Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1902-08-27
sUsAN's LUCKY SHOT.
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O9nLNo LOShI SuUl. ]
~ 7 was very pretty prospect that
confronted Miss Susan Cation
Brown. The scattering white
homes among the trees in the valley.
the blue hills beyond with their frinpes
OF pine trees. the clear sky that was
such 2 novelty to the girl from the
great manufacturing town-it was all
bright and fresh and SO delightfully."-
clean. Miss Susan Gallon Brown look-
ca back on the peaceful prospect for q
lingering moment or two and then
pressed ahead up the mountain road.
she certainly was IN unusual figure.
Tor that quiet nelghborhood. Alfred
IN close-fitting suit of gray with a
snort 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
Tor an extremely handsome boy. Her
gait would have carried out the i'm
preston, there was such an uncon-
strained swing to 1t. But her high
boots were not boys boots and her
hands were neatly gloved. Miss Su-
san Cation Brown carried something
under her arm. 1t was light maya
zine rifle, the gift of an adoring father.
F0r she could shoot and fish and swim
and run, and do 1t all In a way that
met that adorIng fathers critical ap-
proval. She had minor talents, Of
course-an education rounded off in a
hMshing school, pleasing smatter.ng
OF music, taste for art that was only
second to her taste for nature. But all
these We're quite dwarfed in her dad.
dy's opinion by those manlier attrl.
butes that he so assiduously cultivated.
She was his companion on long hunt
ing and fishing trips, and an ideal CON-
panion ut 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 nd
yanced-that was the term they used
for Elmwood's old-fashioned ideas Of
maidenly m0desty. The mothers of
Elmwood held her up ms IN example
OF the baneful coming woman, and the
girls Of Elmwood thought her dreadfulIy
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 a
mere handful dared to express an hon.
est opinion in the face of the universal
feminine condemnation. OF these In
dependent souls 1t must be admitted
that John Cartwright stood first and
foremost.
II 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 Ban.
tbs meeting house. 1t was this fond
aunt, who had invited Jack Cartwright
: 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 surroundings
at that. Yet with all this discreet
bringing up he certainly was fascin.
ated with the wild Western hoyden.
nn col IA I,nt In
was rising young man. Boston cant
talists had sent him-fresh from col.
lege-to the Western town to look af.
ter their interests In certain undeyel.
oped coal-mining property that lay
few miles north of Elmwood. And
Jack had taken of his coat, meta
phorically, and gone to work to de-
velop 1t. There was plenty of capl-
tai behind him, and he had built a
railway branch to the mine, and start
ed bank in Elwood, of which he was
temporary cashier, and stirred the lit
tie town into making certain improve
ments that had long been discussed,
In short, Jack Cartwright was recog-
nized even by those who didn't an.
prove of his revolutionary tactics to
be the llveliest factor of progress the
sleepy little hamlet had ever known.
Miss Susan Cation Brown had Door
luck that bright October afternoon.
She didn't rouse n solitary rabbit,
But. after all. 1t was the tramp she
was after rather than the game. Still
she must have shot at something.
80 she pinned a brilliant leaf to
tree trunk and at twenty paces-split
1t at the first trial.
The sun was still high above the
hills when she started to return to her
aunt's. As she went down the old
state road sudden Gathering caused
her to turn her head. Three men
mounted on powerful horses came
strotting down the slope. Susan step
ped aside to let them pass and one of
the horses, catching sight of her, sud
denly sprang aside and almost unseat-
ed his rider. Susan looked up anx.
sously and saw to her establishment
that the mans heavy beard was twist
cd very much to one side. But he
quickly regained his seat with an oath,
and. striking the horse, clattered after
his companions. Susan wondered why
the man was disguised and dimly fan
cled that the three rough-looklng stran-
gers were up to some mischief. But
she was thinking Of Jack the next mo-
ment and the strange incident was
shelved.
A few moments Of brisk walking
brought her to the brow Of the hill
where the road turned sharply and ran
ut an oblique along the side Of the steep
descent Susan seated herself on los
&d looked down into the village, which