Attorney and client -- Fiction; Legal stories; Short stories; United States -- Social life and customs -- 20th century -- Fiction
The headway on Dan’s yacht was so great that before the two dazed
salts on board realized what had happened their master was far astern.
They bustled to bring the _Enchantress_ about and to come to his
rescue in the dingy. Stunned by the blow of the--spar, he had gone
down like a stone; so, in all probability, they would have been too
late. When he came up the second time it was on the port bow of the
_Firefly_, but completely out of reach. Giving the tiller to her
friend, and stripping off superfluous apparel, Mabel jumped overboard
in time to grasp and hold the drowning youth. There she kept him until
aid reached them. But the unconscious victim did not open his eyes
until after he had been laid on the Misses Ripley’s lawn, where, by
virtue of brandy from the medicine-closet and hot-water bottles, the
flickering spark of life was coaxed into a flame.
It was an agitating experience for the aunts. But Mabel was none the
worse for the wetting; and though she naturally made light of her
performance, congratulations on her pluck and presence of mind came
pouring in. David Walker suggested that the Humane Society would be
sure to take the matter up and confer a medal upon the heroine. The
members of the Anderson family came severally to express with emotion
their gratitude and admiration. The father had not been there since
his previous eventful visit, though once or twice he had met his
neighbors on the road and stopped to speak to them, as if to show he
harbored no malice in spite of his disappointment.
Now with a tremulous voice he bore testimony to the greatness of the
mercy which had been vouchsafed him.
The third and last happening might be regarded as a logical sequel to
the second by those who believe that marriages are made in heaven. It
was to ponder it again after having pondered it for twenty-four hours
that the Ripley sisters found themselves in their pleached garden at
the close of the day. That the event was not unforeseen by one of them
was borne out by the words of Miss Carry:
“I remember saying to myself that day on the lawn, Rebecca, that it
would be just like the modern girl if she were to marry him; because
she saved his life, I mean. If he had saved hers, as used to happen,
she would never have looked at him twice. I didn’t mention it because
it was only an idea, which might have worried you.”
“We have seen it coming, of course,” answered Miss Rebecca, who was
clasping the points of her elbows. “And there was nothing to do about
it--even if we desired to. I can’t help, though, feeling sorry that
she isn’t going to marry some one we know all about--the family, I
mean.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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