Jasper County Democrat, Volume 17, Number 4, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 April 1914 — My Swimming Prize [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

My Swimming Prize

It Was Lost, but Was Found

By JOHN TURNLEE

My summer outings are invariably passed at the seashore, for I am not only fond of the salt air, but of the salt water. I lore to breathe the former and bathe in the latter. I learned to - im when I was a little girl eight years of age, and as 1 grew older proved so rapidly that I was at home as much in the water as out of it. But one summer while swimming at a seaside resort I was taught the difference between the water and the land. I was swimming beyond the ropes, with no one near me, when I was taken with cramps. 1 called for help, but was too far from the shore for my cries to be heard. Fortunately a pier extended near me into the ocean and on the pier was a man. What he was doing there I did not know at the time. Indeed, I did not know that he was there. All I did know came to me after an interval of unconsciousness Then I was lying on the sand with persons about me, some of whom were making me very uncomfortable by trying to get water out of me. My first act on recovering my senses was to put my hand on my breast, where I expected to find a gold Maltese cross that was there when I went into the water. It was gone. Singularly enough my loss crowded out of my mind the fact that I had barely escaped drowning. . The cross was a prize 1 had won at a swimming match when I was fifteen years old. I always wore it in the water and never at any other time. When I did not find it on feeling for it I assumed that it had teeome detached from me while I was being brought out of the surf. Of course I asked questions as to how I came to be rescued. All I could learn was that a man saw me from the pier, jumped off into the water and swam for me. Before jumping he shouted to those on the beach, se-

cured their attention and a boat was sent out for me. My rescuer reached me when 1 came to the surface and swam with me toward the beach. Those in the boat made such poor progress that be got me into shallow’ water almost before they got the boat launched. Indeed, I was not taken into it at all. As to the man who saved my life. I could gather very little about him. This was probably due to the fact that when I had recovered from my illness all those who had witnessed the rescue had left the place for their homes. At any rate, I could not find a person who was on the beach when I was brought The.next winter I was visiting a friend in a neighboring city and enjoying one social function after another. Jenny Hatch, the girl I visited, had known me from childhood and had often been with me in the water when 1 wore my prize won at the juvenile swimming match. One evening after a ball Jenny told me that she had seen during the evening my cross, or one exactly like it. on the lapel of a young man’s coat. She had no acquaintance with him. consequently she could not speak to him about it. 1 asked her why she had not contrived to secure an introduction to him. whereupon she reminded ipe that it was the privilege of the man to ask for an introduction to a woman, not a woman’s privilege to ask an introduction to a man. The incident reopened the matter of my rescue the summer before. Could it be possible that my little cross was not under water 1 after all. but had fallen info the possession of a stranger? My name was engraved on it as well as a statement of how it had been won. Why had this person worn it on the lapel of his coat instead of on his watch charm if indeed he must wear it at all? If I could have a look at it I could tell whether or not it was mine without looking at the inscription on the back. I charged Jenny if she saw the man who wore it again to leave no stone upturned to discover where be got it. Several of my girl friends kpew of

the matter, and one ot them came to me one day with a story that she had seen a young man at a reception who wore on his breast a gold Maltese cross. She had taken pains to ask one who knew him what It,meant and was informed that it was a decoration given for saving life. Naturally this story served to stimulate the interest already excited Jn me with regard to the decoration and its wearer*. Was there any connection between my rescue and this man? I had always regretted not being able to express my gratitude to my rescuer, and now a wild hope sprang up withiu me that he had been discovered—discovered, but not attained. He was drifting near me as one ship may drift near another in a fog, unseen by me, only reported by others. One evening at a dance I met and received marked attention from one Howard Woodruff. 1 told him that there was a young man floating on the social sea who wore a gold cross in which I was interested. He seemed much interested himself and asked me wbat there was in the cross that concerned me, whereupon 1 told him t'-:< circumstances of my rescue. lie promised me that he would keep 1.1 ; eyes open for the possessor of the cross and if he saw him wearing it would interrogate him with regard to it and report to me at once.

For the rest of the winter Mr. Wqodruff was continually tantalizing me with reports of this man who was wearing a decoration for life saving. He was always hearing of him, but never getting near him. At one time he told me that the map had won his decoration by saving some one from a burning building; at another he had beard an entirely different story—the honor had been bestowed for having snatched a child from before a locomotive. Either of these stories would have settled my mind as to the matter if I could have depended on it. But upon questioning my informer I drew forth the fact that what he had heard was the merest hearsay. " As the winter was drawing to a close Mr. Woodruff's attentions to me increased, and he began to display some jealousy of this unknown person In whom I took such an interest. “I believe you are in love with him.” he said to me one day. “In love with him?” I replied. “How can I be in love with one I have never seen?” “Well, then, you are in love with a fancy picture you have created of him. Ten to one it is no decoration lie wears, but has been given him by some girl with whom he is spoons.” I grew fond of my admirer—indeed, so fond of him that when he asked me to be his wife I consented. He was always quizzing me, and the man who was wearing the Maltese cross was a favorite subject with him. He asked me when the spring came on whether I would go to the seaside resort, and. when I said that I would, but should not be so venturesome as before, he said he would spend his vacation with me there. ‘

“Perhaps we will meet the man who is sporting your cross.” he added. "If we do 1 shall get him out iu the water and drown him.” This display of jealousy pleased me. and I retorted I had a sentimental fancy that the man who wore the cross was the person who had saved my life, and if 1 should meet him I was sure I should sap in love with him. Then my fiance looked grave, and I laughed him back to his former status. When the summer came I went to my usual resort several weeks before my lover joined me. As soon as he t'tune he asked me if I had seen anything’of the fellow who bad saved me or the one who wore my prize aud if they had turned out to be one and the same person. I teased him for awhile by hinting that I had met him and that be was an Adonis. Whether he believed me or not I didn't know. At any rate, he pretended he did. Lovers are never very certain about anything concerning the loved one and are easily frigntened. The morning after .my fiance’s arrival we went to the beach together for a bath. We met on the sands, each in bathing costume, and what did I see pinned to his bathing suit but my Maltese cross. I looked at him with eyes big as saucers. He burst iuto a laugh. “You have lieen very stupid,” he said. 1

“Is that my cross?” “Of course it is.” “Where did you get it?” “Last summer, when you collapsed in the water and I brought you In. in some way or other it became detached from your bathing dress and got caught in mine.” I was paralyzed. “I thought 1 would keep it,” he went on. “and fool my friends by letting them think itwas a decoration of some sort. I’ve had n 6 end of fun with it. At last I heard of your inquiries and concluded I had better not wear it any more. In case I should meet you you might claim your property from me.” “Do you mean to tell me that you are the person who saved my life?" “I dragged you ashore; others got the life back into you." “And you have been fooling me all this time?” I was half angry, but the smile he gave me brought me round, and I began to realize that my rescuer stood before me. If we had not been in the midst of a throng I would have thrown myself into his arms; as it was I impulsively grasped bis hand In both of mine. “Come.” he said, “let’s go take a dip.” Despite the onlookers. we walked hand in band to the brink and swam out to tbe place where I had collapsed.

PINNED TO HIS BATHING SUIT WAS MY MALTESE CrOSS.