The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1922-03-12

was ianitou John and stephen h1d
worked together Boo the Same factory
and John was employed there Htiil
But stephens eyes had begun tD fan
hlm and he had loff the factory nni
obtained the place az iautor. The
city was holding cy. ninE swimming
classes open To- the public. in tho
high school pool. stephen had to
be there 60 lgt iu mo swimming
pupils and lock up after the clauses
were over
John found his friend tutcd bacr
In "a chair outside u basement door.
For some mluutcs the two discussed
an Improvement they were trying To-
mako ON machine used BOO the fac
tory Then the memhCrH OF tho laat
swimming class began 10 leave the
building. Their instructor came
last
AN out, steve" he said Good
wait for me, john said stcph-
on. "Gll have to take look around
TO see that allR right"
John ant down in tho chair SiCph-
en- had vacated, his mind busy with
the mechanical problem of their In
vontion. How long he fa' thore hc
never rightly know. Az nt once M
came out Of his abstraction with
FNdl T. W llAI WIZ INt IlNIlE 0Ifht
All he had had 10 do was 90 sec
that the lights wore out. lie should
have been back by lhcu.
I'm go see what's Keeping him"
John thought, Maybe he's founl
some work that has To be done, and
l can give him n hand"
As he started along tho basement
corridor John felt no apprehension.
But as he. went on aud turned .
corner and the street noises died
away he suddenly became acutcly
aware that tho great building was
perfectly silent. 1lo could hear no
sounds 10 indicate that stephen was
anywhere near. with vague sense
OF uneasineas John pushed open
door into tho locker room. There
was no one there. though n light
was burning.
steve" called John
There wHs no answer NO sound |
OF any sort His unCosinoss grow |
Ing, John pushed through another /
door into the shower bath room. |
This was lit by brilliant white lights |
that strenmcd through an Rrchway |
from the pool. But II was empty |
an. there was not a sound. Hurry |
ing across tho slippery wet floor
John passed into the pool room. Ho
shot n quick glance around the bare,
whito-tiled interior. The room was
empty. Half mechanically John
cried again:
"SteVeI"
only tho hollow reverbcrations OF
his own voice In tho high, yaulted
room answered him.
Perhaps it WAS an Unconscious
fear or premonition that had swaved
him all the time that now drew
John irrosistably forward to tho |
edge OF the large pool OF transparent |
emerald water. IIe walked along It's
edge towards its deep end. poering !
down at the bottom as he went. And
almost below the spring board, "
Ing quietly on his side under eight
feet OF water. John found his friend.
The shock OF this discovery print
ed on Johns mind every thought
and feeling that whirled through
his brain. There was first n strong
up-wclling fcar---fear OF the water.
Born and bred city boy. John had
never learned To swim, Next there
was tho conviction that he alone
must save stephens life II Il were
still 10 be saved Ho could not go
for help. by the time he reached
the street, found someone who could
swim, made him understand nnd
had returned, It might be too late
There was nothing In all tho white,
bare room TO aid him--no pole or
graphing hook, II there were any
thing OF the sort about the building
he did not know whore to look for
II. Ho could not let the water out,
No. there was nothing TO do but 10
go down under the water after
stephen and fetch him out
Before tho end Of tho instant that
II took these thoughts to pass
through his mind John was throw
ing off his coat, his devotion 70 his
friend bnttering down his fear OF
the deep water. with no pause
now he ran 20 the sprng-board and
advanced TO It's outer end. lie
swung himself over the side and
hung by his hands. When he
dropped no would strike bottom
within a foot Of stephen, IIo turned
himself to face the other end OF
the tank for ho meant to seize
Stephen ana carry him into the
deep breath. shut his eyes instinct |
lively and let go. lie shot under the |
water; his feet struck bottom,
Another instant, and instead OF |
Brasplng Stephen and carrying him |
out as he had planned, John was |
fighting, panic stricken, Tor his own |
life. lie had gasped and sucked |
water into his lungs as he went un-
der just as almost anybody unused |
to deep water would do. Strangling |
he came TO the surface ana thresh
ing wildly. Reason had deserted |
him; the fear he had fought down +.
had risen and gripped him. Again |
he went under. When he came TO
the surface his hand, thrust up at
random, touched tho side OF the
tank and his fingers closed over the
lip OF the trough running below the
edge. He pulled himself up with a
'oHyulslve Jerk ana clung, head and
shoulders out Of tho water.
For moment he could do moth
ing but cough spasmodicAlly. BY
the time he had cleared his throat
and eyes OF water the consciousness
Of safety had driven out some OF
his fear. Reason returned. lie re-
membered what he was trying TO
do. But could he do Il? lie had
made the effort and failed. almost
losing his own life. Was not the
best thing 10 do 10 90 for help? lie
turned ana looked down into tho
water. stephen lay Just as he had,
undisturbed.
The sight restored Johns deter
mination. This was no time to give I
up. Precious seconds had been lost |
already while he, like a baby, had
given in TO panic fear. He would |