Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-03-25
CHAPTER discontinued.

II don't see It," he murmured husk-
Ny, afraid that she might remove her
hand. II can't see any fish, Milla."
She leaned farther out over the
bank. "Why, there, goosie!" she whis-
pered. Fright there"
II can't see it."
She leaned still further, bending
down to point. "Why, right tn"
At this mgnent she removed her
hand from his shoulder, though unwill-
lngly. She ciutched at him, In fact,
but without avail. She had been too
amiable.
A loud shrek was uttered by threats
abier to vocallze, just then, than Milla's,
for In her great surprise she said moth
Ing whatever--the Shrek came from
the otlser girls as Milla left the crest OF
the ovarhaDging bank and almost hor-
izontaRly disappeared into the brown
water. There was tumultuous splash,
and then OF Milla Rust and her we'll
known beautifulness there was moth
ing Visible In the superficial world, nor
upon the surface Of that creek. The
vanishment was total.
"Save her r.
Several girls afterward admitted
having used this expression, and little
Miss Floy Williams. the youngest and
smallest member of the class, was
unable to deny that she had said, "0h,
God |" Nothing could have been more
natural, and the matter need not have
been brought before her with such In
sistence and frequency, during the two
remaining years of her undergraduate
car6aw.
Ramsey was one OF those who heard
thia exclamation, later so famous, and
perhaps 1t was what reused him to
heroism. He dived from the bank,
headlong, and the strange thought In
his mind was II guess this'll show
Dora Yocum" He should have been
thinking of Milla, of course, at such
time, particularly after the little
enchantment Just laid upon him by
Milla's touch and Milla's curls; and
be knew well enough that Miss Yocum
was not among the spectators. She
was half mile away, as It happened,
gathering botanical specimens" with
one Of the teachers--which was her
Idea OF what to do at picnic
Ramsey struck the water hard, and
In the same instant struck something
else harder. Wesley Bender's bundle
Of books had given him no such shock
as he received now, and II the creek
bottom had not been of mud, just
there, the top Of his young head might
have declined the strain. Half stunned,
choking. spluttering, he somehow fioun-
dered to his feet and when he could
get his eyes little cleared of water
he found himself wayerIng face to face
with blurred vision Of Milla Rust.
She had risen up out Of the pool and
stood knee deep, like lovely drenched
figure In fountain.
Upon the bank above them, Willis
Parker was jumping up and down,
gesticulating and shouting fiercely.
snow l guess you're satisfied our
fishin' Is spoitl Whyn't you listen
me? told YOU 1t wasn't more'n three
foot deepi and Heinie waded oil
over this creek gettin' our bait. You're
q pretty sight,"
OF Milla he spoke unwittingly the
literal truth. Even with her hair thus
Wild and sodden, Milla rose from i'm
ruerson blushing and prettier than
ever; and she was prettiest Of all
when she stretched out her hand help
iessly to Ramsey and he led her up
out OF the waters. They had plenty of
assistance to scramble to the top Of
the bank, and there Milla was sur
rounded and borne away with a great
clacketing and tumult Ramsey sat
upon the grass In the sun. rubbed his
head, and experimental with his neck
TO see If II would 'work." The sun
shine was strong and hot; In half an
hour he and his clothes were dry--or
at least dry enough" as he said, and
except for some soreness Of head and
neck, and the general crumpledness Of
his apparel, he seemed TO be In all
ways much as usual, when shouts and
whistlings summoned all the party to
luncheon at the rendezvous. The
change that made him different was
Invisible.
Yet something must have been seen,
! FOR everyone appeared to take IL for