The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-01-24
Seleft Sturp.
SUSAN'S LUCKY SHOT.
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer.


fronted Miss Susan Galton Brown. The
scattering white homes among the trees il
the valley, the blue hills beyond will
their fringes of pine trees, the clear SKY
that was such novelty to the girl from
the great manufacturing town-it was al
bright and fresh and so delightfully."- clean.
Miss Susan Galton Brown looked back on
the peaceful prospect for a lingering mo,
ment or two and then pressed ahead ur
the mountain road.
She certainly was an unusual figure fol
that quiet neighborhood. Attired in a
close fitting suit of gray with short walk
ing skirt and a wide -brimmed gray felt hat
that concealed her beautiful hair, she
might at distance, save for the skirt,
have been taken for an extremely hand
some boy. Her gait would have carried
out the impression, there was such an un-
constrained swing to it. But her high
boots were not boys boots and her hands
were neatly gloved. Miss Susan Cation
Brown carried something under her arm
1t was light magazine 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 father S
critical approval. She had minor talents,
of course-an education rounded off in a
finished 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 daddy's opinion
by those manlier attributes that he so as
siduously cultivated. She was his COM
panion on long hunting and fishing trips
and an ideal companion at that.
1t is needless to say that quiet Elmwood
looked upon this accomplished young
woman with very doubtful expression.
She was a little too advanced-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 mere hand
full dared to express an honest opinion in
the face of the universal feminine condem-
nation. Of these independent souls it
must be admitted that Mr. John Cort-
wright stood first and foremost.
If Miss Susan Galton 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 Elmwood to stay month
with her maiden aunt-her dead mother $
only sister-who lived in the big white
mansion on Main street, just beyond the
Baptist meeting house. 1t was this fond
aunt who had invited Jack Cortwright to
call, and although this was particular
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 fas-
cinating with the wild western hoyden.
They all said that Jack Cartwright was
a rising young man. Boston capitalists
had sent him-fresh from college-to the
western town to look after their interests
in certain undeveloped coal mining property
that lay few miles north of Elmwood.
And Jack had taken off his coat, meta
phorically, and gone to work to develop 1t.
There was plenty of capital behind him,
and he had built railway branch to the
mine, and started bank in Elmwood, of
which he was temporary cashier, and
stirred the little town into making certain
improvements that had long been dis
cussed. In short, Jack Cartwright was
recognized even by those who didn't ap-
prove Of his revolutionary tactics to be the
liveliest factor of progress the sleepy little
hamlet had ever known.
Miss Susan Galton Brown had poor luck
that bright October afternoon. She did
mt rouse solitary rabbit. But, after
all, it was the tramp she was after rather
than the game Still she must have a
shot something. So she pinned brilliant
leaf to tree trunk and at 20 PAGES
split 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 hel
head. Three men mounted on powerful
horses came trotting down the slope. Su.
san stepped aside to let them pass and one
of the horses, catching sight of her, sud
denly sprang aside and almost unseated his
rider Susan looked up anxiously anG
saw to her astonishment that the man
heavy beard was twisted very much t'
one side. But he quickly regained hi
seat with an oath, and, striking the horse
clattered after his companion. Susal
wondered why the man was disguised, ant
dimly fancied that the three rough look
ing strangers were up to some mischief
But she was thinking of Jack the mex
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