The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1940-08-31
Rescue
90
By ISABEL WATT
Mcclure syndicate-wNU servicsJ

dunes along the shore below the
coast guard station, jerked towards
the sound. 1t seemed to have come
from the sea directly below him,
yet for a moment he could see no
one.
"Helpl" Louder this time. Now
Teddy could locate the head, bob
bing like bit of cork, in the furious
sea. Sprinting down the PERCEPTIONS
sandy cliff, he came with such mo-
mentum that his body was hurled
perforce across the narrow beach
into the oncoming breakers-past
the drowning boy-no, girl. "She
must be nearly gone," he thought,
"or she would crawl in," so shallow
was the water he found her lying in.
A dead weight, the girls slim fig
ure hung Imply in his arms. Gently
Teddy laid her on the dry sand.
She looked like child; not twenty,
surely. Her eyes were closed, but
her heart, he was relieved to find,
was beating strongly.
CHANGING around he saw a little
farther down the strand the bleached
end of what might at one time have
been broken mast. It would have
to do. He carried the girl to it and
tried to roll her on it. She strug-
gled to sit up, reviving almost at
once.
"Oh, save me! Save mel" she
cried. Then, beholding the aston
ished rescuer, "Oh, you have saved
me! That awful seal"
do you feel all right" asked
the coast guardsman.
I'm just trife cold. I'll be all
right in a minute. You were won
derful to risk your life."
"But didn't. You were washed
ashore" He wrapped his coat
around her. Say, what are you
doing way out here alone, anyway?
Don't you know there's a dangerous
undertow here? No bathing. Why
don't you go in with the others, over
at the cover"
The girls blue eyes came back
from the sea to meet Teddy's bluer
ones. "I'l be frank with you.
came here because I'm through with
the others. l came here to end it
all and then--and then when the
great waves began to swallow me
up l got scared and called. guess
l haven't much courage"
"You poor kid. You poor dumb
kid. Don't you know there amt a
guy worth giving up your life for?"
You're sweet" she said. "If
were rich I'd give you a big re-
ward. AS it is"
Gas it is, Miss"
Betty Lyons"
miss Lyons. l have my night
off next Friday. I'm going up to
town. Couldn't I drop by the Sea-
side and we take in a picture show?
Can you walk back all right?"
She was, he saw, fresh as a daisy.
The recovery appeared startling in
would-be-suicide, both physically
and emotionally.
Drawing the curious stares of the
Seaside piazza buzzards the follow
ing Friday, Teddy Newman learned
that Miss Lyons was not in. Prob
ably thought herself too good for
him. Stung, he started down the
boardwalk toward the little main
thoroughfare. A boy ran after him.
Il know where Betty is" he volun-
teered. "She's gone to meet fell
Ter who saved her life
(Which way did she go?"
Across the jetty. I heard her
telling Bud, bout an hour ago."
The jettyl He saw it all in flash.
The girl had supposed he would walk
over, along the dunes. Instead he
had come in the cutter. If only it
hadn't gone! That long stone jetty,
he realized, would be under water
at full tide. And little Betty would
be in the middle of it!
1t was just about to pull out when
Newman signalled from the fishing
pier near the Seaside. With frantic
speed he jumped aboard and they
headed across the bay for the long
jetty. He could see a girl start a
few steps forward, then, hesitating-
ly, turn back Except for the land
end the ocean had crept over the
rocks. Betty, in a pink frock,
sWayed precariously!
"Help H-ell-l-l-l-l-lp!" That in
slant she tottered into the murky
depths. Seconds later, Teddy dived.
He had her in his arms. Sturdy
hands drew them aboard.
Say, have l got to rescue you av-
cry time see your" he gasped.
"oh, Teddy" painted Betty right
before the other men on the cutter,
you're so wonderful It's marvel
lous to be saved by a big strong
man like YOU"
After five more I-think-you're-
wonderful meetings Teddy Newman
succumbed and asked her to marry
him. 1t was then she confessed
she'd faxed the attempted suicide
just to get acquainted with this hand
soonest man she'd ever seen in a
coast guard lifesaving drill.
Pooh, you little devil; l knew it
all the time" he grinned. "But it
was darned lucky for you l hap
pened along that time you were on
tho iaffv -