The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-05-15
D X
SHORT STORY
The White Canoe.
hy DORA NOLAN

sing 4; OH to the ne@e.- conner
ohiiaren steal Irom t,t-i. beu3 On
II c,o,..f.. nleh.s ~ ..Ale out on tns
Mate. 5 "A shiyering anti
|Te,t alton th.l 4. may iul 10 tnelf lot "
be nest to sec tae tnleiu! bircn OaIk
H..utl seat from cut The shadows, 'nat
,hey lnuy Gates q glimpse OF tne
ntuitlr vi the inuian maiden SnowDlru'
clad in White docskin, ci!cieI Oh
~aile feathers c:owning nef GUN
trczs.
low. Tie tradition runs that Snow.
bra was murde.cd close BY the shores
IL the river, in the moonlight, then sci
.,lriIt in her own canoe, iong BEFORE
he eye oil a white man first feli on
he Sesatchlc. Ever since her gnost
Aus appeared from time TO time, 10
lu.tai eyes; SO goes the legend. Anu
4i,.Iys has the coming tofctold the
sudG. ani violent departure ol ah'
Jttst soul
,.ecll. Horton was five when she spent
ller first summer or the Segatchie;
Va. had passed her twentieth birthday
|2s.acn the events Esre recorded look
tiace.
il was the tenth OF September. The
Horizons were to return TO the city
Il the fifteenth. Cecil was planning a
uance tor the evening OF the twelfth,
the last of q series in the Horton boat
house. Dick Harvey set besrie hcr
Jn the boatbouse steps. Both wore AZ
,tractex expressions registering deep
thought.
Evidently the girls thoughts were
not bearing fruit Tor she turned 10
her COMPANION. "Oh, Dick" she plead
ed, .do try and think up something
iftiaue for the feature OF my last dance
something exciting; something
shrilling"
Dick seized hopefully upon his op.
3ortunity. "You night announce our
snxagement. But the hopefulness
died.a.borning as he glimpsed the
quick frown above his companions
/ syes and he continued, in tragic mo-
roseness, "Or we might stage muir
der; I'd be glad to help you out in
sDickW exclaimed the girl, with a
nand on his arm; don't. cont Ike 1t,
even in fun" For well Cecil knew
| that her old playmate's sudden lust for
| Slaughter had for its objective a rather
Mysterious, very. commissioning
Stranger who was spending his first
stiiun,er on the Segatchie. But even
as she spoke, the word murder sug-
gested something desired to Cecils
|nimbie wit.
~ have it, Dick!' she CALCULATED
the white canoe"
Followed nearly an hour of explain.
IONS, pleadings and overriding OF
Dicks objections by Cecil, and finally
"a reluctant consent from Dick. But,
|hA made It conditional. Nov. re-
|member,p he stipulated, mot a single
dance with that Perrone crook while
I'm away pulling the fadeaway Indian
maiden stuff.
eOf course, Dick; promise. But
| you've no business to speak or MIN
| that way Just because you don't know
every bit Of his past history. Why
do you?"
4shifty eyes," was Dicks laconic
reioinder. At which Cecil, naturally
Rttributing Haryey's instructive DIS.
like OF Perrone to Jealousy, smiled a.
secret smile OF mischlevous delight.
The night of the dance came and,
all too soon for Dick at least, came
eleven o'clock, the time agreed upon
| Tor him to absent himself and TAKE
I'M the spectacular role OF "Snowbifd.
THE full moon carried out Its part
| of the program. At half after eleven
Cecil, pleading fatigue, seated herself
81 the broad river-tront doorway, pre-.
|pared to jump up at any instant and
announce to the guests, with becom-
Ing dramatic effect, that the Indian
maiden was abroad in her canoe.
But she waited fruitlessly. The
minutes passed; no white canoe ap'
peared. Midnight, and yet nothing
stirred on the broad bosom OF the
Segatchie. Disappointed. little
angry, Cecil yielded at last to the
pleading Of the fascinating Perrone
and dance three times in succession
| with him.
Dick Harvey did not appear again
that night and next morning, when No
came over to the Horton place, he
gave most unsatisfactory answers to
Eenirs peremptory questions. Also he
wore an inscrutable. self satisfied ex'
preston that enraged the young lady.
She let him know 1t. Yet Dick went
| off whistling. Which affected Miss
Hos a so extremely little that at
midnight she was still awake, perch
ed on her window seat and gazing out
onto the rnoonlit river, assuring her.
self that she didn't care a boot for
Dick Harvey anyhow. He utterly lack
ed the refinement of Mr.. Perrone.
Suddenly, as her distracted gaze
|Sturned to the farther shore, SILVER
IAN through Cecil's frame. From out
he shadows of the forested bank
Sfided q tenuous, filmy something that,
|gwhile she strained her eyes in awe.
look clearly, indubitably, as it crossed
the pathway of the moon, the form Of
! white canoe, silently padded by a
girlish figure in white, crowned by
k.snowy feathers.
Cecil started from her seat. She
&St1d call some member of the sleep
liz household to witness this awe
some sight. Just then 1t was she heard
stealthy footsteps In the hall, that
stopped just outside her door. The
white canoe! It's corollary OF tragedy!
L There was stark danger there, outside
the door. Cecfl's heart beat so that
Then from the balcony roof out.
side, close by her, came a whisper
1t was Dick Harvey's voice.
There's a burglar inside, Cecil. The
officers have gone in. Keep still,
don't move. II he opens your door I
can see him from here in this light.
Sh.sh.sh!"
Slowly, without sound, the door