Middletown transcript., 1922-11-25
CANCELLED
~~~~~ ~>~~~~~~~~~
BY MYRA A. WlNGATE
20 by Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.)

JACK Durrell iauSneu uellSilleuiy.
THAT must have been Cameron" he
said. "Botany's his hobby and litera-
ture his life work. He has shack
up the lake and never leaves for the
city until snow flies. He's boon
companion of ours" with glance
across ut his wife.
"A friend of yours" said Elizabeth,
dismayed. "Why, l all but quarreled
with him this morning l got duck
ing over there by the island and he
helped me ashore. He was a perfect
savage about my being out in canoe,
aud told him so. His departure was
too abrupt to be polite"
I'm sorry you said that" remarked
Jack, soberly. He was engaged to
the queen Of the summer colony here,
three years ago. She used to call him
the splendid savage. He's no society
man, but serious worker. He was
In dead earnest, but she was only
playing. The summer colony fairly
buzzed with the affair. Cameron new
er looked at a girl before that, and
hasn't since. Thinks they're all alike.
You look about sixteen in that MILDLY
suit. lie must have thought you were
forward tlapper."
Elizabeth struggled with the hurt In
her throat before she could say:
How horribly cruel he must have
thought me. | wish he had known
that / din't know"
If vos u fnrnrnna rnpplusinp that
they should meet--almost foregone
conclusion that both should be attract
ed. Cameron held stubbornly aloof
from fear akin to that of the burned
child. Elizabeth's pride matched his
caution. She burned with shame over
the memory of her unfortunate speech,
| while at the same time her proud
spirit resented owing her life to man
| too Indifferent to be friendly. She
| ionged for an opportunity to equalize
what she felt to be an obligation.
On a midsummer afternoon Jack
! came In to say:
Cameron broke an ankle today.
| I'm on my way down to the village to
| get pair. of crutches. wilkins will
| put on cast in Il day or two"
Elizabeth, disturbed at Jacks news
and annoyed with herself for being
disturbed, rambled restlessly forth
along the lake shore, turning aside
presently to plunge deeper into the
woods. The summer drought nhat
held the north country in its grip had
touched even the woodlands, so that
the trees looked thirsty and the dead
leaves and spills cracked underfOot.
Returning, she met the blue smoke
cloud curling through the trees. The
girl put one hand to throat that sud
| denly smarted. While she watched,
fire ran in the underbrush, climbed
small pine and leaped from tree to
tree down to the lake shore. On the
right it ran far back into the woods,
cracking and roaring as the draught
increased
EliZabeths first thought was of
Cameron alone in his camp in the
very path Of the fire. When she burst
into the little clearing and ran up the
knoll on which stood the picturesque
log cabin, the wind-driven flames were
already running in the dry grass, and
cinders were sailing over the tree
tops. Cameron his face drawn with
pain, was sitting on wide couch
opposite the door, evidently prepar
ing to depart. Alarm leaped into his
eyes at sight of the girl
Must l always be scolding your
| 10 tn ha chnra ai
once, where you can be safe"
Unheeding, Elizabeth knotted to
gether the sleeves of her sweater ant
slipped 1t under the bandaged ankle
like sling.
"Now let yourself down and Intel
along with your hands and your othe
foot. Hurry" she commanded.
He obeyed. The shingles on th'
camp roof were already blazing rs the,
made their ludicrous and painful wa.
down the path. Behind them the,
could hear the shouts of khe tir'
fighters rallying to meet the danger
Cameron lay quietly upon the long
cushioned seat, not attempting T.
speak until they were well out on tn
lake. Then he said:
at wasn't safe, Elizabeth. Why di
.you do it?'
"Oh there was sort of obliga
: tion," she answered.
"There was not" he contradicted
4 Look at me. Elizabeth. You do! Ant
i oh, my dear, so do | You could neve
h fail anyone. You could never hur
Il anyone"
Il How perfectly clear" returned tn
/ girl, giving the wheel spin and turr
1 ing a backward look upon the bfaz
II ing camp. u suppose we ought t
have waited to get some of the thing
you valued"
Il "Tve all that really matters righ
\ here" he answered. "Elizabeth
\ an old crouch named Cameron shoul
4 tell you he loved you, and ask you t
II marry him, what would you doY"
II II would probably accept" she RI
II marked, gravely. "and live happily eve
II after, waiting on the old Crouch
II 1t was some time later that JAG
II Darrell. smoke-blackened and anxious
II padded alongside.
II II thought as much." he remarke'
N mildly. You couldn't be expected
n remember that your friends might b
Ill alarmed. You're all alike"
III mo" said Cameron with conyi
III ton. elizabeth is different!"
III Baked at Wearing Old Costumes.
HI At Princess Mary's costume ball L
III ono cOuld be found to represent II