The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-09-05
PAINTING A MORAL.
BY GEORGE sHEDD.

ss ,n,,.,,o, cooInes. and indifference. and | also was a most ardent lover Of sooo Havana ..
 ..Hanr it all" said he. kicking footrest | across the room, T wouldn't care 90 nuoh M | about the money if hadn't gone daffy over the girl. It certainly Is pretty | kettle of fish. My dear uncle leaves me his money as per expectations. but tacks on the condition that I must marry this niece or his wife's, whom I never have seen and | whom find to be a spoiled lump of selfish | ness Before can decently get away | fall in love with said spoiled lump of self | ishness and spent the peaceful night hours | in imagining the fine qualities under the | seIfishness and making excuses for the l selfishness and in trying to convince my i self that under my tutelage the selfishness
 would vanish and leave only the pure gold. l Bah! And I am thirty. and have seen the | world"
 | He lit a cigar and threw himself onto | the lounge. Presently he arose with
 alacrity and took two turns across the | room. He laughed gleefully, then looked | grave
 why not 2" he said, addressing the clock. | ''They have invited to take the camp | ing trip with them It is none of my doings.
 Either way I win If she can be joited out | of the shell of selfishness her people have | fostered will have wife after my own heart and. a fortune. The worst that can happen Is for her to send me to the right aDOut IdnQ as sne IS l COulu HOt marry neT anyway without facing a living hades for | the rest of my life"
 And 1t happened that Dennison made | one of the camping party planned by the Bertrands. He watched the elaborate prep arations grimly. They were going far into | the woods so as to enjoy real camping | out" as Ethel explained but the prepara- | tions indicated plainly that there was to be no roughing it. The 7conveniences and lux | uries gotten together rivaled the equipment | of an eastern satrap. and thera were ser wants enough to insure none of The party having to soil his hands. After much con- | sulting of maps they decided to so by rail to certain small town named Pine Hill and there embark on river which pene- trated virgin forest and follow the river until they found a place wild enough and | far enough from civilization to suit them. Dennison offered to go ahead and range for the river trip. When the party arrived with tons of equipment they found him supplied with sort of improvised barge .on which they proposed to float down the river some thirty miles. camp un- til they tired of it. and then re-embark and float some forty miles further. there they would again strike a railroad, which would carry them back to civilization. He apollo gized for the barge saying it was too small, but the best he could do, So he had ar | ranged for the supplies and the rarty to 80 | on the barge and the servants to go in q wagon and meet the party at given points until 1t should be decided where to pitch permanent camps. guide was to steer the
 barge and another drive the servants | vehicle. The first days trip was uneventful and | st night the party on the barge found the
 servants waiting with fire built anu a nice | supper of game and fish waiting. Late in the afternoon of the second day | they arrived at the rendezvous but found | no servants. Ethel and Mrs. Bertrand
 srumbled and Harold. the brother. swore. | Dennison and the guide decided 1t was | an ideal spot for the permanent camp and I pitched the tents ashore They then began
 10 iand some of the other supplies After | they had got off part of the tacon, some | flour and few other things, they decided i to walt until the servants came along be- l fore undertaking further. While sitting | under the trees speculating on the where 1 abouts of the servants. the party was ! startled by a shout and rushing to the bank | saw the barge with all the supplies whirl- ing down the river, while the guide stood on the bank dancing like madman.
 | She's broks loose, she's gone" he yel- ed. and started on a run along fhe bank in
 pursuit until he was lost to view around a bend.
 How dreadful" said Mrs Bertrand Ian-
 guidly. . . # s:~
 How stupid!" sputtered Ethel. stamp | ing her foot. "..=
 Dennison said nothing. but looked very
 grave. ..
 | An HOuT pdSSeu then another, with no
 sign of the guide ,nor yet of the servants.
 Tn hungry" grumbied Ethel
 Whatever shall we do?" asked Mrs
 Bertrand.
 T fear the servants have lost their way,
 or Hawkins made a mistake as to the rem | aezvous" remarked Dennison, solemnly. l And as for Peters he will follow that boat I to the end of the world. I am very much
 afraid we will have to shift for ourselves | for the highland maybe for much longer. I rlr Eo a | Ethel and can't possibly spend the night I without my toilet box" Toilet box!" said Dennison. That isn't
 what's bothering me. Not cot nor bed
 was landed" -.:.-.
 Where are we going to sleepy" asked Ethel
 q reckon some of these boughs will have | to do," replied Dennison.
 'I won't submit to any such discomfort"
 replied Ethel stamping her foot "I'n walk back to that horid town-thats what Tll do.'
 Dennison gaged into the thick jungle of trees and smiled. "Thirty-five miles l through the painless forest. in the dark" l he suggested. The girl looked baffled. then angry. a:
 Well, of all stupid managing" she said | scornfully. You've got us Into this fix. now what are you going to do to get us | 0ut?"
 T thought we might get the tents up
  old. give me lift"
 Not l." retorted the scion of the house of Bertrand. Catch me lifting the heavy old things" and he proceeded to roll a cigarette.
 A flash came Into Dennison's eyes which
 had been inscrutable since the catastrophe.
 He strode toward young Bertrand with
 menace in his movement and visage. Catch hold of the end of that tent" he commanded so imperatively that Harold
 unconsciously dropped his cigarette and | walked toward the tent.
 But rescue for him was at land Both
 his mother and sister dashed into the breach.
 You brute" exclaimed Ethel, blazing at Dennison.
 "l would have you understand. sir. that Harold is not strong enough for that sort of
 work" said Mrs. Bertrand, Nor is he | supposed to do menial work. nor Is he a servant to be spoken to in that manner" Very we'll" replied Dennison, quietly. "The tents are too heavy for ne to handle alone. We will all have to sleep In the open" Whereupon the strode away In a
 moment he returned with a rod and line. If you three among you will fix up | fire and get out the pans from that chest | yonder. I'll try to catch fish or two for
 supper"
 A half hour later when he returned with
 four fine fish not move had been made. Where's the ifre?" he asked. | Fix 1t yourself II you want one" re
 piled Ethel loftily. Do you think I'm | servant or my mother or my brother?" | He flung the fish down and faced her
 steadily,
 No. nor do l think myself one " he said
 eve find ourselves here however. without servants. shall be glad to place my