JENNY OF SWAN’ S.

from bowlder to bowlder in search of rare eggs, or
still rarer ferns and lichens.

Business was always good with Mr. Jordan. He
and Willy put by money every summer, and in winter
the latter left them for four or five months to go to
school, and when he returned bringing new books,
papers, and all sorts of bright gossip, they would
not have exchanged their island for Windsor Castle.
But even the beautiful island, and the life more ideal
than any other I have ever known, could not entirely
escape care and sorrow.

Last winter. Mr. Jordan was sick with sciatica,

 

   

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lambs who came into the world only the night
before wouldn’t get a chill; and above all, why the
gulls screamed so much louder than usual. Hark!
surely that was not the scream of a gull. That was.
a human voice shouting “Help, help!” She rushed
toward the north shore hatless, coatless, with her
long hair, which her violent motion loosened, stream-
ing in the wind. ~

As she passed the house, Mrs. Jordan with a face
like that of a dead woman, looked out of the door
and pointed to the cove. Once more she heard
that agonized cry, and then the truth broke upon

JENNY GOES TO THE RESCUE,

and for many weeks unable to move. He sent to
the mainland and hired a man to come and look
after the cattle and sheep, but this man was not
Willy, by any means, and Mrs. Jordan and Jenny
were unusually happy when April came, and Willy
was home again.

The first day of May Jenny ran to the well for
water. The wind was blowing very fresh, and as she
pulled up the bucket she noticed how very rough
the water was on all sides of the island. She
wondered, half idly, if her own little boat down
at the north cove was securely moored; if the young

her. It was Willy; and gaining the height of land
at this moment she saw, quite a long distance out,
his overturned boat. At the same instant she heard
Mr. Jordan shouting through his speaking trumpet
from the bedroom window, “Hold on, Willy, Jenny
is coming!” Poor Mr. Jordan, so disabled was he
that it was only after repeated attempts, and in spite
of the severest pain, that he got to the window;
and he had not, as he afterwards owned, the faintest
hope that the girl, in that sea, could get her boat
off, much less out, in time to save Willy, whom he
could see, although she could not, struggling in the