The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1904-10-13
THE WRONG MISS
SHURTLEFF.


short and fat and new to the big
woods. He had been in camp a week
and had spent most of the time lying
In hammock and reading a novel
while the other men tramped the
trails or rowed eight or ten miles
through Eagle Greek to Virgin or Lake
Julia. Everybody said that Clifford
was too fat and lazy ever to make a
%oodsmun.
Rut that was before Miss Shurtlefr
and her mother came to the camp.
They had log cabin next to the big
COOK shack and it was announced that
MT Shurtieh would come up to join
them later. The young woman was
tall and athletic looking full of life,
and eager to see and to do all there
was to be seen or done within twenty
miles OF Big Lake.
ferhaps 1T was intentional-at any
rate Clifford got mixed up on the in
productions. But that was nothing
against him. Anybody might easily
nave made the same mistake.
clifford fell desperately in love with
the younger of the two women at first
sight. And the new love transformed
nm. He became all at once the most
enthusiastic oarsman and woodtramp-
er in the party. 1t made hero of
him. What would have terrified him
before he now gladly undertook.
one evening when everybody in
camp was sitting out under the birch
trees watching the sunset curious
animal as large as small dog ran
shambling down in front of the shack
ana tried to hide under a pile of logs.
Clifford and Gitfords Irish terrier.
both entirely new to the woods. were
up and after it in a minute.
20, what in the world is it ?" cried
Miss Shurtleff. do you suppose it is
dangerous"
G!ford would show her he knew not
the meaning of fear. He ran directly
towards the beast. which. badly fright
ened as it was, made but poor progress
over the sand.
Glifords dog was even before him.
1t attacked the anima. with omen
mouth. But it made but one bite and
then began to roll over and over.
yelping with agony
Look out" called one of the
guides. Its porky hog. Better not
touch it,
But with Miss Shurtleff looking on
Clifford would have tackled a raging
hon. He raised a club he had picked
up from the ground in his right hand
and with the other grasped the beast
by the back. But, like the dog. he did
not keep his hold His hand felt as
II 1t were full of red hot needles. and
from his heroic lips came a groan of
pain.
But even that was worth while. for
his suiferings called such expressions
OF tender sympathy from the red lips
OF his divinity that clifford would
gladly have embraced another porcu-
pine. Tommy, the guide, pulled barb
ed quills out OF Clifford, who bore the
pain like Spartan, and then perform
ed similar operation on the dog.
which for the remainder of its stay in
the woods absolutely refused TO go
within reaching distance of ANYTHING
that had life.
Doubtless Clifford would have dis
covered his mistake earlier if the two
women had not persisted in always re-
naming together to keep him in ig-
norance of his mistake. though no one
believes that either Miss or Mrs
Shurtleif was party to it, And the
fact that the two women called each
other by their first names-Anne and
Julia-prevented his making the dis.
covery in that way.
With his left hand done up in a
bandage to soothe the pain of the por-
cupine quills Clifford became more
than ever the slave of the young wo-
man. She. on her part, was kind
enough to him, though she seemed
anxious that he should pay attention
to the older lady rather than TO her.
And Clifford obeyed her commands and
waited ,on the ancient person assidu-
ously. Once the old LADY announced
that she would like 10 drink some
milk, fresh and warm from the milk
Ing, and Clifford. at a look from Miss
SchurtleT, volunteered to get up every
morning at ! o'clock, when Tommy
MIXED, and get the milk for her.
That was heroic, for Clifford liked bet
ter than most men TO lie abed late in
the morning.
Every day, when he could persuade
them 10 go, Clifford took the two wo. |
men out rowing or fishing or explor.
ing. Before they came to camp he had
been to lazy to go out On the water un-
less Tommy pushed the boat, but now
he was always ready to row a boat
containing both Miss ShurtlefT and her |
mother any number of weary miles. /
while Tommy, with smile hidden un- |
der his brown mustache, came skim .
ming along behind, with nothing but
the lunch basket in his skiff.
When You consider that Ginords
arms were short and thick, that his
wind was bad and his hands tender.
and that he had never done any row
ing before that summer, you may be
gin TO realize the power of love. Big
blood blisters came on the palms of
Gifford's pudgy hands and he suffered
almost continually from pains in his
back and legs, but not for a moment
did he ever think OF giving up the