The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1928-02-24
Didn't Know Her
Landlord
By CLARISSA MACKIE

L moved into the little seaside bun
galow at Yellowsands, she became
acquainted with her next-door neigh
Dor, a stout, black-haired, red-cheeked
woman in a faded blue bathing suit Of
popular design.
mice morning." said Mrs. Brady,
cheerfully over the back fence.
''It is lovely" smiled Doris, as she
hung out her tea towels on the bit
of clothesline. ST can hardly believe
1t is true that / am here for the rest
Of the summer! 1t Is too good to be
true"
"You said it! retorted her neigh
Dor. your husband not up yet?"
Doris stared amusedly. mo, he
isn't-you see, l haven't any hus-
band"
Mrs. Brady laughed heartily, and
several small Bradys climbing into
bathing suits in the small house,
heard her and scrambled to the win
dow where they stood sunburned and
grinning. Doris became acquainted
with them at once. Before they part
ed, Mrs. Brady was aware that Miss
Ware wrote for big newspaper In
the city and was having her rest all
alone just to get away from people.
That first day, Doris found an iso-
lated bit of blue water where she
could swim all alone.
Once as she floated, looking up at
the clOudless sky, she heard the sound
Of paddles and sank into the water,
swimming a little. 1t. was then that
she could see the canoe and its single
occupant, a tall young man with
grim unsmiling countenance. AS soon
as he saw her, he increased the speed
Of his canoe and in a moment had
rounded bend in the shore.
Doris waded ashore and sat down
on the sand to laugh heartily. III 1t
isn't temperamental Peter Clarkson,"
| she giggled to herself 1.-THE poor
man didn't recognize me In this bath
ing suit do wonder IL he is really
stopping near here"
That noon when she returned to
the bungalow for lunch, she asked
Mrs. Brady about the man In the
| canoe. "What Is his manner" she art
fully asked.
Mrs. Brady put up her hands In
| amazement. "Don't know your own
landlord?" she exclaimed.
| Doris shook her head. II rented 1t
from an agent she said.
| poor Mr.. Clarkson-he has owned
| all these cottages since his uncle died
fortune, so I have heard, Miss Ware
but there Is whisper that he Is sad
and gloomy because the girl he loves
won't have him! And him with q
| million dollars or more. Anyone
could be happy with all that money u
alone, for loneliness was what she
sought these days, she thought quite
often Of lonely Peter Clarkson, liv.
ing there In his handsome stone sum-
mer residence on the top of the hill
behind them. The stone house had
| place around to the east of the little
cove which Doris had chosen for her
particular bathing place, and some
| times she saw the canoe dart around
| the point Of land and cross the mouth
Of the cove on its way past the cot
tages and bathing beaches-and al
ways, Peter Clarkson was alone.
Then, one day, an imp Of perver-
sity prevailed upon her to tempt ex-
element when she saw Peter Clark
son coming her way In his bright
canoe. She was swimming toward
him and crossed the canoes bow. just
beyond that, she threw up one arm
and slim brown hand and called
"Helpi" and then. "Save mel" be-
fore she sank beneath the waves.
In exactly three minutes, gloomy
Peter Carkson had jumped overheard
dived down, rescued Doris Ware,
dropped his dripping burden into the
canoe, tossed rubber coat over her
and padded desperately back to his
own wharf and called to his boatman,
Jerry, for help.
"Really, I am entirely all right"
assured D0rlS In quite strOng voice
as she struggled to throw off the
heavy rubber coat. AS she finally sat
up and pulled off her bathing cap and
her toss Of dusky hair fiuffed out, she
became aware of the strange behavior
Of Mr.. Peter Clarkson-he was kneel-
Ing on the sand beside the canoe, and
his great eyes were fairly worshiping
the small person whose life he had
saved. He grinned foolishly as Doris
smiled gratefully at him.
ut is you-reallyr he demanded
In a deep voice.
"Of course" said Doris meekly, be-
cause her heart was pounding, "who
else could 1t be?'
That's right" he muttered softly
"Who else could 1t be than the one
girl in all the world whom I loved
my first and only love-I wish you
thought it such big thing on my
part that you would give your life to
me, Doris Warel"
"Ah, Peter Clarkson, IL you were
not such diffident youth-you might
have know long ago-years ago-that
there was only one girl In the world
that loved you as I-do-ah. Peter ~