The Redwood gazette., 1905-01-04

mill You see, I've been up In the
woods for nearly month"
"Then we'll have to forgive you."
"But | should think they would have
done something for you at the mill'-
"Oh, we didn't come by way of your
mill. We drove from Marquette
Il see." cried Thorpe. enlightened.
"But I'm sorry didn't know. I'm sor-
ry you didn't let me know. | suppose
you thought was still at the mill.
How did you get along? Is Wallace
with your
! no" she replied, dropping her hands
and Strengthening her erect figure.
'It's horrid. He was coming. and then
some business came up and he couldn't
get away. We are having the loveliest
time, though. / do adore the woods.
Come" she cried impatiently. sweep
ing aside to ssave a way clear. "You
shall meet my friends
Thorpe imagined she referred to the
rest of the tenting party. He hesitat-
ed.
81 am hardly in fit condition" he OBJ
jected.
She laughed, parting her red lips.
"You are extremely picturesque just
as you are she said. with rather em-
barrassing directness II wouldn't
have you any different for the world.
| But my friends don't mind. They are
used to it." She laughed again.
! Thorpe crossed the pole trail and for
the first time found himself by her
side. The warm summer odors were
in the air; a dozen lively little birds
sang in the brush along the rail; the
| sunlight danced and fiickered through
the openings.
| Then suddenly they were among the
| pines, and the air was cool, the vista
dim and the birds songs inconceivably
far away.
/ He said little, and that lamely, for
he dreaded to say too much. To her
playful sallies he had no reposte, and
in consequence he fell more silent with
another boding-that he was losing his
cause outright for lack of a ready
word.
And so the last spoken exchange be-
tween them meant nothing, but if each
could have read the unsaid words that
| quivered on the others heart Thorpe
would have returned to the Fighting
Forty more TRANQUILITY, while she would
probably not have returned to the
camping party at all for a number of
| hours.
81 do not think you had better come
with me,' she said. ''Make your call
and be forgiven on your own account.
| / don't want to drag you in at my
chariot wheels"
"All right I'll come this afternoon .
Thorpe had replied.
''I love her; must have her. ! must
goat once" his soul cried, quick
now-before / kiss herr
"How strong he is,' she said to her.
self, chow brave looking, how honest!
He is different from the other men. He
is magnificent"
That afternoon Thorpe met the other
members of the party, offered his apol-
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, a 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, vivacious dis
position and curly hair; an attendant
satellite of the masculine persuasion
called Morton, and last of all the gir
whom Thorpe had already SO variously
encountered and whom he now met as
Miss Hilda Farrand. Besides these
were Ginger, squat negro built to fiji
the galley of yacht, and three Indian
guides. They inhabited tents, which
made quite little encampment.
Thorpe was received with enthusi
asm. Wallace Carpenters stories of his
woods partner, while never doing more
than justice to the truth, had been
warm. One and ali-owned lively curl
osity to see what a real woodsmal
might be like. When he proved to be
handsome and we'll hammered as wei
as picturesque his reception was no lon
ger in doubt.
Nothing could exceed his solicitude as
to their comfort and amusement. He
inspected personally the arrangement
of the tents and suggested one or two
changes conducive to the littler com
forts. Simple things enough they were
lit was as though a city man were to
direct newcomer to Central park-yet
Thorpe's new friends were profoundly
impressed with his knowledge of occult
things. The forest was to them, as t.
most, more or less of a mystery unfath
omable except to the favored of genius
A man who could interpret it even 9
little into the speech of everyday com
fort and expediency possessed strong
claim to their imaginations. When be
had finished these practical affairs they
wanted him to sit down and tell them
more things-to dine with them, tt
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