Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-12-16
THAT GRAHAM GIRL.

Well, its all over, and Pm clad of it. III
never want TO camp out again as long as |
hive! Nor does Cara Murray. To think what |
a lovely time We had anticipated, with Tracy |
Lotlng, the greatest catch of the wear, along, |
and only dear, fat, stupid Mrs. Bartlett for |
our chaperon! There's no knowing what |
might have happened had it not been fer that |
Graham girl
She was governess to Mrs. Bartlett's two
children, Tom and Tiny the worst young
ones that ever breathed) and Mrs. Bartlett
said that she couldn'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 hurry,
the two Avery girls, and their collegian
cousins Max and win Collins
1t was Jolly fun at first, for during the
Journey on tho cars Cara and managed to
secure Tracy ourselves. Then we went by
stage ten miles to a lonely farmhouse
jumping off place as Tracy called it
where We were TO get the guide and boat
Which were 10 take us up Lake Moosetic-
dear me, can never remember those horTid
Indian nameSl But never mind Tracy said
that he didn't just like the looks of our
guide, but Cara and l thought him real
romantic. His name was Francisco, and he
was kind of Notwithstanding, you know,
| with flashing black eyes, swarthy complexion,
and long black hair. And he wore sort of
| picturesque Indian costume. He talked a
| good deal TO us girls, and rolled his eyes, and
made up juggling bits of poetry that didn't
| sound bad. Tom Bartlett said that he smelled
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
| Oft 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 OWL 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 thing about housekeeping, for her
husbands sister, who lives with her, sees
to everything. As for the Avery girls, they
| never enter kitchen, nor do Cara and l.
| Tracy Loring knew more than we did, for he
| could make delicious coffee as well as broil
| fish II was late in the afternoon, with cold
rain and wind storm coming on, SO that it
wouldn't have been prudent fer the gentle
men to undertake the long tramp through the
woods back to the Giles farm house. Cara
and felt wretchedly. In the first place, we
| were conscious OF looking drabbled and
shabby-thore's nothing like that to lower
| womans spirits. You see, we had no idea of
what u wild, crazy place the woods were, and
50 we bad worn dainty, fimsy suits, whose
| ruffles and puffS had soon became crushed
and crumpled. The Averys were i'll the same
| FIX. As for that Graham girl, she wore
plain, nayyblue flannel gown, with short
skirt and blouse waist. We had all made fun
of her behind her back, butafter day or two
We were forced to acknowledge that she
lpoked far more dainty and tidy than our
selves Anyhow, Tracy Loring seemed to
think her attractive, for from the very first
be 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 fine figure) and
looked Cara straight iii the eyes, as if to find
out what she meant, then a smile hegan
dimpling the corners of her mouth, and she
sang out mischievously:
When Adam deived and Eve span,
| Who then the gentleman.
But to 90 back to the tine the guide left us
We had to Lave supper, OF course but what
and how:
I've got some fish. said Tracy; and SEQ
that Max has picked some fine blackberries
,,;tu make tho coffee, hut the rest of the Gu
:Eary affairs I'll have 10 leave in the hands
u Sou ladies
oh iny goodness gracious" groaned Mrs
Bartlett, Il never cooked a meal in all nv
lre"
We all echoed her words, except Helen
Graham, who jumped up briskly, saying
i try 20 fix something. though it won't be
very elaborate, for l fear our resources are
limited, Pray. MIR. Loring, what does our
harder contain"
"Ilumph' Mostly canned goods, / believe.
There are some leaves of bread, hut with a
sniff, they look kind of queer. Miss Graham
they have pale, Witty green fuzz on the
crnsi Its 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 week old But can cut off the
crust and toast the inside"
"That1l be famousi | am so hungry
could eat my boots almost 1t rejoices my
soul to see n genuinely capable wornan-one
with a 'knack!' And now, Nine. Cook, I'm
at your servicer-with a low bow That
Graham girl didn't seem bit irnpressed-she
only giggled and said, coolly: you may
clean the fish, If You want to-" and Tracy
I.orinc, the heir of one of the richest and
most aristocratc families, donned n big
towel for an apron and went out to obey her
| commands
Then how she flew around! ! rather liked
TO watch her She had such deft, handy
way Of doing things Both Cara and l wished
z that our mothers had taught us something
= besides fancy things.
She made u rousing fire in the fireplace
you see, we had taken up our quarters in q
, log cabin that years before, had been occu
{, pied by hermit trapper 1t was n rough
;, affair. hut Just then We We're very thankful
4 for it. considering the rain outside. 1t had
e turned or so chilly, too. that tho fire felt very
comfortable, and what with the light, warmth
and good supper, we had avery pleasant time
The supper was especially nice. Helen hat
!, opened couple of cans OF chicken; this SD,
warmed in the saucepan and poured it ovel
the toast, gravy and all. Then she wrapped
potatoes in leaves and roasted them in the no
ashes. and these, with the fish, coffee ans
other things, made a meal tit for anybody
The gentlemen praised it up, at any rate, ant
they paid that Graham girl 50 many conpli
naents that she actually hlushed. 1t made be-
look rather pretty, too, ard the freight fail
ing ON her brown hair gave it q golden sheol
that We women couldn't held enyying
! "Eow, what's to be donef' said young Ma.
Collins after supper. Some of us have 90
20 tramp back to Giles farm house and ge
another boat"
"Yau and ] will 20, Max" said Tracy
aWiiI can stay here and guard the ladies
| Wa l,7tta, start ia morrow ptprrinp If IL