Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1922-03-30
THE wHIrEi CANOE
By o0AA fLLAN-
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Every person. young or old living
on the banks OF the beautiful Sc
gatche river has heard the tradition
of the white canoe.
Now the tradition runs that Snow
bird. an Indian maiden. was murdered
close by the shores of the river, in
the moonlight, then set adrift I'm her
own canoe, long before the eye OF
white man first fell on the Segatchie.
Ever since her ghost has appeared.
from time 10 time, to mortal eyes
so goes the legend And always has
the coming foretold the sudden and
violent departure of another soul.
Cecil Horton was five when she
spent her first summer on the Sc
gatchie; she had passed her twentieth
birthday when the events here re-
corded took place.
1t was the tenth Of September. The
Horizons were 10 return TO the city
on the fifteenth. Cecil was planning
a dance for the evening of the twelfth.
the last az q series III 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. Edo try and think up some
thing unique for the feature OF my
last dance-something eXciting some
thing thrilling!"
Dick seized hopefully upon his
opportunity. you might announce
our engagement" But the hopeful
ness died a-bOrnlng rs he glimpsed
the quick frown above his compan-
ions eyes and he continued. in tragic
morosenesS. cor we might stage
murder; I'd be glad to help YOU out
In that"
Il have it. Dick" 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 ii conditional. "Now. re-
member" he stipulated. mot a single
dance with that Perrone crook while
I'm away pulling the fadeaway Indian
maiden stun"
"Of course. Dick; I 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
you?"
"shirty eyes" was Dicks aconlc re-
iainder.
The night OF the dance came and
all too soon for DICK at least. came
eleven o'clock, the time agreed upon
for him 10 absent himself and take
up the spectacular role Of "Snowbird"
The fun moon carried out It's part
Of the program. At half after eleven
Cecil. pleading fatigue. seated herself
ny the broad river-frout doorway. pre-
pared TO jump up at any instant and
announce 10 the guests. with becoming
dramatic effect. that the Indian maiden
was abroad in her canoe.
But she waited ,fruiuessly. The
minutes passed no white canoe
appeared Midnight AMI yet nothing
stirred on the broad bosom Of the
Segatche. Disappointed, Il little angry.
Cecil yielded nj last To the pleading
of the fascinating Perr0nc 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 Cecil'S
7ercmptory questions. Also he wore
an inscrutable, self-satislied expression
that enraged the young lady She
LET him know It, Yet Dick went off
whistling. Which affected Miss Hor
ton so extremely little that mt mid
night She was still awake.
Suddenly. as her abstractcd gaze
turned 70 The further shore. n shivcr
ran through Cecirs frame From out
the shadows of the forested bank
gilded n icnuous. flmy something that
while she strained her eyes in awe.
took clearly, individually. a. 1t crossed
the pathway of the moon, the form of
white canoe. silently padded by n
Glrllsh figure in white, crowned by
snowy feathers.
Cecil started from he- seat. She
would call some member &C The sleep
ing household 10 witness this awesome
sight.
Then from the balcony roof ont
side close by her, came whisper. II
was Dick Harvey's voice
There's burglar inside. Cecil The
/ officers have gone i'm. Keep still. don't
move. If he opens your door | can
see him from here in this light
! Sh-shsh.
Slowly, without sound, the door
opened. A dark figure was vaguely
outlined on the threshold. Even In
the semi-darkncss Il looked strangely
familiar to Cecil. From the window
Dick Harvey's siacatto baritone
snapped That's far enough. yo,i-
stand still"
There was n CLINT of steel rs tho In
truder flung back. Hold up your
hands and keep"
In the open window n shot flashed
and reared. BY the door there was
crumplcd heap on the floor.
"Dohson that detective friend ~