The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1907-12-27
The End of
The Trail.
By JEANETTE WILSON.
1907. by Jessie Morgan.


the shore and awaited developments.
They expected the worst to happen,
IS Helen, their tenderly and punctil-
AA3y reared daughter, had broken
away from domestic restraint and put
into action an incomprehensible i'm
pulse to spend her vacation in the
backwoods of Maine
"a reckless and decidedly unlady
like procedure" Mr.. Wright charac-
terized it.
Mrs. Wright expressed her disap-
prevail more tentatively.
Wont there be very rough men
there, Heleng'
Nonsense, motherr' was Helen's
emphatic reply. ''Only really nice men
go off to the woods-men who love fish
ing and hunting and beautiful scenery
and-and things like that. But we
girls shan't have anything to do with
the men anyway. We're going to have
camp by ourselves, you know, and
go off on long trips with the guides"
with the guidesr' gasped Mrs.
SsWrigat. 'Have you lost all sense of
propriety, HelenT'
Guides, mother DEAR" explained
Helen good naturally, "are nothing but
trees as men walking They haven't
the least idea who's trailing on be-
hind them. Men, women or children
it's all the same to them.'
"A theory more ingenious than con-
tincing," remarked her father soto
toce.
A week elapsed before any word
game from Helen. 1t took the form of
postal and ran as follows:
This is a heavenly place. Been off
on several day trips. Have a guaran-
teed indigenous, danger proof guide.
Very handsome, though. and fairly in
kelligent for Il woOdsman. Start today
bn four or five days jaunt over the
mountains. Don't worry about ME.
Never was happier in my life"
In spite of the buoyant cheerfulness
lof Helen's message Mr.. Wright looked
worried, and his little wife shook her
bead obviously
I'D give anything to see her this
minute she sighed, but a merciful
Providence spared her the shock of it,
for at the actual moment of her moth
er's sOlicitude Helen, her immaculate
khaki skirt bedragged and mud stain
led, her stylish buckSkins discolored
ind ca1ed with bog soil, her sunburned
face smeared with fly lotion, was sitting
beside spring in the woods hungrily
Eevouring luncheon of pork sand
witches and dOughnuts. Incidentally,
TOO, she was admiring the picturesque
attitude of the guide as he stirred the
coffee bubbling merrily in a tin pail
suspended on an improvised crane over
fire of brushwOod. As he filed a tin
cup with the hot, fragrant beverage
and passed it to her the sleeve of his
flannel shirt slipped back slightly, and
Helen was amazed at the whiteness of
his arm in contrast with the copper
colored wrists and hands. She almost
voiced her surprise, but checked her.
self in time to spare him embarrass-
ment
AS the days went on Helen utilized
every opportunity to learn what
= thoughts lay behind this mans as
samed mask of self effacement, for
even woOdsman, she argued, must
have ambitions and some powers of
Imagination. That he was tender
hearted she discovered inadvertently.
She would never forget the thrill she
had felt when one morning as they
were padding silently and rhythmical-
ly down Clear river. she at the bow
and the guide at the stern, he had
whispered suddenly: There's a deer.
Fit perfectly still"
Nearer and nearer the unconscious
little creature they stole until sudden
" he raised his head, his whole body
tent with alertless, and stood looking
at them curiously. Then, with snort
of fear he leaped into the bushes and
disappeared through the cracking un-
derbrush into the forest For mo-
ment no one spoke Then Helen turn
ed suddenly around, almost Overturn-
ing the canoe in her eagerness.
do men shoot those exquisite crea-
tures?" she asked, looking at the guide
with wide, increduOus eyes.
! .Some do" he answered laconically.
I'D rather put my arms around them
myself"
Helen breathed a deep sigh of relief
and took up the paddle again She was
unaware that after this the danger
proof guide" the while his keen eyes
scanned the river on either side for
telItale sway of the bushes, watched
with no less intentness the graceful
swing of her rounded white arms. Nor
did she guess that the contrary wind
~ sainst which they were struggling
Tseemed to him u special favor. as it
kblew back her wavy hair, in color sug-
lgestive of the bright tawny coat of
ldeer, but far more lustrous.
ION the day set to turn back on the
tfail the rain fell in a steady down
/ ipour. and they were obliged to wait
,pxer till the sun should shine again.