Graham guardian., 1920-11-12

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this very trail year after year, and
now am at loss as to how to pro-
ceed from here"
Jack Dorman and his daughter had
been coming up to the mountains for
! some years now, and it was a trip that
they both looked forward to very much.
Gladys was only twenty, but born
mountain climber, golf and tennis play
er. Healthy outdoor sports always ap.
| pealed to her. and to hike over the
mountains 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 a heavy
| mountain fog set In, and the entire
mountainside was enveloped in dark
and threatening cloud. 1t was useless
for one to proceed until 1t passed over,
and, as rule, il would last but few
minutes. But today 1t heightened into
| an hour.
Sitting on huge rock, Gladys sat
there looking at the heavy mist, Won
dering when the cloud would leave this
side of the mountain, when suddenly
out of the mist voice spoke.
Hello, what have / here| ex-
claimed the invisible one, which sound
ed very much like masculine voice to
Gladys. "Well, declare--it is boot !"
and hearty laugh could be heard near
Gladys, but the fog was so dense she
could not see who it was Then some
one gave Gladys boot vigorous pull,
and for moment she thought she was
going to slide off the rock.
well, whoever you are-kindly stop
pulling at my boot" cried Gladys i'm
patiently. Now she wished with all
her heart she had lei her father or one
of the party at the hotel accompany
her.
Thunder and Mars !" exclaimed the
masculine voice again. "It's a girls
boot l was pulling at" and again that
hearty laugh rang out, echoing down
the mountainslde. At that moment the
cloud disappeared and the sun was
struggling to come out from behind
another cloud, and finally succeeded
Then Gladys looked down and almost
at her feet was young man looking
up at her in an amused sort of way,
which at the time provoked her, and
still he continued staring smile play
Ing around his lips, but not word
could he utter.
"PleaSe don't stare at me In that
faShiOn-you look as though you were
a hungry bear and wanted to eat me" !"
and Gladys smiled in spite of herself.
1t was surely amusing, she
thought, and at that moment she made
q movement as though about to rise,
when the young man jumped up al
most instantly and exclaimed: "Oh,
say, please don't CO." In pleading
voice. "And | do want to apologize, +"
and again he smiled pleasantly, but a
questioning look was in his eyes, and
his one thought was: "Would she
stay-if only for a few minutes"
"Well, Mr.. Man, seeing that you have
recovered your voice and that you are
not going to eat me mp after all, I'll
stay for few minutes.". Then. as
though second thought presented it.
self: I'm almost starving for some
thing to eat--what say your"
"Say, I'm so hungry, little girl, I
could almost eat you right now," he
cried eagerly.
VERY well then, it's high time for
me to he going, when you want to eat
me up-but simply have to eat, ana
that's all there is to 1t, so please don't
eat me up yet" she smiled.
Gladys spread hearty lunch on the
rock. and while munchng away at the
delicious sandwiches that she herself
had prepared, they talked and laughed
between mouthfuls, and soon she
learned from him that he. roo, like
herself, visited the mountains every
year, and that he was Fred Anderson,
former well.known coach at Mount.
ford, and a very good friend of her fa.
ther's. It seemed strange to them both
that they had never met but II was due
to the fact that they both were 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 back?"
Got discharged about two months
ago, and then beat It for the noun.
talns," and at the same time they both
shook hands heartily.
Ted was stopping at mountain.hut,
some distance away, but he decided
that Il was very necessary that he
should stay at the same hotel as the
Dormans and needless to say that
Gladys and he developed n strong
friendship which later ripened into
love.
At sunset one evening shortly before
Il was time to return to the city, they
were sitting on the vernnda of the
hotel. when suddenly Ted exclaimed
"Gladys, it's strange how we both de-
clded to start off alone on that won.
dcrful neycr.to-be-forgottcn' day alone,
MS I. IKE yourself, ms a rule went along
with party of mixers"
"Well. Ted" she answered demurely,
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