Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-11

fell into frank silence All eyes turned tall,
whe-cad negro who had just emerged from the cook
house to clear a significant square yard on the supply
table then retreated like Prologue in ancient
camper who had arrived only two hours before
and who sat stump with her skirt wound tightly
about her ankles forgot the surrounding ants and spiders
long enough to whisper apprehensively:
What is it, Cousin Caroline? What will happen
now?"
Cousin Caroline was forty-seven, her strong black
hair grayng, her common-sense boots and antique
denim skirt showed that she had outgrown the foble
of youth, yet there thrill of genuine excitement
in her answer as she turned to the girl and said
" 1t may be wafles!"
Prentiss," drawed lazy voice. Jus wait till you've
been here weeks The speaker the least moved
eyes and air of large contemplation that suggested
Buddha to Miss Prentiss The campers called him the
Lizard, Lizzie for short.
Two weeks?" daddy-ong-legs came whirling up
her skirt and she knocked him off with suppressed
shudder Oh am here only for week" she de-
One week. Oh neverl No one ever stays less'n
three"
His lazy cordiaty was very pleasant A glance at
the other young in the party in a measure ex-
planned it she had already noted as fact in natural
history that girls who went camping were apt to be
Il was invited for two weeks she was beginning
obviously when a toad at her feet gave sudden leap
Her heart performed exactly the same action But
may not stay even one" she added Il might as well
confess to you--
She was interrupted by the temperance of Prologue
carrying white erameled tray high before
him No one stirred until he set it down on the central
supply-tabe; then murmured "TVdf7eSl" relaxed the
general tension.
The Congregationais minister and little girl of six
got there first retreatin with heaped plates and air
of bland satisfaction that gave them momentary re-
semblance to each other The crush that followed sug-
gested bargain counter.
Reduced to ninety-eight cents advertised" COM
mented the Lizard, dragging himself to his feet III
rush the for you this time S against rules but
you're newcomer" He lounged away IN the wake OF
the rest and left alone, she turned her back on the
waes to feast the still beauty OF the lake Just be-
ow and the warm fragrance of the pnes lifting their
black bars against the rose of the sunset
She had been miserably afraid to come; the word
"camp" filled her with apprehensons of perils by night
and day; of strange animals and drownngs and snakes
in long grass of being lost on desoate mountains; OF
having pass through herds of bulls and to drive be-
hind haf-broken horses But she beginning now
to be glad of Cousin Carone brisk nsistence Surely
these sweet-sneling woods and the flushed mirror OF
the lake could not have any very dire peril IN store Tor
her She could manage to keep out OF the excursions
and this calm young man was really very NICE lie had
already been explained to her as young lawyer OF re-
arkabe promse-the promise seemingly resting on the
fact that his father the chief justice had the same
sleepy manner and clipped utterance.
He brought her back what looked to her an appalling
they've got sort of unwrtten code here" he told
her easing himself down to a seat beside her stump
"Fr instance, no oned dream of starting after
wafaes till they were fairly down on tablenot even
Theodora" And he indicated the little girl OF SIX who
had got there first and who was now digging for
remains of srup on an otherwise empty plate
sOh by the way" he continued, you spoke OF con-
fessn something. What was il? ~ =.
You would Soon find out if did not. 1t is only"
wild shrek split the air just under their feet then
was uuenched with an awful suddenness. Theodore had
been moved to wash her srupy hands in the lake. and
heavy with wae had toppled head first into the deep
pool Just beneath All the terTQrs OF earth seemed to
in blind effort at escape. But she was reckesSy near
the edge of the overhangng bank. There was crum-
bling of earth under her feet and in another instant
voiceless with horror she had followed straight down
into the depths that were seethlng with lheodora
Some remnant Of sanity kept her mouth closed against
the flood and drove her to few wild swimming strokes
as her head emerged The denim dress of the small girl
passed her fingers and she cutched at mady, drown
ingy, managing to get herce hold on little lighting
arm lust as a voice sang cheeringly at her side:
"Al right sMss Prentiss, got her, all safe! Bully
for youi" go
as she was drawn out Hearty hands extended to
shake hers, she kissed, stranger though she
was as Cousin Caroline led her through the excited
crowd Theodoras mother gathered the dripping res
cuer into fervent embrace.
"Of course, we would have saved her, anyway; but
it was the way you flung yourself in, without an in
stants hesitation" she wept And they all agreed that
the way she did it was the thing =,
"Speakn' of dead game sports! murmured the
Lizard LAYING a sweater over her shoulders they
slopped off to the tent for dry clothes.
"Whv l didn't know that you had so much spunk,
Po1lv" Cousin Caroline said heartily The implied re-
Election did not reach Polly She went very subduedy
into her tent and darkness had closed about the camp
fire when she emerged
Polly Prentiss knew exactly what simple honor
demanded of her To understand how she could hesi-
tate to follow it. one must appreciate m the II to[ce e OF r
sisters born of tmid mother and cautious father,
All her young days had been hedged with warnings
the big dog might bite Polly; the COW might hook her
the pony might throw her off In consequence, the
whole world of nature had become to her conspiracy
of danger wherein Polly might get hurt and where she
had never dreamed of Drawing anything that might be
avoided Applause for heroism, therefore, had never
come her in her carefully protected life. She had
been admired for her prenesss, for her social talents
for her intelligent and welstored mind and her good
disposition But in all her days no one had ever said
Bully for you! and the phrase brought wholly new
temptation She knew that she ought publicly to dis
claim the glory OF herosm but the campers were de-
ferrng her suggesting pleasures for her and the
Lizard staring at her with tranquil satisfaction; and
she said to herself "What harm can it do Just this
urked in their voices when the fire died down and they
separated TO their tents.
After breakfast a green canoe, slim a blade, came
Sitting the CLASSY blue of the lake under the bank where
she stood in the center Of the overAowingly friendly
campers. Two girls in white canvas Jumpers, with blue