Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-12-21
MAID OF THE MIST
BY LUcRETiA LOWE.

g. 1921. by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate
Lenore was making speed. Crouch
ing low to avoid the branches that
overhung the river, she was fairly dig
ging her paddle into the water and
jerking it swiftly back for the next
stroke. An alder stretched out It's
green fingers and snatched at'the net
which confined the Maynard gold OF
IGNORES wonderful hair. The alder
did more than tear the flimsy net it
loosened the pins and let the soft
waves Of hair fall free about the girls
shoulders. Tossing her head, Lenore
sped on. The canoe leaped cOnvulsive-
ly up the river.
LenOre was In vicious mood. Less
than an hour before she had returned
to the donor q perfectly good solitaire
diamond set In platinum. She had never
supposed that Bob would let her break
the engagement. But he had, and had
even seemed glad to be rid Of her. The
quarrel had been silly enough.
1t was over the matter Of decorating
the canoe that together they had
planned to enter for the boat club re-
gatta that night. Lenore had insisted
upon pink lights In crepe paper rose
buds, and Bob had wanted blue tar
latan mist effect with Lenore at the
stern as Maid Of the Mists Lenore had
stamped her foot in fury as Bob
showed no inclination to yield to her
wishes. In the next moment, she had
flung his ring back at him and her en-
gagement was broken. She had
flounced down to the pier, jumped into
the Ianthe and padded away in rage.
And now, several miles from the
boat club, LenOre WAS still angry. She
struck at a huskrat as he leaped from
the bank. She tried to knock a turtle
from snag with her paddle. Then an
island invited her to land Always
creature Of impulse, she la the canoe
ashore and jumped out. Her white kid
slipper caught in the mire and stuck
fast. POising on one foot, Lenore de-
bated whether or not to retrieve the
slipper, and >petulantly decided to
abandon 1t for the present. She hoped
to the top of little knoll and, sudden
ly losing her balance, sat down precip-
itately ON the grassy incline.
Turning over and lying out at full
length, face down, she began to cry.
Long she wept. until, wearied to ex-
haustion. she caught her breath III
great irregular gasps, sighed many
times. and fell asleep.
Little by little the river leased at
the grounded canoe and finally drew It
completely of from the shore.
Iteas the empty canoe that Bob met
on his way up the river. ~
After Bleaching the empty canoe
BOb's first impulse was to leave Lenore
TO her own devices. She had surprised
him with her fit of anger and he had
not reconciled this blazingly angry
Amazon with the loving and fovable
companion he had pictured her. But
the strength Of a kind of habit of do
ing things for Lenore made him reluc
family decide to 60 to her rescue.
Bob did not hurry. He dawdled
along, exerting himself just enough to
make slow progress against the cur
rent until he came to the island where
Lenore. slept. He saw traces Of the
keel of the Ianthe and recognized, with
a quick thrill, the white slipper in the
mud.
Suddenly, through the opening, in the
hn I clo
fully on the KNOLL with her lovely hair
spread about her. AS Bob watched her
he forgot the petty, quarrel, the angry
departure; he forgot his surprise and
his own sudden anger, and he knew
then, as he had never known before,
how much this girl meant to him and
to his whole life.
On the opposite side Of the narrow
island he moOred his canoe and waited.
When the full yellow moon doomed
over the black wall of pines Lenore
opened her eyes. Remembering the
events Of the afternoon. she sprang to
her feet, and in the semi-darkness
leaned over to pick her shoe out of the
mud. Then she uttered sharp cry.
Her canoe was not there.
Tall and slender in the light of the
moon, Lenore stood irresolutely on the
edge of the island. The mist en-
shrOuded her figure and seemed to
catch and hold the moonlight in hazy
aura around the glory of her flowing
hair. Her anger was gone, she was
filled with deep regret that she had
quarreled so foolishly with Bob. Prob
ably he was now at the regatta with
out her, some other girl playing the
maid in his blue tarlatan mist.
Maid of the Mist" she cried sud-
denly, with sob at the end. "Oh, Bob.
if you were only here to see me you
would know that 1 am your Maid of
the Mist!"
"Are you, my darling?" Bob stepped
out Of. the bushes and clasped her in
his arms care Won and will vOI1 ho