Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1905-06-28
COUNTED IN.


The three new acQuaintances, each
engulfed in huge rocker, sat side
by side on the veranda Of the little
hotel. Before them lay the lake, gray
under the shadow of passing cloud
and the heavy fringe OF pines along
the shore.
Lawrence and Teddy had known
each other for two days. but Annabel
was an arrival of the morning.
She's only girl" Lawrence had
said, land her names silly. but we'll
try her, and if she can do things and
knows lots, like boys. we'll count her
In, and ask her to catch turtles with
us. shall we. Teddy?"
There were no other children at
the hotel, and the two boys were
eager to find a worthy playmate.
Lawrence. by virtue of being the
Oldest. conducted the examination
Can you row." he asked.
"M-hm," answered Annabel, indif.
ferently.
Can you SWIM"
yes" Annabel swayed her head
gently to rock the chair.
i've swan in Lake Superior" said
Lawrence, proudly.
1--WE swum in Miller's Lake and in
this lake." chlmed in Teddy. eagerly.
Swan" corrected Lawrence.
Yes, swami" assented Teddy.
Where have you swum. Annabel?"
Lots of places" returned the little
girl. II used to in the Atlantic Ocean
when | was hitler, and once, year
ago, IN Great Salt Lake."
"Oo-oo:" said Lawrence. as that
Lake salty, the way they say?"
Annabel nodded. Evidently Law
renee must make the advances.
Couldn't you tell about it?" he
suggested.
Why. certainly" said Annabel, po-
litely. Mama and papa and frankie
and Iwere at*salt Lake city for a
day. and we took the cars and went
to the lake. You have to ride over
white ground, where the lake was
once. 1t is all salty. The lake has
-receded, mama says"
why did it?" asked Teddy, blunt
ly.
1t eyaporated."
Lawrence and Teddy exchanged
puzzled glances.
THAT means the sun dried 1t up"
oYnlainad Annahal
This one doesn't dry up" said
Teddy. specifically. i've been here
lots Of summers"
We'll. this has an outlet. The
steamer passes 1t. You remember.
saw it when l came
"Oh, yes"
well Great Salt Lake hasn't any
outlet, and the sun dries the water
up and leaves the salt, lots OF It,"
Didn't it smart your eyes?"
Il didn't put my eyes in" said An
mabel. You see it isn't deep at all.
We waded out long way, several
blocks, guess, and 1t didn't come
up to our necks, and only Just came
above papa's knees. 1t was very
warm. the water was, almost hot, and
felt SO good. You can float on it. 1t
has so much salt in 1t you can't go
down, and we sort of padded along
on our stomachs, with our heads
sticking up. It's real sticky, and we
had caps on our heads to keep our
hair from getting sticky. Mama had
q big bath-towel wound round her
head.
Eve spattered each other and shut
our eyes, and when the water dried
on our faces there were white patches
Of salt. The sand under the water is
gray, such a nice, clean gray. L
brought some home in bottle.
There's long bath-house with lots of
dressing-rooms in it, hundreds, 1
guess. and there's fresh-water spray
in each one. so you can take a nice
showerbath when you come out, ana
get the sticky off,"
Each boy hung over the arm of his
chair nearest the middle chair, and
listened in wonderment. Annabel
leaned back idly and told her story
like the finished little traveller that
she was. Have you studied percen-
tage?" She asked.
Even Lawrence shook his head
without word.
IT'S sixteen per cent. salt" she
said, land that's q great deal. Papa
told me. They think that once it was
lots bigger'n 1t is now, twenty times.
They think, you know, that In time
there won't be any lake left"
"Oo-oo!" said Lawrence.
And 20 my!" said Teddy.
Annabel leaned forward. somewhat
excited by the appreciation of her
auditors. It'll be all evaporated.
you know, and If you boys want TO
go swimming in it you'd better go
Quick!"
Lawrence looked at Teddy, and
when he caught his eye gave a sig
niflcant little nod. Then he turned to
Annabel. politely. "Will you go and
catch turtles with us?" he said.-By
Grace Willis, in Youths Companion.
AN HALF-oUNCB PLAYMATE.
Mama" said Jack, sis that pic
ture of my little cousin Jean?"
Yes, dear" said mamma. putting
the photograph back in the letter
which she had Just received.
Jack pulled 1t out again. and looked
long at the smiling three-year-old
face. Il wish she was here to play