The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1902-09-13
SUSAN'S LUCKY SHOT.

SIT was a 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 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 aud so delightfully."-
clean. Miss Susan Cation Brown look
ell back on the peaceful prospect for
lingering moment or two and then
pressed ahead up the mountain road.
She certainly was an unusual figure.
for that quiet neighborhood. Attired
in closeftting suit OF gray with a
short walking skirt and a wide-brim-
med gray felt hat that concealed her
beautiful hair, she might at a distance
save for the sklrt-have been taken
for an extremely handsome hoy. Her
gait would have carried out the I'M
strained swing to it. But her high
boots were not a boys boots and her
hands were neatly gloyed. Miss Su-
san Cation Brown carried something
under her arm. Ii was a light maya
zine rifle. the gift OF an adoriug father,
For she could shoot and fish and swim
and run. and do it all in a way that
met that adoring fathers critical APP
prOval. She had minor talents, OF
cOurse-an education rounded of in
finishing school. pleasing smatterng
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 attrl-
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 a little too adj
yanced-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 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 oil
the unfavorable light in which hel
short skirt and her Teddy hat had placed
her-and there Is no doubt she die
the matter failed to worry her In thu
least. She had come down to Elm
wood to stay a month with her nader
aunt-her dead mothers only sister
who lived in the big white mansion
on Main street, just beyond the Bap
tbs meeting house. 1t was this fonC
aunt. who had invited Jack Cortwrigh
to call, and although this was a par
tlcular youth, with high ideals o
womanhood, he called again and again
and again. What was strange abou
II, too. was that Jack hailed from tn,
at that. Yet with all this dlscree
bringing up he certainly was fascin
ated with the wild Western hoyden.
They all said that Jack Cortwrigh
was a rising young man. Boston cap
talIsts had sent him-fresh from CO.
lege-to the Western town to look al
ter their interests In certain undeve
oped coal mining property that lay
few miles north OF ElmwoOd An
Lack had taken off his coat. meta
phorlcally, and gone to work to d.
velop It. There was plenty Of cap
tai behind him, and be had built
railway branch to the mine. and star
ed a bank In Elwood. OF which he wa
temporary cashier. and stirred the Iii
tie town into making certain improve
ments that had long been discussed
In short, Jack Cartwright was recOl
nized even by those who didn't al
prove Of his revolutionary tactics I
be the lIveliest factor OF progress tn
sleepy little hamlet had ever known.
MISS SUSAN hdltOH bTONn nd1 pO(
luck that bright October Afternoon
She didn't rouse a solitary rabbi
But. after all. 1t was the tramp 81
was after rather than the game. ST
she must have a shot at somcthin
so she pinned a brilliant leaf to
tree trunk and at twenty paces-spl
II at the first trial.
The sun was still high above Il
hills when she started to return to b
aunt's. As she went down the o
state road a sudden Gathering caus,
her to turn her head. Three M
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 unset
ed his rider. Susan looked up an
iously and saw to her astonishme
that the mans heavy beard was twii