The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1902-10-09
"HE excursion season was at
its height. and the Alaska

There were tourist parties
from all over the country; gold.seekers
of all sorts and conditions on their way
70 the ice fields; Nome Government Off
cials on their regular rounds of inspec-
tion; companies of school teachers
eager to crowd the trip into their short
vacation; the inevitable bridal couples
and several family parties. but the girl
from Gold Gulch was travelling alone.
The first day out was so rough that
all the women kept quietly out of sight
all but the girl from Gold Gulch. who
ronfded to the captain that the motion
81 the ship was not unlike that of n
bucking horse, and that she rather
liked it. SO. crushing her cap down
over her eyes, and buttoning her rag
tan close up to her chin. she strobe res
olutely up on deck to find herself mon
arch of all she surveyed.
BY the end Of the day she had accept
I'd every possible courtesy from every
nan on board, and was beginning 10
think she saw her way clear to a pleas
ant passage. But when, the next day,
,he other women, white-faced and mis-
erable. began to straggle upward, the
wild rose color and the ability Of this
girl to walk the decks in slippery
weather. became to them a personal af-
'front.', for seaslckness is not conducive
20 the practice of Christian charity. So
avery day thereafter the little group
that formed itself into an exclusive
for'ard circle, made common cause in
discussing the lmpropriety of this
young girls travelling without a chap
erOu.
Miss Mamie McGinnis, of Gold
Gulch. never Joined that group Not
that she knew. or would have cared
If she had. that she was the target for
their criticism. She always found her
self the centre of another group on the
opposite deck. where she held full
sway. or promenaded the decks with
some equally good sailor till the others
had gone below; following always her
own sweet will. and never suspectng
she had not the benediction of the
elect. 1t was Mrs. Whtewall- -Warde
who was the most hOrrified by Miss
McGinnis's cscapades She. with her
three horid. -boned daughters, had
come to America first to visit her son.
Algie, on his cattle ranch and now
with Algle himself, more f1ord and
raw-boned than all four of the others
put together. she was making 4 flying
trip to Alaska to see her youngest son.
Winston.
One evening oven as they caucused
on the probability of her being an ac-
tress or chorus girl on her way to join
her troupe. two figures swayed into
the arc of light emitted from the cabin.
The wind-blown hair of the girl. and
the frills about her shoulders left no
doubt as to her identity. for her gowns
were also a subject of disapproval
among the elect but the tall black
figure behind her was lost in the
shadow. \ dozen pairs of eyes strained
eagerly to see who il might be- their
owners conjecturing and commenting
on what new freak of indiscration she
was up to. Then, as if in answer 10
the curious gaze riveted upor them. !
the figures turned and came to a stand.
still under the light
The mans cigar had evidently gone
out, for with Il gay little laugh the girl
took his proffered match. reached out
her arm, and steaded herself against
his ready shoulder as if he had been a
mast. Then there was n sudden swish
of frllls, the CLEAN of a shoe buckle
and something more-and the girl had
struck the match, man-fashion, on the
sole of her boot. and was holding the
tiny flame to his cigar.
At this the Englishwoman turned
with Mortified countenance 10 point
moral to Algie, who had not seemed 10
disapprove of this terrible girls con-
duct sufficiently. but Algie had slipped
his leash and was not at her elbow.
The next flare Of the match showed Al
gie's tiorid face bendingover the laugh
Ing eyes Of the girl. and Algle's big
hand closing over the pink fingers that
held the match.
Hoping no one but herself had seen
this fiashlight picture. Mrs. Warde.
with characteristic arrogance. turned
the topic of discussion and dominated
the conversation so skhlfully that no
one had chance to refer to the sub.
Ject uppermost In every mind until she
felt 1t safe to withdraw. Then. cluck-
ing up her raw-boned brood. she fed
into the bosom of her family, there TO
call down curses on the curly head of
this terrible girl who was trying to en-
tangle poor Algie in her meshes.
The captain, of course. was taken
into Mrs. Whltewall-Warde's conf
dence. and threatened with being re-
ported to the company if he did not nut
the girl in irons TO save poor Algie, or
stop the ship and put her off, and the
clouds Of disapproval from the rest of
the elect gathered so thlckly that thp
very air seemed charged with explo. !
slyes. Even the girl at last began 10
realize that she was not entirely popu. !
lar with this faction: she had not
taken much notice of the women here.
tofore. and their disappearing glances
had escaped her. When the full force
OF their attitude struck her she turned
abruptly to Algie with "Is your moth. !
er worried about something"
"Aw. she's bit chafed about some. |
thin she saw last night you know" be
J explained, looking somewhat brow.
beaten himself.
And VOur siatare foo - 81. .z...t.