The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1920-05-14
A WILDERNESS
AND THOU
By JESSIE DOUGLAS

XIII VINO sat on the railing of the
rude camp.
Isn't 1t funny that l should ind
you hereT' she asked In her high-futed
voice, How have you ever stood this
wilderness9"
u think It's funnier TO see you here"
Inc girl on the railing answered.
She looked at Alice with an honest
admiration. Alice was in oil things
her opposite. She was slender and
delicate and fair; she had the look
OF a wild-fower In her pale blue frock
ana the wide hat with its Icing velvet
streamers. Under the hat. Agatha
Holmes sew the eyes that looked like
rorget-me'nots, with the penciled brows
ABOVE them. the white skin, the scar
let OF lips that was not quite natural.
That was why Alice Dlsbrow seemed
30 out OF place here, she decided. She
was no more an accompaniment to
camp life than an orchid. Her frail
dress, her hlgh-heclrd suede slippers
were not made to tramp these woods.
Agatha looked down at her W high.
rough boots, at her tweed skirt, her
Drown hands. with a sudden dIStaste.
For one Instant she lOnged for all the
artiicialities thar made the other girl
so charming, But they would not
nave suited Agatha she was too sim
pie. too sincere. TO resort to subter-
fuge to cover her lack Of prettiness.
Besides, she thought ruefully, moth.
Ing could make her pretty. Her fine,
strong white teeth. and her eyes, large
and gray and honest, we're her only
good features.
u like the Wilderness" Agatha 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"
she Knocked the other girl out Of the
corner Of her blue eyes.
"Then ! shouldn't think You would
want to come up herer' Agatha said
honestly. You'll hardly see a man
all season, unless you mean the guides
or the men who only stop to get a meal
on the way with their camping out
fts."
Alice was silent. She studied the
other girl as a possible adversary.
Then complacently she took out her
tiny vanity case and powdered her
nose in the very sight Of the forest
Rlsles. Alice knew that Jere War
ten was coming up here; that was
why she had chosen to come. She had
wanted him TO know all winter.
Wasn't he the most prominent Of the
young illustrators, and hadn't peo-
pie told her time and again that she
was just like the Illustrations Of his
prettlest girll
Alice studied the watch on her white
wrist, and then she said: "T1l leave
you now"-and trailed into the camp
She had staged toe many scene ia
miss the chance TO play this one ar.
t~istically.
So It was Agatha Holmes, who, still
sitting on the railing Of the camp, mel
the dark eyes OF n 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
he met her friendly eyes.
"This is Humphrles' camp?" he
asked in a pleasant deep voice.
~ wonder II he Is expecting me.
walked over from the stage and lefr
my dufie to come behind"
"Humphries ia out catching fish fol
dinner now" Agatha smiled.
He stood beside her on the rough
veranda OF the camp and listened t
the modulations Of her voice. Sh,
would he a very pleasant companion
he thought, to go tramplng with. t
hunt out the secrets Of the fores
with.
Then Jere Warren turned to see an
other girl come singing through tn,
doorway. She lifted blue eyes Of sur
p,rlsIng Innocence to his. and dlmpled
"Oh, | didn't mean to lntrude1"
"By love. she's lovelyw the maj
thought In his one swift glance.
Agatha Holmes introduced them
feeling awkward somehow, and as
though she were the intruder, wheI
she heard Alice say; "0h, you ar,
Jere Warren, the Illustrator? II yol
knew how | admire your drawings"
Jere Warren seemed tiattered a
the girls words; and Agatha blushe,
hotly. for she remembered the scrap
book she had at home with his Illus
tratIons pasted In III But the word
she wanted to say would not come, an
she stood there feeling more an out
slider AS she saw Iere Warren lose him
self In admiration OF the other CIR
Agatha stole away In a few minutes
II was .Iere Warren who lnslsteI
that they three should dine at on
table together In the camp, whlci ser
arated them from the guides and traI
pers who were getting ready for th
"season." Agatha, watching The othe
two with her clear gray eyes, wor
,tar.d hose a uon like lprp who wa