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Show I I HE ME CANOE m" Pretty Romance Woven Around a Motion Picture Film Expedition. B By JOHN DARLING. H She came along the end ot July to B Indian Nock, tho prettiest gtrl the B resort had ever scon. Bj Carteret took a hasty glance at the S hotel registry as Bcggslc, tho official B toter of. suitcases, led her away to her B room. y "Vivian Lovejoy," ho read. "Oh, B Vivian, you are like a lono rosebud B In tho famished desert Vivian, B Vivian" B "Shut up. Don't bo a cad," raut- fl tered Don, stuffing his big tanned B hands Into his linen trousers pockets, B and staring moodily otter the girl. B "Even If wo do happen to bo the B Jumping oft place In tho summer re- B sort lino, you don't have to act like a B grinning Idiot Wonder why she ever B landed here." B But the fact remained that she had B landed, and from her preparations, It B was seen she meant to stay. She B took the best room left, one over- 8 looking tho falls and the sweep of B rapids clear around the bend of tho K headland that gavC the place Its R came. Every day she went to the pine grove above the falls, and strolled around alone, studying every point of land. After lunch she took the path ; below the falls and walked up and dswn first on one side, then crossing s the little bridge to the other. Carteret trtod to join her to explain tho beauties of the place and the old legend ot the falls. They were not so very high, hardly over ninety feet, but oven in the summer they were turbulent, fed by the lake above. "Yotf see," Carteret would say, "In- ' dlans used to be, around here, and they ' had a, custom of sending one girl ' over the falls every year In a red canoe for a sort of sacrifice to the ; spirit of tho falls." ' "I have heard of tho custom before." said Vivian. "At Niagara they did It, ' too, I think. Dut these falls seem tco small for the leap to bo fatal." ! "It's tho rocks under the water. They're like jagged teeth, and they rip tho bottom out ot any boat that goes over. If she did get to tho bot- , torn of tho falls the rocks In tho rapids would catch her. Nice little plan, wasn't It?" "It's a wonderfully picturesque place. I think It Is Just what I havo been looking for." "Artist?" Sho smiled and shook her head, turning her parasol so ho could not watch her. "No. I'm Just an ordinary summer -, jk tramp. Where Is Mr. Marden?" "Br "Fishing," laconically. GW "He goes Ashing every day, doesn't be?" "Every day," azscnted Carteret hap-I hap-I plly. "Just below the rapids about quartor of a mile." I "Can ho swim?" I "We all swim here." He looked I down at her with sudden suspicion. M Why was sho askkig all these qucs-!fl qucs-!fl tlons about Don Marden, the ono man I at tho Neck who did not appeal to ' women. Ho was tali and decidedly .1 homely. Ho had no chivalrous ways, 'I no Uttlo attentlvo tricks to woo them M by. Ho was short spoken and roughly 'I dressed. Rainy days when tho other 'I guests of the hotel kept to tho shelter H of tho verandas living room, ho staked forth with a placid grin on I his faca and tho rain dripping from hJs old felt hat, with a fishing rod H balanced In one hand and a basket in tho other. "Is ho anybody special?" Vivian asked ouco, watching his stalwart B stooped figure stalk down to tho glen. B " "Ho acts as If ho always did Just as H he pleases." B "Ho came hero because the fishing H Is good. He comes every year. No- B body knows who ho Is. He comes for July and August, then goes away." Bj Cartoret gavo tho Information grudg- lngly. "Don't bo Interested Jn him. He's a dub, a perfect dub." It was BJ the only term that seemed to fit Don Bj Mardon. "I would do anything In tho flj world for you." Bj Sho smiled at htm, looking up from J tno letter he bad just brought to lior. Bj It was tho letter sho had waited for J over two woeks. They woro coming J tho noxt day, Kltson, Bayly and tho j rent Thero was not nnothcr hour to lose. Sho loaned forward to Cartoret flj with a look In her lovoly dark eyes Bj ho had never soon thore. Ho notlcod how her hnlr curled around her tora-plcs tora-plcs and hid her oars. Sho was dls-tractlngly dls-tractlngly pretty, not beautiful, but Just protty, pretty as a girl could be, ho thought "Can you got mo a red canoe?" sho asked. "And not tell anyone? I want It tomorrow morning surely." Cartorot promised. Ho would havo promised tho evening star If she bad ., asked for It In that tono. All that day In tho rain ho hunted a red canoo. f There was not such a thing at Indian Neck, ho was told, but t'own tho river th re o miles, ho found a canoo hauled up boslde. an old cabin, and Its owner parted with It for a weekly rental. Rqd paint ho found at tho village store, and another bill changed hands that ho might turn tho canoo upside down In tho hotel barn and paint It "Put In plenty of dryer, old man," advised Don, Inking a Inst look at hlra boforo dinner. "You'ro doing flno. Who's It for? Tho little red head?" "Aw, chut up, can't you?" groanod Cartorot liuaklly "You shouldn't bo allowed to speak of'n girl." "So? She tins red hnlr, hasn't she? Or Is It chestnut? Is sho going to paddle her own canoe?" Carteret's low toned mumble mentioned men-tioned a placo cot on tho summer tourist's tour-ist's map. Doggedly ho finished his Job, and the Uttlo trim canoe stood resplendent in Its coat of rod. Vivian came out to look at it and she was r&dlant "If "so dear of you, Mr. Cartoret to hurry It for mo," she said. "I'll pay for It tomorrow, and for your tlmo." Carteret's responso was very fervid. He wanted no pay for this work of love. He adored her. Ho was hor willing slave. "Aro you really?" sho mused. "Then wait for me down at tho bend ot the river tomorrow at sunset, Just whers tho rapids end." Tho following morning foui strangors arrived at Indian Neck. Thoy were men, with certain curious art! cles of boggago, and "they hired the corner sulto of tho hotel, and mixed not with tho local gathering of wits In tho corridors or ofllco. They went over tho ground on both sides of tho fells and tho rapids carefully during tho forenoon. The noon train brought flvo more, threo women and two men, and Vivian herself greeted them like lon delayed and welcome guests. Sho took them out and showed- them her red canoo, and Carteret stood In the offing and meditated on tho developments develop-ments of tho case. Out Don did more. Ho stopped dead short on his way post the party at the foot of the hotel steps, and beamed down on "Llttlo Red Head," as ho dubbed her. "What are you going to do with that canoe?" Sho dimpled mischievously, and met his gaze fairly. "If you are down below the rapids at sundown tonight, you will see, Mr. Maiden, and I'm hoping you will be." The tallest man In the new lot of guests approached. "Possibly you aYo not awaro, sir," he began In friendly fashion, "that our Miss LovoJoy Is known from tho Atlantic to the Pacific coast" "Oh, Mr. Kltson," pleaded Vivian, flushing. "Don't I haven't told anyone any-one here, and I've had such a good time all by myself. It will bo bad enough when It's over." Don looked tho whole aggregation over deliberately. He turned again to Vivian. "You'ro going to shoot tho falls In that canoo, aren't you?" "Well, what If I should?" She was laughing at him. "Nothing, only this. I'll bo In the rapids at the foot to got you out If you do." "You keep out of It, boy," warned Kltson, kindly. "This Is business." "I'll bo there," repeated Don, doggedly, dog-gedly, and stalked away to his fishing. And at sundown Indian Neck had Its first big thrill ot tho entire season. The red canoe was borno to the lake Abovo the falls. And thero appeared Bundry wild tribesmen, painted chlofB and braves who boro a found maiden to tho canoe, and danced a frantic dance around her, before thoy pushed the canoo away on its voyages over tho falls. On the Ehoro tho film machine worked steadily. Another one was waiting at the rapids, and Kltson as tho lover brave was ready to dash In and save tho girl In tho red canoo, when Carteret dashed along the lower bank as tho canoe wont over tho falls. "It will bo ripped upon tho rocksl" he yelled, but thero already stroda through tho rapids a tall, ungainly figure, Marden In his troutlng boots, finding his way surely among tho rocks and deep boles. Had ho not threaded thorn for years, seeking tho hidden lurking places of tho rainbow beauties and their speckled brothers. For ono blinding Instant tho canoe wont out of sight In tho boiling, surging surg-ing mass ot water at tho foot of tho falls. Then It appeared, twirling llko an autumn leaf In the swift current that led straight for the rapids, On tho lower bank wero two ot tho men, Kltson and nnothcr, ready to go to tho rescue, but thoy scorned to havo lost their nervo. But before tho red slip of n boat could get Into the maw of tho rocks that yawned' abovo tho eddying water, Don Marden had seized it. Vivian lay in It, holding to tho safety bolt they had fastened about her and tho ropes that had been fnstcned as handles on each sldo ot tho canoe. Her hair was streaming over hor shoulders. THoro was no fear In her eyes, only u great wonderment wonder-ment And while Don cut tho leather belt, and lifted her In his arms, tho film machines worked steadily, until ho reached the bank with her where Carteret stoqd, a limp, helpless wreck. "Wo can uso It nil right. Miss Lovo-Joy," Lovo-Joy," Kltson said that night, whon sho mado her appearance on the veranda, ve-randa, "You did flno, that's all I can say. You kept your nervo, and It was Eomo drop ovor tho falls, too. It'll be a good film, and we'll change tho story around a bit to lot this gentleman into It" "You noedn't bother," Don returned. Ho bad been talking to Vivian quietly for about an hour In- a Secluded cor ner, and even Carteret could not fathom fath-om the meaning of their glances now. "Miss Lovejoy has Just told mo sho would marry mo as soon as she gets back homo, and I don't think we'll let you havo that red canoo film. You put your price on It, and I'll suud the check when you hand tho destroyed strips. You scared nil my trout away with your confounded acting, and It will take me a yefcr to coax tliem back." "Take us a year, Don," corrected Vivian, gently. (Copyrlclit, 1313, by tho McClure Nwpa-per Nwpa-per Syndicate.) |
