The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-03-22
A BLkZED TRAIL
BY DORA NOLAN.

''If for any reason you want to get
line en- mans true character. find
out how he treats his mother" Julia
couldn't remember where she had
heard the foregoing bit of wisdom:
neither could she see how il might be
brought to bear on the present diff
Guilty. Gilbert Downing had no moin-
er. To be sure. he treated Julia's with
perfect courtesy; but 50 he did every
woman; that was no criterion. Down
ing was lazy. Ana. arousin. herself
from her reverie. Jllia Eenion told
him so. fatty. The man was plainly
amused.
| NO. it's not because you're idlinc
| 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. | worked to
the limit of my strength last winter
| ana I 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 locked searchingly around
| the deserted veYanCa. Il don't see any
one looking my way just now to help
me disproye your assertion"
NO; you wouldn't see II if you STUN
bled over it," Julia exclaimed, suddenly
arising. Good night" And She started
toward tile hotel entrance.
when am l to Lave your answer,
dear!"
"Some time tomorrow, perhaps"
She vanished through the doorway.
Very early the next morning. before
the other guests We're astir. Julia start
ed out on tramp, taking a winding
wood road.
Two miles away. down this road,
lived an elderly couple whose farm
1 had often been the objective Of julius
| walks, ever since the day when she
had stopped there TO beg a drink
Il The girls heart was at war with her
/ judgment and sleepless night had
Il not helped to reconcile the two. In
the dewy freshness Of the fragrant
pines the heart pleaded: You're not
Z going to be happy without that man +"
= But reason replied: Neither viii you
Il be happy with any man who fritters
his life away" julius sense of fair
i ness told her she mist reach a decision
of some kind before she returned to the
lie hotel
= Julia found the Gardeners in trou-
BILE There was pile of six-foot birch
- logs in the yard, potential frewood.
!. But old Mr.. Gardner had a splinter in
his right hand and it had become in
t. fected; he couldn't handle AK or saw.
ur Mrs. Gardner hadn't the necessary
strength.
IS, Their hired man had left the week
q, before. Even during reconstruction
= farm help was almost impossible 10
I" get The old man turned helplessly &c
N Julia in his perplexity. She didn't just
mel happen-did she?-to know anyone he
til could get to saw the wood into stove
MS lengths?
y, And right there Julia Benton arrived
IN at a decision. She would leave the an
Swering of Downing's question TO tina
-es woodpile-and abide by the result
lie 'Nvhy, do happen TO know of a man,
AZ. she told Mr.. Gardner; perhaps he't
Of come this afternoon"
ed Choosing roundabout way of re
'uf turn, Julia followed a sinuous wood
"a path, sometimes leaving il for a de
tour over a rocky ledge or down int
q ravine. And always as she wen
, she left trail of arrows cut into tn
eli. trunks of trees with her sharp littl
AK pocket knife She hurried on to tn
ing hotel, gaining her room by side en-
trance. There Julia wrote short not
my and dispatched it by bellboy.
b;s The boy, glancing al the address
- made straight for the dining room.
ed. was Mr. Downing's lunch hour, h
ok knew Downing found the message
6 read: IF you really care to know n
ing answer look for an arrow cut into
birch at the beginning Of the WOO
road Follow tie trail
Leaving his half-fnished lunch, Gil
bert made Decline Cor The entranc
to the woods road. and as lie picked II
the trail recalled, with aHUsemcnt tia
he hadn't tried tbs stunt since hi
n, NJ schooldays.
= Two hours later n hewildereA youn
man stood staring NJ tie Gardner
woodpile. His immaculate white far
OTIS, nels hsd lost most of their pristin
freshness. SO it wasn't to he wondere
the at that near-sighted old Mr.. Gardne
took him for the promised woodchol
oels per.
~ did Miss Benton send ye?" j
asked. "She sure did; that is-S III
he got no further, for the old man ii
terrupted: you're gOdsend. your
man. Nfirandys just put the last site
amp on the fire. an she's cookin' beans. 1
!, give We forty cents an hour. Seen
the powerful high, but that's what they
80 a-chargin' nowadays"
An hour later Julia's voice rang q
in greeting over an intervening pI
oeks Of "stove lengths"
cen; hopping perspiring brow, Gilbe
the Downing Strengthened an aching bac