Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1902-08-29
SUSAN'S LUCKY SHOT.

st was a very pretty prospect that
confronted Miss Susan Galton
Brown. The scattering white
homes among the trees in the valley,
the blue hills beyond with their fringes
of pine trees, the clear sky that was
such a novelty to the girl from the
great manufacturing town-it was all
bright and fresh and so delightfully."-
clean. Miss Susan Galton Brown look
ed back ON the peaceful prospect for a
lingering moment or two and then
pressed ahead up the mountain road.
She certainly was an unusual figure.
for that quiet neighborhood. Attired
in a close-ftting suit Of gray with a
short walking skirt and wide-brim-
med gray felt hat that concealed her
beautiful hair she might at distance
save for the skirt-have been taken
for an extremely handsome boy. Her
gait would have carried out the I'M
preston. there was such an uncon-
strained swing to it. But her high
boots were not a boys boots and her
hands were neatly gloved. Miss Su-
san Galton Brown carried something
under her arm. 1t was a light maga-
zine rifle. the gift of an adoring father.
For she could shoot and fish and swim
and run, and do it all in a way that
met that adOring fathers critical ap-
proval. She had minor talents, OF
course-an education rounded off in
finishing school, pleasing smattering
Of music, taste for art that was only
second to her taste for nature. But all
these were quite dwarfed in her dad
dy's opinion by those manlier attri-
butes that he so assiduously cultivated.
She was his companion on long hunt
ing and fishing trips and an ideal COM
panion at that.
1t is needless to say that quiet Elm
wood looked upon this accomplished
young woman with a very doubtful
expression. She was little too ad-
vanced-that was the term they used
for Elmwood's old-fashioned ideas Of
maidenly modesty. The mothers Of
Elmwood held her up as an example
Of the baneful coming woman, and the
girls of Elmwood thought her dreadfully
bold-and secretly envied her. As
for the men-well, there were but few
of them in Elmwood whose opinion
was worth recording, and Of these q
mere handful dared to express an hon
est opinion in the face Of the universal
feminine condemnation. OF these in
dependent souls it must be admitted
that John Cartwright stood first and
foremost.
If Miss Susan Cation Brown knew of
the unfavorable light in which her
short skirt and her Teddy hat had placed
her-and there is no doubt she did
the matter failed to worry her in the
least. She had come down to Elm
wood to stay a month with her maiden
aunt-her dead mothers only sister
who lived in the big white mansion
on Main street, just beyond the Bap-
tis meeting house. 1t was this fond
amt who had invited Jack Cortwright
TO call, and although this was a par
ticular youth, with high ideals OF
womanhood, he called again and again
and again. What was strange about
it too. was that Jack hailed from the
east. and from Puritan surrounding.
at that. Yet with all this discree
bringing up he certainly was fascin
ated with the Wild Western hoyden.
They all said that Jack Cortwrigh
WAS a rising young man. Boston capi
t.Iists had sent him-freSh from col
lege-to the Western town to look af
ter their interests in certain undevel
oped coal-mining property that lay
few miles north Of Elmwood. Ant
lack had taken off his coat, meta
phorically, and gone to work to de
yelop it. There was plenty of CAPT
tai behind him, and he had built
railway branch to the mine, and start
ed a bank in Elwood, of which he wa
Temporary cashier, and stirred the lii
tie town into making certain improve
ments that had long been discussed
In short, Jack Cartwright was recoe
nized even by those who didn't az
prove of his revolutionary tactics t
be the liveliest factor Of progress tn
sleepy little hamlet had ever known.
Miss Susan Galton Brown had DOC
luck that bright October afternoon
She didu't rouse a solitary rabbi
But, after au. IL WIS tue tramp S0
was after rather than the game. Sti
she must have a shot at somethin,
SO she pinned a brilliant leaf to
tree trunk and at twenty paces-spl
it at the first trial.
The sun was still high above tt
hills when she started to return to b,
aunt's AS she went down the o,
S+ata road a sudden GATHERING cauSk
her to turn her head. Three me
mounted ON powerful horses can
trotting down the slope. Susan ste
ped aside to let them pass and one
the horses, catching sight of her, su
denly sprang aside and almost unsea
ed his rider. Susan looked up an
Iously and saw to her astonishme
hs,a I'd