to death?" asked the old lady. "Could you
swim?"

"Of course I could. More than once I have swum all the way from New
York to Brooklyn. I caught Mr. Clayton by the collar, as he was
sinking for the third time, and shouted to a boatman near by to come
to my help. Well, there isn't much more to tell. We were taken on
board the boat, and rowed to shore. Mr. Clayton recovered his senses
so far as to realize that I had saved his life.

"'What is your name, young man?' he asked, grasping my hand.

"'Ferdinand B. Kensington,' I answered modestly.

"'You have saved my life,' he said warmly.

"'I am very glad of it,' said I.

"'You have shown wonderful bravery."

"'Oh no,' I answered. 'I know how to swim, and I wasn't going to see
you drown before my eyes.'

"'I shall never cease to be grateful to you.'

"'Oh, don't think of it,' said I.

"'But I must think of it,' he answered. 'But for you I should now be
a senseless corpse lying in the bottom of the river,' and he
shuddered.

"'Mr. Clayton,' said I, 'let me advise you to get home as soon as
possible, or you will catch your death of cold.'

"'So will you,' he said. 'You must come with me.'

"He insisted, so I went, and was handsomely treated, you may depend.
Mr. Clayton gave me a new suit of clothes, and the next morning he
took me to Tiffany's--that's the best jeweller in New York--and
bought me this diamond ring. He first offered me money, but I felt
delicate about taking money for such a service, and told him so. So
he bought me this ring."

"Well, I declare!" ejaculated Aunt Deborah.

"That was an adventure. But it seems to me, Ferdinand, I would have
taken the money."

"As to that, aunt, I can sell this ring, if ever I get hard up, but I
hope I sha'n't be obliged to."

"You certainly behaved very well, Ferdinand. Do you ever see Mr.
Clayton now?"

"Sometimes, but I don't seek his society, for fear he would think I
wanted to get something more out of him."

"How much money do you think he'd have given you?" asked Aunt
Deborah, who was of a practical nature.

"A thousand dollars, perhaps more."

"Seems to me I would have taken it."

"If I had, people would have said that's why I jumped into the water,
whereas I wasn't thinking anything about getting a reward. So now,
aunt, you won't think it very strange that I wear such an expensive
ring."

"Of course it makes a difference, as you didn't buy it yourself. I
don't see how folk