The Girls of Central High at Basketball; Or, The Great Gymnasium Mystery
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CHAPTER IV
"THERE'S GOOD STUFF IN THAT GIRL"
Again that cry--that weak, bubbling wail from out the darkness of thesewer basin. Something swirled past Hester's strained vision in thedervish dance of the debris floating in the murky water. It was a tinyhand, stretched forth from a skimpy blue-cloth sleeve.
It was Johnny Doyle's hand; but the child's body--the rest of it--wasunder water!
The water was not more than six feet below the surface of the ground;but deep, deep down was the entrance of the big drain that joined themain sewer taking the street water and sewerage from the whole Hillsection. Johnny was being sucked down into that drain.
The girl, her mind keenly alert to all this, shrieked unintelligiblecries for help--unintelligible to herself, even. She could not havetold afterward a word she said, or what manner of help she demanded;but she knew the boy was drowning _and that she could swim_!
With her clothing to hold her up a bit Hester believed she could swimor keep afloat even in that swirling eddy. The appealing little handhad no more than waved blindly once, than Hester gathered her ratherfull skirts about her and jumped, feet first, into the sewer-basin.
That was no pleasant plunge, for, despite her skirts, Hester went downover her head. But her hands, thrashing about in the water, caught thebaby's dress. She came up with Johnny in her arms, and when she hadshaken the water from her eyes so that she could see, above was thebrown face of one of the street cleaners. He was lowering a bucket ona rope, and yelling to her.
What he said Hester did not know; but she saw her chance, and placedlittle Johnny--now a limp, pale rag of a boy--in the bucket, and the mandrew him up with a yell of satisfaction.
Hester was not frightened for herself. She felt the tug of the eddy ather feet; but she trod water and kept herself well above the surfaceuntil the man dropped the bucket down again. Then she saw the wildeyes and pallid, frightened face of Rufus at the opening, too; and athird anxious countenance. She knew that this belonged to NellieAgnew's father.
"Hang on, child!" exclaimed the physician, heartily. "We'll have youout in a jiffy."
Hester clung to the rope and was glad to be dragged out of the filthybasin. She sat on the ground, almost breathless, for a moment. Rufe,with a wild cry, had sprung to Johnny. But the doctor put thehalf-witted lad aside and examined the child.
"Bless him! he isn't hurt a mite," declared Dr. Agnew, cheerfully."Run, get a taxi, Rufe! Quick, now! I'll take you and Johnny, and MissHester, too, home in it."
Everybody was used to obeying the good doctor's commands, and RufusDoyle ran as he was told. Hester was on her feet when the cabreturned, and Dr. Agnew was holding the bedraggled and stillunconscious Johnny in his arms.
"We'll take you home first, Hester," said Dr. Agnew. "You livenearest."
"No, no!" exclaimed Hester. "Go by the way of Mrs. Doyle's house. Thebaby ought to be 'tended to first."
"Why, that's so," admitted the physician, and he looked at her alittle curiously.
Hester whisked into the cab and hid herself from the curious gaze ofthe few passers-by who had gathered when the trouble was all over. Thetaxi bore them all swiftly to the Doyles' humble domicile. It was on astreet in which electric cabs were not commonly driven, and Rufe wasmighty proud when he descended first into a throng of the idlechildren and women of the neighborhood.
Of course, the usual officious neighbor, after one glance at Johnny'swet figure, had to rush into the house and proclaim that the boy hadbeen drowned in the lake. But the doctor was right on her heels andshowed Mrs. Doyle in a few moments that Johnny was all right.
With a hot drink, and warm blankets for a few hours, and a good sleep,the child would be as good as new. But when the doctor came out of thehouse he was surprised to find the cab still in waiting and Hesterinside.
"Why didn't you go home at once and change your clothing?" demandedDr. Agnew, sharply, as he hopped into the taxi again.
"Is Johnny all right?" asked Hester.
"Of course he is."
"Then I'll go home," sighed Hester. "Oh, I sha'n't get cold, Doctor.I'm no namby-pamby girl--I hope! And I was afraid the little beggarwould be in a bad way. He must have swallowed a quantity of water."
"He was frightened more than anything else," declared Dr. Agnew,aloud. But to himself he was thinking: "There's good stuff in thatgirl, after all."
For he, too, had heard the whispers that had begun to go the rounds ofthe Hill, and knew that Hester Grimes was on trial in the minds ofnearly everybody whom she would meet. Some had already judged andsentenced her, as well!