Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1903-12-05
Cartwright S.
| ruStee
By EVERETT R0lBROOK
u "a wHEN Cameron tilted back
AFA his chair against the rough
W Wy and rugged wall of the log
house tl,a litrht Of the firn
Copyright. 1902. BY Charles Q. s,as,IM,on

shone upon lis abundant gray hair and
ruddy face, but he had drawn out of
the heat. The collar of his flannel shirt
fared away upon each side, and l saw
his rounded and strong throat, with
triangular bit Of his bare chest below.
Now for the interview he said.
pausing between the words to draw
upon his newly lighted pipe with keen
enjoyment. why am here? That's
the matter of interest. is it? Why do l
live in this Adirondack wilderness aft
er those tools over there" and he
waved his hand toward deal table
Uttered with pens and paper, ''have
brought me that which sou are pleased
to call success?"
Upon this he told me the following
story.
l visited this region the first time
with hunting party about ten years
ago. The others were men whom had
come to know in one way or another,
men of means, all of them, while I
could hardly raise the amount of my
fare.
In some way which is not important
to this narrative l became separated
from my friends one day when we
were roaming the primeval forest to-
gether. 1t was startling experience,
for the chances We're excellent that !
might wander all night in the cold, and
at that time | was not robust. Howev-
er, just as it was growing dark fell
In with a a ~ rrh0sn r
have wept for joy, though l had not
the pleasure Of a previous acquaintance
with him.
He may have been forty years old.
brown as an Indian, slender, tall and
1.-THE. His voice had q CHEEKY ring. his
eyes were bright, his language had the
way of the woods. but when we passed
beyond the first quick questions and
answers l perceived that he did not
lack cultivation. His name was Rob-
ert Cartwright.
He led me to this house, and. though
he tried to moderate his pace to mine, /
had hard work to follow him.
When Cartwright set foot upon the
slab of rock that makes the step out
side there, the door was suddenly flung
open. and a p easant voice cried, "Why,
Bobby, how late you are"
The next moment Bobby" was being
kissed in a very simple. unaffected and
altogether enviable fashion, and he was
contributing literally to the demonstra-
ton when he happened to remember
me, which is more than had right to
expect under the circumstances. Mrs.
Cartwright had not yet become aware
that her husband was not alone, for
she had come out Of the brightness into
the dusk.
'There is some one with me-" heard
Cartwright whisper. And then he pre-
sented me most agreeably.
| Yet there was a touch of Journalism
! in his words and manner. They sa-
vored of the city. And when Mrs. Cart
/ wright greeted me she was not quite
! so fine woman as she had been a
minute before, with her arms around
her husbands neck. l had introduced
an element of artiticiality. 1 had car
ried them back.
II wish our boy were here" said
Cartwright presently. You'd then see
our little home just right. But he's
gone to boarding school,
we are sorry that we sent him.
said Mrs. Cartwright. And then she
showed me photograph of boy Of
ten years.
I was able to say without prevarica-
ton that Bobby junior was the image
/ of his sire.
Well, we had great supper. for
which had the better appetite be.