“Never!” cried Mabel. “I’m just sobbing because I’m so happy. She’s trying to breathe.”
“She’s going to live,” Jane whispered to Breck.
“I’ve always wanted to bring somebody back ever since the time it was Miss Min’s riding skirt and not Miss Min that got drowned,” continued Mabel, still pressing gently but firmly on Lorna’s lungs and then releasing the pressure.
“I believe, little sister, you tried to take in the whole ocean,” said Breck, kneeling by Lorna’s side and taking her hand in his after it was all over and she had come back to consciousness.
“Oh, Allen! And we have found you at last. We have been searching up and down the coast for days and days,” she whispered faintly. “Father didn’t know I understood what he was doing, but he couldn’t fool me. He has been as restless as a caged lion. He was sure he would find you at Nantucket Town and when you weren’t there he sailed away, but only went around the island and put in again this morning.”
This was in such a low tone that nobody except Breck heard it, but Jane noticed that there were tears in his eyes when he got to his feet and again grasped the hand of his father.
“Father, I want you to know my friends. This is Mr. Wing. I shipped as common seaman on his yacht, the ‘Boojum,’ but, by a stroke of good fortune, I am now—er—eating at the captain’s table.”
Breck went down the line introducing his friends, but with an unwonted shyness saved Jane until the last. Jane stood by looking on and blushing in spite of herself. Her bathing cap that the waves had spared had been lost in the scuffle with the crowd and the importunate friends and her wealth of blue-black hair had fallen about her shoulders, making her look very handsome. Mr. Breckenridge looked at the girl keenly as his son at last turned to her. He took her brown hand in both of his and said:
“Somehow I don’t need to be introduced to this young lady. I know her already, all but her name. I know she risked her life for a perfect stranger and I know she has more grit than any man on the beach, as much grit as any man I have ever known.”