" blaZed Jerry, "but he
tlatterS her till She
Doesn't know any more'n she ought
err" interrupted his grandfather. IAN
the same. Id kinder row out toward
the iSland-you see what's coming?"
Jerry nodded and sat down.
The weather grew more threatening
every minute; but he waited till the
tide tarned, sending choppy waves in
shore. Then, unable to bear the sus-
pense, he ran down to his dory, thrust
the oars into the OarlOcks and pushed
off into the foaming waters.
Something smashed into the dory,
scrapcd by and was gone. Twisting
around he strained his eyes to make
ont the tossing thing astern-it was
Tcmpleton's empty boat being driven
shOreward!
His breath came in Mortified gasps
rs he senScd the awful Significance Of
The sight; then wild rebellion fired
nj hn
dashed and buffctcd into nothingncss
by the cruel waters. 1t must not
should not be! He sent stentOrian
shout toward the ;::!nnd; it came back
In a hooking echo.
Again and again he called her name,
with wild hope that somehow. in
some miraculous manner she had es-
capped death. Suddenly the island
doomed before nina black blot
against the sky. With mighty effort,
he sent his spent voice shoreward and
listened. His heart almost stopped
beating for very joy, for across the
flashing waters faint hail came to
him out Of the darkness. 1t was
Ellen's voice!
With superhuman effort, his
strained and swollen muscles beachcd
the dory; two sodden figures were
lifted over its high side to safety. and
in silence, save for murmured THANK
Heaven Jerry backed away, turned
his boat toward home, and the racing
tide did the rest.
Giving no heed to the babbIed ex-
plantations Of the modified Templeton
he lifted the slivertng girl out and
carried her up the beach to her home,
but before reaching her door he asked +:
"By what fool stunt did Templeton
lose his bOat?"