The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-04-08
A WILDERNESS
AND THOU
BY JESSIE DOUGLAS
,@ 1890, by Mcclure Newspaper syndicate,

NVS. lvEV, by Mcclure newspaper Syndicatel
Alice Disbrow looked down at the
girl who sat on the railing of the
rude camp.
Isn't II funny that should fini
you here7" she asked In her high-fluted
voice. How have you ever stood this
wilderness7"
81 think It's funnier to see you here"
the girl on the railing answered.
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 n wild-fower In her pale blue frock
and the wide hat with Its Icing velvet
streamers Under the hat. Agatha
Holmes saw the eyes that looked like
forget-me-nots, with the penclled brows
above them. the white skin. the scar
let OF lips that was not quite natural.
That was why Alice Disbrow seemed
so out OF place here, she decided. She
was no more an accompaniment to-
camp life than an orchid. Her frnii
dress, her high-heeled suede slippers
were not made to tramp these woods.
Agatha looked down at her own high.
rough boots, at her tweed skirt. her
brown hands. with n sudden dlstaste.
For one instant she longed for all the
artifciallties that made the other girl
so charming. But they would not
have suited Agatha she was too sim
pie. too sincere. TO resort to subter'
fuge to cover her lack OF pretsiness.
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.
II 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
80 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 here" Agatha said
honestly. you'll hardly see man
all season, unless you mean the guides
or the men who only stop to get meal
on the way with their camping out
fits"
Alice was silent She studied the
other girl as possible adversary
Then complacently she took out heI
ting vanity case and powdered heI
nose In the very sight of tho fores
aisles. Alice knew that Jere War
rem was coming up here; that wa'
why she had chosen to come. She hat
wanted him to know all winter
Wasn't he the most prominent OF thu
young illustrators, and hadn't peo-
pie told her time and again that she
prettiest girif
Alice studied the watch on her white
wrist. and then she said: "Tll leave
you now"-and trailed into the camp
She had staged too many scenes Il
miss the chance TO play this one ar
tstically.
So II was Agatha Holmes. who, still
sitting on the railing Of the camp. me
the dark eyes OF stranger as he cam,
up the trail. His first look of surpris,
at seeing the girl In this wilderness
changed to one Of pleasure when h
he met her friendly eyes.
"Thls Is Humphrles' campf" h
..t.oI r., !. ,,laac dam votea
"I wonder II he Is expecting me.
walked over from the stage and lef
my dufiie to come behind"
"HumphrIes Is ont catching fish 10
dinner now" Agatha smiled.
He stood beside her on the roug
vernnda Of the camp and listened I
the modulatons OF her voice. Sh
}, would be very pleasant companion
he thought. 10 go tramplng with. I
hunt out the secrets of the fores
!, ~ith.
Then Jere Warren turned 10 see M
other girl come singing through IN
! doorway. She lifted blue eyes of SUI
prising innocence TO his. and dlmpled
"Oh. | didn't mean to intrude-"
"By love. she's lovelyl' the ma
!. thought In his one swift glance.
Agatha Holmes introduced then
feeling awkward somehow, and al
though she were the intruder. whe
: she heard Alice say: "Oh, you al
: Jere Warren. the illustrator? II va
knew how admire your drawings ~
Jere Warren seemed fiattered O
!. the girls words; and Agatha blushe
! holly. for she remembered the scral
: book she had at home with his illu
trations pasted In II! But the wore
, she wanted to say would not come. ar
: she stood there feeling more an ou
slider as she saw Jere Warren lose hIr
2 self In admiration Of the other gil
= Agatha stole away in a few minute
!. II was Jere Warren who insist'
- that they three should dine at OF
table together in the camp, which Sc
- 81 xsxts nd lEn