The Dolores star., 1918-10-18

blame you for wanting to be where
their nasty tongues can't wound you"
But Hazel was obdurate. She would
not inflict herself on the one friend
she he'd left. And Kitty, after a short
ak. berated her affectionately for
aer independence and rose to so.
"For." said she, II didn't get hold Of
this thing till Addie Horton called at
the hstel this afternoon, and didn't
stop to think that II was near teatime,
but came straight here. Jimmie'll
think I've eloped. So ta-ta. I'll come
out tomorrow about two. I have to
confab with a house agent In the fore
noon. By-by.s
Hazel sat down and actually smiled
when Kitty was gone. Somehow a
grievous burden had fallen of her
mind. Likewise, by some psycholog-
ical quirk, the idea Of leaving Gran
Vile and making her home elsewhere
no longer struck her as running away
under fire. She felt that she could
adventure forth among strangers In
strange country with a better heart,
knowing that Kitty Brooks would put
swift quletus on any gossip that
came her way.
So that Hazel went down to the din
ing room light-heartedly, and when the
meal was finished came back and fell
to reading her papers. The first OF
the Western papers was Vancouver
World. In real-estate mans half
page she found a dlminutive sketch
plan of the city on the shores of Bur-
rard inlet, Canada's principal outpost
on the far Pacific.
ITS quite u big place." she mur-
INJURED absently. "One would be far
enough away there, goodness knows"
Then she turned to the Help
Wanted" advertisements. And down
near the bottom of the column she
happened on an inquiry for school
teacher, female preferred, in an out
of-the-way district in the interior of
the province.
"Now, that" Hazel thought.
She had second-class certificate
tucked away among her belongings
Originally 1t had been her intention to
teach, and she had done SO one term
in backwoods school when she was
eighteen. With the ending Of the term
she had returned to Granville, studied
that winter, and got her second GER
tiflcate; but at the same time she had
taken buslness-college course, and
the following June found her clack-
ing a typewriter at nine dollars
week. And her teachers diploma had
remained In the bottom of her trunk
ever since.
Unaccountably, since Kitty Brooks
visit, she found herself itching to turn
her back on Granville and Its unpleas-
ant associations. She did not attempt
to analyze the feeling. Strange lands,
and most of all, the West, held alluring
promise. One thing was certain: ::
Granville. for all she had been born
there. and grown to womanhood there.
was now no place for her. The very
people who knew her best would make
her suffcr most.
She spent that evening going thor
oughly over the papers and writing
letters to various school boards. taking
chance at one or two she found In
the Manitoba paper. but centering her
hopes on the country west Of the
Rockies. Her savings in the bank
amounted to three hundred odd dol
lars. and cash in hand brought the
sum to totnl of three hundred and
sixty-five. At any rate, she had suffi-
cient to insure her living for quite
long time. And she went to bed
feeling better than she had felt for
two weeks.
Very shortly hereafter-almost. 1t
seemed, by return mail-Hazel got re-
piles to her letters of inquiry. The
fact that each and every one seemed
bent on securing her services aston
ished her.
But the reply from Cariboo Mead
ows, B. c., the first place she had
thought Of. decided her. The member
Of the school board who replied held
forth the natural beauty Of the coun-
try as much us he did the advantages
of the position. The thing that per-
haps made the strongest appeal to Ha-
eel was little kodak pint inclosed
in the letter. showing the schoolhouse.
The building itself was primitive
enough, Of logs, with a pole-and- sod
roof. But 1t wes the huge back
ground. the timbered mountains rising
to snowclad heights against a cloud
less sky, that attracted her.
She sat fer long time looking at
the picture, thinking. Here was the
concrete. visible presentment of some
thing that drew her strongly. She
found an atlas. and looked up Carl
boo Meadows on the map. It was not
to be found, and Hazel judged 1t to be
n purely local name. But the letter
told her that she would have to stage
1t hundred and sixty-f1ve miles north
from Ashcroft, B. c., where the writer
would meet her and drive her to the
Meadows.
"What countryw she whispered.
ITS wild; really. truly wild; and ev-
erythlng I've ever seen has been