Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1911-05-31
WINNIE AND
FRANK
By r. A. Mitchell
Copyright by American Press Assoc
citation. 1911.

friends - very good Irlenus inueeu.
| The question Is whether we shall be
mere than friends. We like each other
pretty well. but for my part there Is
one other that I'm not sure l love bet.
ter than / love him. One day Mr.. Scar
borough and | went out in boat, and
1t was evident before we had been to,
gether long that our minds were on
the great question. "Shall we be more
than friends" We were very prac-
tical about 1t. exchanging views with
frankness not usual In such cases
"For my part" he said. Il feel that
/ love you better than any other per-
son In the world excepting one. That
person, confess, do not approve
of-one whose intellect is not by any
means Of the highest and whose good
intentions are often not carried out"
How Singular / exclaimed. You
have spoken my case as well as your
own. There Is one whom / prefer to
you. But, gracious, how faulty l con-
TESS / am often put to the blush on
account Of Franks shortcomings"
"Selfishf"
Selfish at times beyond measure"
That's Just the way with my Win
ME-"
How Is It. then. that we prefer
these unworthy persons to each
otherT l asked.
There was a brief silence. at the
end of which he asked:
How long have you known this
person"
MANY years"
81 have noticed that the longer l
have known Frank the greater selfish
ness find"
ions since we were wee little things.
My theory Is that 1t Is propinquity.
have known my Winnie and you have
known your Frank 50 long that asso-
citation has begotten love"
But love Is blind II this u love ws
feel for those persons how Is 1t that
we see their faults 20 plainiyT
Are what we see In them really
faultsT'
what do you mean by thatr'
II win explain. l snatched a kiss
from you You are angry and blame
me. In other words. you consider that
I have committed a fault, whereas
have simply been following a natural
| instinct Now. your Frank may place
you In an embarrassing poeition with
out any intention to do so. yet you
consider him at fault"
THAT may apply to your Winnie,
but not to my Frank confess you
are much more worthy Of my love
than Frank. My love for Frank ad-
init Is inexcusable, and yet I can't
help It"
"And I viii admit that my winnie's
thoughts and acts are gross In COM
parison with YOUR"
"How can you love such q personT'
| II would rather call It preference
than love"
There again We agree: II IL prefer
ence in my case too"
| While we were talking q cloud had
been gathering behind US. Our backs
being turned toward II. we did not see
It We were sitting In the stern Of tho
boat, while held the main sheet in my
hand. Suddenly a squat struck rs
and capsixed the boat, which sank.
Three Of Us were in the water to-
| gether. Mr.. Scarborough. and one life
preserver. Mr.. Scarborough could not
swim at all. I very little A few
strokes took me 10 the corks. Mr..
Scarborough could not reach them,
though they were not a mans length
l r.
he came up. by desperate effort,
reached him with the life preserver.
take hold Of It." I cried.
mo: It will bear but one Of u.s."
n can swim"
mot enough to save yourself"
| He went down a second time. When
he came up fought to get tho pre-
server around him. He was uncon-
scious. and l partly succeeded. Then
a boats nose poked itself against US.
The rain and the wind beating up the
waves had concealed It from us. A
hand grasped each one Of Us and
dragged US into the boat
] hung over him anxiously until we
got him to shore. where we applied the
usual restorattves In such cases. Aft
er awhile he showed signs Of life and
finally came to himself.
The same evening. after having been
revived. we resumed the talk that had
been interrupted by the squat. But
we now chatted under very different
conditions. We had been dumped In
the water with-so far as we knew at
the time-a chance for but one to be
saved Each had preferred that the
other have that chance. We sat lock-
ed In each others arms.
1T has been proved conclusively to-
day." he said. shat these other lovers
Of ours must take a back seat. I
would not have done for Winnie what
l did for you"
Nor I for Frank"
TITS an III wind that blows nobody
any good! The squat blew ne into
+, the water but II blew awav - xhn