The Wrangell sentinel., 1917-05-03
Lost on the Mountain Side
By ETHEL HOLMES

"Yes; 1 reckon got one for yon. Susie" said the man, looking over A bundle of letters he carried in his hand Not finding 1t, he dived down into his bag and pulled out its contents. which he examined carefully
 Well, now. that knocks me out" he said, with troubled and puzzIe,i ex- pression on his face. When l sorted the letters tor my route at the post office sure saw,One for you'
 And it's gone?' cried the girl in frightened tone
 "Wait Til, Hook 'em over again."
 He examined every letter again and with the same result as before. He scratched his head in thought
 II stopped at the tavern ffor some thing 70 warm me and threw my bag down on Chair."
 "Oh. Sam! Was there any one in sthe room with you."
 Let me see. There was lean. hun :gry looking man in spectacies'-
 And ated beard!"
 "'Pears ito .me he had red beard" The girl turned and ran away from | tue post NhO lOliOWeu IlCE WILL his eyes till she was out of sight.
 Susie Barker. the girl in question. ran till she came to the tavern. There she stopped and asked the landlord which way the man with a red beard had gone. He had departed immediate. ely after the lostman had gone in the direction Of the 'Cumberlanil lplatean. h,, of, ift I,.t ,l tant. Susie set out at fl run. but she could not keep such pace and soon settled into a hurried walk A short distance from the foothills she saw the ,man she was after ascending the hill She knew ,tEc trails leading up to the l plateau and struck Into one that was shorterit than that the man was taking She had mot gone far before ,the two paths crossed. Sitting down on ,stolfe. she waited for him to come to iber
 "Howdy." she said to the stranger when he came up.
 "Howdy." replied the man scrutiniz- ing the girl "Y're mot 'ost. are y?"
 "Well dunno. I come up hyer to
 
 purty nigh this place. but 1 don't find .her somehow. I iainit used to these ,mountings. l,never, come up this way
 She looked exhausted and troubled :She was very plainly dressed. but was rather comedy for a irOiish country girl
 "Is there anythineI can,do for you?" ,he asked
 | 1,f, ,the track to find my friend T. m lookin for. But .mebbe you're stranger in these parts yerself."
 The man looked uneasy He had good reason to shake the girl, but did mot exactly know how to go about it. You're right there. l don't see how l can help you. since I'm not familiar with the country ,about here"
 The girl looked about her with ltrou ,bled glances. The man started to go on.
 Yer mot goin' to leave pore gal out hyer on this lonely hillside.s air "" she said, looking at him reproach sfully.
 "! don't see how Lean help it" said ,the man. ''I don't know where yon .Walt to go. and I've got to get .on my self.''
 ID y mind my goin' on with y'!?" she asked pitifully.
 Well, don't see how can do that, was the reply, "seein' that I'll have to walk great deal faster than you can" :. -'"Try me"
 'lThe man looked perplexed He couldn't very wellIleave.a girl who Was ilOst .On the mountain side. and in the business in which he was engaged she would be an obstacle ito him. Indeed. he could not very well accomplish it without getting rid of her.
 ''I haven't time to bother with you" he said .crabbedly. "An you got to do is to go down the mountain and you'll find plenty of persons ito tell you bow to get hOmc."
 With that he started on, but. hearing a sob. turned and saw the girl with her ihands to her face. shaking convul ,sively.
 There Is no weapon so powerful as 6 .woman's tears. The man turned and '"Sht uuCh to the Siii. Iic uiu uol Set away from her for an hour. First he ,spent good deal of time soothing her. Then she told hhn that she bad -sprained her alikle and could not walk Finally footsteps Wese lheard coming from above. and a young man ap- lpeared on the trail He started on.see- tug the girl and ,the man.
 Fl reckon" said the girl ito the man with the red beard. that this feller will take me down. Much obleeged to you all the same"
 The man addressed looked the other over and without a word started up the trail. The two watched .tm till he was out of sight. then the girl threw her arm around the newcomer.
 He's got the letter you wrote me. reckOned it had the way ito find you laid down purty clear, hadn't it?'