Martinsburg W Va evening journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1913-1920, 1918-01-11
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IN Bertrand " Sinclair
ogyyH 3 Lite aaou1ca III

GAN right. You just watch an ex-
hibition of speedy packing" Bill de-
clared-and straightway fell TO work.
Hazel followed him about, helping to
get the kyaks packed with food. They
caught the three horses, and Bill
stripped the pony Of Hazel's riding
gear and placed pack on him. Then
he put her saddle on silk.
"He's your private mount hence
FORTH Bill told her laughingly. you'll
ride him with more pleasure than you
did the first time, won't you?"
Presently they were ready to start
planning to ride past Limping Georges
camp and tell him whittier they we're
bound. Hazel was already mounted
Roaring Bill paused, with his toe II
The stirrup, and smiled whimsically al
her over his horses back
81 forgot something" said he, and
went back into the cabin--whence he
shortly emerged, bearing in his hana
sheet of paper upon which some.
thing was written id bold angular
characters. This he pinned on the
door. Hazel rode silk close to see
what it might be, and laughed amused
", for Bill had written:
"gTr. and Mrs. William Wagstaff viii
be at home to their friends on and
after June the twentieth"
He swung up into his saddle, and
they logged across the open. In the
edge OF the first timber they pulled
up and looked backward at the cabin
browsing silently under its sentinel
tree. Roaring Bill reached out one
arn and laid 1t across Hazel's shout
ders.
Little person." he said soberly,
there's the end of one trail, and the
beginning Of another--the longest trail
either Of us has ever faced. How does
it look to you?"
She caught his fingers with quick.
hard pressure.
"All trails look alike to me-" she
said. with shining eyes, sjust SO We
hit them together"
"What day of the month is this,
3ill?' Hazel asked.
Haven't the least idea," he an
swered lazily. "Time is of no conse-
quence to me at the present moment.
They were sitting on the warm eartls
before their cabin, their backs proppef
comfortably against a log, swatchine
tie sun sink behind a distant skylins
all Eotched with purple mountain
upon which snow still fingered. Besidl
them Il smudge drlbbled d wisp o.
smoke sufficient 10 ward Off pesti
lential swarm of mosquitoes and blacl
flies. In the clear, thin air of that
latitude the occasional voices Of what
bird and animal life was abroad in the
wild broke into the evening hush with
astonishing distinctness--a lone goose
winged above In wide circles, uttering
his harsh and solitary cry. He had
lost his mate, Bill told her. Far off in
the bush fox barked. The evening
light Of the wild ducks from Crooked
lake to chain Of swamps passed in
ermittently over the clearing with a
sihilant whistle of wings. To all the
wild things, no less than to the two
who watched and listened to the forest
traffic. it was d land Of peace and
plenty.
I'VE ought to go up to the swamps
tomorrow and rustic some duck eggs
Bill observed irrelevantly--his eyes fol
owing the arrow flight Of q mallard
| lock. But his wife was counting au-
libby. checking the days off on her
Fingers.
"This is July the twenty-fifth, Mr.
Roaring Bill Wagstaff," she announced
We've been married exactly one
month";
"A whole month";" he echoed. in
mock establishment. "You don't say
so? Seems like 1t was only day before
| yesterday, little person"
II WONDER" she Struggled up little
closer to him. ''if any two people were
ever as happy as we've been?"
| Bill put his arm across her shoulders
I and tilted her head back so that hi
Ieould smile down into her face.
| aThey have been bunch Of COLDER
days, haven't they?" he whispered
IsYou won't forget this joy time IL we
ever do hit real hard going, will you
Hazel?"
"The bird of Ill omen croaks again,
she reproved. "Why should we CONS
to hard going. as you call it7'
Eve shouldn't" he declared. "Bu
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