The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-01-29
TIE EVENING STORY
The Picture Clew.
(By Henderson Welsh.

the thrilling event was the finding
of the camp! They had come across
/ 1T Unexpectedly in a clearing, and when
| they saw no sign of life about it they
| had cautiously investigated and had
| finally developed sufficient courage to
enter the tents whose wide open sides
| beneath.
Its boys camp" declared Alice
I in tone of awe.
How do you know?'
Do you think women would go
away and leave everything like this?
| 1 should say not. Why, those dishes
| look as if they had never been
washed, and I wish you would look
in this tent! Quick, girls, let's clean
everything up for them!"
What a lark!'' declared several of
| the girls.
Gracious, nor cried one, cit may
be some horrid hunters or some one
who would not thank US for butting
in. Besides. what if they should come
back and find us right here in their
thingsi"
well. what could they do? There
are plenty of US and evidently only
two of them!" declared Alice. Be
sides they are not horrid hunters.
This whole outfit is new, and I have
been camping enough to size up an
outfit pretty we'll. It's just some
young men from town out on hunt
ing trip, and by the look of what they
have L should say they were refined,
high class fellows. Look at these
books and magazines. You wouldn't
find them in roughneck camp,
would you ?"
The girls followed suit like sheep,
and in moment it was a busy camp.
In a few moments more and it was
also a clean camp.
Life without jokes was a very dis
NAL prospect to Jennie Lorraine. In
her first inspection of the living tent
she had spied a camera, and, having
instant visions of it's possibilities, she
carefully Secreted it. When industry
was at its height she slipped in back
of this tent and through a convenient
slit she snapped scene. In the fore
ground Alice was industriously darn
ing long slit in hunting coat.
When everything was spick and
span, the girls assembled to see what
else could be done.
Lets get dinner one suggested.
1--WE can't, for there's no knowing
when they may return and every
thing we started might ruin"
''Then let's fix them handout, any
way
From well filled hampers the girls
contributed cake, fruits, salads and
other dainties to the store of hunt
ing grub" which the fmprovfsed cub
board contained.
We'll let them have one civilized
meal, anyway. If they have lived
long on this salt pork and bareback,
they will appreciate change. Alice,
what are you up to now?
In the morning ramble the girls
had collected great punches of wild
flowers and Alice was arranging
these in massive bouquets on the
table using canteenS, empty cans and
anything else available for vases.
During this process Jennie Lorraine
snapped her second view
Fearing the campers might return,
the apaders made hasty retreat
and found their way to the place they
had planned for their picnic. The
rest of the day was filed with a sort
of nervous. and not altogether I'M
pleasant, expectancy. They feared the
campers might come upon them at any
moment and interrupt the pleasure Of
the day.
The incident had nearly passed
from the minds of the girls by the
time the midwinter reception was
held at the seminary. To this all the
young men of the town were invited,
and for a few hours pleasure ruled
supreme at the quaint old school, and
the young men were as plentiful as
the heart of any maiden could de-
sire.
1t was early in the evening that
Alice saw handsome fellow gazing
earnestly at her from across the
room She turned through a doorway
and joined one of the gay groups in
the drawing room. But she could not
keep her glances from the doorway,
and was so absent-minded in her talk
that Jennie Lorraine exclaimed:
Alice is watching that door as if
she were expecting a ghost to come
in"
Good looking ghost, all right!'
of the teachers came in escorting
young Walter Thornton, who was
speedily introduced all around, and,
somehow, as speedily was taking
Alice away from them all and into a
side alcove.
'1 am not disappointed" he was
saying, although 1 half expected to
meet you in big Mexican straw hat
and linen suit that was wonderfully
becoming"
WHAT cried the startled Alice. |
What are you talking about?"
About meeting youi"
Meeting me? And in such a cos
tune? How ridiculous!"
NO, that costume was not ridicu- |
lous! 1 always think of you as wear |
ing it,
Think of me. why-have you
ever heard of me before?"
mo, L can't say that have; but 1
know good deal about you
How interesting! And what. pray. |
do you know about me?
''Oh, several things. For instance, |
you know how to arrange a most ar |
tistic bouquet of wild flowers" !
"Oh, you are making an easy guess /
there, Mr.. Mind Reader, Any girl
would admit that charge about her (
selfi''
so? Well, how about this: You
are very skillful with a needle, espe-
cially in darning hunting coats
Hunting coats! What do you
know about my darning hunting
coats?" /
mot much. Just that you darn |
them WE'LL
II don't see how you know that
much. even. I have darned such .
coat but once. and-oh. know! |
some of the girls told you about |