The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1902-08-30
SUSANS LUCKY shot.

Ii was a very pretty prospect That
confronted Miss Susan Gallon Brown.
The scattering white homes among the
trees in the valley, the blue hills be-
yond with their fringes Of pine trees,
the clear sky that was such novelty
to ,he girl from the great manufacture
ing town-n was all bright and fresh
ana so delightfully."- clean. Miss Susan
Gallon Brown looked back on the
peaceful prospect for a lingering mo-
ment or two and then pressed ahead
up the mountain road.
She certainly was an unusual figure
fer that quiet neighbOrhood. Attired
in a close-ftting suit of gray with a
short walking skirt and wide
brimmed gray felt nat that concealed
her beautiful hair, she might, at dis
lance, save for The skirt, nave been
taken for an extremely handsome boy.
Her gait would have carried out the
impression, 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 SUI
san Cation Brown carried something
under her arm Il was light maya
Zina rife, 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 a
finishing school, pleasing smatter-
ing of music. taste for art that was
only second to her taste for nature.
But all these were quite dwarfed in
her daddy's opinion by these manlieT
attributes that he SO assiduousiy cu;-
tivated She was mis- 'O1 pan!tn On
long hunting an,. fishing trips and an
ideal companion at that.
1t is needless to say that quiet Elm
wood looked upon this accomplished
young woman with very doubtful rx-
preston. She was a little too ad
vanced-that was the tenn they used
for Elmwood's old-fashioned ideas of
maidenly modesty. The mothers of
Elmwood held her up as an example
girls Of Elmwood thought her dread
fully bold-and secretly envied her.
AS for the men-well, there were bat
few of them in Elmwood whose opin
ion was worth recording, and Of these
mere handful dared to express an
honest opinion in the face OF the uni
versal feminine condemnation. OF
these independent souls 1t must be ad
mitted that Mr.. John Cartwright stood
first and foremost.
If Miss Susan Gallon 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 faiiei 10 wo.ry her in
the least. She had come down to Elm
| wood to stay month win her maiden
aunt-her dead mothers only sister
who lived in the big whltc mansion
en- Main street. just beyond the Bap-
fist meeting house. 1t was this fond
aunt who had invited Jack Cartwright
to call, and although this was par
ticuldr youth, with higl ideals cf wIm-
again. What was strange about it,
too, was that Jack hailed from the
east, and from Puritan surroundings
at that. Yet with al! this discreet
bringing up he certainly vas fascinat-
ed With the wild western hoyden.
They all said that Jack Cartwright
was rising young man. Boston capt.
talists 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 a
| few miles north of ElmwoOd. And
Jack had taken off his coat. metaphori
cally, and gone to work to develop it
| There was plenty of capital behind
him, and he had built railway branch
to the mine, and started a bank in
Elmwocd. of which he was temporary
cashier, and stirred the little town
into making certain improvements that
had long been discussed. In snort,
Jack Cartwright was recognized even
| by those who didn't approve of his
| revolutionary tactics to be the live'iest
factor of progress the sleepy little
| hamlet had ever known.
Miss Susan Gallon Browa al poor
luck that bright October afternoon.
| She didn't rouse solitary rabbit. But.
| after all, it was the tramp she was
| after rather than the game. Still she
must have shot at Something. So
she pinned a brilliant leaf to tree
trunk and at 20 PAGES pit it 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 a sudden Gathering caused
her to turn her head. Three men
mounted on powerful horses came
| rotting down the slope. Susan stepped
| aside to let them pass and one of the
horses, catching sight of her, sudden
| ly sprang aside and almost unseated
| his rider. Susan looked up anxiously
and saw TO her establishment that the
mans heavy beard was twisted very
| much to one side But he quickly re-
| gained his seat with an oath, and.
striking the horse. clatterei after his
! companions, Susan wondered why the