Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1911-12-01
Maid O
Ole Woods
By John Philip orth

and was rather obstinate in having
her way about them
Miss Lea took a notion to learn por-
trait painting, and made a failure of
it. She turned to ceramics and did
not secure any praise. She pottered
with stained glass, but it was only
pottering. She wrote poetry, but she
alone shed tears over it. She turned
to story-writing, but the magazine
people returned her efforts with the
usual printed regrets. Was there any.
thing that Miss Lea Jennings could
do but wait for marriage proposal
from some eligible party?
There was, and the great wonder
was that she hadn't thought of it soon
er. She could become an actress or
write play for some one already in
the profession. 1t was touch and go
for some time as to which she should
do, but theatrical manager finally
She wouldn't have to rehearse, sit up
nights, eat late suppers nor travel
about, and the fame would be just as
great
When Miss Lea announced her
scheme to her parents they made no
opposition. If they had she would
have decided Immediately to write
two plays instead of one. She was
just three days getting a title for her
play. The manager had suggested
play laid in the woods-something
Notwithstanding with wolves and
bears, and the nights so dark that a
fox couldn't see big Shanghai roost-
er two inches from his nose Society
plays, the manager said, where hus-
bands simply fell in love with chorus
girls, and wives eloped with any old
thing, were played out. What was
wanted were thrills-action-
winds and moaning birches, with
plenty of dramatic situation to keep
the audience entertained
Miss Lea announced that she was
going to the woods to get the local
surroundings. Uncle Joe lived up in
the Adirondacks somewhere, and he
had shooting camp somewhere, and
she would take her maid and become
a denizen OF the wild for month or
six weeks
1t was summer, but she could i'm
agine the snow and gales, and the
wolves and bears could be brought in
if they did not appear with their
growls and bowls. Uncle Joe was
therefore uncovered and busted off,
and in due time he located that shoot
ing camp in the midst of mountain and
forest and welcomed the playwright
to the scenes of her labors. When
she had been supplied with enough
flour, bacon, potatoes and coffee to
last her month he vanished and the
play was begun.
The plot of the play was to have
city maiden fall in love with the fam
lily chauffeur, and her father lock her
up in the cellar to let her forget the
man she loved The girl would make
her escape from durance vile and walk
and walk and walk until the city and
its table d'hote dinners were left be-
hind and the mountains and a log
house reached. There she would
write a postal card to her lover and
send it down mountain stream on a
raft, where it would fall into the
hands of her father. He would start
at once to bring her back, but the
chauffeur was to be reckoned with. In
some way not yet figured out he was
able to learn of the hut in the forest,
and then it would be race between
him and the parent, each in sixty
horse auto, as to who should reach her
first.
Mountains = ravines = streams =
dense forests-precipices beasts
sudden jars and jolts, and the chauf-
feur arrives just ten seconds ahead of
the old man and starts landslide
which carries the other almost to his
own doorstep and leaves him with
lame back.
For the first week of her residence
in the woods Miss Lea was so busy
with her plot that she scarcely wan
dered ten feet from the door. At the
beginning of the second week she
went looking for precipice. She felt
that one ought to be worked into the
play somewhere and somehow. The
head salesman in gents furnishing
store at SIS per week might have kept
his bump of location in that tangled
district, but Miss Lea hadn't travelled
hundred rods before she was all
turned around. When she realized
this she was frightened and thought
only of pushing on in some direction.
That day, from club house three
or four miles distant, Hall Ridgway,
the sculptor, had set out with rod and
line to fish a mountain brook. He had
been at it for two hours, casting his
line here and there, when the sound
of a woman's voice calling for help
caught his ear. 1t was from the hill
side behind him, and after making
sure that he was not deceived he re-
piled to the calls and began scram-
BILE that ended only when the crest OF
the wooded and jagged hill was
reached. Every minute or two he had
called out, and every minute or two
the voice of a woman had answered
to guide him.
Good heavens, but what are you do
ing here!"
This to Miss Lea Jennings, who sat
on a rock with her hat gone, skirt in
tatters, hair down and q look so for
lorn that bear would have run away
from her.
Ell am LOST" she sobbed in reply.
Lost? Lost from where?"
from Uncle Jce's place"
Tint log house at the head Of the
.ersh trail7"
yves"
And what the devil started you out
alone In these widlsf"
Mr.. Ridgway was q sculptor, and
he also chiseled. out swear word now
and then.
asir!s demanded Miss Lea - She
rose to her feet.
you are from the city You
thought ii would be smart to galivant
through the woods alone. Il hadn't
happened to hear your calls you might