The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-08-28
BRADLEY'S
BUILDING.
Copyrighted, 1905, by Associated
Literary Press.
BY ANDREW PHAIL.

II was tiny little island. The yea
before Dick Staley had threatened 4
come back some day and carry 1t or Il
q shoe box. But such as 1t was 1t wa
Barton Bradley's own, and he was i'm
mensely proud Of his possession.
-Four years earlier his physician hat
ordered him to spend the summer Il
the woods to escape an impending at
@ck Of nerves" He had rented thll
little island from Its woodsman ownel
spd had spent a delightful summel
chopplng hisown wood, frying his owr
bacon and In the intervals planning thu
play that had brought him recognition
His first royalties had gone to pay
for the little island, and now, wher
Bradley pitched his tent early In May
he went to work to build a log hut that
should form more permanent camp.
Since success had come he was In 3
position to build q camp as elaborate
e. any Of the electrically nghted
steam heated structures which mas.
queraded as camps In the fashionable
colony at the upper end Of the lake,
but Bradley would have none Of these,
An far as possible the camp should
DO his own handiwork. He even re-
hslled at the necessity for assistance In
raising the logs when the walls reach.
Cd height above his ability to handle
the heavy logs.
BE made the island his sanctuary and
4 thing apart from the busy months OF
the winter season. No one save Staley
had ever been invited to the place, and
only the guide who sometimes came to
Gee that all was well or leave mail
when Bradley lacked the time to row
down to the little village ever braved
the mo Trespass" signs with which
the shere bristled.
So 1t happened that Bradley, tramp
ing over his five acre domain, was
Astonished to see canoe on the shore
and girl calmly eating a late lunch
under the very sign forbidding land
Ing.
She was undeniably a pretty girl,
with crisp brown curls escaping from
q tam-o'-shanter and straying over
cheek on which the red showed brave
" through the tan.
Bradley approved her costume OF
brown. II was so unlike the frocks
Of the fashionables, who dressed not
FOR the woods, but for the men In
camp and with an eye for spectacular
eject.
But notwithstanding the fact that
Bradley approved of the slender, well
built figure he resented the intrusion
On his island
he hated the fashionable crowd, and
here was one at his very door, per-
haps the advance guard of horde OF
Ion hunters who would overrun the
place and gushingly assure him that
lhey dotted on his plays even while
|heir conversation showed that they
bad been more intent upon the chatter
b the box than upon the dialogue OF
he stage. 1t was this habit of using
the boxes for social visits that had
arst given Bradley his distaste for
socisty.
1T is too bad that you cannot read"
he said, with what was intended tc
be cutting sarcasm, though insensi
1ly his voice softened as he looked
nto two glorious brown eyes.
Il know what you mean," declared
he girl, with a laugh and a meaning
glance at the forbidding sign, "but /
vas tired padding, and when l saw
you at work on the hut l knew that
he owner was not here, and / sup
posed that the sign was enforced only
when the owner was here. Can you !
" bribedP'
She held toward him the well filed |
unch box with its appetizing sand
Tiches and dainty cake.
"Tm human enough to be hungry"
he explained, with a little laugh, "but
always carry more than l need"
Bradley looked into the brown eyes
Ind was lost He accepted a sandwich
md sank down on rock opposite the
me on which she was sitting.
"Who is the horrible man who won't .
ct us land on this little Eden? de-
handed the girl.
Hes New York chap" explained
Bradley noncommittally. "He doesn't
Ike the people at the upper end Of !
he lake, and he stuck those signs up"
Thereby preventing me from find
ng a refuge from the play campers"
aid the girl severely. HE should
hange the sign to read, NO Trespass-
1g by People Who Do Not Under
tand.' There are people even up
here who love the woods and hate
be poor imitation Of Newport. New.
ort," she added in explanation, SIS
ashionable colony down on the Rhode
sland shore"
"I've heard Of it." assented Bradley,
le scene of whose latest comedy had
cen laid in that very resort. He was
lad that this girl mistook him for a
uide. 1t would be a pity to unde-
eive her and place their impromptu
upon a coldly formal
asis.
She chatted of the lake and the
,oods, and Bradley more than ever
dmired her when she grew eloquent
'garding the beauties of his beloved I