Connecticut western news., 1917-03-08
Lost on the
 Mountain Side
By ETHEL HOLMES

ing along road in Tennessee.
 Yes; l reckon I got one for you. Susie" said the man, looking over a bundle of letters he carried in his hand. Not finding it, 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 puzzled ex. pression on his face. When 1 sorted the letters for my route at the post office l sure saw one for you"
 And it's gone?" cried the girl in a frightened tone.
 Wait till look 'em over again."
 He examined every letter again and with the same result as before. He scratched his head in thought.
 "I stopped at the tavern for some thing to warm me and threw my bag down on chair"
 "Oh, Sam! Was there any one in the room with you?"
 Let me see. There was lean, hun. gry looking man in spectacles''-
 And red beard?"
 Pears to me he had red beard
 The girl turned and ran away from the postman, who followed her with 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 red bears had gone. He had departed immediate ly after the postman had gone in the .1 nF hn the base of which was but mile dis tant. Susie set out at q 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 t..2 trails leading up to the plateau and struck into one that was shorter than that the man was taking. She had not gone far before the two paths crossed. Sitting down on stone, she waited for him to come to her.
 "Howdy." she said to the stranger when he came up.
 "Howdy." replied the man, scrutiniz- ing the girl. "Y're not lost, are y'?'
 Well, I dunno. I come up hyer to find gal know, and I thort she lived purity nigh this place, but don't find her somehow. l ain't used to these mountings. never come up this way" She looked exhausted and troubled She was very plainly dressed, but was rather comedy for rough country girl
 ''Is there anything I can do for you?" he asked.
 'Nothin, unless you can put me on the track to find my friend I'm lookin' for. But mebbe you're a stranger in these parts yerself."
 The man looked uneasy. He had good reason to shake the girl, but did not exactly know how to go about 1t.
 You're right there. I don't see how I can help you, since I'm not familiar with the country about here"
 The girl looked about her with trou- bled glances The man started to go on.
 Yer not goin' to leave a pore gal out hyer on this lonely hillside, air VI" she said, looking at him reproach- fully.
 'I don't see how I can help it," said the man. "I don't know where you want to go, and I've got to get on my self"
 ''D' y mind my goin' on with y'T" 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-"
 The man looked perpleXed. He couldn't very well leave a girl who was lost on the mountain side, and in the business in which he was engaged she would be an obstacle to him. Indeed, he could not very we'll accomplish it without getting rid of her.
 "I haven't time to bother with you" he said crabbedly "Au you got to do Is to go down the mountain and you'll find plenty of persons to tell you how to get home."
 With that he started on, but, hearing a sob, turned and saw the girl with her hands to her face. shaking convul- sively.
 There is no weapon so powerful as
 
 went back to the girl. He did not get away from her for an hour. First he spent good deal of time soothing her. Then she told him that she had sprained her ankle and could not walk. Finally footsteps were heard coming from above, and a young man ap- peared on the trail. He started on see ing the girl and the man.
 'I reckon" said the girl to the man with the rcd beard, that this feller will take me down. Much obleeged to you all the same.'
 The man addressed looked the other over and without q word started up the trail. The two watched him till be was out of sight, then the girl threw her arm around the newcomer.
 1,n I