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A Leander of the East River
by
“Help!” he cried, “help!” but his voice sounded far away and barely audible. He struck out desperately against the current, and turned on his back and tried to keep himself afloat where he was. “Help!” he called again, feebly, grudging the strength it took to call even that. “Help! Quick, for God’s sake! help me!”
Something heavy, black, and wet struck him sharply in the face and fell with a splash on the water beside him. He clutched for it quickly, and clasped it with both hands and felt it grow taut; and then gave up thinking, and they pulled him on board.
When he came to himself, the captain of the canal-boat stooped and took a fold of the gray trousers between his thumb and finger. Then he raised his head and glanced across at the big black Island, where lights were still moving about on the shore, and whistled softly. But Hefty looked at him so beseechingly that he arose and came back with a pair of old boots and a suit of blue jeans.
“Will you send these back to me to-morrow?” he asked.
“Sure,” said Hefty.
“And what’ll I do with these?” said the captain, holding up the gray trousers.
“Anything you want, except to wear ’em,” said Mr. Burke, feebly, with a grin.
* * * * *
One hour later Miss Casey was standing up with Mr. Patsy Moffat for the grand march of the grand ball of the Jolly Fellows’ Pleasure Club of the Fourteenth Ward, held at the Palace Garden. The band was just starting the “Boulanger March,” and Mr. Moffat was saying wittily that it was warm enough to eat ice, when Mr. Hefty Burke shouldered in between him and Miss Casey. He was dressed in his best suit of clothes, and his hair was conspicuously damp.
“Excuse me, Patsy,” said Mr. Burke, as he took Miss Casey’s arm, in his, “but this march is promised to me. I’m sorry I was late, and I’m sorry to disappoint you; but you’re like the lad that drives the hansom cab, see?–you’re not in it.”
“But indeed,” said Miss Casey, later, “you shouldn’t have kept me a-waiting. It wasn’t civil.”
“I know,” assented Hefty, gloomily, “but I came as soon as I could. I even went widout me supper so’s to get here; an’ they wuz expectin’ me to stay to supper, too.”