The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-02
EVENING STORY
On Picket Duty.
BY IzoLA FORESTER.


all day long at the little village that
lay on the east side of Mount Agonac.
She knew there could be no mistake.
Lois had written the directions down
for her painstakingly that last day in
Washington.
Don't stop over in New York.
Change at Grand Central for Adiron-
dack express. Take shuttle from
Pennsylvania to Grand Central. Run
no risks at all of getting mixed. Go
to Eltinge Falls. Wait in Haddon's
Inn for John and myself. Will arrive
on 2.19."
1t was SO typical of Lois to treat
enteen. Just as tho she might have
strayed along the way. She sat on
the upper porch of the old wooden
hotel staring rebelliously off at the
wonderful panorama below her.a
slim, medium sized girl in dark blue
travelling suit that only accentuated
the bright red gold of her hair.
Two trains from the south came and
went with no sign of her sister or
John Finally she went down IN the
cool, quiet dining room and ate lone
Iy dinner. She didn't know where to
wire them. They were to have left
Washington directly after she did, stop
over an hour in Philadelphia to see
Johns people, and come straight
on up.
AS she stared anxiously down at her
dessert of apple pie and whipped
cream. the plump boy from the office
laid telegram beside her. II was
from Lois. She tore it open thankful
ly, and gasped.
Absolutely impossible to leave to-
night Petsie has measles. Go to
lodge until we come. Get Mrs. Dupre.
LOIS
Petsie, That was John. Jr., aged
four years, the ruler of an absolute
monarchy. And measles meant at least
four weeks. Nancy set her lips firmly
and frowned at the apple pie. All her
vacation plans gone TO smash be.
cause Petsie had caught the measles
somehow at the very last minute. He
had been fretfui and cross for several
days, and a little feyerish, but Lois
had said it was just the heat in Wash
ington. He would be all right as soon
as they got to the mountains. And
now Nancy was doomed to spend four
weeks in this place. The boy lin
gered at the door talking to the head
waitress. She smiled at him inYit-
ingly, and he came back.
Did he know any person in the
neighborhcod named Mrs. Dupre? He
grinned at her reassuringly- Sure he
did. He was Joe Dupre himself. His
mother helped cook at the hotel in the
rush time. Other times she cooked in
camps. Nancy finished her pie in
peace, and after dinner Joe took her
out around the old tagged walk of
the hotel garden to find his mother.
She was e little, neat, dark-skinned
French and Indian woman, with big.
sombre dark eyes, and a smile like
Joe's. And she understood perfectly
Nancy's plight. 1t was nothing, she
assured her. They would go up to the
camp in the morning and take Joe
water and make trips back for mail
and groceries.
rs there anybody at all living near
us?" asked Nancy. John had men
toned bears casually, she remembered
suddenly.
"only Andre Mandego. He is Mr.
HOLSTERS guide. YER good guide. No
bother u.s."
Thus treasured Nancy had taken
possession of the lodge to wait on.
Petsie's spell of 1neasles. 1t wasn't
half as bad as she had imagined. The
lodge overlooked a beautiful mountain
lake. There was a huge fireplace on
the wide porch. and in the living room
low bookcases built in everywhere
filled with books that John had had
sent up for their vacation.
But the lake lured her Joe found
an old boat that had done duty in past
summers, and tried to patch it up for
her, but still it leaked somewhat. She
learned how to paddle as well as row,
and liked Joe's canoe better than the.
old tug. as she named the rowboat.
And the third week, as she padded
cautiously around close inshore, she
discovered the rising smoke from an
other campfire. Doubtless it came
and padded on without curiosity.
After all. doing picket duty wasn't so
bad. She rather enjoyed the respon-
sibility.
And suddenly she heard a peculiar
sound in the water behind her, a
heavy swish and deep breathing. Just
one glance back at the dark shaggy
head lifting from the water, and
Nancy would have tainted if it had NOT
been for some good old pioneer strain
far back that held her steady. But it
was bear and a large one, and pad
ding steadily in the wake of the
canoe. She couldn't swim at all, and
the distance to shore seemed a mile,
when it was barely a stones throw.
trying to keep her nerve and strength.
she padded faster, faster. but the
bear gained on her. and all at once
her paddle struck sunken tree,
caught and snapped in half.
Don't jump. Keep quiet!'
The voice came from the shore. but
Nancy had covered her face with her
hands. 1t was a tragic moment, and
yet for the life OF her she couldn't
keep out of her head a crazy little
rhyme the girls had said at school:
"Algy met a bear.
And the bear was bulgy.
And the bulge was Algy."
There came the crack of rifle and a
laundering in the water behind her;
then canoe slipped out from shore
and man sent a second shot into the
pear. killing it. Nancy looked up, her
hands still on her face. He was white
and young, and very good looking.
And the worst of it was he didn't APP
pear one bit concerned over her. He
was too busy throwing a rope over
the bear to tow it in behind him.
Wonder if he'll swamp me-" he
laughed. Some bear, isn't he? You
were corking, the way you led him in
for me-"