The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-04-20
North bf Fifty-Three"
By bertrand W. |]s,o,L -conv,rn, .v Little Brown o.

Stdii, size Teplleu cUluly, tuat
woald much prefer not to be
here"
He stood a moment regarding
her with his odd smile. Then he
went into the adjoining room. Out
OF this he presently emerged
dragging a small steamer trunk
He opened it. Hazel, looking over
her shoulder, saw that the trunk
was filled with woman's garments
and sat amazed.
Say, little person." Bill finally
remarked, 1T looks to me as if
you could outfit yourself com
pletely right here.
Il don't know that | care to
deck myself in another woman's
finery. thank you," Hazel returned
perversely.
You'll feel at lot better able to
cope with the situation" he told
her smilingly, when you get some
decent clothes on and your hair
fixed. That's a woman. And you
don't need to feel squeamish about
these things. This trunks got q
history, let me tell you. A bunch
OF simon-pure tenderfeet strayed
into the mountains west of here
early this summer. There were
two women in the bunch. The
younger one, who was about your
age and size, must have figured
on charming the bear and the
moose. Anyhow, she had along
that trunkful of stuff.
They got into a deuce of a
pickle finally, and had to abandon
a lot of their stuff, among other
things the steamer trunk. lent
them a hand and they left their
stuff with me. That's how you
come to have a wardrobe all ready
to your hand"
He dragged the trunk back into
the room, and came out CARRYING
a great armful of masculine be-
longings. Two such trips he made
piling all his things onto a chair
"There!" he said at last. That
end of the house belongs to you
little person. Now, get those wei
things off before you catch cold
Oh, wait a minute."
He disappeared into the kitchen
end of the house. and came back
with a wash-basin and a pail OF
water.
Your room is now ready
madam, an it please vou."s He
bowed with mock dignity and
went back into the kitchen.
There was nothing to do but
submit. Hazel closed the door
and busted herself with an in.
ventory of the tenderfoot iady's
trunk. In 1t she found every.
thing needful for complete change
and a variety of garments tc
boot.
Perhaps with a spice of malice
she put on few extra touches
before she went into the LIVING
room to the cheerful glow of the
fire.
Presently Bill came in with a
pair of candles, which he set on
the mantel above the fireplace
by Jove!" he said, looking al
her. You look good enough to
eat! I'm not a cannibal, how.
ever he continued hastily, when
Hazel flushed. She was not used
to such plain speaking. AND
The table was LII. Moreover
to her surprise-and yet not SC
greatly to her surprise, for she
was beginning to expect almost
anything from this paradoxica
young man-it was spread with
linen. and the cutlery was silver
the dishes china. In contradis.
tinction to the tinware of his
camp outfit.
After time, when her appe-
title was partially satisfied, she
took to glancing over his kitchen
There seemed to be some ad-
junct of a kitchen missing. A
fire burned on a hearth similar
to the one in the living room
Pots stood about the edge of the
fire. But there was no sign oil
stove.
Bill finished eating and re.
sorted to cigaret material, instead
of his pipe.
well, little person." he said al
last, what do you think of this
joint of mine, anyway"
I've just been wondering,
she replied. II don't see an.
stove, yet you have food her,
that looks as If 1t were baked
and biscuits that must have beer
cooked in an oven."
You see no stove for the COCO
and sufficient reason" he re
turned, that you can't pack {
stove on horse-and we're
3O0-odd miles from the end o.
any wagon road. With a Dutch
oven or two-that heavy, rount
iron thing to cook almost any,
thing you can cook onsa stove
Anybody can IL they knIws how
Besides, like things better thii
way. Ii l didn't, l suppose IL
have stove-and maybe a hot
water supply, and modern plumb
ing. "a
Maybe I'm a freak. Hut, bar.
ring the inevitable lonesOinenes.
that comes now and then, l car
be happier here than any place
I've ever struck yet. This coun
try grows on one." baaas
s'Xaa--or, onoia rnnr,ro. IIa..,