The Washington times., 1915-05-26
continued From Yesterday

Iound that amD1t1on is stronger tnan
the mere wish to exist and have
Suddenly, with an excited laugh.
she caught up great piece of gor
seous ancient church embroidery that
lay across the back of a sofa. and
from her shoulders to her feet like
darted to one Of those sIass-topped
tables In which things curious and
took gold crown that had been taken
rom the grave Of some old Egyptian
queen--two gold snakes. their heads
and tails twisted together. And she
put this upon her head and went and
stood in front of a long mirror. Then
she began to play-act-to look very
naughty and dignified or very gracious
and condescending, to extend her hand
and to be kissed by imaginary
She heard a soft footstep; there we,s
no time to discard the crown and the
robe. Blushing crimson and feeling
very ridiculous, she turned and saw
one Of the footmen.
His wooden face showed no surprise
at heA eccentric costume; he did not
even appear to see it. He carried a
small silver tray on which was q
white card.
''who is it. Bentadge?"
Mr.. Barclay, madam
her impulse was to run to the great
hal stair and call down to Tommy.
But she hesitated. Then her eye
r0Tyed once more; and she caug hit
Tel him." she said, that 1 am not
mt home NV
Tommy. sure Of his welcome. had
Seen told that Miss Blackstone was al
home. and had leisurely followed the
footman upstairs to the door of the
little sitting room.
When he heard her say cody, even
coldlX.. Tell him that I am not at
home hone. he felt as If he had been
anger seized hun. For she had prom
1sed that she would be at home on that
particular afternoon. and now here she
was saying that she wasn't.
,o',S Oi course, there was nothing that he
course. he did these things.
drew long breath.
I'll get out of this damned city"
me for anything she'll find that I'm
the one that's not at home"
Like many other rich men. Barclay
owned a hunting preserve in the Adj
But the nve granite mountains sur
rounded by dense forests thickly
eprinkled with lakes was one Of Tom
my's favorite stamping grounds. 1t
wash So iHuSu tHdl ne enjoyed KILL
ing. animals or seeing how many Ash
he could catch as that once in a while
he liked to be alone. and to keep alive
and comfortable by his own exertions.
One dirt road led from the railroad
station at Four Corners to the main
camp at the head Of the biggest lake,
but otherwise the region boasted only
make your way from one landmark to
another as best you could. And either
you had to take plenty Of condensed
food In tins or trust to your skill with
rod and rifle to keep you from going
hungry.
Tommy would leave the train at
Four Corners. hire a team, and get
himself put down somewhere along
the road leading to the main camp
He would then choose a direction al
most at random. walk until he was
tired. build low lean-to shelter, have
supper or not. according to luck.
make a workman-like fire 60 keep his
feet warm. curl up in his blanket and
pass luxurious night. Waking at
daylight, bruised. sore. cold. and for
some reason known only to those who
love the woods. perfectly happy and
His Nj on these trips consisted OF a
blanket, a frying pan. a kettle, a
change Of underclothes. a very light
.22-caliber rifle. a four-ounce rod. a
compass. a pipe. tobacco, and a few
and salt and pair of field glasses,
and an oxford book of verse.
One night few days after Mary
Blackstone had treated him so cav
alferly, Tommy camped on high
ground by the headwaters of a brook.
Just back of his shelter Of balsam
boughs a knob Of granite stood up
clear above the surrounding forest.
cause It was almost the exact center
Of the great ring, traced roughly by
the five mountains. and afforded glor-
ious views of them and Of the low
country. lakes. forest and swamp that
interviewed. 1t was Tommy's favorite
camping ground. He would sit for
hours on the top of the hub, his legs
hanging over into space gazing and
dreaming.
On the particular night In question
per of trout and ruffed grouse, filled
a pipe and watched the day fade ana
the stars come out. What he enjoyed
most was the sense of solitude: civil
able reach In any direction. but Tom
my did not feel as II it was. He felt
as II there wasn't another human
being within hundreds of miles. There
were men at the main camp. only
fifteen miles away, but he protested
that there weren't. and that he was
in the heart of vast unexplored
country which no other white man
naQ ever VISITED.
Presently the moon began to rise.
and that always made Tommy mourn
full and sentimental. If he had been
dog he would have thrown back his
head and howled. Being a young
man he sighed, and began to imagine
that he and she "a romantic edition
OF Mary Blackstone with better man
ners and less worldlness) had come
to this wilderness to escape from the
outside world and to make their home.
What fun 1t would be! How he would
work to make her happy and comfort
able! How easy 1t would be for them
to get along forever without anybody
else to bother them.
Just then his head fell forward on
his breast, and he dreamed that he
smelt boiling caulihower. II was a
smell to which he was particularly
sensitive. and which he particularly
hated He walked with an angry start.
and the smell persisted.
His offended nostrils quivered as the
nostrils of a wild animal culver at the
smell Of man. He was angry and dis
Rusted And his feelings for the people
who had not only invaded his solitude,
but had brought a caulihower, more
than one possibly, into the northern
woods, were not flt to print. His only
satisfaction was that In the morning
he would hunt them down and tell
them what he thought of them
But he had a bad night, and when
at last he did get TO sleep he slept so
heavily that daybreak didn't wake him.
BY the time he had washed and break-