The Winslow mail., 1918-03-22
MOUNTAIN JOE
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BY LEON w. DEAR.
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II 1t was an exclusive bit of scenery
you wanted, an exceptionally fine trout
or a deer in season, Mountain House
Joe would see that you got it.
He was like any one of q hundred
other Adirondack guides-and differ.
ent. Just where the likeness left of
and the difference began 1t was hard
to tell. Whatever the reason, Noun
tain House Joe was considered the
most popular guide in the mountains.
One night in the rugged defiles Of
Indian pass he gave us the first real
peep beneath the crust. We were look
ing away over a score of darkening
mountain peaks to where Whiteface
reared it's lofty head, still strongly
etched against the northern sky.
"HoW sings Horace? ?-'mundi moles
operosa'-the toil-wright mass of the
world! I wonder what the old Roman
would say if he could look upon a
sight such as this?'
1t was Lieutenant Golden who spoke.
Joe, squatting on his heels by the
fire where he was preparing the eve
ming meal, turned his head abruptly.
eff he were modest he would say
that you had just given him credit for
what rightfully belongs to Ovid"
The temptation had proved too pro-
voking and our cook of many a merry
excursion had suddenly become
scholar of the classics. But straight.
way he was Mountain House Joe again
Of
could complete the metamorphosis.
"What the deuce is the matter with
the fellow?" whispered Charlie Os-
good after a series of inglorious at
tempts to inveigle him into conversa-
ton.
Despairing at length of story from
Joe, which we had come to anticipate
as a part of the regular evening pro-
gram, we turned back to the papers
which the ladies had brought with
them, now several days old.
1t was fall and the annual Yale.
Harvard football battle was only few
weeks distant. The papers were full
of it.
We were a Harvard crowd and felt
free to express our minds.
"All Brickley," said Dick Valentine,
turning the pages, "All Brickly and
Harvard"
1t was Mrs. Mabel who saved the
day. Mrs. Mabel was Dicks wife, but
that didn't happen to help Dick any
in this instance.
She laughed, and when Mrs. Mabel
laughs it is irresistible. "Well, guess
we clean forgot that Cambridge wasn't
the center Of the earth," she said.
"And it wasn't any farther back than
our own day when the Blue was treat
ing US as we are treating them. You
don't forget one Chase, do you. boys"
"Forget Joe Chase? I reckon not.
No Harvard man of our time Is likely
to do that. He beat us for two years
with poor eleven behind him. No.
we aren't forgetting Joe Chase"
"Well," continued Mrs. Mabel, II
think Dell knows ever a little more
about Yale and Joe Chase than the
rest of us. How about it?"
All eyes were turned inquiringly on
Dell.
"We were to have been married."
she said simply.
I saw Mrs. Mabel color to the ear
tips.
Dell alone was undisturbed.
''Father and mother had picked out
the man they wanted me to marry.
and it wasn't Joe Chase. He had more
money and therefore more social
standing than Joe. Father did the
only underhand thing I have ever
known him to do in his life and sorely
has he repented. He told Joe he
wasn't in our class. Joe had often
tried to tell me the same thing, but 1
wouldn't listen to him. He was proud
and dad must have used plain Ian
guage. Before could stop him he had
gone. You have seen Joe hit the line
when ten yards were needed for a
first down and you know it wasn't his
way to turn back. He meant to leave
me free and he has, for we have never
heard of him from the day he walked
out of dads office five years ago. Any
way, didn't marry the family's choice
they couldn't force me into that
and I only wish Joe knew that my
heart had been as strong as his and
that there was never any other but
himself"
The silence that followed Dell's
words sets me to fidgeting even yet
when 1 think of it. No one seemed
able to say anything. Charlie Os-
good attempted to cough; then seemed
Mortified at what he had done.
Dick tried valiantly to find a rally
ing point from which gently to move
our demoralized forces, for 1t was clear
that any sudden change of front might
startle Dell into regretting her con-
feSSion.
"Well," he said, "I'll wager even
money, ten to ten, that Harvard wins
two weeks from Saturday."