Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1901-08-29
Where PIatOniCS
Were STRAINED
A STORY OF WRECKED
CANCERS,

possibility of an attachment more ten
der and affectiOnate, she poohpoohed
| II with an emphasis indicative OF an
absolutely sure state Of mind. She was
| not like other girls, she said. Several
men had found that out They began
| by being friendly. She encouraged
| them perhaps in a certain liking that
| she had for masculine CompaniOnshtp
which they not infrequently misunder-
| stood. Then when the night and the
moon and the soft breezes stirred them
to declarations fraught with more than
passing interest she was forced 10 more
heroic utterances.
Dear me-" she would say, 81 don't
see why a man and woman can't go
on being Just friends here In New
| York. Bob never acted this way. Why,
we rowed and sailed and tramped to-
gether summer in and summer out, and
he never thought of making proposal.
Dear old Bob! He had more sense.
Brace up now. Be q man. Forget 1t,
and so will l, and We'll Just go on being
| comrades"
Some Of them got angry. Others ac-
Cepted IL as a matter Of course. There
is at least one instance on record of q
chap who really tried a second time
and ended by responding TO the usual
throw down with whistling n popular
air that begins, Comrades comrades,
ever since we were boys" Upon which
occasion she told him he was a dear to
take it that way, and they have been
better friends ever since.
A few weeks ago she went to spend
the summer with friends in a little
hamlet up the Hudson. Thither also
1ourneyed Bob. She is a strong, hand
some, athletic creature, fond OF out
door sports. She begins her seasons
swimming long before the daring small
boy thinks the water has lost enough
Of It's chill. When she Is not golting,
she is in the tennis court. In the win
ter basket ball and long rambles
through snowy woods serve to keep
her cheeks rosy and her eyes bright.
And the man who accompanies her on
such walks needs to be more than
passably good pedestrian, for she will
soon tire him whose limbs are not Of
iron.
Bob is not easily tired. His training
with the college boat crew came In
handy, too, now that the form OF sport
took an aquatic turn. The long tramps
over the country roads were varied
with sailing, swimming and an occa-
sional hour of padding In Bob's beau
tiful new canoe. The last, in fact was
rapidly becoming the favorite sport.
| But now she AYERS that canoes, Ike
men, are mighty uncertain creatures.
1t happened this way: They had
started out for an early morning pad.
desc carly. Ia fact that the rest OF
the household was still asleep. But the
air was crisp, and the sun rising behind
the Jersey hills made a picture long 10
be remembered She is quite sure that
she VIII remember It. He has no doubts
on the subject. She was sitting In the
bow Of the canoe trailing her hands in
the still water and enjoying IL all 30
much that It startled her when Bob's
aimless conversation took another turn.
He did not say much, but IL was all SO
sudden, there was such depth OF ten
derness I'm the tone, and It was 80 i'm
presslve that she gave a sudden start.
That ala the trick The canoe turned
turtle, and in an instant they were
/ both Houndering I'm the water
"Great Caesar" he shouted i didn't
mean II. Can't you take q jobew
Tie WINS cllnging 20 ONE end of the ca