Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1913-01-30


ed himself before me.
This is good. to be alone with you.
Nan" he was beginning when man
who had passed Us retraced his steps.
Jack Meadsw he cried, ignoring my
presence. What luck. The boys from
the office are out here today, and we
are trying to make up a baseball nine.
All we lack is q good pitcher, and we
know your fame in that line It's 60
ing to be a short game Come on over
and join US
Jack looked hpldwartl, and his eyes
shone You wouldn't mind would
you, Nam" he asked eagerly
Certainly | do not mind" I an
swered erusiyely, but ! prefer not to
walk over to the fed"
He hurried away without one back
ward CLAN e. Ii was another humiliat-
ing moment Following an idle i'm
pulse, l lifted the solitary oar which
lay in the boat and poled myself out
into the water. Perhaps when Allison
came back he might see me. he used
strongly 20 object if | ventured to row
alone. / must have drifted out pretty
far. for the automobile looked like a
speck in the road. while the baseball
field was just a green blur With a
splash my one oar slipped from my
grasp and quickly hoated just beyond
reach. 1t would have been useless to
call for assistance, for no one appeared
upon the beach ] was really becom-
1 ing frightened when a canoe came
gliding toward me. Its occupant stood
up and waved his arms wildly.
Aunt Mani he cried. Aunt Nan"
1t was Bobbie. | could scarcely believe
my eyes
Save me, Aunt Nam he entreated.
81 never thought when ! climbed into
the canoe that it would float away
There was soft thud as the boats
came alongside. | had a confused Vi
sion Of my uephcw's white face and
| outreaching arms, and then we were
both struggling in the water. Blindly
I caught at the upturned boat as Bob
bic chung TO me in desperation. And
N
some one snatched him roughly from
NY grasp: then two strong arms also
lifted ne tC safety ! don't know just
what had been expecting, but it was
rather disappointing 20 see a weather
beaten face looking anXiously into my
own, while gru& voice muttered some
thing about "unatics sailin' about in
boats without no oars And when our
rescuer's boat reached the shore there
stood Jim and Mollic, who regarded
my wet and shrinking self with stern,
accusing gaze Jim carried his whim-
pcring son back to the shelter of the
trees, while Mollie fingered only long
enough to say;
IF you did not care about risking
your own life, Nan, you might at least
have left Bobbie safe on land"
] stood still in beWiderment. Then
a prolonged wall in Dots shrill treble
attracted my attention, and FASTENED
In its direction.
"Oh, Aunt Nan, she gurgled you
do look SO funny! Your hair IS all
The thought of my own ridiculous
appearance had not occurred to me.
Now | looked fearfully down the road
TO where the stalled auto could still be
seen.
Dot" l faltered, where's Mr.. Arm
strong?"
My young niece OWNED by anxiety,
Don't you worry" she said He is
hammering away under his car"
And Allison, Dot where is he?"
He won't sec you" She answered
comic, JingIy. He is back in Che
woods getting flowers for Aunt Nell"
Then Dottio turned to her own griey-
auces. paddle liuded n fire to make
some coffee" She confded and when
they went away put some corn in to
cook and burned my hand But it's
better now, because l tore the front
out Of my dress ana bandaged it up.
This nice thin cloth tears easy" she
added, with satisfaction
Like Dot, I returned TO my own trou-
bles. What shall l do?' I deliberated
aloud
go and sit i'm the sand and get dry"
my niece wisely suggested, and I fol-
lowed her advice Little lavender
streams We're trucking from every part
Of my new frock, and the woman who
sold it had assured me that the color
would not run She might have traced
ME now BY the violet drops along the
sand l sank down misorablv. How
could I 20 home i'm this plight?
Nelns ringing laugh aroused me.
"Oh, Nan She cried what in the
world have YOU been doing? You look
like purple poster girl"
one Mortified Stance showed me AZ
lison's tall figure This was truly the
last straw ! buried my face i'm my
wet purple arms and went Then Al
lison turned to Sell.
Dot is alone he said. Had you
not better see that she doesn't get into
more mischief: And-and, Nan. dear,
you may take cold I viii fetch my
warm auto c9at 10 a moment and wrap
it around Eog He did So. very ten
derby. and rs Te sat there long I'm the
sands he ld But what Allison said
is not for publication ] Am glad that
my hair dries out am fluffy ana curly.
W'nar Ffr. ts.-....t--.-... e..rr.