Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-04-16

That afternoon Thorpe met the other
members of the party, offered his apoi-
ogies and explanations and was gra-
ciously forgiven. He found the person.
mel to consist of first of all Mrs. Cary
the chaperon, very young married
woman Of twenty-five or thereabout'
her husband, youth of three years
older, clean shaven, light haired, quiet
hammered; Miss Elizabeth Carpenter,
who resembled her brother in the CHAR
acteristics Of good looks, vivaclous as
position and curly hair; an attendant
satellite Of the masculine persuasion
called Morton, and last Of all the girl
whom Thorpe had already so variously
encountered and whom he now met as
Miss Hilda Farrand. Besides these
were Ginger, a squat negro built 10 Ut
the galley Of yacht. and three lnuian
guides. They inhabited tents, winch
made quite little encampment.
Thorpe was received with enthusi-
assn. Wallace Carpenters stories OF MS
woods partner, while never doing more
than Justice to the truth, had been
warm. One and all owned lively curl
osity to see what a real Woodsmah
might be like. When he proved to De
handsome and well hammered as well
as picturesque his reception was no lon
ger in doubt.
Nothing could exceed his solicitude as
to their comfort and amusement. lie
inspected personally the arrangement
of the tents and suggested one or two
changes conducive to the hitler com
forts. Simple things enough they were
it was as though city man were tc
direct newcomer to Central park-ye1
Thorpe's new friends were profoundly
| impressed with his knowledge of occul,
things The forest was to them, as tt
most, more or less of a mystery unfath
enable except to the favored Of genius
A man who could interpret it even
little into the speech Of everyday com
fort and eXpediency possessed strong
claim to their imaginations. When he
had finished these practical affairs they
wanted him to sit down and tell then
more things-to dine with them, Il
smoke about their camp fire in thu
evening. But here they encountered
decided check Thorpe became silent
almost morose. He talked in monosyl
tables and soon went away. They dit
not know what to make of him and s.
were of course the more profoundly IN
terested. The truth was his habitua
reticence would not have permitted
great degree Of expansion in any case
but now the presence of I1ilda mad
any but an attitude Of hushed waitln
for her words utterly impossible to hin
However, when he discovered tina
Hilda had ceased visiting the clum
of pines near the pole trail his desir
forced him back among these peopl
He used to walk in swiftly at almos
any time of day. casting quick glance
here and there in search of his divil
ity.
"How do, Mrs. Cary" he would So,
mice weather. Enjoying yourself"
On receiving the reply he would a
swer heartily, That's good" and laps
into silence. When Hilda was abo1
he followed every movement Of he
with his eyes, so that his strange CO
duct lacked no explanation or int
probation, in the minds of the wome
at least. Thrice he redeemed his rep
tation for being an interesting cha
acter by conducting the party on lit
expeditions here and there about Il
country Then his woodcraft and
sourcefulness spoke for him. Th
asked him about the numbering Q
erations. but he seemed Indifferent.
Nothing to interest you" he affirl
ed. Were just cutting roads no
You ought to be here for the drive"
Once he took them over to see Car
One. They We're immensely pleas
and We're correspondngly loud in G
CARNATIONS. Thorpe's comments we
brief and dry. On the way back
the first time Thorpe found tt
chance-and Mrs. Cary-had allott
] Hilda to his care.
A hundred yards down the trail til