The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1920-04-07
A WILDERNESS
AND THOU
By JESSIE DOUGLAS

(G. 1920. by Mcclure Newspaper syndicatsD
Alice Disbrow looked down at the
girl who sat on the railing Of the
rude camp.
isn't 1t funny that should find
you here?" she asked in her high-fluted
voice. How have you ever stood this
wilderness?
u think It's funnier to see you here"
the 81 on the railing answered.
She looked at Alice with an honest
admiration. Alice was in all things
her opposite. She was slender and
delicate and fair; she had the look
OF wild-fower in her pale blue frock
and the wide hat with its Icing velvet
streamers. Under the hat. Agatha
Holmes saw the eyes that looked like
forget-me-nots. with the penciled bt ows
above them, the white skin, the scar
let OF lips that was not quite natural.
That was why Alice Dsbrcw seemed
so out Of place here, she decided. She
was no more an accompaniment to
camp life than an orchid. Her fraiI
dress, her high-heeled suede slippers
were not made to tramp these woods.
Agatha looked down at her own high.
rough boots, at her tweed skirt. her
brown hands. with sudden distaste.
For one instant she longed for all the
artificialities that made the other girl
so charming. But they would not
have suited Agatha; she was too sim
pie. too sincere, to resort to subter-
fuge to cover her lack of prcttiness.
Besides. she thought ruefully. moth
Ing could make her pretty. Her fine.
strong white teeth, and her eyes. large
and gray and honest. were her only
good features.
Il like the Wilderness" Agatha said
simply. I'd been working so hard that
just to get away and smell the breath
OF the forest and drive my canoe
across the lake has made my life worth
living again."
"Oh my dear, how do you stand
working? l never could. There are
so many nice things to do. when there
are men. dancing and flirting and"
she Knocked the other girl out of the
corner of her blue eyes
"Then ] shouldn't think you would
want to come up here!" Agatha said
honestly. you'll hardly see a man
all season. unless you mean the guides
or the men who only stop to get a meal
on the way with their camping out
fits"
Alice was silent. She studied the
other girl as possible adversary.
Then complacently she took out her
tiny vanity case and powdered her
nose in the very sight of the forest
aisles. Alice knew that Jere War
rem was coming up here: that was
why she had chosen to come. She had
wanted him to know all winter.
Wasn't he the most prominent of the
| young illustrators, and hadn't peO-
,Ie told her time and again that she
was just like the illustrations of his
prettiest girl?
Alice studied the watch on her white
wrist, and then she said: I'll leave
| you nOw'-and trailed into the camp.
| She had staged too many scenes to
miss the chance TO play this one ar
| tistically.
So 1t was Agatha Holmes, who, still
sitting on the railing of the camp. met
the dark eyes Of a stranger as he came
| up the trail. His first look of surprise
| at seeing the girl in this wilde ness
changed to one Of pleasure when he
he met her friendly eyes.
"This is HUMPHREYS camp?" he
asked in pleasant deep voice.
II wonder II he Is expecting me. I
walked over from the stage and left
my duffle to come behind"
"Humphries is out catching Ash for
dinner now" Agatha smiled.
He stood beside her on the rough
veranda of the camp and listened to
the modulations of her voice. She
would be a very pleasant companion.
| he thought, to go tramping with. to
| hunt out the secrets of the forest
with.
Then Jere Warren turned to see an
other girl come singing through the
doorway. She lifted blue eyes of sur
prising innocence to his, and dimpled !:
"Oh. / didn't mean to intrude-"
"By jove. she's lovely!" the man
thought in his one swift glance.
Agatha Holmes introduced them
feeling awkward somehow. and as
though she were the intruder. when
she heard Alice say: "Oh. You are
Jere Warren. the illustrator? II you
knew how l admire your drawings!"
Jere Warren seemed 6attered at
the girls words: and Agatha blushed
holly, for she remembered the scrap
book she had at home with his illus
trations pasted in 1t But the words
she wanted to say would not come. and
she stood there feeling more an out
slider as she saw Jere Warren lose him
self In admiration Of the other girl.
Agatha stole away in few minutes.
II was Jere Warren who Insisted
that they three should dine at one
table together in the camp. which sep
arated them from the guides and trap
-. Nh.n