Evening star., 1936-01-19
Magazine Section

tne IOl iOiI Olu WOllidii uSSdu " Sill IGN.
Help! help! He's drowning! Help!
help!'
Valerie, startled out of her reverie
by the wild cry, ran toward it. A man
dashed past her and out to the woman
wringing her hands on the pier. He
demanded:
Where is he? who is he?"
There! there! Can't you see? It's
my dog"
"A dog! Oh"
That "oh" maddened the old wo-
man. and Valerie, coming up, rather
hated the young man for what he
implied. Mrs Bowman -Tozer clawed
at him: See! the currents carrying
him away! Are you going to let my
little dog drown?"
''Of course not" said Neal, as he
pried off his low shoes, whipped out of
his jacket. and jumped in. He floun-
dered toward the dog, reached him
quickly and was making his way
slowly toward the pier when Mrs.
Bowman -Tozer, in a frenzy, caught
sight of life preserver hanging at the
side of the moored boat. She seized it
and flung it at Neal.
1t was the only time in her life she
ever hit anything she threw at. The
hard edge of the stout ring struck Neal
on the temple. His head went back. He
swallowed water and, still gripping the
dog. went under.
The frantic Mrs. Bowman Tozer
was about to plunge in herself, but
Valerie thrust her away. stepped out
of her high-heeled slippers, ran to the
edge of the pier and launched forth in
a long shallow dive, a beautiful recol-
lection from the days when her father
owned a swimming pool. She came up
swimming, her bare arms cleaning
and vanishing in swift alienation.
She caught up the life preserver and
threw it ahead of her When Neal
came bobbing to the surface. she seized
him by the hair. Treading water, she
lifted the little dog by the scruff of
the neck and set him on the life pre-
server. Then she pushed back toward
the pier through stretch of eddying
silver. showing the life preserver ahead
of her.
Among the Silsbee guests hurrying
to the waters edge, was Philip Rut-.
ledge As Valerie reached ladder at
the side of the pier. he clambered down
it and reached for her hand. She gave
him the dripping dog instead and.
gripping the ladder with her free hand,
drew Neal Douglas close and thrust
her other arm under his. Before Philip
could rid himself of the dog. Neal had
returned to consciousness to find his
cheek on the cold white painting breast
of radiant being who embraced him
and stared down at him in an un-
earthly loveliness. He faltered:
Am dead? Are you an angel?"
Neither of us is either, she gasped.
Anyway. he belonged to her by the
laws of flotsam and jetsam, and she
belonged to him by the laws that make
the rescuer the slave of the rescued.
She loved him for strange kind of
knight who offered his life for little
dogs life. And if he was hero for
that. what heroine she was to him!
Suddenly Philips hand came down
again and dragged Valerie from her
enchantment to the reality of the lad
der she must climb in sopping. muci-
laginous ball gown. Then he took off
his coat, wrapped it around her and
sped with her to the house.
Neal climbed the ladder and looked
about for his dinner jacket and shoes.
Nobody knew who he was except Titus
Clifford. who called him blithering
jackass to risk his life for dog; then
put his arm around him. hustled him
to his car, wrapped him in the laprobe
and ordered the driver to make full
speed for Washington.
AS soon as Valerie had shifted to the
drv clothes Of ono 0f Mrc Qsiehoo'c