Pretty Floy’s startling, unexpected, and terrible action produced the
effect of a thunder-clap on the gay and thoughtless crowd of young
people who witnessed it.
A moment of blank, awed silence ensued, then every one seemed to join
in a cry of alarm and dismay as they pressed forward to the banks and
watched the eddying circles of water over the deep and dangerous spot
where that lovely form had disappeared from view.
They watched eagerly for the golden head to reappear.
Meanwhile, Otho Maury sat motionless gazing at the water, his face
marble-white, but in his eyes, beneath their lowered lids, a strange
and devilish gleam of joy, as he thought to himself:
“How deuced clever in the little girl to hasten the _dénouement_ of her
life like this! It saves Maybelle and me a world of trouble.”
As for Maybelle, when Floy sprung into the water, she uttered one loud,
hysterical shriek, and clutched her companion with both hands, hiding
her dark eyes against his shoulder as though she could not bear the
sight of the river.
But in an instant Beresford recovered from his trance of horror, and
struggled to release himself and rise.
But Maybelle clung to him so wildly that he could not loosen her grasp
without hurting the clinging white hands.
“Do not leave me--do not leave me, St. George! I am so frightened!” she
wailed, beseechingly.
“Otho! Otho!” called Beresford, sternly; and as Maury looked around
with a dazed expression, he added: “Come to your sister--I must save
that girl!”
Otho did not stir from his position, pretending not to understand, and
Maybelle tightened her frantic clutch until he saw that he must use
gentle force to release himself.
“I beg your pardon, but in common humanity I must go,” he said,
resolutely, and wrenched himself free, rushing forward, throwing off
his coat and hat as he went. Then, amid ringing cheers, the big,
handsome fellow plunged into the river.
Out of that crowd of perhaps fifty young men he was the only one that
had volunteered to save the drowning girl, although half a score of
them had pretended to adore her.
As Beresford sprung into the water, Floy’s little head suddenly
appeared above it some distance away from where she had sunk. He struck
out in that direction, shouting to her to be brave, that he would save
her life.
But at the sound of his voice, the girl’s head suddenly sunk beneath
the water again, as though she were determined to accomplish her
purpose of suicide.
Our hero, swimming with strong and gallant strokes toward the spot,
made a bold dive down to the depths, but rose again without Floy.
Directly her head bobbed up again some distance off, but swimming
quickly toward her, Beresford grasped her where she lay easily floating
on the water, not having realized in his excitement that she had been
swimming furtively under the water, leading him a race for the fun of
the thing, for she was not in the least danger.
Grasping her tightly, he said in hoarse tones, broken with joyful
emotion:
“Thank Heaven, I reached you before you sunk again! It was a terrible
thing you attempted, but I shall save you in spite of yourself.”
Floy laughed softly, and answered in a meek little voice:
“Oh, I’m sorry now that I did it. I don’t believe I want to die after
all!”
“That is right,” he cried, heartily. “Now, be calm, and I will take
you safely to the shore. Put your hands on my shoulder easily, like
this,” placing them. “Be cool, and don’t get frightened and clutch at
me--above all, don’t clasp my neck, for the current is very deep and
strong, and you must not impede my motions. Do you understand?”
“Oh, yes; and I’ll do as you say. I--I should have liked to hold you
around the neck, but if you object to it so seriously, I won’t.”
Was there a tone of exquisite raillery in the girl’s voice? He looked
suspiciously into her face, and saw veiled mischief in the clear blue
eyes. She was not frightened--not in the least.
“Thank you,” he returned, coolly, but with a fast-beating heart. “I am
sure the experience would be delightful; and if you like to try it
after we are safe on land, I shall be most happy.”
“I hate you!” pouted Floy, and letting her hands slip, sunk again below
the surface.
Terribly alarmed, he dived and brought her safely to the surface once
more, saying, sternly:
“Do not be so careless again, or you may lose your life.”
To his amazement, she laughed mockingly.
“Swim on and I’ll keep by your side. Don’t be alarmed over me, for I’ve
been doing all this for a purpose. I can swim like a fish.”
And, to his wonder and chagrin, for he felt himself grow hot even in
the cold water with the thought that he had suddenly been turned from
a conquering hero into an object of ridicule, Fly-away Floy, the merry
little madcap, swam along by his side as easily and gracefully as a
beautiful mermaid, until they reached the bank, when he gave her his
hand to assist her, and they came again upon _terra firma_, greeted by
admiring cheers from the onlookers.
While they were in the water, Otho had hurried to Maybelle, and
whispered, hoarsely:
“Why didn’t you hold him tighter, you little fool? If you could have
kept him from going to her assistance a short time, she would have been
drowned and out of your way.”
“I knew it, and I tried to keep him back, but he shook me off in a
rage, and I--I’m sure he even swore at me under his breath,” whimpered
Maybelle, despairingly.
“Very likely,” grumbled Otho; and then he turned from her to watch
Beresford’s progress, and saw to his amazement the man and girl
clambering up the bank.
In the silence that followed the rousing cheer of joy at their return,
Floy turned to her dripping cavalier, saying demurely:
“I thank you from my heart, Mr. Beresford, for your noble attempt to
save my life. I was not in any danger, it is true, for I can swim like
a duck, but of course you did not know that, and you are just as truly
a real hero as if your brave attempts had indeed saved me from a watery
grave.”
There was a swelling murmur of surprise from all around her, and one
little girl, bolder than the rest, came up and said:
“Why, Floy, didn’t you intend to drown yourself after all?”
Floy tossed back her wet curly mass of short ringlets, and returned
merrily:
“Of course not, little goosie; why should I be so silly as to kill
myself, I that am so young and happy? I only jumped in to frighten you
all--yes, and to test the courage of a gentleman who told us only this
morning how much he adored physical courage.”
Her accusing blue eyes turned on Otho Maury, and she said, with light,
laughing scorn:
“I thought as you pretended to be so very, very fond of me, that you
would risk your life to save mine, but you proved yourself a coward
after all!”
He was livid with secret, sullen rage, but putting a bold face on the
matter, he answered, carelessly:
“Oh, I knew it was only a trick, and that you could swim as well as
anybody; so I didn’t choose to humor your fancy to have me jump in the
water and ruin my new fifty-dollar suit, like my friend Beresford here,
who, it’s plain to be seen, is as mad as a March hare at the way he
was fooled. Come, _mon ami_, shall I drive you into town for some dry
clothes?”
“If you please,” returned Beresford, who was indeed bitterly chagrined
at being made the butt of such a joke, and angrily conscious of cutting
such a poor figure among them all in his drenched clothing. He picked
up his hat and coat and went away with Otho, who returned alone within
the hour, saying that Beresford was in the sulks and wouldn’t come back.
“And as for you, little mischief,” he said, banteringly, to Floy, who
had been over to a house close by and borrowed a pretty suit, in which
she reappeared as fresh as a rose--“as for you, the lordly Beresford
will never forgive you for making him appear ridiculous by jumping into
the river to rescue a girl who could swim as well as he could. He said
he should have liked to shake you for a naughty, saucy little vixen.”
“Who cares?” returned Floy, gayly, not the least abashed by Mr.
Beresford’s resentment.
When the picnic was over, Maybelle slyly reminded her of her promise
about Suicide Place.
“Oh, yes, I’m going to spend the night there, certainly,” she replied;
and left the carriage at the gates of the grim old house, in spite of
the remonstrances of many of the party, who were really uneasy at the
thought of such a daring adventure.
Floy would not listen to any of them; she answered them with careless,
merry banter; and as the carriages rolled away, they saw her standing
inside the gates, waving her little hand in farewell, her slender,
white-robed figure clearly defined in the gloom of the falling
twilight.