The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-08-22
I'm THE RED CANOE
Pretty Romance Woven Around
a Motion Picture Film
Expedition.
BY JOHN DARLING.


hotel registry as Beggsie, the official
toter of suitcases, led her away to her
room.
"Vivian Lovejoy," he read. "oh,
Vivian, you are like lone rosebud
In the famished desert. Vivian,
Vivian"
shut up. Don't be a cad" NUT.
tered Don, stufing his big tanned
hands into his linen trousers pockets,
and staring moodily after the girl.
Even If we do happen to be the
jumping off place in the summer re-
sort line, you don't have to act like a
grinning idiot Wonder why she ever
landed here"
But the fact remained that she had
landed, and from her preparations, 1t
was seen she meant to stay. She
took the best room left, one over
looking the falls and the sweep OF
rapids clear around the bend Of the
headland that gave the place its
name Every day she went to the
pine grove above the falls, and strolled
around alone, studying every point of
land, After lunch she took the path
below the falls and walked up and
down first on one side, then crossing
the little bridge to the other.
Carteret tried to join her to explain
the beauties of the place and the old
legend of the falls. They we're not so
very high, hardly over ninety feet,
but even in the summer they were
turbulent. fed by the lake above.
You see," Carteret would say, In
dams used to Sc around here, and they
had a custom of sending one girl
over the falls every year in a red
canoe for a sort of sacrifice to the
spirit of the falls"
81 nave heard of the custom before,
said Vivian. AT Niagara they did it,
too | think. But these falls seem
tco small for the leap to be fatal
IT'S the rocks under the water
They're like jagged teeth, and they
rip the bottom out of any boat that
goes over. If she did get to the bot
tom of the falls the rocks in the
rapids would catch her. Nice little
plan, wasn't it,"
TITS wonderfully picturesque place
think it is just what l have beer
looking for"
Artist"
She smiled and shook her head
turning her parasol SO he could no
watch her.
mo. Pm just an ordinary summel
tramp. Where is Mr.. Marden?"
Fishing" laconically.
"He goes fishing every day, doesn'
hep
Every day." assented Carteret hap
PLY Just below the rapids abou
quarter of a mile"
Can he SWIM"
I'VE all swim here" He looked
down at her with sudden suspicion
Why was she asking all these ques
lions about Don Marden, the one mai
at the Neck who did not appeal t
women. He was tall and decided!
homely. He had no chivalrous ways
no little attentive tricks to WOO then
by. He was short spoken and roughl.
dressed. Rainy days when the othe
guests of the hotel kept to the shelte
of the verandas living room, h,
staked forth with a placid grin OF
his face and the rain dripping from
his old felt hat, with a fishing ROT
balanced in one hand and a baske
in the other.
rs he anybody special?" Vivlal
asked once, watching his stalwart
stopped figure stalk down to the glen
"He acts as If he always did just a
he pleases."
'He came here because the fishin
is good. He comes every year. Nc
body knows who he is. He comes TO
July and August, then goes away.
Carteret gave the information grudg
ingly. Don't be interested in hin
He's a dub, a perfect dub" 1t wa
the only term that seemed to fit Do
Marden, Il would do anything in tn
world for you"
She smiled at him, looking up froI
the letter he had just brought to he
1t was the letter she had waited 70
over two weeks. They were comm
the uext day, Kitson, Bayly and tn
rest There was not another hour {
lose. She leaned forward to Cartere
with a look in her lovely dark eye
he had never seen there. He notice
how her hair curled around her ten
pies and hid her ears. She was di
tractingly pretty. not beautiful, bl
just pretty, pretty as girl could b
he thought.
Can you get me red cancer" 81
asked. And not tell anyone? / wal
it tomorrow morning surely"
Carteret promised. He would hay
promised the evening star if she ha
asked for it in that tone. All Thu
Cay in the rain he hunted red cano
There was not such thing at India
Neck, he was told, but down the riv,
three miles, he found a canoe haulC
up beside an old cabin, and it's own
parted with it for q weekly rents
Red paint he found at the villal
store, and another bill changed han,
that he might turn the canoe upsit
down in the hotel barn and paint it.
Put in plenty of dryer, old man