Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-10-20

I have esomething better than any
explanation ! could make. Look q,
this and then say whether l have no,
brought some good news" And
laughing, he held up q letter. which
be then put into her hands.
Miss Helen Grayrnan.
At Bear Lodge
By the hand OF Commodore F. Brown
SO ran the superscripton. and Miss
Grayman's heart bounded on recogntz-
ing her fathers handwriting. She tore
cpen the envelope and read:
Pettytow June Is 1886
My Very Dear DauEhter-A miserable
seres of accidents has spoiled the sur
prise thai We had In store for you. II
was foolish piece OF business from the
start, but | thought that It might give
you pleasure. and the Mitchell girls and
their brother had their hearts set upon 1t
| and gave me no rest until ] consented
! We intended TO meet you at Commodore
Browns lodge; then We were to spend q
week fishing and hunting, winding up with
a visit 10 Il little Indian village whose
inha bitants have long been proteges OF
! MIR. Browns.
OF course you were astonished to be
J Ou do yOQ WCEos Au0 HoN0 Ocon
| more than astonished at myself for con-
senting to It, and l should never have
done so II had not known 80 well the
| antecedents and character OF Frederick
Brown. The kpchells. who are very IN
innate with HIM and admire him greatly
| have taken 1t into their heads that you
and he ought to be acquainted. and Agnes
Mitchell invented what she called - love-
| " plan" to bring about the Introduction
In an aboriginal manner" ] can only
| say. Helen. that my consent to entrusting
You to his charge was Wrung from me
through my esteem for the young man
We expected. OF course. to Join you al
soon a. you arrived at the lodge. but from
the start the aero engaged By the Mitch.
ellis proved . relatively slow 0ies, and
| then came the accident
Now. you viii want to know why send
you letter instead Of coming myself. II
| u . most extraordinary and provoking
series Of mischancesi When We sent for
Brown to come to our aid We supposed
that the injury could quickly b repaired
Instead It turns out that Il - irrsparabls
| except IN . shop. and W shall have to
send The aero back By train. And then.
to cap the climax. when Brown had turn.
| ID out half his men to make room for N
and had embarked u his aero through
some fault Of the steersman ran into .
tree. and We all had . narrow escapA Il
turned out that the machine was % Grip
pied that only Brown and his engineer
could 90 in her. You are . hundred and
nifty miles away In . wilderness with no
roads. We do not know whore to send for
another aero. and. In truth, 1 should hard.
" care to entrust myself In one again,
and am distressed to think that you viii
have to do 20 In order to return.
But ] have every ccandence In Mr..
Brown. ana he assures me that such an
accident never occurred to him before
and that he can put his asro into perfect
shape again with the machinery which he
has at the lodge. The upshot u that I
and the Mitchells are going to take the
nrst train We can get for New York. Mr.
Brown VIII bring you back - soon a. be
can repair his aero.
] am glad to learn that Mrs. Williams
% at bis lodge. She u . worthy woman,
reduced In circumstances early In life and
formerly housekeeper for the Uphama.
wish could DO with you for the trout
hshinG that Frederick tells me about But
this y the last. a. II u the first, foolish
ness Of this kind ] shall ever engage in.
Your very affsctionats father.
WILLIAM GRAYMAN.
In reading this letter the Door girl
was completely deceived The re.
sembIance to her sire's writing was 20
perfect the manner Of addressing her
was 30 exactly In his style. and, more
over. her mental blindness Induced By
her own romantic fancies was so com.
plete that she suspected no imposition.
SO she looked up at Payton after
reading the letter with beaming eyes
and flushed cheeks and said with gen.
uine feeling:
u thank you most sincerely, Com.
modore Brown My father explains the
whole affair. and 1t was very. very
good Of you to return so quickly In
your disabled aero 10 order to relieve
my anxiety. 1t Is a dreadful disap-
rointment, but-but l am sure the trip
has not been without its pleasures for
me even II It's principal object has been
missed"
Payton could hardly contain his de-
aght over the success OF his bold ruse.
Then be set out to complete his mas.
terry Of the situation by entertaining
Miss Grayman. cuitivating Der inter-
est and confidence In himself and keep
ing her thoughts from dwelling upon
her disappointment Mrs Williams
seised the 0rai opportunity to tell him
about the adventure In the woods, and
less than IN hour after bis return Miss
Grayman. In gay spirits. accompanied
By Susan. embarked with him In the
canoe for visit to the spot where her
eur1osity ana doubts had been excited
"ArA Williams has told me about
your fright" be said. and about her
own fright also The bears are dan.
gerous. and have ordered Indian John
to b on the spot well armed. % II
you are still curious about the grave
Of the big bear we'll 60 and see II and
~ to satisfy your curiosity"
Accordingly be took them to the
place and showed tho spot where the
digging had been II was DOW care
fully covered up with the forest car
pst Of leaves This. be explained. had
been done In order that Wild animals
might not dig up the carcass. Thsn be
gave . spirited description Of the q.
tTaordinary size and 6erceness Of the
Imaginary bear that had been killed
"Since we shall be forced to spend q
week Of ten days here" b. said. II
wish you to become acquainted with
al the pleasures that the woods afford.
I cannot begin to repair the aero for
ct least three days yet. because. -
your father may have mentioned. I
had to leave all my men but the en-
gineer At rettytown. and they must
reach % BY the forest train. Being
born woodsmen and hunters. they can
make the distance in about forty hours
Of steady tramping. not counting the
time required for rest and sleep. A.
soon ~ they arrive I shall be very
busy directing and aiding them, for
have q shop here specially fitted up to
repair my aero. In the oeanwhile I
can devote all my time to trying to
make things pleasant for you.'
he certainly did make things pleas