Evening star., 1934-07-01
! full OF ,cafer.

to realize how true her words were. for his
own water-soaked clothing felt like lead around
him, and he was tiring rapidly.
Hastily he swan back to the canoe followed
by Bill. They clung to it without saying word
while the girl recovered her paddle and placed
it in her boat Then, by skillful and agile
scrambling. she managed to Chamber over the
stern and into the craft without tipping it
again. Once inside, she sat down calmly on
the rear seat and regarded them with
amused lock.
Are you going to stay in that water all
afternoon" she inquired. You look awfully
cold and sort of discouraged"
DILL and Keith grunted angrily. This, they
- felt sure, must be the Hagen girl They
were forced to admit to themselves that she
was pretty, but they certainly didn't like her.
She entirely too smart.
Lets climb back in the canoe" said Keith
in low voice. He felt sure that they could
do it if this girl could
Bill grunted assent. He swan away a
short distance. recovered the second paddle
placed it in the canoe and then started to crawl
over the stern as the girl had done. 1t had
looked easy, but he soon discovered that it
wasn't. After a few minutes of scrambling he
had succeeded in getting the canoe half full Of
water, but he was still on the outside.
The girl had been watching him, trying as
best she could to conceal her mirth Now she
padded closer.
"Ill tow your canoe in if you wish" she sug-
gested in friendly voice. You can hang on
to it."
Keith and Bill would have liked to have told
her to run along and mind her own business.
But they were tired and cold and the shore
looked awfully far away. Thep helped the
girl attach the line from the bow of their canoe
to the stern of hers
Towing that canoe, half full of water, was
fob I2ftl tla frI
ward in her own craft, to better balance the
weight, and began to pull for the shore with
her long, steady strokes. Bill and Keith clung
to their canoe, either side, and helped
propel it by swimming.
IN THIS fashion they soon reached the dock
] in front of the Cartwright cottage, where q
little knot of excited spectators gathered.
Somebody inquired if they were all right and
the girl replied cheerfully that they were. Just
a little collision and no harm dore, she said.
Keith and Bill pushed their canoe into shall
low water. Then, although they hated to make
the effort, tired they were, they turned
it over and dumped the water out. While this
was going on the girl sat watching them.
I'm Mary Hagen" she announced when they
had finished. who are you?"
Keith and Bill told her their names through
chattering teeth. They weren't very cordial
You'd better get some dry clothes on" she
said "In see you later. We ought to have
fun together"
Keith and Bill were silent for a moment.
Then Keith's better nature prevailed and he
remembered his manners.
Thanks lot for towing us in," he said
grudgingly.
"Oh, that's all right" replied the girl in a
matter fact tone. Il guess I owed it to you,
after you tried to save me-"
"Uh," grunted Bill. Sorry We bumped into
YOU" Then he turned and hurried beside Keith
toward the cottage and dry clothing.
They said nothing until they had almost
reached the porch. Then Bill snorted dis
gustedly.
"Have fun with us, will she?" he muttered.
"Fat chancel guess We have more to do than
play around with a dog g-goned old girl"
"I'n say sol" agreed Keith. "She thinks she's
smart. But we'll show heri"
Cro be continued next Sunday)