The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-05-25
Eoenir1g Story
The Girl Who Didn't Mind Rain.
BY H. LOUIS RAYBoLD.

l..
Flat on his back on his patent camp
cot, his pipe discharging smoke whirls
up into the tent peak, lay Stephen
Armitage and cursed his luck in pick
ing out the one wet spell of the sea-
son for camping expedition in the
Algonquin.
And where the deuce was his guide,
the taciturn John. who had gone in
the motor boat to the tiny supply sta
ton twelve miles away for mail and
provisions? For a moment he pom
dered the mystery enveloping that
odd, middle-aged man who, when he
spoke at all, spoke excellent English,
quite unlike the usual patois of the
half-breed or Canuck, and who
smoked necessarily an imported mix
ture quite the equal of his own ex-
pensive brand.
Then his thoughts reverted to more
personal matters, the refusal of Elaine
to marry him and his consequent
broken heart" For years he had
known Elaine to be pre-eminently
fair to look upon. Now he was aware
that she was likewise cannily mer-
cenary. For in response to his pro-
posal she had told him, calmly judi
cial, that she liked him very much
personally, but that his $4,000 a year
salary and prospects on the death
of a remarkably hale uncle were not
sufficient to support her in the style
to which she was accustomed-a style
entailing a maid a motor and I'M
LIMITED checking account.
AS he took out his tobacco pouch
to refill his pipe, a slight sound caught
his attention. sound which was not
the expected chug-chug of the return
ing boat. Lifting the tent flap, he
peered out on the sodden world.
Who in time was now pulling out
canoe on the beach? He hadn't sup
hun
this side of the supply station. And
it was a girl-a slim, straight girl in
rubber raincoat and hate, with a steel
fishing-rod in her hand.
Stephen slipped on his macintosh
and strobe forth.
The girl was the first to speak ST
didn't know there was any one on the
island. 1 saw the motor boat was
gone and supposed everybody away"
At the moment, it didn't occur to
there was a motor boat. He was en-
gagged in thinking how singularly at
tractive the girl was, with an air of
boyishness and at the same time of
femininity evidenced by the wistful-
ness in her soft brown eyes and the
curling locks of hair which strayed
from the confines of her rubber hat.
My queer duck of guide is away"
he said, but I stayed home, not ham
kering for a three-hour ride hunched
up III the COCKPIT Oh an open iduHCH.
At his first words the girl threw him
an odd look. why do you call him
a queer duck?'" she said with SIM
pie directness which somehow fitted
her personality as he conceived it.
Hes all of that" returned Stephen.
Never talks-spends all his spare
time smoking and staring thru the
trees. What's more, he's quite as well
educated as I am
Most people up here know his
story said the girl, who was search
ing for particular fly. Years ago
he came up here with his wife, who
was sick. to see if she would be helped
by the climate. There was a child
dered away. He hunted day and night
for a week. On his return from fol-
lowing a wrong clew he found her
dead from exhaustion, a little way
from their cabin. which she had al
most reached. 1t affected his mind.
they say. Anyway. he never went
home-seemed unable to leave the re-
gion. After a number of years he got
to be in great demand as a guide"
'And the child?" asked Stephen.
''Why-I believe the child was sent
to some relatives in Montreal to be
educated" The girl spoke absent
tragedy of the story. was silent for
moment.
At last, my name Stephen Armi-
tage" he said, MAY ask"
Shirley Cavendish,'' returned the
girl simply. "And I think I must go
back
At that moment down the lake
sounded the returning boat Hastily
the girl disjointed her rod and turned