Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1919-12-31
A CALL ANSWERED
ey MARY w. FoRD

80 ~ OH16 SNJvI s.sus. Ky
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(@ 1919. by Mcclure Newspaper ? 4dicate.)
.Now' this Is peculiar. thought
Gladys Dorman. Il have travelled over
this very trail year after year, and
now am at a loss as to how to pro
coed from here.'
Jack Dorman and his daughter had
been coming up to the mountains Tor
some years now, and 1t was trip that
they both looked forward to very much.
Gladys was only twenty, but q born
mountain climber, golf and tennis play
er. Healthy outdoor sports always ap.
pealed to her, and to hike over the
mountaiRs was her chief hobby. To
day she had insisted upon going alone.
telling her father that she wanted to
do some exploring herself before the
season was over, to which he consent
ed rather reluctantly.
After hiking for some hours heavy
mountain fog set In, and the entire
mountainside was enveloped In a dark
and threatening cloud. It was useless
for one to proceed until It passed over
Z and. as a rule, 1t would last but q few
minutes. But today It heightened into
an hour.
Sitting on huge rock, Gladys sal
there looking 1t the heavy mist. won
dering when the cloud would leave thii
side Of the mountain. when suddenly
out OF the mist a voice spoke.
Hello, what have hereT ex
claimed the invisible one, which sound
cd very much like a masculine voice Z
Gladys. "Well. / declare It Il q boot 7
and 4 hearty laugh could be heard neal
Gladys, but the fog was 80 dense sh'
could not see who It was. Then some
one gave Gladys boot vigorous pull
and for o moment she thought she wal
going to slide on the rick.
swell, whoever you sre-kindly stol
pulling 1t my boot" cried Gladys i'm
patiently. Now she wished with o.
her heart she had let her fathsf or on
Of the party It The hotel acccmpan,
her. M
Thunder and Msrsi. exclaimed tn
masculine voice again. ''It.s siri'i
boot I was pulling At. ana again thai
hearty laugh ring out echoing down
the mouptaInsldS. At that moment TIL
eload disappeared and the sun VA
/ struggling 20 come out from behind
abothsr cloud. ana finally succesded
Thsn Giadys> looked down and almost
Ct Asr fset was Z young man looking
~ ct hef In IN amused sort Of Z WY
which ct the time provoked her. and
still DO continued staring. Z smile play
ing around his lips, but not word
could ~ inter.
"Pleass don't stare It me n that
fashion-yo look - though you werl
. hungry bear and wanted to eat me-
and Gladys SMILED In spite o. herself
Il WAS surely amusing. she
thought and 1t that moment she made
. movement ~ though shout to rise,
when the young man jumped mp u
most Instantly and exclaimed: .Oh, ]
say. please don't go..r IN Z pleading
voice. "And do want to apologize,
and again he smiled pleasantly, bit 4
questioning look was In h.s eyes, md
bis one thought was: Would s1be
stay-,: only for I few minutes"
..Weil. Nr. Nan. keeling that you hsye
recovered your voice and that you are
not going 70, eat me up after all. TN
Gtay TOR . few minutes" Then. as
though ! second thought presented II
self: I'm almost starving for some
thing to eat-whst say you!"
essay. I'm % hungry, little girl. !
could almost eat you right now" be
cried eagerly.
"very well then. it's high time for
me to be going, when you want to eat
me up-but I simply have to eat. and
that's all there Is to It. so please don't
eat me up yet" she smiled.
Gladys spread a hearty lunch on the
rock, and while munching away at the
delicious. sandwiches that she herself
had prepared, they talked and laughed
between mouthfuls. and soon she
learned from him that he. too. like
herself. visited the mountains every
year, and that he was Fred Anderson,
e former well-known coach at Mount
ford. and very good friend Of her ia.
theirs. It seemed strange to them both
that they had never met. but It was due
to the fact that they both We're away
at school during the fall. and immedi-
ately when vacation time set In they
both left the city. She also learned
that he had just been discharged from
the service.
When they arrived at the hotel, Mr..
Anderson's eyes nearly stuck out Of his
head with surprise. Well, Of all
things, Ted; when did you get backT
"Got discharged about two months
ago. and then beat 1t for the noun
tains," and at the same time they both
shook hands heartily.
Ted was stopping at mountain hut.
some distance away, but he decided
that 1t was very necessary that he
should stay at the same hotel as the
Dormans, and needless to say that
Gladys and he developed strong
friendship. which later rpened into
love.
At sunset one evening shortly before
It was time to return to the city, they
were sitting on the veranda Of the