Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1911-02-10
WINNIE AND
FRANK
BY F. A. mitchell
Copyright by American Press Asso-
ciation, 1911.
By F. A. mitchell

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
a frankness not usual in such cases.
"For my part" he said, 81 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-
fess l am often put to the blush on
account of Franks shortcomings"
"SelfishT'
Selfish at times beyond measure"
"That's just the way with my Win
ME-"
"How is 1t, then, that we prefer
these unworthy persons to each
other?" / asked.
There was brief silence, at the
end of which he asked:
"How long have you known this
person?'
MANY years."
II have noticed that the longer l
have known Frank the greater selfish
ness find"
"Same here. We have been compan-
ions since we were wee little things.
My theory is that it is propinquity. 1
have known my Winnie and you have
known your Frank so long that asso-
citation has begotten love-"
"But love Is blind. If this is love we
feel for those persons how is it that
we see their faults so plainly?"
"Are what we see in them really
faultsT
"What do you mean by that?'
II will explain. snatched kiss
from you. You are angry and blame
me. In other words, you consider that
have committed fault, whereas
have simply been following natural
instinct. Now, your Frank may place
you in an embarrassing position with
out any intention to do so, yet you
consider him at fault"
"That may apply to your Winnie,
but not to my Frank. 1 confess you
are much more worthy of my love
than Frank. My love for Frank ad-
NIT is inexcusable, and yet can't
help it."
"And will admit that my Winnie's
thoughts and acts are gross in COM
parison with yours"
"How can you love such a personr
II would rather call it preference
than love-"
"There again we agree; it is prefer
ence in my case too."
While we were talking a cloud had
been gathering behind us. Our backs
being turned toward 1t, we did not see
1t. We were sitting in the stern of the
boat, while held the main sheet in my
hand. Suddenly a squall struck us
and capsized 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, very little. A few
strokes took me to the corks. Mr..
Scarborough could not reach them,
though they were not mans length
from him. He went down, and when
he came up, by desperate effort, I
reached him with the life preserver.
"Take hold of It," cried
mo; 1t will bear but one of u.s."
II can SWIM"
''Not enough to save yourself"
he went down second time. When
he came up fought to get the pre-
server around him. He was uncon-
scious, and l partly succeeded. Then
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 restoratives 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 squall. But
we now chatted under very different
conditions. We had been dumped in
the water wlth-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.
ut has been proved conclusively to-
day." he said, that these other lovers
of ours must take a back seat. /
would not have done for Winnie what
did for you"
Nor / for Frank"
tits an Ill wind that blows nobody
any good! The squall blew us into
the water. but 1t blew away at the
same time our indecision between each
other and these two other lovers"
"Thank heaven for that. I was aw-
fully tired of 1t. But tell me who is