Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-03-07

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the bank of the river at the mouth Of
the canon. A ten-dollar bill made
them possessors of another canoe, and
an hour later the roofs of HaZelton
cropped up above the bank.
ooh, Bill" Hazel called from the
bow. "Look There's the same old
steamer tied to the same old bank.
We've been gone a year, and yet the
world hasn't changed mite. Won
der if Hazelton has taken Rip van
Wrinkle sleep all this timer"
"No fear,p he smiled. 81 can see
some new houses-quite few, in fact.
And look-by Jimmy! They're work
ing on the grade. That railroad re-
member?"
He drove the canoe alongside float.
A few loungers viewed them with
frank curiosity. Bill set out the treas
ure sack and the bale of furs, and tied
the canoe.
"a new hotel, by Jove" he re-
marked, when upon gaining the level
of the town a new two-story building
blazoned with huge sign ITS rune
ton as a hosiery. Getting quite
metropolitan in this neck OF the WOODS.
Say, little person, do you think you
can relish a square meal? Planked
steak and lobster salad-huh? / won
der If they could rustic salad in this
mans town? Say, do you know I'm
just beginning to find out how hungry
I am for the f1esh-pots. Aren't you,
hon?
She was; frankly so. For long,
monotonous months she had been
struggling against just such cravings,
impossible of realization, and there
fore all the more tantalizing. She had
been a year in the wilderness, and
the wilderness had not only lost its
glamor, but had become a thing to
flee from. She bestowed a glad pres
sure on her husbands arm as they
walked up the street, Bill carrying the
sack of gold perched carelessly on one
shoulder.
"Say, their enterprise has gone the
length of establishing branch bank
here, I see."
He called her attention to square
footed edifice, its new-boarded walls
as yet guiltless of paint, except where
row of black letters set forth that
it was the Bank of British North
America.
That's a good place to stow this
bullion" he remarked. II want to get
it off my hands,"
So to the bank they bent their steps.
A solemn, horse-faced Englishman
weighed the gold, and issued Bill re-
ceipt, expressing a polite regret that
lack of facility to determine its fine
ness prevented him from converting 1t
into cash.
'That means trip to Vancouver"
Bill remarked outside. swell, we can
stand that"
From the bank they went to the
hotel, registered, and were shown to
a room. For the first time since the
summit of the Klappan Range, where
her tiny hand glass had suffered dis
aster, Hazel was permitted clear
view of herself in a mirror.
I'm a perfect fright! !" she mourned.
"Huh" Bill grunted. you're all
right. Look at me-"
The trail had dealt hardly with both,
in the matter of their personal appear
ance. Tanned to an abiding brown,
they were, and HazePs one-time
smooth face was spotted with fly bites
and marked with certain scratches
suffered in the brush as they skirted
the Kispiox. Her hair had lost its
sleek, glossy smoothness of arrange
ment. Her hands were Redeemed and
rough. But chiefly she was concerned
with the sad state of ner apparel. She
had come a matter of four hundred
miles in the clothes on her back-and
they bore unequivocal evidence of the
journey.
"I'r1 a perfect fright" she repeated
pettishly. "One's manners, morals,
clothing, and complexion all suffer
from too close contact with your be-
loved North, Bill"
"Thanks - he returned shortly. 81
suppose I'm perfect fright, too. Long
hair, whiskers, grimy, ealloused hands,
and all the rest of it. A shave and a
hair cut, a bath and a new suit of
clothes will remedy that. But I'll be
the same personality in every essential
quality that was when I sweated
over the Klappan with a hundred
pounds on my back"
81 hope So" she retorted. ST don't
require the shave, thank goodness, but
I certainly need a bath-and clothes.
I wish l had theNgray suit that's prob
ably getting all moldy and moth-eaten
at the Pine River cabin. I wonder if
I can get anything fit to wear here2'
women live here" Bill returned
quietly, land 1 suppose the stores sup
ply 'em with buds, Unlimber that
bank roll of yours, and do some shop
ping"
She sat On the edge of the bed, re-
garding her reflection in the mirror
with eX rene disfavor. Bill fingered
his Thu; stubble of a beard for a