Middletown transcript., 1921-02-19
An Involuntary
Crusoe
/, BY ALVAH J. GARTH
"a 1870. western Newspaper Union.

0eoooeooooooooooeooeooooo
a. 1870. Western Newspaper union)
A stumble across stout vine. a
headlong fall, then half somersault
and Ross Bradley, nearly stunned,
felt a painful twinge in one limb and
lay helpless.
"A change, some excitement, new
visions and motives In life and you'll
come back brisked up" was the proph-
ecy Of his physician at home and
this was the beginning Of all that, as 1t
turned out.
He had decided to put in a week at
Brompton and had taken boat, row.
ing through a chain Of little lakes and
finally seeking shady spot. upon an
island in the center Of the last one
Of these, had met with the mishap
described.
Bradley started to get to his feet
and then desisted, for one limb had
sustained severe sprain. The pain was
so intense, the injured member so
fuseless, that he dragged himself with
difficulty to a fallen tree and icalcu-
lated the chances OF. getting back to
his boat. As he located the little
sskiff he uttered sharp cry OF dis
may. a.
"Worse and worse" he uttered
lugubriously. He had left the boat
at .frail moorings, keen breeze had
come up and It was afloat headed for
a continuous run until halted by the
mainland two miles away.
Twice Bradley rose up intent on
reaching the beach of the island and
sank to the ground with groan. He
improvised crutch from a tree
branch, but found locomotion still in
effective. His face became serious.
Bradley realized that he could not
count upon leaving the island except
through outside help. Then CLEAN OF
hope supervened. A little distance
away there presented evidences OF
picnic party having visited the spot
recently, too, for the papers scat
tered about were new and clean. Some
wooden plates and empty bottles made
q heap under a tree. Bradley craVled
toward 1t, for he was hungry and
realized the necessity Of food should
he be marooned for any length of time.
There were pie tins, tissue napkins:
empty cans, and he laughed quite
jubilantly as he drew from the mass a
box marked Crackers" and still
sealed.
"Bless. the kind soul that left this
behind!" he soliloquized gratefully.
Marked two pounds, won't starve
for a day or two, anyway"
Bradley opened the end Of the box.
1t contained plain sodas, crisp and
clean. He sampled one and it tasted
delicious. He paused with the fifth
one-half demolished.
ut is probably as well to ration
myself" reflected Bradley, and began
a mental apportionment of his only
possible food supply. A little distance
away was bubbling spring. Bradley
resigned himself to patience and rest.
It was getting towards dusk. He
slumbered and did not awake until
morning.
His limb was more useless than
when first injured, for it had stiffened
and grown sore to the touch. Bradley
managed to reach the beach. He tied
two handkerchiefs to stick ready to
signal any possible passing craft. He
was an expert swimmer, but crippled
to an extent that prohibited safe water
lOcOmOtion.
It was the second morning that he
made his breakfast on the last Of the
crackers. AS he emptied out the fina,
one, with it came a card. On one
side was printed the chronicle
packed by No. Ill" On the Other
side was pasted a small medallion
photograph. It was one of those TWEEN
ty-five cents for dozen pictures pro
! duced at picnics, water places and
fairs by intinerant. camera men, but
the subject was very lovely Of face
and even quick work could not spoil
the perfect control.
0IdulSy dAOWSu ulS Iuluu " VI
into a pleasing day dream. He some.
what strained reality by declaring
that No. I'll had saved him from
starvation! He planned out whimsi
cally how he would trace down the
original of the photograph. Then he
forgot all about it FOR over week
for just then two fishermen passing
in a boat discovered his signal, and
until he was restored to normal Brad
ley recuperated in luxury at the hotel
at Bfompton. -,
Ross Bradley did not have to work
for q living. There was profitable
business which he had inherited, but
he had entrusted it's operation to a
trustee With time hanging heavily
on his hands, as the incident Of the
cracker box recalled to his mind he
welcomed the excitement of the ad-
venture of ferreting out mo. Ill" He
enjoyed fancying he was following out
approved detective methods in locat-
ing the factory, In finally tracing down
No. III. But it was to find a hoyden-
ish girl Of eighteen, full Of hIrtatfous
nonsense, not in any manner resem-
bling the little photograph. She had
packed the fateful box, but out Of
mischief, had pasted on the picture
of Miss Mabel Whiting, so Bradley