The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1920-02-16
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY
Wilderness and Tholl-
eY IEssIE DOUGLAS.

0J S60Sh- 6SSSeFNSs
Copyright, 1920, by the Mcclure
Newspaper syndicate.)
LICE DIsBRow looked down at
n the girl who sat on the railing
Aof the rude camp.
''Isn't 1t funny that should find
you here?" she asked in her high.
f1uted voice. How have you ever
stood this wilderness?"
: 81 think it's funnier to see you
here" the girl on the railing answer.
ed.
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 a wold-flower in her pale blue
frock with the wide hat and the long
velvet streamers. Under the hat,
Agatha Holmes saw the eyes that
looked like forgetme-nots, with the
penciled brows above them, the white
skin, the scarlet of lips that was not
quite natural.
That was why Alice Disbrow seem.
Ell so out Of place here, she decided
She was no more an accompaniment
&c camp life than an orchid. Her fran
dress, her high.hceled suede slippers
were uOL Ulhue ~ trump LlSoS "SOuot
:. Agatha looked down at her own high,
, rough boots, at her tweed skirt, her
brown hands, with sudden distcste.
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
simple too sincere, to resort to sub
serfuge to cover her lack Of pretti.
ness.
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" Agtha 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? never could. There are
so many nice things to do when there
are men, dancing and flirting and"
4 she Knocked the other girl out Of the
corner OF her blue eyes.
.sThen shouldn't think you would
want to come up here" Agata said
honestly. you'll hardly see man all
season, unless you mean the guides
or the men who only stop to get a
meal on the way with their camping
outfits"
Alice was silent. She studied the
other girl as a possible adversary.
complacently she took out her tiny
vanity case and powdered her nose in
the very sight Of the forest aisles. .
Alice knew that Jere Warren was
coming up here; that was why she
had chosen to come. She had wanted
. to know him all winter. Wasn't he the
most prominent of the young illustra.
tors, and hadn't people told her time
and time again that she was just like
the illustrations OF his prettiest girl!
Alice studied the watch on her white
wrist and then she satd: "I'll leave
YOU now''-and trailed into the camp.
She had staged too many scenes to
miss the chance to play this one at
tistically.
Sositswas Agatha Holmes, who, stu,
sitting on the railing of the camp, met
the dark eyes of stranger as he came
up the trail. His first look of surprise
at seeing the girl in this wilderness
changed to one of pleasure when he
met her friendly eyes.
This is Humphries's camp" he
asked in a pleasant deep voice.
I wonder II he is expecting me.
walked over from the stage and left
my duffle to come behind"
4Humphries is out catching fish for
dinner now" Agatha smiled
He stood beside her ON the rough
yeranda OF the camp and listened to
the modulations Of her voice. She
would be very pleasant companion,
he tSough to go tramping with to
hunt out the secrets of the forest
with.
Then Jere Warren. turned to see
another girl come singing through the
doorway. She lifted blue eyes Of sur
prising innocence to his, and dimpled.
II "oh, didn't mean to intrude-"
= BY jove, she's lively" the man
thought in his one swift glance.
Agatha Holmes introduced them,
feeling awkard somehow and as
though she were the intruder, when
she heard Alice say, "oh, are you Jere
Warren, the illustrator? If you know
how admire your drawings!"
Jere Warren seemed flattered at
he girls words;and Agatha blushed
hotly, for she remembered the scrap
book she had at home with his Illus.
trations pasted in It! But the words
she wanted to say would not come
and she stood there feeling more an
outsider as She saw Jere Warren loose
himself in admiration OF the other
girl. Agatha stole away in few min
tites.
1t was Jere Warren who insisted
that they three should dine at one
table together in. the camp, which
Separated them from the guides and
trappers who were getting ready forl
the season. Agatha, watching the
other two with her clear gray eyes,
wondered how a man like Jere, who
was so clever in his work, could be
fooled by the empty little tricks of
Alice Disbrow. But she was the first
m L