The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1918-04-11

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 had left. And Kitty, after a short
talk, berated her affectionately for
her independence and rose to go.
"For," said she. 81 didn't get hold of
this thing till Addie Horton called at
the hetel this afternoon, and didn't
stop to think that II was near teatime,
but came straight here. Jimmie1l
think I've eloped. So ta-ta. I'll come
out tomorrow about two. I have to
confab with house agent In the fore
noon. By-by.'
Hazel sat down and actually smiled
when Kitty was gone. Somehow a
grievous burden had fallen or her
mind. Likewise, by some psychology
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 llght-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 a 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 a big place" she MUIR
INJURED absently. zone 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.
snow, that" Hazel thought.
She had second-class certificate
tucked away among her belongings
Originally it 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
tlficate; but at the same time she had
taken a business-college course, and
the following June found her clack
ing a typewriter at nine dollars q
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 allurint
promise. One thing was certain
Granville, for all she had been bOrr
there, and grown to womanhood there
was now no place for her. The very
people who knew her best would make
her suffer 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 IL
the Manitoba paper, but centering hel
hopes on the country west of thu
Rockies. Her savings in the banl
amounted to three hundred odd dol
lars, and cash In hand brought thu
sum to a total of three hundred ant
sixty-five. At any rate, she had suffi
cient to insure her living for quite
long time. And she went to be-
feeling better than she had felt 70
two weeks.
Very shortly observation-disclosures, /
seemed, by return mail-Hazel got re
plies to her letters of inquiry. Th'
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 haC
thought of. decided her. The membe
of the school board who replied hell
forth the natural beauty of the coun
try as much as he did the advantage
of the position. The thing that per
haps made the strongest appeal to Ha
eel was a little kodak print inclose'
In the letter, showing the schoolhouse
The building itself was prlmitiv,
enough, of logs, with pole-and-so'
roof. But 1t was the huge back
ground, the timbered mountains risini
to snowclad heights against a cloud
less sky, that attracted her.
She sat for long time looking a
the picture. thinking. Here was tn
concrete, visible presentment of some
thirsg that drew her strongly. Sh,
found an atlas, and looked up Carl
boo Meadows on the map. 1t was no
to be found, and Hazel judged 1t to b.
purely local name. But the lette
told her that she would have to stag
IL hundred and sixty-five miles nortl
from Ashcroft, b. c., where the write
would meet her and drive her to tn
Meadows.
"What a country she whispered
Its wild; really, truly wild; and ev
erything I've ever seen has beef
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