The Challis messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1912-current, 1924-08-27
HOSTING
THE WHITE
SIGNAL
By H. M. EcBERT
%. 1874. Western Newspaper Unlon.}

there has been some changes sine
you were here last year. Folks com
and go. Maybe they'll skip year an
come back the year after next. Yo
remember young Mr.. Everseigh an
that Miss Sadie Beauchamp? We'll
there's a story in that.
you remember how thick they wa
last year. Folks said that they'd ge
married for sure. But you went ava.
before the fun started. Nope, l don
know what started it, but by the time
the fall leaves began to fall, as thu
poets puts it, they wasn't no longer OF
speaking terms And so they wen
AWAY when the hotel closed, one at q
time, and still not speaking.
"Well, that's the last | though tC
see of them. But mol Up pops Miss
Sadie this spring. quite early, and
what do you think she wanted? TIC
camp out on Old Mans Head. l told
her the camp on the island hadn't
been occupied for FIVE year and more,
and was falling into pieces, but she
would have 1t that that was just the
place for her.
"'Tm studying nature she says to
me, and next month one Of the girls
of our sketchlng club Is coming to
stay with me. SO we want nice lone
iy place where there aren't no men,
"From the way Miss Sadie shot out
the word men, you'd have thought
she. might have been speaking of
crabs or mice, or any of them crea-
lures that the ladies find so objec-
tIonable In general. However, fixed
up the shack somehow, and put on
new piece Of tin here and there, to
make 1t water-tlght. Then I rowed her
over with her box of provisions. and
looked to see her signaling for me to
come and take her of next day. Said
signal was to be white handkerchief
tied to the top of pole. In token that
Miss Sadie had had enough Of loneli-
ness
Had enough? Not much, sir. She
fairly reveled In 1t. When she did
hoist the handkerchief, five days later,
and went over, I found all she
wanted was some more -four She'd
fixed up the place as comfortable as
you can believe. She'd chopped about
two cords of frewood. and done a
couple of canvases besides, and when
/ pulled ashore she was sitting over
the fire, making toast.
"Yes, think I shall spend the
whole summer here she says to me.
,bA lott
later I can't tell you how obliged to
you I am for sending me here. Fine
Views. fine sunsets, good fishing, plenty
to paint. and no insects or men, Yes.
that's the way she put 1t to me. 1t
kind Of bowled me over, and | rowed
back feeling sort Of melancholy. to
think little quarrel between two
young people should have driven the
girl to become hermit
"When got back you could have
knocked me down with feather, for
the very first person set eyes on
was young Mr. Eversleigh. I didn't |
know what to make Of 1t at all.
"'Glad to see you back again. I |
told him. Staying at the hotel. I sup
pose. Mr.. EversleighT
Well-yes,' he answers. dubious
like But l amt thinking of staying |
there very long. The fact is. I've come
1own to spend the whole summer. I'm
writing a book of poems about melan-
I'm not sure he said mel
ancholy. or whether l took the idea
rom his manner. but that was the
he gave. DO you happen
% know nice lonely place where
nan can enjoy himself? A nice place
here aren't any women to come both
,ring one, you know ne asked
II gasped, as you can imagine No,
Mr. Eversleigh. I DON'T answered
lin. The fact Is continued. there's
,pt to be women almost anywhere
o where the men are, you know
Don't ! known said young Mr..
Eversleigh. However, suppose I'll
ust have to stay on at the hotel
81 told my mlssus about 1t when I
,ot home. and she guy me the worst
language I ever heard from her. 81.
rou're perfect fool ! she says, which
vas hard. you'll admit. Besides. 1t
lint true.
"'Prove that, Marianl' says I,
,eeved like.
"T WILL she says. Don't you see
hat that young senseless girl has
ONE back In the sneaking hope of
eelng that young imbecile again this
ear? And don't you see that that
Dung imbecile has come back in the
opes Of meeting that Dung fool of
emale personr
"'No. Marian, don't see as l do I
answered. Because. you see, each of
EN- told me he and she wanted to be
D nice, lonely place, where there
wasn't any Of the opposite sects
round
swell. 81. when I said you was a
DOL I was speaking only from nine
nd thirty years experience she says.
Gut now I'm speaking out of the ex-
erience Of just about hundred mil
ons of women. guess you won't un-
erstand that, 81. But anyhow, this
what you're agoing to do l.
"She told me what l was agoing to