Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-08
THAT GRAHAM GIRL

x14x1 ~AAA1
well. It's all over, and I'm glad Of IT. !
never wait to camp out again - long as !
liyeI Nor does Cara Murray. To think what
: lovely time we had anticipated, with Tracy
Torinc. the greatest catch Of the year, along,
and only dear, fat, stupid Mrs Bartlett Tor
our cbaperon! There's no knowing b
might have happened bad Il not been for that
Graham girl.
She was poverness to Mrs. Bartletts two
children. Tom and Tiny (the worst young
ones that ever breathed) and Mrs. Bartlett
said that she conldn't possibly think OF trust
ing herself and precious little ones into the
wilderness unless her dear, faithful Helen
went ALONG. So, of course, Helen Graham
went, and so did Tracy Loring, Cara Murry,
the two Avery girls, and their coiieslan
cousins. Max and Will Collins.
1t was jolly fun at first, for during inc
Journey on the cars Cara and l managed 10
secure Tracy ourselves. Then we went Dy
stage ten miles to a lonely farmhouse
dumping of place." AZ Tracy called II
where we were to get the guide and boat
which were to take us up Lake MooseJlc-
dear me, I can never remember those norr!d
Indian names! But never mind. Tracy said
that he didn't just like the looks OF our
Guide, but Cara and I thought him real
romantic. His name was Francisco, and ne
was kind of brigandish-looking, you know,
with flashing black eyes, swarthy complexion,
and long black hair. And he wore a sort OF
picturesque Indian costume. He talked a
good deal to us girls, and rolled his eyes, n
made up jingling bits of poetry that didn't
- NJ D--k1Ak -~sl %ln%h A -uan11oA
of onions and poor whisky, but Tom was al
ways making horrid speeches. However,
this time he wasn't SO far out of the way, for,
if you'll believe it, we hadn't been camping
! out a week before that rascally guide went
| off and left us in the midst Of a bowling will
| derness fifteen miles from any living soul.
Took our boat, tool And we had to make
our own fires, and cook our own meals, and
all that-things which we had paid him to
do. Mrs. Bartlett is over 40, but she doesn't
know a thing about housekeeping, for her
husbands sister, who lives with her, sees
| to everything. As for the Avery girls, they
never enter a kitchen, nor do Cara and 1.
Tracy Loring knew more than we did, for he
| could make delicious coffee as well as broil
| fish. 1t was late in the afternoon, with a cold
| rain and wind storm coming on, SO that it
wouldn't have been prudent for the gentle
men to undertake the long tramp through the
| woods back to the Giles farm house. Cara
! and l felt wretchedly. In the first place, we
were conscious OF looking drabbled and
shabby-there's nothing like that to lower q
woman's spirits. You see, we had no idea of
what a wild, crazy place the woods were. and
80 we had worn dainty, flimsy suits, whose
ruffles and puffs had soon became crushed
and crumpled. The Averys we're in the same
fix. AS for that Graham girl, she wore .
plain, ~navy-blue flannel gown, with short
| skirt and blouse waist. We had all made fun
of her behind her back, but after a day or two
we were forced to acknowledge that she
looked far more dainty and tidy than our
selves. Anyhow, Tracy Loring seemed to
think her attractive, for from the very first
he treated her as an equal with Cara and me,
and she laughed and talked as freely as he
did. She never seemed to mind the least hint,
not even when the day Cara threw out some
thing about working people knowing their
place. At first, though, she drew herself up
rather stately she has a fine figure) and
looked Cara straight in the eyes, as if to find
out what she meant, then q smile began
dimpling tho corners of her mouth, and she
sang out mischievously:
When Adam delved and Eve span,
Who then was the gentleman?
But to go back to the time the guide left us
We had to have supper, of course, but what
and how?
Nv got some fish" said Tracy; land I see
that Max has picked some fine ~blackberries.
I can make the coffee, but the rest of the GU
linary affairs I'll have to leave in the hands
Of you ladies'"
"Oh, my goodness g~racious!" groaned Mrs.
Bartlett, II never cooked a meal in all my
life!'
We all echoed her words, except Helen
Graham who jumped up briskly, saying:
"Tnn fry to fx snmathinr though IL Won't L.
very elaborate, for I fear our resources are
limited. Pray, Mr.. Loring, what does our
larder contain?"
"Humph! Mostly canned goods, I believe.
There are some loaves Of bread, but" with a
sniff, they look kind of queer, Miss Graham
they have pale, whity-green fuzz on the
crust! It's very aesthetic looking, to be sure,
butt doesn't smell good"
"Heat and moisture have made it mold.
Bread molds easily in August weather, and
this is over a week old. But I can cut off the
crust and toast the inside"
"Thatn be famous! I am so hungry
could eat my boots almost! It ~rejoices nv
soul to see a genuinely capable oman-
with a 'knackr And now, Nine. Cook. I'm
at your service"--with a low bow. That
Graham girl didn't seem a bit inpressed-she |
only giggled and said, coolly: "You NAV
clean the fish, if you want to-" and Tracy
Loring, the heir of one of the richest and
most aristocratic families, donned a big
towel for an apron and went out to obey her
commands.
Then how she flew around! I rather liked
to watch her. She had such a deft, handy
way of doing things. Both Cara and 1 wished
that our mothers had taught us something
besides fancy things.
She made a rousing fire in the fireplace
you see, we had taken up our quarters in a
log cabin that, years before, had been occu-
pied by a hermit trapper. It was a rough
affair, but just then we were very thankful
for it, considering the rain outside. It had
turned off SO chilly, too, that the fire felt very
and what with the light, warmth
good supper, we had a very pleasant time.
The supper was especially nice. Helen had
opened a couple of cans of chicken; this she
in the saucepan and poured it over
The toast, gravy and oil. Then she wrapped
in leaves and roasted them in the hot
ashes, and thess. with the fish, coffee and
other things, made a meal fit for ANYBODY.
gentlemen praised it up, at any rate, and
hey paid that Graham girl SO many compli-
nents that she actually blushed. It made her
ook rather pretty, too, and the freight fall
ng on her brown hair gave it a golden sheen
hat we women couldn't held envying.
"Now, what's to be done?" said young Max
Collins after supper. "Some of US have got
% tramp back to Giles farm house and get
boat"
"You and I will 60, Max" said Tracy.
VIII can stay here and guard the ladies.
We'd better start tomorrow morning if it's
The weather was fine next morning, and
fter an early breakfast chat Graham girl
nade splendid corn pones) Tracy and Max
eft us. Poor Mrs. Bartlett actually whim-
cred when they went off.
ut seems SO awful to be left alone ship
wrecked in this bowling wilderness" she said.
"That's rather a mixed metaphor ex-
laimed Will, a not at all complimentary
my bravery. You know, my dear madam.