Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1908-12-25

After six-week sojourn In Chal.
loner, Miss Gladys Helmerton Of New.
port, Narragansett, and in season Man.
haitian. found herself helplessly adrift
upon tumultuous sea Of trouble. An
outwardly attractive but utterly impos.
sible young man, according to her
reckoning, was in love with her. To
complicate matters further, she was
fairly certain that she was in love
with the young man.
What took the imperious Miss Hell.
merton down to the purple-hazed
mountains OF West Virginia, only the
imperious Miss Helmerton could have
told, and she did not take anyone into
her confidence. But Miss Helmerton
was merely tired, so the family ply
sician prescribed mountain air.
Through some agency, more or less
mysterious, she arranged to lodge with
Eben Jackson, the owner of the most
pretentious dwelling in Challoner.
Eben did not, as a rule, keep boarders,
but as the power behind the mys-
FERROUS agency was Miss Helmerton's
father, who dominated to some ex-
tent the wooded mountains as far as
one could see, the matter was fixed
up even though Eben did not know
the name Of his prospective guest.
In the flight from Manhattan to the
Alleghanies, Miss Helmerton let her
lmperiousness slip from her shoulders
as a mantle. She likewise abandoned
the remainder Of her social impede
menta, including her illustrious name.
at the railroad station, where she took
the Challoner stage.
1t was night when she arrived at the
Jackson homestead, so after very
brief greeting to her host and his fam
lily, she went at once to her room.
When she appeared in the morning all
marks of Fifth avenue and Manhattan
were gone. Frocks, frills, fashionable
headgear and French boots had given
way to gingham dress, white sun
bonnet and shoes that would have
caused Miss Helmerton's associates to
shrek. The bingham dress and white
sun bonnet worked miracles with the
lmperious Miss Helmerton; she looked
rs much Of country maiden as Is
possible for bogus rustic. Moreover,
she had changed her name, not by the
usual method, to Susanna Brown.
The advent of strange young wom-
m, of course, stirred up the usual
durry Of curiosity among the house
wives and daughters Of Challoner.
There was also, 1t must be admitted,
IN appreciative interest throughout
The younger masculinity of the com
munity.
Because the erstwhile Miss Helmer-
ton had journeyed down to the noun
tains to rest was no reason for Su.
Banna Brown to limit her pleasure.
Before long she was drawn into the
swish and swirl Of Challoner society.
She entered into the spirit Of the life
among the mountaineers with a zest
hat deserved to benefit her health. It
did. Soon there was not 9 girl In the
vicinity that had in her cheeks more
healthy color. The flush IN her cheeks
and the brightness Of her eye made
Susanna Brown look four years young.
Or than the imperious Miss Helmerton
and about 1000 more unsophisticated.
Though Challoner was for time
lEog to know whence came the charm.
Ing Susanna, since it was soon passed
about that she was young school
teacher from Ohio. curiosity was paci
aed. Susanna herself never offered
any direct information.
Except 10 one big blonde-headed
giant, Susanna's conquest Of the gal
lants Of Challoner was soon complete
She had seen him pass the Jackson
home number of times on his way
to the post Office, and had noticed him
on account of his huge frame and
bright curly head, upon which. through
negligence or vanity, he never permit
ted q hat to rest. She had heard he
was boss lumberman and wondered
how long it would take for him to call
But more perfect specimen Of indif
ferent masculinity never existed
Where the other rustics had all
FASTENED to swear fealty to Susanna
this boy giant appeared to be oblivious
OF her advent. HI
But Miss Helmerton had a certain
amount Of determination, and the in
/! difference Of the young lumberman
| aroused her fighting blood. She lent
Susanna Brown all the wisdom Of her
several seasons since she was a "bud.'
There was, of course, but one end
to all this, the inevitable end-the at
trsctive young lumberman was finally
appropriated, though 1t cost Susanna
all her other admirers. It came to
pass that he was her accepted escort
at all the rural festivities, pleasurable
to Miss Helmerton, because they were
so generally unspeakable in their char
acteristics.
Miss Helmerton. in the moments she
spent with herself, soon admitted that
the young lumberman was a very
pleasing human being, and she mental
" told herself that when she went
| home, il he turned out well, she would
have her father do something for the
Young man. He was particularly
amusing in his attitude toward her, or
to be more exact, to Susanna Brown
!, In their early acquaintance he had
been somewhat condescending toward
her It was very slightly shown, and
had she been the unsophisticated
maiden she was ostensibly, she would
probably not have noticed it. For bis
position, he appeared to have obtained
considerable education by some means
She was very much impressed by the
| fant Then she recollected that she