Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-01-24
THE TEAKETTLE
BY RUBY D. sPEER.

l. NGiAt Il lihC Lnots thutbGNVu may
Knapp, In q tone that negatived her
words. As she raised her eyes from The
note to look after the ~retreating mes
senger boy. Again she read the note.
Dear Mary-Tll be away q few
days. Suddenly remembered that We
forgot to empty the camp teakettle,
and I don't want it to freeze. Leaving
on the 1910. Yours. Ed"
"Of all foolishness," breathed Mary.
Rushing of 100 miles into another
state to empty q teakettle. There's
something more In the wind" she hint
ed darkly. as she closed the door and
went toward the dining room.
She was not really hurt Or grieved
at his sudden going, for they were as
calm and undemonstrative as the aver
age middle-aged couple, and his busi-
ness often took him on sudden trips.
He had babe her his usual affectionate
good-by on leaving after breakfast, but
his curious quest vexed, while 1t
amused her. With her thoughts still
In o fog Mary stopped to pick up the
morning paper that had fallen beside
Eds chair at the table. AS she
glanced carelessly at the paper her
eyes caught a line announcing the
opening Of the deer season in a neigh
boring state.
$50 that's It," laughed Mary, drop
ping into a chair. 1.-THE teakettle had
to be emptled, indeed" Ed Knapp was
was never happy without his full
quota Of deer every season.
"Why didn't he tell me he was go
ing? Afraid I'd think he ought to
stay home workingY" she chuckled.
"Td like to 60, too" she added regret
| fully, for Mary had been a good shot
In her youth and she still hunted and
trsmped. Years ago she and Ed had
met one hunting season, she a farm
er's daughter. he a city sportsman.
Unknowingly they. had shot at the
same deer and 1t was Mary's shot that
felled 1t. Friendship sprang from
their similarity of tastes. and love
marriage soon followed. The cares OF
the crowding years soon took Marys
time from craftsmanship, but each
year the family spent its vacation In
q cabin near the site of her old home.
81 know the very deer he Is after"
thought Mary, "the big buck that drank
every evening from the brook below
| the cabin. Pm going to have a shot at
1t. too. 1 took q deer from him once,
Internationally, and I'll do 1t mis- time,
malice aforethought."
Mary flashed a glance at the CLOCK.
1t was 80 and Ed was leaving OF fhe
&c: 80. Well, she would be on the
same train, seeing, but unseen. She
thought rapidly of preparations; her
bag to pack, her rifle to examine and
oil, and her house to close. First she
| called a cab. AS she donned her hunt
ing suit her busy mind checked off the
necessary details. She found her
hunting license and cabin key snug'y
buttoned in an inside pocket. She
must pack some clothing for Ed for he
had gone %unprovided. Some provisions
would be a good idea. She must put
] out a note for the milkman and tele-
phone the drcssmaker who was COM
ing tomorrow; so her mind ran on.
Mary's heart was beating a tattoo
as she took her seat in the train after
seeing Ed enter the smoker. AS the
train whizzed on she laid her plans.
Ed would doubtless go to the north
village, from which a good road around
the mountain led to camp. He might
walk or hire q rig. She decided to
stop at the south village; for she knew
q short cut over the seemingly mac
cessible mountain. She had not spent
her girlhood In that country for moth
ing. She feared that Ed might see her
when she got off the train, but oil was
well. She hired a village boy to carry
her load over the mountain while she
led the way towards camp.
Light snow had fallen and the gaunt
trees tossed and strained.
At the cabin she set the boy to work
airing the bedding and making a fire
while she loaded her gun.
Down through the pine woods she
slipped toward the brook to await her
quarry. Determination sparkled from
her Drown eyes anu HllInallOu klOWcu
In her rosy cheeks. Ed might come at
any minute, also the deer. Hardly had
she hid In a clump of pines when Ed
swung In view- 1t was evident to
Mary that he. too. was hunting a
place to hide before "the stag at eve
had drunk his I'LL"
Mary's heart missed a beat as Ed
headed for her covert, but he stopped
by q big tree and began putting his
| gun together. Convulsed with silent
laughter, Mary sat in her thlcket. She
! longed to call out, Have you emptied
the teakettle, Ed? But instead she
kept silently alert for the deer. Ed
had adjusted his gun and was search
ing for ammunition when the big buck
stepped daintily from a thicket on the
opposite bank. At Eds dismayed ex'
clamatlon the big fellow threw up his
head. afford.ng Mary a wonderful shot
and the deer fell.
A ghost could not have surprised Et
more than Mary did as she emerged
from the thlcket. "Mary." he gasped
"what?"
81 came" said Mary demureiy. "tt
see that the valuable aluminium tea
kettle was emptied properly. 1t hal
been reflled and must be bubbllni
r,orrlIv nv This time. What do yo,