The Punta Gorda herald. [volume] (Punta Gorda, Fla.) 1893-1958, 1908-04-02
The End OF
The Trail.
by JEANETTE WILSON.
Copyrighted. 1907. by Jessie Morgan

opened their comfortable cottage NJ
Che shore and awaited developments.
Ehey expected the worst to happen,
Cor Helen. their tenderly and punctll-
iously reared daughter, had broken
away from domestic restraint and put
into action an incomprohenslble Inn
pulse TO spend her vacation In the
backwoods OF Maine.
"A reckless and decidedly unlady-
like procedure" Mr. Wright charac-
terized II.
Mrs. Wright expressed her dlsap-
proval more tentatively.
"Won't there be very rough men
there, HelenT
Nonsense, mother" was Helen's
emphatic reply. "Only really nice men
60 Off 10 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
60 of on long trips with the guides"
with the guldesp gasped Mrs.
Wrlght Have you lost all sense OF
proprlety, HelenT
Guides, mother dear" explained
Helen good naturedly, "are nothing but
trees an men walking They haven't
the least idea who's trailing on be-
bind them. Men, women or children
It's all the same to them"
"a theory more ingenious than con.
Vlnclng," remarked her father soto
voce.
A week elapsed before any word
came from Helen. II took tho form Of
q postal and ran as follows.
"rhls is heavenly place. Been OF
On several day trips. Have a guaran-
teed Indigenous, danger proof guide.
Very handsome. though, and fairly In
telligent for woodsman. Start today
on a four or Ave days jaunt over the
mountains. Don't worry about me.
Never was happier In my life"
In spite OF the buoyant cheerfuness
OF Helen's message Mr. Wright looked
worried, and his little wife shook her
head obviously.
"Pd give anything to see her this
minute" she sighed, but merclful
Providence spared her the shock of It,
Tor at the actual moment Of her moth
er's solicltude Helen, her immaculate
khaki skirt bedragged and mud stain
ed, her stylish bucksklns dlscolored
and caked with bog soil, her sunburned
face smeared with dy lotion, was sitting
beside a spring In the woods hungrily
devouring a luncheon Of pork sand.
wiches and doughnuts, Incidentally,
too. she was admiring the picturesque
attitude OF the-snIde I'D he stirred the
coffee bubbling merrily In tin pail
suspended on an improvlsed crane over
Are of brushwood. AS he filled tin
cup with the hot, fragrant beverage
and passed II to her the sleeve of his
aannel shirt slipped back slightly, and
Helen was amazed at the wilderness 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 embarass
ment
As the days went on Helen utilized
every opportunity TO learn what
thoughts lay behind this mans as
sumed 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 rhythmlcal-
~ down Clear river, she at the bow
and the guide at the stern, he had
whispered suddenly: There's a deer.
Sit perfectly still"
Nearer and nearer the unconscious
little creature they stole until sudden
W he raised his head, his whole body
lent with alertness, 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, lncredulous eyes.
"S0me do" he answered laconically.
ira rather put my arms around them
myself"
IA 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
giving Of her rounded white arms. Nor
ala she guess that the contrary wind
against which they were struggling
seemed to him q special favor. as II
blew back her wavy hair. In color sug-
eestiys OF the bright tawny coat Of a