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SAVED BY HIS
■a SWEETHEART
(A WHITSUNTIDE ROMANCE).
"FT A TL.T-1
J&.
IN
CHAPTER I.—A BANK HOLI
DAY OUTING.
It was Whit-Monday, and a glorious M>y
morning.
As the empty train,backed slowly into
the station, there was a wild scramble to
secure seats, for the long platform was
crowded with men, women, and children,
all anxious to make the most of their holi
day. Although porters and tieket-colkctois
rushed about shouting that a second train
woidd follow, everybody seemed to deter
mined to squeeze into this one.
The cheap excursion to the pretty town
of 1'ieswick was always looked forward to
at holiday time, and the workers and their
families begrudged every minute lost before
they set out, leaving the smokey town be
hind them and speeding along to where the
mountains rose up and were reflected in
the shimmering waters of the lake below.
There was one, however, who stood
quietly aside and watched the excited holi
day-makers jostling one anotner , good- |
humoredly. I
Nellie Farren was a newcomer to. the sea
port town of Westerton, and the felt some- I
what lonely as she waited there by herce f
and noted that practically every other girl
present was either one of a merry party j
or had a companion. Yet many an ad- <
miring glance was cast in her direction,
and more than one young fellow found his
sweetheart sulking because she thought he ,
stared too much at the solitary girl by the j
bookstall. |
At length those of the excursionists who
had not secured places in the train we*e
induced to stand aside and al.ow it to move
oft". Handkerchiefs were waved-from every
window, and the air resounded with the (
glad, shrill hurrahs of the children, the I
shouted comments of the grown-ups, and
the strains from an occasional concertina
or mouth-organ.
Only a few were left behind to wait for
the relief train, which now came alongs de
the plaiform as its • predecessor had done,
and the girl by the bookstall had no difli
.culty in securing a corner seat. In fart,
the'thought at first she was to have the
compartment to herself, but just at the last
moment a young man brushed past 'cJs<s
ticket-examiner at the entrance and rar. on
to the-station. The train was -.lveidy
moving as he wrenched open_ the carnage
door and flung himself, into the
teat facing Nellie. j
"Jove! I nearly missed it,^ Jw gasped, i
taniling across at the girl.
She smiled back, though she did not !
answer in words, and he went on mopping
his face. |
As Nellie glanced at him from under thc
rim of her wide summer straw, she noted
how smartly dressed he was and whac a |
(handsome fice he had- She saw, too, with
a woman's love of detail, the bright green
socks displayed below the turned-up trou- .
sers of a smart grey flannel =uit and the
new brown shoes that encased them. |
He was evidently no worker from the
steel furnaces which lined tire coa^t and
which were the principal source of employ
ment for the town. Perhaps he was a clerk t
in the offices, she told herself. |
Suddenly, however, her thoughts were cut
short, an Id she found herself blushing furi
ously: for she became aware of the fact
that the object of her scrutiny had ceased
to mop nis face and was now looking stead
family at her, his eyes betraying obvious ad
miration at what he saw. I
"Isn't it a grand day!" he remarked, ob- '
serving her confusion, which only added to
the richncss of her complexion. j
'•"Yes," she answered, without daring to
look up.
"It'll be ripping up at Fleswick," lie went j
on, emboldened by her reply. ''Jolly place, i
isn't it?" ... .
"I've never been before,'* Nellie said;
p.nd again she blushed as she caught his
glance.
"Never been!" Oh, I say! But perhaps
jou're a <=tranger?"
The girl was too confused to realise that
the question was somc-what impertinent;
besides, she had an indefinable feeling that,'
ever though it were only for a short time,
si c was now like the other girls—she had a
companion. And what an attractive com
panion he was!
"Yes, we've only come to live at Wester
ron recently. Father's a roll-turner at the
works, and I've a brother at the coke
ovens."
The train was now slowing down, and
eventually came to a stop at a pretty little
wayside station. On the crest of a hi 1 near
by a cloud of steam rose from the neigh
borhood of a long low range of brick build
ings, and the girl glanced eagerly in that
direction.
"Are those the Harrowby coke-ovens?"
she asked her companion.
"Yes. Is that where your brother
works?''
She nodded m leply, for at that moment
the door opened and three other passen
gers entered. Two o£ them were obviously
sisters, <ind seemed to know Nellie's fellow
traveller, for they smiled and nodded to
him- The othei \\ as a tali, brotid-shouldered
young man with a fiank, open face, out of
w 'jich looked a pair ot dark blue ev°s that
5-cenW to be full of laughter. He «1»<j
iiodaed to the youth m the flannel suit,
and fhen turned to the girl? who had en
tci^d with hiai.
'1 suppose your biother can't get off?"
asked Nell.e's acquaintance when tiie tram ]
had staittd again
"No, ne w a^ off yesterday. I do wish I
he could have come wuli me." j
For a while the other said nothing and
Nellie gazed out of the window, enrap-
tured with the lovely scenery that was
unfolded before her eyes as the tram sped
on towards the mountains Then he
leaned across and spoke to her in a lower
tone.
'"I fay, would you mind spending the '
dav with me?" he asked. •'You won't
have much fun being alone, and I can
show you all tueie is to see at Flea wick "'
'"But—but I don't e\en kno \ jour
aame1 ' tne girl stammered. '"I nevei '
*0h, I'm pretty well known in Wester
ton," he replied "My name s Stan ey
Cross, and I m one of the cashiers in the
Western Bank; niy father's manager, jou
know."
Nellie did not answer, but secietiy she
was flattered to tLnk that this smart y
dressed, debonair young 'man should wish
her to ipend the daj in his company. &he
had heard that his father was neb and
la.ed in one^ of_the biegest houses on
noi th side, the sashionable quarter of the
to" n.
Her compan.on rpgarded her hilence as
an acceptance of his suggestion, and dur
ing the remainder of the journey talked i
easily on various topics Iful y draw ng i
the girl out as to herself and her famil».j
Wien the> reached Fie-wit k he helped hei '
to alight, and piloted her through the !
crowd to the exit.
"'Now, what would you like to do9" he
asked, as they walked down the road lead
ing fiom the station
•'I really don't know. I ''
'"Suppose you leave it to me. Miss
By Jo-ve! you ha-.en't told me joui nam?
yet' '
"Nellie Farren," she whiskered timidlj.
"Wrll, Miss Farren, let's go and have
a look round the to a n fir-t. We can
-.troll through the park, glance at the
■'hops and the museum and then cut down
intj the Iligi-street for lunch. We cm
put in the 'vhole afternoon on the lake.
Joes that suit you9"
Hit was enchanted at che pro-peet so
illi' laid out be'ore her, and said co
W1 en «jie set off in the morn ng she
iiaid j t'louglu of wnrtt she would do when
s-he leached Fleiwick. She was mereh
aij\)on- to get awav from the town, and
the e'seurs'on olleted a good opportunity
lot doing fo
She was naturally trank and open
hearted ana long bc-ore thev reached che
rambling old building which had been
turned into a local museum her companion
knew all about her, her iather and younger
brother, and the invalid mother they ail,
three loved so devotedly. I
To the girl the hours seemed to fly, so
happy was she in her pretty surroundings.
Her companion, despite her protests, in
sisted on being allowed to take her to one
9f the largest .and most fashionable hotels
in the plate for lunch.
They partook of the meal in a room
crowded with tourists and visitors—sal ow
fac-ed, though vivacious Americans whose
nasal twang made itself heard above the
num of general conversation; pTctty Eng
lish women in beeom'ng motor-veils and
dust-coats who had driven^ in from one or
other of the larger manufacturing^ towns;
a group of clear-skinned young 'Varsity
men whose conversation and dress pointed
to the fact that they bad come to the (
neighborhood for the purpose of crag-climb
ing; and so on. • I
| It was all very wonderful and very ex-1
, hilarating to Ne lie, and her gratitude to
wards the young fellow to whom she was
I indebted for it increased in proportion. At
last the banquet—for such it seemed to
' Nellie—came to an end, and tliey des
cended the broad white steps into the busy i
street. I
From the hotel to the landing-stage was |
only a short distance, and soon the girl
found herself lying back on a _ cushioned I
seat with her companion explaining the
use of the ti ler-ropes t-o her while be
pulled oufc into the lake. |
"Oh. isn't it pretty!" she cried, as they
suddenly rounded a point and saw spread
out before them the long blue stretch of
water with the sunlight dancing on tba 1
ripples. All around them skiffs and
canoes floated idly or were sent skimming
along by happy-faced young people, and,
behind, there towered the mountains, now
c'othed in the bright green of the early i
bracken. j
"I'm glad vou like it. Nellie." said Cross,
as he glanced at the girl with eyes full
of admiration, for she made a charm:ng
picture reclining against the red cushions
in her pretty white frock and wide straw
hat trimmed with rosebuds. '
The girl colored swiftly ate the use of
her Christian name, and next _ moment
cal'ed herself an ungrateful prig for doina;
so. What other nrm would have been
so kind to a lonely girl? And besides, she
told herself, tl-'ere was no harm in his,
calling ber Nellie. [
She settled herself yet more comtortab'y'
among the cushions and trailed her fingers ,
through the deliriously cool water, smilng'
across at her companion as he dipped his ,
oars with slow regularity. j
They were now nearing one of the nnme- f
rou= litrle islets that dotted the surfi^e
of the lake. It was evident" v a favorite j
mooring spoc. for Nellie saw several crafts
made fast to the shore, while their former
orcupants could be seen sauntering among
the trees. I
"There's where we'll have tea later on." j
said ,Cross, indicating a bungalow just dis-1
cernible through the leaves. "Turn her j
in, Nel'ie."
But she was still unfamiliar with the'
rudder lines and instead of pulling the left- j
hand rope she tugged at the right. Cross,
of course, had his back to the inland, and
so r"ai!ed to see a four-oared skiff coming
swiftly towards them.
Too late Nel'ie realised ber mistake and i
strove franticallv to rectify it. Her com- i
pan ion perceived the look of consternation'
and terror on her face, and was turning
round to discover the cause of it when the
crash came.
It was a glancing blow; otherwise their
boat would have been cut in two. In a
moment the 'itt'e craft was overturned and
its occupants flung into the water. Both
disappeared, but in a few seconds a head,
bobbed up and Cross' face showed white I
and scared.
With a desperate effort—<or he was only I
a poor swimmer—he managed to reach the
upturned boat and fl ng one arm over
the keel.. Thus supported he "regained'
breath and looked round for Nellie. |
She was nowhere to be seen: and gradu-1
allv the truth dawned upon bim.
She must be entangled in tie tiller
ropes!
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