The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1920-04-03
A BLAzED TRAIL
BY DORA NOLAN.
.. $50. by MCCLURE Newspaper syndicate

helther could she see how it might be
brought to bear on the present diff.
Guilty. Gilbert Downing had 10 moth
err. To be sure, he treated Julia's with
perfect courtesy; but so he did every
woman that was no criterion. Down
ing was lazy. And, arOusing herself
from her reverie, Julia Benton told
him so, fatty. The man was plainly
amused.
mo, it's not because you're idIfng
this particular summer that | called
you lazy. It's because, to quote your
own words, you never did a stroke of
real work in your life, except the year
you were in the service. l worked to
the limit of my strength last winter
and / didn't take any one else's job,
either-nOt cent! There's always
plenty of that sort Of work in the world
staring one in the face"
Downing looked searchingly around
the deserted veranda. 81 don't see any
one looking my way just now to help
me diSprove your assertion"
mo; you wouldn't see it if you STUN
bled over it." Julia exclaimed. suddenly
arising. Good night" And she started
toward the hotel entrance.
when am l to have your answer,
dear?"
"Some time tomorrow, perhaps"
She vanished through the doorway.
Very early the next morning, before
the other guests were astir, Julia start
ed out on a tramp, taking winding
wood road.
Two miles away, down this road,
lived an elderly couple whose farm
had often been the objective of Juia's
walks, ever since the day when she
had stopped there to beg drink
The girls heart was at war with her
judgment and a sleepless 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 decision
Of some kind before she returned to the
hotel.
Julia found the Gardeners in trou-
BILE. There was pile of six-foot birch
logs in the yard, potential firewood.
But old Mr.. Gardner had a splinter in
his right hand and it had become in
fected; he couldn't handle Ak 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 just
happen-did she?-tO know anyone he.
could get to saw the wood into stove
lengths?
And right there Julia Benton arrived
at decision. She would leave the an
swering of Downing's question to that
woodpile-and abide by the result.
"Why, do happen to know Of a man."
she told Mr.. Gardner; perhaps he'd
come this afternoon"
Choosing a roundabout way Of re-
turn, Julia followed a sinuous woods
path, sometimes leaving it for de-
tour over a rocky ledge or down into
a ravine. And always as she went
she left trail of arrows cut into the
trunks of trees with her sharp little
pocket knife She hurried on to the
hotel, gaining her room by side en-
trance There Julia wrote short note
and dispatched it by bellboy.
The boy, glancing at the address,
made straight for the dining room. 1t
was Mr.. Downing's lunch hour, ne
knew. Downing found the message to
read: "If you really care to know my
answer look for an arrow cut into a
birch at the beginning of the wood
road. Follow the trail"
Leaving his half.finished lunch, Gil
bert made hee-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
schooldays.
Two hours later bewildered young
man stood staring at the Gardners'
woodpile. His immaculate white fan
nels had lost most Of their pristine
freshness. So it wasn't to be wondered
at that near-sighted old Mr.. Gardner
took him for the promised woodchOp'
per.
"Did Miss Benton send ye?" he
asked. "She sure did; that is" but
he got no further, for the old man in
terrupted: you're a godsend. young
man. Mirandy's Just put the last stick
on the fire, an she's c0okin' beans. I'll
give We forty cents an hour. Seems
powerful high, but that's what they're
a-chargin' nowadays"
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, shat 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 a woodchopper-sC
what could / do? ! just got held up
But I'm going trail hunting again
l.