The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-06-06
MY WATER
SPRITE
An Episode Of . Sum.
mer Vacation
BY r. A.


took my summer outing In the
mountains. stopping at the Ctn House.
I had not been there three days when.
rowing on the little lake around which
oil the hotels were conferred. ! passed
q girl in another boat. who looked at
me for q moment scutinizingly and
seemed about to bow to me. But since
! did not remember ever having seen
her before and supposed she was mis-.
taking me for some one else ! gave her
no encouragement. In other words. |
treated her as a stranger. Since we
faced each other a we receded we
did not pass out Ut each others sight
for some time. and I could see on her
features the sensitiveness Ut a girl who
has spoken to the wrong man.
It IL not to be expected that such an
incident az this occurring to one who
has nothing to do but enjoy himself
would pass out Of mind. ! must meet
that girl and learn whether It was she
or I who had made a mistake. had
not zen her at my hotel: therefore
assumed that she was stopping at some
Of the others. There were than
halt . dozen hotels In the vicinity. and
I feared that to dnd q person whose
name I did not know among ~ many
summer residents would be IKE look
ing for q needle In q haystack.
But what trouble will q man not take
in IN adventure Of this kind. especially
when hs has nothing else to do1
made the rounds Of the hotels. begin.
ming In the morning. when the guests
arst come out on the porch to sun
themselves. spending some time On
each porch looking for my water sprite.
- I called her. but luck was not with
ms. and at the end Ut the 6rst day
h4d not seen her.
+ I spent four days Of q two weeks Va
cation going the rounds Of the hotels.
instead Of dsvodng myself to such
summer sports % were at hand. look.
ing for q gtri In whom I could have no
interest except that she had supposed
she q passing some q she knew.
In the evening Of the fourth day I
went to q dance at one Of the hotels.
and 10 I vas sailing around 10 the
waltz there suddenly appeared 0veE
the shoulder Of her partner the face Of
~ water sprite.
'Dreadi, ! to lose her, I would have
been glad to drop the girl With whom
was dancing and keep my Object 10
eight, but I had just begun to dance.
and experience With my partner had
taught me- that she would keep the
door a. long 40 the music lasted. And
she did. It was fully ten minutes be-
fore I was released. and then she said
she must 60 out on to the porch for
some cool air. What could I do?
proved myself q gentleman. wishing all
the while that I was q boor. By the
time the girl was ready for the next
dance With another partner. thank
he~aven-nearly half an hour had pass
ed. Then It was too late. hunted
everywhere for my water sprite. but
did not 6nd her. II the giri I had been
dancing With had known my feeIingz
toward her for OBTAINING me ! would
have bad another adventure on my
hands not 30 attractive as the 6rst.
The next morning. passing the land
ing OF q of the hotels. ! saw the girl
| sought. In a charming rowing cos.
tune. step into q boat and pull out
into the lake. I Immediately made ap.
plication for q boat. but all were en-
gagged. The girl I wished to follow
could see me wildly running about try.
ing to get a boat. and. though | wal
not hear enough to e {. ! fancied there
a an amused smile 90 her face
Then she disappeared behind an island
and ! ground my teeth
Several times after this I met her
and every time It was my misfortune
10 be 10 situated that I could not react
her showed 20 much temper over
my disappointments that at last. when
was suffering under one Of them. bel
face broke into q pleasant smile. There
b nothing a girl likes 20 we'll a. t.
Be chased. and. instead OF helping the
chaser to reach her. she will throw
obstacles In his way.
learned enough Of the girl who
knew me and whom ! did not know
to Be assured that she WA devoted t.
boating Indeed. l had seen her on
the water. shooting along like the
sprite for which I had named her
80 ! resolved to spend a day on the
lake In q boat. trusting It would give
me an opportunity to catch her.
hired . boat at 8 o'clock In the morn
ing and. taking q luncheon. resolved
not to come Oh the water TIL Dime,
time IN the evening.
had not been out long before my
girl passed me just ~ she had done al
our 0rst meeting. For . moment w
looked At each other. surprised: then
with . tantaliSing smile on her lips
she gave two q three vigorous stroke.
that carried her away from me. !
She had a advantage Of me IN this
10 follow her was obliged to turn
and. not being Z skiile6 oarsman. IN
stead q beckdng water with one oal
and giving WY with the other. / mad,