, 1919-10-16
Perfumed Epistles
i.
By R. RAY BAKER
Copyright. 1919. by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)

ali lhltI. IIt IL Lol lllil
vas all.
While the rest of the surveying
crowd that was measuring the Low
Ridge range for the coming of the rail-
road spent its spare time in receiving
| perfumed mail and answering ii Big
Bruce sought solace in nicotine in the
seclusion of his bunk or roamed the
wilds of Wilderness woods II COM
muned with nature.
Go to it, boys" was his advice.
Some day you'll learn better. Wom-
en- are all right as parlor decorations
inc to consume surplus cash in candy
and clothes, but as for newell, I'm
going to buy myself n farm some day,
where l can have horses, dogs and
cows and chickens. They're of some
use in the world, and they don't 90
back on you when you're down and
out"
Naturally, the others resented
these outbursts. They defended the
fair sex %valiantly, and by sheer num-
bers forced Big Bruce to desist from
his oral attacks.
"All right, I'll keep still in the flu
ture," he growled 'but you can't pre-
vent a fellow thinking; and while
you're fooling your time away with
pens and ink you can let your minds
dwell on the fact that 1 consider you're
all COMPOUNDED idiots"
Sunday was Il day of rest i'm the
woods as well rs the places where
civilization reigned. and also it was a
day when a great deal of letter writ
ing was accomplished in Loves
Lodge" which Big Bruce s~arcastical-
ly christened the shanty where the
surveyors were making their head
quarters.
On one OF these Sundays Bruce set
out on i hike which he called a
relief expedition"
I'm going to get relief from the
perfumed air of this shack" he an
nounced as he look an old walking
stick he had carved from a tree
branch, a package of sandwiches and
n sanitary cup. Here's hoping you
all get married and settle down to
blissful cOntentment-no excitement,
no pleasure, no nothing" and he strobe
disdainfully from the shack into the
woods.
1t was not a case Of envy with Big
Bruce. He could have been admired
by many girls had he chosen, for he
was a good, healthy, handsome. speci-
men who looked well either in ball
room or backwoods. However, Big
Bruce had not met the right sort of
women.
HI n,nthnr sltAl .-1,A- H.
dler, and when he grew up his fathers
financial standing threw him in with a
lot of society buds Who had no mis-
sion in life other than to look beauti-
full, sip iced drinks and play bridge.
No, women held no interest for him.
They were to him. as he had said,
mere ornaments or playthings and not
to be given consideration in a serious,
busy world.
Big Bruce drew his lungs full of
pure air as he swung along the ridge,
heading for Lake Crescent, where he
knew ii fiat-bOttomed rowboat was
drawn up on shore. 1t was well along
in summer and vegetation was in full
bloom. with birds chirping in the trees
and insects buzzing merrily-and some
of them singing just as merrily.
Bruce expelled clouds of pungent
tobacco smoke drawn from a vener-
able pipe, and hummed a tune. He
vas enjoying himself immensely.
Getting into the rowboat. he pro-
pelled it across the lake, which was
about two miles wide and five miles
long. A stiff breeze ruf1ed the water
into choppy waves, but Big Bruce's
strong arms drove the scow through
them without noticing the resistance.
Arriving on the other side he drew the
craft up on shore and continued his
wanderings.
Suddenly. while walking along en-
joying the solitude of the woods and
thinking of his foolish friends back
In Lovers Lodge" he felt a sharp,
piercing pain in his right side. At the
same instant the report of a rifle
echoed through the forest. Big Bruce
tumbled in a heap on the ground and
almost lost consciousness.
For moments that seemed like hours
the young man lay there helpless, the
pain growing more intense all the
while. With IN effort he reached his
left hand to the wound and withdrew
II covered with blood. He felt nau-
seated and black dots swan before
his eyes.
Realizing II would not do to lie
there and allow his strength to ebb.
he forced himself to crawl along the
path IN which he had been walking.
II seemed that he had crawled at least
three miles, stopping frequently to re-
gain strength. when he came into a
clearing, In which some one was cook
Ing over a fire.
With the knowledge that help was
at hand, Big Bruce drifted into uncon-
seriousness. When his eyes opened
some time later, he looked up into a