The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1920-10-28
THE WHITE CANOE.
BY DORA NOLAN.
g ls2o. ~ keclur. N.x.p

8htcnie river. has heard the tradition
OF the white canoe.
Now the tradition runs that Snow
bird. m Indian maiden. was murdered
close by the shores Of the river, in
the moonlight then set adrift In hel
own canoe. long before the eye Of 4
white man first fell on the Segatchie
Ever since her ghost has appeared
from time TO time. TO mortal eyes
so goes the legend And always has
me coming foretold the sudden and
violent departure Of another soul.
Cecil Horton was i've when she
spent her irst summer ON the Sc
gatchie; she had passed her twentieth
birthday when the events here re-
corded took place.
| II was the tenth Of September. The
Horizons we're to return to the city
on the fifteenth. Cecil was planning
dance for the evening Of the twelfth,
the last OF series In the Horton boat
house. Dick Harvey sat beside her on
the boathouse steps.
| Evidently the girls thoughts were
not bearing fruit for she turned to
her companion. "Oh. Dick" she
pleaded, do try and think up some
thing unique for the feature of my
last dance-something exciting; some
thing thrilIingi"
Dick seized hopefully upon his
opportunity. you might announce
our engagement" But the hopeful
ness died a-borning as he glimpsed
the quick frown above his compan-
ions eyes and he continued, in tragic
moroseness. "Or we might stage a
murder; I'd be glad to help you out
In that"
Il have 1t. Dickr r. she CALCULATED
'the white canoe"
Followed nearly an hour Of expla-
nations, pleadings and overriding of
Dicks objections by Cecil, and finally
reluctant consent from Dick. But
he made 1t conditional. "Now, re-
member" he stipulated, mot single
dance with that Perrone crook while
I'm away pulling the fadeaway Indian
maiden stuff"
"Of course, Dick; l promise. But
you've no business to speak of him
that way just because you don't know
every bit of his past history. Why do
your"
"Shifty eyes," was Dicks laconic re-
ioinder.
The night of the dance came and.
all too soon for Dick at least. came
eleven o'clock. the time agreed upon
for him to absent himself and take
up the spectacular role of "Snowbird."
The full moon carried out its part
of the program. At half after eleven
Cecil. pleading fatigue, seated herself
by the broad rlver-front doorway, pre-
pared to jump up at any instant and
announce to the guests. with becoming
dramatic effect, that the Indian maiden
was abroad in her canoe.
But she waited fruitlessly. The
minutes passed: no white canoe
appeared. Midnight. and yet nothing
stirred on the broad bosom of the
Segatchle. Disappointed, a little angry.
Cecil yielded at last to the pleading
Of the fascinating Perrone and danced
three times In succession with him
Dick Harvey did not appear again |
that night and next morning. when he
came over TO the Horton place, he gave
most unsatisfactory answers to Cecii's |
peremptory questions. Also he wore
an inscrutable. self-satisfied expression |
that enraged the young lady She |
let him know It, Yet Dick went of |
whistling. Which affected Miss Hor- !
ton so extremely little that at mid,
night she was still awake.
Suddenly. as her abstracted gaze !
turned to the farther shore. SILVER |
ran through Cecil's frame. From out |
the shadows of the forested bank
gilded tenuous, filmy something that
while she strained her eyes in awe.
took clearly. individually as It crossed
the pathway Of the moon, the form of
a white canoe. silently padded by
girlish figure In white, crowned by
snowy feathers.
Cecil started from her seat. She
would call some member of the sleep
Ing household to witness this awesome
sight
Then from the balcony roof out
side close by her came whisper. 1t
was Dick Harvey's voice.
There's burglar inside. Cecil. The
officers have gone in Keep still. don't
move. II he opens your door ! can
see him from here in this light.
Sh-sh-sh."
Slowly. without sound, the door
opened. A dark figure was vaguely
outlined on the threshold. Even In
the seml-darkness II looked strangely
familiar to Cecil. From the window
Dick Harvay's stacatto baritone
snapped; That's far enough, you
stand still"
There was CLINT Of steel as the In
'ruder flung hack. Hold up your
hands and keep"
In the open window a shot flashed
md roared By the door there was ,
crumpled heap on the floor .
"Dobson. that detective friend OF ;
nine" Dick explained to Cecil after
-. .L.t- 80 @ha tr- 0ndv had softpnod | 7