The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1921-04-16
The Girl of the
Wilderness
BY r. RAY BAKER

| The old man leaned forward ana
rested a hand on a knee of his son.
| They sat before fireplace in when
swapping blaze was struggling against
n fall chill. They were smoking pipes
| and apparently enjoying each other
| company, as cronies do; and they
were cronics.
The old MANI He was not that when
| one came to closer inspection. tie
| looked old, seated as he had heen IN
the shadows, for his silver hair was
all that was really distinct in the
| dusk. There were wrinkles, but not
deep. One would take ii he had led
free and easy life, until gradually
the impression formed that there was
something about him denoting n SCR
row. Possibly it was his eyes.
Its up to you, Paul he said IN
voice that was singularly soft ana
pleasing. Il would not try to argue
YOU out of this marriage but ! want
to warn you and be sure you are not
making Il mistalle-as | did once.
The last four words preceded a deep
sigh and the father leaned back again
in the shadow, To watch the glow
from the fireplace play about the
handsome. cIean-cut face OF his son.
81 am sure, father" the son said,
with note Of tiuality. i love tins
girl Of the WiIdueuess You should
see her romp through the woods her
checks aglow with health. You
Should SEQ her paddle Il canoe, ana
dive and swim Nnd yet she is as
retiring and reserved rs the most de
nure society belle. WHOM the occasion
requires it,.
but your station in life his father
lesitated. This girl cannot be your
social equal. You say She and her
mother live in a shanty in the woods
near Cedar Creek, where you spent
your vacation. They must be crude
people, it seems to me-
The son was on the point of max
| Ing an angry retort, but he checked 1t.
"She's as good and a lot better
than most of the girls in my station
perfect, and she has a conversing
knowledge on wide range of topics,
! did not see her mother, for | never
could get Anne to invite me to their
home. In fact, 1t is not her mother,
Anne told me- Rather, 1t is her adopt
ed aunt. Anne is really the daughter
of the sister of the husband of the
sister of the woman she calls mother
If you can grasp that. Anyhow,
she's no blood relation, but they love
each other like mother and daugh-
ter. 1t seems that each is all the
other has
"They live in the woods from choice.
Annes father was wealthy and left
a large amount of money to his daugh-
| ter; and Anne insists on sharing
It with the woman she now calls
mother. Because they love the woods
and choose to live In them-that does
not indicate low station, does it?
And what If 1t does? ! love Anne"
at all sounds very rosy, this love
talk" observed his father, and there
was touch of bitterness in his voice,
"but 1t doesn't always work out that
way Look at my own case. | don't
/ care to talk of it as rule, but it's
sample of what one gets for marrying
beneath his level Your mother was a
lovahle good girl, but she had not
been educated in my ways of thinking
In many ways the case parallels
yours Your mother would not get
along in the society to which | was
accustomed. Like this girl you think
you love, she was fond of the woods
and she wanted me to spend my life
| In them. | could not reconcile myself
to 1t, because l love the noise and
hustle Of the city. The silence of the
woods drives me frantic. But con-
sented to try 1t, and built habita-
ton In the woods; not a modern struc-
ture, as l desired. but q rustic log
house to suit your mothers fancy, /
could not endure the solitude and
finally one night we Quarreled: and
a terrible quarrel it was 1t was rain
Ing. and thunder and lightning punctu-
ated every sentence that was uttered.
In fairness to your mother. whom I
loved In spite Of our incompatibility,
! must say that did most Of the quar-
rellng She simply sat and looked
into my face with those gentle blue
eyes and let me rave. l never told
you this before, because-because 1t
was pretty hard for me; but now,
when you are considering step that
II almost Identical, I cannot refrain
from bringing 1t up as an example.
But ii is hard
The silver hair was buried In the
mans arms.
1.-THE next morning / left the house
with you" he went on, more composed.
You cannot remember it, for you were
only year and half old and ] had
to carry you in my arms. | sneaked
out of the cabbin with you bundled In
blanket before Ethel your mother,