The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1941-04-18

emily loves Carol Coburn, Matanuska
school teacher. Salaria Bryson. big
outdoor girl. also loves him. Carols
father died with an unproven claim
Salaria didn't come back that
night. BY the following noon, her
father became alarmed. He even
appeared at the Administration
Building and asked for help. And it
seemed the most natural thing in
the world that Lander and his lean
nosed Sandy should be among those
who hurriedly made ready and
trailed out into the surrounding hills
in search of her. Why Lander head
ed out past the Happy Day / don't
know. But / do happen to know
that when Barbara Trumbull inter-
copied him on the outer trail and
offered to join him in what she
termed his gesture of gallantry, he
promptly and firmly declined her
companionship. This, apparently,
piqued the lady from the superin-
tendent's lodge, for she later visit
ed Katie's tent office and made in
quiries as to the character and ap-
pearance of the missing Artemis.
And it obviously didn't add to her
questioner's happiness when Katie
informed her visitor that Salaria
Bryson was the most superb spec
linen of vital and lawless woman
hood she'd ever clapped eyes on.
It was unfortunate, suppose, that
Lander should have been the search
er who eventually found Salaria. He
succeeded in locating her, late the
second evening, half way up the
slope of Big Indian Mountain, in an
inpromptu camp behind a wind
break. For she was woodsman
enough to take care of herself in the
open. When Sandy nosed her out, in
fact, she was quietly broiling bear
steaks over campfire. But she had
been unable, apparently, to resume
her homeward journey because of a
hurt ankle, incurred when she had
a hand-to-hand encounter with a
wounded black bear. There may
have been some question as to the
extent of her injury, but the bear
carcass was there to substantiate
her story of the encounter.
They had to rest and make camp
on the way, which took up night
and day. The ankle, I gathered,
grew worse, and for some of the
distance Salaria surrendered her in
dependence of spirit to the extent Of
permitting her rescuer to carry her.
At other times, by clinging to his
shoulder, she was able to hobble
along at Lander's side. And ! could
imagine how the forlornly primitive
heart of that dusky Artenis went
pit-a-pat against her ribs when she
felt those sustaining arms about her.
But the final portion of that safari
wasn't as harmonious as it might
have been. For it happened to be
John Trumbulls car that picked Sa-
laria up, just beyond the Happy Day,
and carried her to her fathers door.
Lander, for quite discernible rea-
sons, declined to ride in that car
with his charge. And Trumbull's
openly expressed view of the adj
venture in no way added to Sam
Bryson's peace of mind.
"The first thing" I suggested, els
to have Doctor Ruddock look at that
ankle of yours"
Salaria, however, promptly de-
clined the services of Doctor Rud-
dock. She agreed, in the end, to let
me bring Katie and her frst-aid kit
to the shack. And it wasn't long
before that expeditions nurse had the
ailing member looked over and
strapped up.
"Will she be all right" / asked
as Katie's Black Maria went lurch-
ing back to Palmer.
Katie's Celtic gray eyes met mine.
"It's not her ankle that needed
strapping up" announced the Red
Cross nurse. cts that many-hun-
cry heart of hers that needs atten-
ton"
Katie smiled at my small and
meditative, "Ohi"
s'Isn't it a bad sprain?" I inquired.
"There's something there all
right" conceded Katie. .But I've
seen girls dance half a night on a
foot worse than that"
This gave me something to think
about.
"You mean," suggested, shat
Salaria wasn't as helpless as she
pretended"
Katie's laugh was slightly eng
matte.
''Such things" she observed,
shave been known to happen. She
probably saw him coming and
thunped herself with stone"
When ] stopped at the post Office
for my mail saw Lander's truck
there. A moment later Lander him
self came out, with an open letter
in his hand. He looked harried and
haggard.
Just then the Trumbull car
swerved in and shuddered to a stop
close beside the truck of battleship-
gray. Alone in the drivers seat was