The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1907-10-31
The End of
The Trail.
By JEANETTE WILSON.


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AN~~~~NN~~~se~.~>% ~~e%%N~~>N~e@s~@
At last Helen had started. The rest
Of the family after seeing her OF"
opened their comfortable cottage at
the shore and awaited developments.
They expected the worst to happen,
for Helen. their tenderly and punctll-
lousy 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-
telized 1t.
Mrs. Wright expressed her disap-
proval more tentatively.
Wont there be very rough men
there. uelen?'
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
a camp by ourselves, you know, and
60 off on long trips with the guides"
with the guides"' gasped Mrs.
Wright Have you lost all sense OF
proprie!y. Helen?'
Guides, mother dear" explained
Helen good naturedly, 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-
vinclng," remarked her father soto
voce.
A week elapsed before any word
came from Helen. 1t took the form OF
a postal and ran as follows:
This is heavenly place. Been Off
on several day trips. Have guaran-
teed Indigenous, danger proof guide.
Very handsome, though. and fairly In
telligent for woodsman. Start today
on 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
Of Helen's message Mr.. Wright looked
worried, and his little wife shook her
head obviously.
I'D give anything to see her this
minute" she sighed. but merciful
Providence spared her the shock of 1t,
for mt the actual moment OF her moth
ers solicitude Helen, her immaculate
khaki skirt bedrngged and mud stain
ed, her stylish buckskins discOlored
and caked with bog SOIL her sunburned
face smenred with fly lotion. was sitting
beside Il spring in the woods hungrily
devouring 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 q tin pail
suspended on an improvised crane over
a fire OF brushwood. AS he filled a tin
cup with the hot, fragrant beverage
and passed 1t to her the sleeve of his
flannel shirt slipped back slightly. and
Helen was amazed at the wilderness of
his arm In contrast with the copper
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
even a 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 deer.
Sit perfectly still"
Nearer and nearer the unconscious
little creature they stole until sudden
ly he raised his head. his whole body
tent with alertness. and stood looking
at them curiously. Then, with snort
OF fear, he leaped into the bushes and
disappeared through the cracking IN
derbrush into the forest. For a 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-
rures?" she asked, looking at the guide
with wide. Incredulous eyes.
"some do" he answered laconically.
I'D rather put my arms around them
myself"
Helen breathed 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
teIltale 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
against which they were struggling
seemed to him a special favor as II
blew back her wavy hair. in color sug-
gestive Of the bright tawny coat OF
deer. but far more lustrous.
IN tho Hay ant IN ffIrn hack ON the