The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-08-20

them. Toward the farm she now bent
her steps.
The girls heart was at war with
her judgment and a sieepiess night
had not helped to reconcile the two
In the dewy freshness OF the fragrant
pines the heart pleaded, you're not
going to be happy without that man
But reason replied. Neither will you
be happy with any man who fritters
| his life away" Julia's sense of fair
| ness told her she must reach deci-
sion of some kind before she returned
to the hotel.
Julia found the Gardeners In trou-
| Bile. There was pile of six foot
I birch logs in the yard, potential fire
wood. But old Mr.. Gardner had
splinter in his right hand and it had
become infected; he couldn't handle
axe or saw. Mrs. Gardner hadn't the
necessary strength.
Their hired man had left the week
| before. Even during Reconstruction"
farm help was almost impossible to
get. The old man turned helplessly
| TO Julia in his perpleXity. She didn't
I Just happen--did she Ito know any
one he could get to saw the wood into
stove lengths?
And right there Julia Benton arr
rived at a decision. She would leave
the answering OF Downing's question
| to that woodpile-and abide by the
result "Why, I do happen to know of
1
haps he'd come this afternoon"
Choosing a roundabout way of re-
turn, Julia followed a sinuous woods
| path, som etimes leaving 1t for n de-
tour over a rocky ledge or down into
! ravine. And always as she went she
| left 4 trial OF arrows cut into the
| trunks OF trees with the sharp little
4 peck etknife that she, like every iex-
perienced. woodland tramper. never
went afiield without, or formed by
| laying twigs on the ground The first
one was twenty feet from the Gard
ners woodpile cn1 pointed straight at
its imposing bulk.
1t was a weary and somewhat di-
sheveied girl who cut the last arrow
in a birch at the beginning of the
| wood road. and then hurried on to
the hotel, gaining her room by n side
entrance. There Julia wrote a short
note and dispatched 1t by a bellboy.
| The boy. .glancing at the address.
made straight for the dining room.
! 1t was Mr.. Downings lunch hour. he
knew. Downing found the message 10
read; IF you really care to know my
answer look for an arrow cut into
birch at the beginning OF the wood
road. Follow the trail"
Leaving his half-hnished lunch. GIL
bert made bee line for the entrance
to the woods road, and as he picked
up the trail recalled. with amusement.
that he hadn't tried this stunt since
his school days.
Two hours later q bewilder ed young
| man stood staring at the Gardeners
woodpile. His immaculate white fiap-
| nelS had lost most of their pristi IL
freshness. So 1t wasn't to be wondered
at that near-s.ghted old Mr.. Gardner
took him for the promised wood
chopper.
Did Miss Benton send yc?" he
asked. she sure did; that is" but
he got no further for the old man
interrupted: You're a godsend. young
man. Mirandy's just put the last
stick on the fire, an she's cookin'
/ beans. I'll give ye forty cents an
hour. Seems powerful high. but that's
what they're a-chargin' nowadays"
Downing's gaze wandered from the
old man to the woodpile-and his
mind from Julia's answer. which must
| surely await him not far away-to
| the story Of the Good Samaritan And
the better impulse won out.
T. An hour later Julia's voice rang out
In greeting over an intervening pile OF
| stove lengths"
hopping a perspiring brow Gilbert
Downing Strengthened an aching back
| Don't you imagine young lady" he
began. protestingly, that I've quit the
| job you gave me. following that trail,
But the old lady's beans had the last
| stick OF wood under them and the old
boy took me for n woodchoppsr-so
what could 1 do? 1 just got held up.
But I'm going trail hunting again,
pretty quick. Unless you want to take
pity on me and tell me now"
And the girl, still standing on the
opposite side of the stove woodpile
said; II didn't know the answer till
just now myself, Gilbert. From now
| on, you blaze the TRAIL follow"
Copyright 1919. by the Mcclure Hews-
pepper. Syndicate.)