Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1908-08-21
The WOOdman

~~~O~~~~-~o-~-~~-
Nov, little mother, if you say |
Roger to me again I'll refuse to make !
his acquaintance when we get back. |
It's bad enough to hear the girls rave
over him and his good looks, and to be
asked silly questions about his life
abroad, and if he really is engaged to
Lady Westbrook in London. How do l
know? 1 told Laura the other day
didn't know him, had never seen him,
and have great mind to disown him
as relative. For heavens sake, don't
mention Rogers name again"
Myrtle's mother, who was reading
novel in a comfortable chair while her
maid brushed her handsome gray hair,
looked up and laughed easily.
you can't help meeting him, child,
and knowing him this fall He's the
lion of the house since his book on the
Central American explorations came
out. He is very nice, good-looking
young man; really don't see why you
would disclaim him for a cousin. 1 am
sure he wrote you quite pleasant note
when he got back. If you had accepted
his invitation and gone on his touring
car, you. would have enjoyed 1t i'm
mensely. His auto"
'Oh, yes, 1 know" said Myrtle,
laughing ut is the finest motor car
ever seen in these parts. Laura told
me all about it, and how delightful
Roger made himself. If he wants to
preserve his self-respect and retain
proper understanding of himself and
his merits, he had better go back
among his Aztec ruins and the tombs Of
dead kings, and get away from all
these women who flatter him and from
our sensational social whirl. l be-
fieve it Is more his millions than his
book that makes him so dreadfully
popular. Please don't mention him
again"
daughter, who was putting on her
gloves to go out, and agreed.
every well. Well taboo Roger and
keep him at a distance. 1 daresay he
found the ancient civilization as good
as ours. The Aztecs lived in Mexico,
you know. Remember, we leave at
the end of the week. Do drive to-"
Then followed a list of commissions,
to which Myrtle listened dutifully But
when in her coupe, driving down the
avenue, Myrtle thought Of Roger more
than of her shopping.
/ k6o Ill H.
get away from friends and intimates
ESQ dreadfully prone to gossip and
scandal), the noise and dust of the city
and its manifold and sometimes wear
ing social exactiOns, Of which Myrtle
had had rather a surfeit all through
the winter and the equally gay spring
She and her mother agreed that two
months of a quiet life on the very top
of the mountains, where they would
see no one and would spend the cool
summer days driving long distances or
rambling idly through the great prim-
eval forest, would be pleasurable by
way of contrast, besides being extreme
ly recuperative.
One special June day Myrtle, coming
down a path, saw a young fellow in
rough garb, flannel shirt, leather belt,
rough trousers, boots and a felt hat,
pulled down over his face, cutting
down a towering hemlock, which had
been partly killed by lightning.
BEST looking mountaineer I've seen
yet" thought Myrtle, sitting down on a
fallen and decayed log to watch him
and see the fall of the tree.
The tall hemlock Quivered and shook
under the sharp strokes Of the cleverly
welded az, and 1t was evident its fall
was approaching.
Pausing and looking up to shape the
direction of its crash, the woodman for
the first time saw Myrtle sitting on the
log and watching him.
SEEING her by the arm, he dragged
her rapidly to one side, and none toe
soon.
Quivering in it's great length and
bending, first slowly and maJestically
then coming down with lightning speed
and tremendous crash, the forest
giant accepted its doom and fell to the
earth. Its sparse branches spread
around, covering the very spot where
Myrtle had sat.
st suppose my hat and sketch boof
are gone forever. I'll never get then
out from under those branches. 1 dom
mind the hat, but would hate to los
3 my sketches" Myrtle said ruefully.
"You came near losing something
i much more valuable" the mountainee
aaid, smiling down at the purple-blu