The new era. (Walden, Colo.) 1906-19??, 1907-10-17
A HELPFUL.
TANCLE
BY EMMETT c. HALL
! ++++ S.sa*
Copyright. by Daily Story Pub. Coz


miration, proprietary pride and hest.
fancy. He was quite as familiar
with the operation of a launch as
with animals of the early glacial Pc
Rod, and yet he had asked Virginia
Moore to take sail with him that
very afternoon.
OF course it would have been sim.
pie matter to have secured a man
from the boat club. but Ned Hazard
was accustomed to do things himself,
and the idea of two dreamy hours
alone with Virginia was too enticing
to be put aside. And, any way, had
not the agent fully explained the
working of the motor to him?
Hazard was the happy product OF
two distinct sections and environ
ments. A college man. born in the
to Alaska, and had struck it rich The
three, long silent years under the
Northern Lights had left their i'm
press, however. They had given a
quiet self-reliance, but also remark.
able diffidence with women, and 1t
was most marked in the company of
Virginia. When he had gone away,
he had left her a mischievous, laugh
ing school girl. and when he re.
turned he had found beautiful
young woman. and had promptly fall
en- entirely and completely in love.
Had 1t not been for the three ST.
lent years, he would no doubt have
pressed his suit with all the ardor
which he had put into football in his
college days, and, quite as likely Vir-
GINA would have gently turned him
aside. AS it was, he loved her with
a blind devotion. the intensity of
which caused him to depreciate him
self in his own mind. which so cloud
ed his vision that he could not even
see that Virginia evinced most de-
cided preference for his company, or
that her hand trembled and her eyes
fell when they met.
After his inspection of the launch,
Ned turned away with shrug of his
broad shoulders.
We'll, anyway" he said to himself,
lit is pretty sure to count on that the
thing won't sink, even If l can't make
1t go, and if we run on a rock, we
can both swim all right"
AS he started up the path toward
the hotel, he caught sight of Virginia
coming toward him, and waited. The
girl was smiling to herself. one of
the teasing, mischievous smiles of
the old days. On her arm was a
light shawl.
Alloy. captain!" she called merrily,
and saluted gravely.
Hello, VII" he answered, uncon-
sciously responding to her return to
the old intimacy. The cruiser is all
ready-shall we put to sea-
We'll. we will go to see. anyway"
she laughed. and tripped to the end
of the wharf.
"Oh. what beauty" she exclaim-
ed, delighted by the trim lines of
the little craft. 1T certainly is fine.
but how did you ever come to buy
one. Ned?"
ooh, I-well, heard you say one
day that you liked them, and so, of
course-that is, / knew they must
be nice" he stammered.
meath her long lashes, but made no
reply. He had pulled the boat in
close and she stepped upon the little
forward deck.
Come on, ancient mariner" she
commanded. and he followed her
aboard He cast on the line, and, fol-
the agents instructions. gave the fly
wheel of the engine quick turn, TO
be rewarded by hearing the quick,
strong "pop-pop" of regular explo-
sions. Virginia had possessed her
self of the wheel. and headed the
boat up the lake.
They were rather silent as the boat
sped ON through the clear water,
winding in and out among the tiny
green islands. The girl seemed in
tent upon her steering. and he was
which little tendrils of brown curls
were blowing. The bracing air had
brought bright color into her
cheeks, and her eyes were sparkling
We can go as far as the old fish
srman's camp she presently said:
that is is miles, and then get back
In time for dinner
You are steering dear" he said.
aud was appalled, at his daring If
she noticed the term he used, she
gave no sign. and he hoped devoutly
that she had not
Presently she brought the boat
around with sweep and pointed to
ruined hut upon the island.
That's the old camp she said,
and it's your turn to steer now. I
am going to sit back in the stern for
awhile
He obediently took his place at the
little wheel in the forward end of the
boat. it never once occurring to him
that she could be steered from any
point by means of the rudder-lines that