The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-12-07

to for they are the happiest people [ know.
 found myself the only guest, which surprised me, for the Petersham mans sion has reputation for hospitality
 James, I want you to do this for me. want you to persuade pop not to do something.''
 q? persuade him9 Yeu don't need me for that-yo who can make him do or not do anything, just as you w3shr
 T thought I could, but I find can't
 How is that9''
 ..Well, he is set on going back ta KaImacks' '
 ..Kalmacks? I know it is the place Julius Fischer built up in the mOun- tains. He used to go shooting and fishing there.''
 That is it. It's place you'd love- lots of good rooms and standing way back on mountain slope, with miles of view and stream tumbdng past the very door. Father bought it last year and with 1t all the sporting rights Julius Fischer claimed. The woo0s arc full of moose, and there are beaver and. otter, and that's where the trouble came in
 
 day he went up to shoot at KaImacks. He had to run for it, so I was told. Didn't your father know thatf Why did MT. Petersham have anything to do with the place7'' ss0h, it was just one of popss no- t1onss suppose, said Linda. with the rather weary tolerance of the modern daughter.
 ..They are q dangerous lot round there.''
 ssHe knew that They are squattars -trappers who have squatted among those woods and hills for generations. or course they think the country be- longs to them. Pop knew that. and I'm his opinion the compensation Julis Fischer offered and gave them vgas h. adequate 9
 ssIt would be- eoznnente could without effort imagine Jullls Fischer's views on eonpensatfon, for had met him in business.
 fsWeII, father went Into the natter and he found that the squattsrs had D good deal to be said for taear sitle Oe the case, so that he did what h8 thought was fair by them. Be paid them good high prices for their rlghs1s or what they considered to be taelE rights for in law, of course, they pos sessed none. Every one seemed pleased and satisfied, and we were looking for ward to going there this spring for the fishing when news came that one Of fa- ther's game wardens had been sllotat-
 'sShot at7''
 Linda nodded the Greek head ad- mired so much
 aYes. Last autumn father put on O couple of wardens to look after the
 
 winter. From their reports they have got on quite we'll with the squstters, and now suddenly, for no reason that they can guess, one Of them, William Worke by name, has been fired upon in his camp'
 eKiiledr' I asked
 ssNo, but badly wounded He Gs4d he was sure the bullet could have been put into his heart just as easily, but ft was sent through his knee by way of c notice to quit, he thinks.,'
 Those folks up there must be half savages.'
 ssThey are, but that's not all. Three days ago a letter came, meant for fa- ther, but addressed to me. Whoever wrote 1t must have seen father and knew that he was not the kind of man who could be readily frightened, so L14CJ tfOl1a ECL 0A --Az me. It was a horrible letter. The words were written upon sheet torn from an old account book. They ran as follows:
 You. Petersham. you mean skunk Don't you come in our wods unfes yor willing to pay five thousand dollars. Bring the goods and youl be told wher to put it. so it will come into the hands of riters. Dollars ain't nothin to you, but they can keep an expanding bullet out yor hide. "Do you think it is hoax2'
 ssWeIl, no. can't honestly say do.'' (Which means, in plain language. that if father does not pay up that $5,- OoO he will be shot,
 Mot necessarily. He need not go up to Kalmacks this fall
 s'But of course he will gos He's more set on going than ever. You know la ther when he's dealing with men. And he persists in his opinion that the les ter is probably only bluff.'s
 (To Be Conunneel.1 esardinal AnpeJo ii P5efro dean of