The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1920-06-16
CALL OF THE WILD {
BY ETHEL w. FARMER.

The rapid whirring of the sewing
machine stopped suddenly, and Eloise
| turned sharply around in her chair
and faced her sister sQuarely.
"Are you nearly finished?" she asked
with assumed gayety.
"Oh, no." Virginia answered Sleep
| lily, carefully scrutinizing the beauti-
full piece Of embroidery in her lap.
"Why don't you leave it for little
while?" Eloise teased.
"Oh, could not possibly do that"
came the determined answer.
With final, wistful glance out Of
the window at the wonderful snow
covered world. the stitcher's sigh min
gled with the renewed buzZing OF the
exasperating machine. But it did not
buzz for long, for she soon threw her
work aside and jumped to her feet
| with laugh.
"Come, now, sis, why not don our
| beloved snowshoes and strike off for
| the woods? Let us seek some thrill
ing romance in the cold, open coun-
| try! just know that romance is only
waiting for us Perhaps some daring
hero will be waiting to rescue US from
some wild animal in the heart Of the
woods I"
"Romance?" Virginia spoke in dis
gust. '"That word was not meant for
us! And who ever heard Of wild ami
mails in our woods? Eloise, please be
sensible and let me work"
every we'll, fair sister," Eloise
spoke tightly, ''but must be of for
hear the urging call Of the Wild"
and she ran happily from the room.
Soon she returned, beeomingly clad
In her sport costume, with sncwshoss
tucked under her arm. The bright red
cap matched the flushed cheeks. and
laughingiy. antagonized the bright
sparkle in the fair blue eyes.
Il am only answering the cali Of the
wild,H he laughed softly, "and seek
ing my lost romance" a1id ssae front
door banged.
Then Virginia was sorry that she
had 80 insistently refused the invi-
tation for the hike, for her work
wac CuNy trECSOtLCs Eo1kS
watched her enthusiastic sister strap
On her snOwshoes and start gracefully
along, stopping only long enough to
wave a bright mittened hand at her.
II shall 60 into the woods" she
thought.
1t was not long before the open
highway was passed and the dusky
woods lay before her. With a deep
sigh Of contentment. she passed into
their majestic quietness. But as she
wandered along her joyful spirits be-
gan to lower and her thoughts wan
dered back to other days. She was
thinking Of the many happy times
passed in these woods with Tom.
Some tiny tracks in the snow at
| tracted her attention.
"Why not follow this rabbit trail?"
she asked herself lightly.
Eloise wiped the perspiration from
her forehead and smiled at her appar-
emily endless undertaking, mentally
resolving to go to the end. She did
not notice how rapidly the woods were
getting dark, and that only the tip of
the sun could be seen below the trees.
She was thinking only of following
che trail. Finally her search was re-
warded, for her tracks ended at the
stump Of tree.
She leaned against the tree to rest
herself. There was suddenly rust
ling in the underbrush. She stood ter
rified and wondered if perchance there
were any wild animals there!
The crunching sound came nearer,
and Eloise could stand it no longer
With frantic cry she started to run,
forgetting that her feet were encased
In large snOwshoes. Somehow the
snowshoes became tangled in some
half-concealed branches and, with an
other cry, she fell headlong into a
bank of snow. She did not dare to
move, for the sound was coming rap
idly toward her. It was upon her! If
1t we're BEAR it would think that
she were dead, but she trembled at
the thought.
Cant you get up?" somebody was
o'AAA6 P'SoS0hCy III ASL eur.
1t was fully minute before she
could extricate herself from the snow
enough to see If the owner of the
voice were truly Tom. And his sur
prise was even greater when he found
out who this Marathon snowshoe run.
ner really was.
"Why, Toni" she gasped weakly.
"Why, Eloise!" he echoed happily.
For moment they eyed each other
silently, and then they laughed.
"Why did you rum" he asked, good
naturally.
II heard rustic in the bushes" she
answered, sheepishly. Listen, there it
is again!"
Tom listened. and as he rose to his
feet with an impromptu club in his
hand the gentle face of COW peered
at them through the branches.