The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1892-08-27
would call simply

Inc Otncf uOH, 30 nc OClOly IOiiOWSu
Rover; but he lacked the latter's good
Judgment, and made frantically for the
boat, which was drifting not far away.
They attempted to order him back, to
push him off. but without avail. Final.
ly he got his fore feet clawing at the
sides of the frail craft, and Dangerfield
and his fair companion suddenly found
themselves in twenty feet of clear,
mountain water.
With her camping-out costume. swim
ming was as easy as in a bathing-dress;
SO Miss Frank, amidst shrieks = OF
laughter from the girls on shore. calmly
swan around the canoe, with q feeling
Of uneasiness about Mr.. Dangerfeld.
who was invisible. At last, with a
gasp, he 1oundered from under the
boat and she, realizing in q moment
that he was no swimmer, pushed the
long paddle into his grasp; but this was
insufficient, and down he went again.
She never could remember exactly
what was done next but the spectators
say she disappeared with him for q
second; anyway, she managed to grasp
him, and a moment later seized the end
of the overturned canoe and had Dan
gerfield hanging thereto.
The dear old Newfoundland seemed
to imagine that everyone was as much
at home in the water as himself, and
put in his time swimming round and
round, while the frightened terrier tried
to hang OF to the wreck, evidently
more concerned this time about him.
self than about his master.
The three girls on the shore, real
busted themselves in shrieking; while
Miss Frank. with cool self-possession-
which to Dangerfield, even in his pre-
carious position, seemed almost irrita-
ting-quietly took hold of the rope
which was attached to the boat. swan
towards the shore, and, with a few
strokes reaching shallow water, pulled
the canoe. with Mr.. Dangerfeld at
tached, safely to land.
The merriment and hilarity of the
girls was soon as high as their excite
ment had been intense, while Danger
field felt as mean as if he had robbed
a church. lie attempted to express his
gratitude to the lovely Amazon, at the
same time requesting her, as q special
favor, that in the future she would al
low him to starve in the woods or
drown in the mountain lake, assuring
her it would be less embarrassing to
him.
Alas! to be trammeled by facts! II
one were writing this little narrative
from Imagination, how differently 1t
might be arranged. What q charming
picture it would make, to have Miss
Frank-or Frances As we would have
called her-entirely ignorant of swim
ming, and have Dangerfield snatch her
from q watery grave, assisted. of
course, by the noble Rover. and have
the little terrier swim after them, ten
derly carrying the forgotten hat or
gloves; but facts are stubborn, and
often unpoeticsl, things with which to
deal, and the truth must be told.
Dangerfeld felt keenly that every
thing was reversed, and he realized it
quite ungentlemanly on his part
w kdAA uSoPSh obIAg III loNC Win hLb
charming preserver. This second affair
was too much for him, and he hastened
his departure before another opportun-
ity should occur for him to be the re-
Of Miss Franks manly protec-
ton.
A few weeks later, as Mr.. Danger
field, on his bicycle, was whirling
through one of the picturesque villages
on the Hudson, famous as a fashionable
resort, a big mongrel dog
over a fence, and without cere-
mony proceeded to demolish the faith
terrier. Jumping from his ma
Dangerfeld was rushing to the
rescue, when a second dog suddenly ap-
peared on the scene, and Selling the
mongrel, gave him, in short order. q
grand shaking-up, amidst the applause
of the summer lo~iterers who had sud-
denly gathered around. Among these
recognized, notwithstand.
ing her fashionable attire, the charm
ing Miss Frank Fairfellow; and Rover
was the terriers preserver.
OF cours c there was nothing to do
but accept her cordial invitation to 60
to their hotel and meet all the
party; and as the poor ter
rfer had received a bad bite in his foot,
It was necessary to rest a day or two.
So quarters were taken in the house
with his mountain friends, with a feel
ing of despair that fate was determined
o load him down with a weight Of obli-
cation to Miss Fairfellow.
How depressingly unromantic all this
was! II the situation could only have
been reversed-if his little terrier could
have rescued MISS Fairfellow's noble
Newfoundland from the jaws Of some
powerful mastiff, how proud Danger
ield would have felt! Miss Fairfellow, |
n her imported gowns, delicate shoes, |
md artistic hat, seemed to entirely lose |
he masculine air which characterized
in the mountain costume, and
when he saw her for the first time in
evening dress she looked so positively
'adiant that he realized it would not be
'ificult to fall in love with such q girl
fter all.
Late that night, or rather early in
he morning, he vas suddenly awak-
med by his dogs cold nose against bis
ace. Pushing him from the bed he at
empted to resume sleep; but finally
he dogs restlessness thoroughly awoke
him, and he gradually realized that
here was an unmistakable smell of
,urning wood. Approaching the fact
hat there were some hundred sleeping
,uests in the big, old-fsshionei, wooden
lotel, he sprang to his feet, and it was
nut the work of q moment to get into
lis clothes Then rushing into the hall
lie found himself enveloped In q dense
loud of sitting smoke.
His first thought was to find her room.
t vas almost with a feeling of exulta-
ion that he realized the house was on
Ire and fate had finally given him an
opportunity to make some return to
diss Fairfellow.
Yelling "Firer and pounding at each
ioor as he passed. he few toward the
nd Of the corridor, where he knew No
, her room, was located The smoke
and confused him, but he saw
tongues Of fame running round
he edges Of q door and his heart al
host stood still when the number 8
hone out at him from the tin tablet
n q second his vigorous kicks broke
pen the door; a burst. of fire for an
1stant drove him back; then lowering