The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1903-09-11
The Plot
That Failed

"COING to Canada are you?"
Iasked a young New York bust
ness man of a friend about to set off
on his vacation the other day.
ing? To tie Muskoka Lakes? Well.
if It's not too late 1 should like to
sound a note of warning, for I've been
there, my boy. Since that summer
have classified three things as dan
gerous to trifie with in my dictionary
-Muskoka, moonlight and Canadian
girls 1 must tell you my experience
SO you can profit by it and be wary.
Il was there in August, and late in
me had had a gay summer and had
all the accomplishments of sum-
mer girl in excellent practice, and
was, of course, as pretty as picture
all Canadian girls are.
There was another fellow there
COMPOUNDED Toronto bank clerk,
think-and to my sorrow she seemed
to prefer him to me, laughing at my
swimming and padding, and telling
was not perfectly at home in canoe,
but made a pretty good showing,
thought, beside her precious bank
clerk, and at the rather scarce dances
we did have a pretty good time to-
gether, she and I.
And when she let me take her out
in the moonlight on Lake Rosseau,
with its dark pines against the sky
| making the most romantic back
ground, she and 1 in light canoe on
/ the ripping water, her little brown
head against my Yale cushion-well
| my boy, you'll find out what it feels
like before you're many weeks older or
I'm much mistaken. Of course,
made fool of myself-for any mans
| fool who persists as 1 did with so
! little encouragement but we did have
| pretty nice time, only she would con-
| tinue to laugh at me-
Time went on and 1 had only one
| day more to- spend at the hotel.
| Things were getting serious. She was
offended with me for faux pas 1 had
made the day before, and evidently
meant to give me the cold shoulder
and it was my last day. l decided on
action as absolutely essential to bring
| things to a point, and after thinking
it over very deeply 1 decided that she
might love me if she could respect
and admire me mc0e than she did
then. So l must compel this emo
ton, and how better, 1 thought, than
by saving her life at the (apparent)
risk of my own.
| Now, am a good swimmer, though
not as fast as the other fellows up
there, who spend long. summers on
the water, doubtless, which l have
never done. They called me Ferry
boat and 'Molasses' when we all went
swimming together. So 1 determined
to give the lie to their odious epithets
and win my lady's gratitude and adj
miration at one fell blow, by getting
her out in my canoe, upsetting us
both. and doing a grand rescue act.
1.-THE first and most difficult part of
my plot was getting the girl to come
out with me at all, but by being very
| pathetic about my last day 1 man
aged that much and my courage rose.
Where shall we go?' l asked.
when 1 had her in a neat, white dress
and sunbonnet in the bow of my
canoe.
Let us go to Port s. she re-
piled demurely. I want to get a
film for my camera. Is thaS too far?'
Nothing could be too far to me
when you are with me- 1 answered,
mentally determined, however, that
our accident should happen before we
went half the five miles that lay be-
tween our hotel and Port s..
She smiled a little, but her man
ner was still cool, and she allowed the
conversation to languish as we came
out of the bay and turned westward
up the lake. Here there was quite a
| sweep, and the waves and wind were
4 dead against us. SO that 1 had to pad
die my hardest to make the boat go
against them Suddenly she ex-
I claimed, Let me help you and in
spite of my beseechings insisted on
turning round and padding, too. 1t
did make difference. and we went
along beautifully after that, as her
1.-THE body bent to the even strokes of
her paddle But had only her back.
land occasionally yher profile, to look
at, 50 pushed on in order to get round
the next point where we should turn
south ami SO get out of the sight of
our ho,si AID the neighboring islands.
wanted to 3s Up this adventure
brown and have the whole landscape
30 ourselves alc.,s. and so make my