Show cLcuRD9 ADD LiY J2XSO CopyrIght 1905 by Dally Story Pub Co Heaven knows why we took Sco field along on that camping expedition rather than any of tho other young I bachelors In town unless because ho was a powerful swimmer an excellent angler tho possessor of a good voice and could pick a guitar Collectively they mado up for tho lack of a wife you understand Nor do I know why I should have been tho only one of the party whoso suspicions were aroused by Scoflclds attentions to Mrs Simpson Maybe It was because I understood his sullen melancholy moods better than the rest At any rate that strange look which crt t Into his eyes occasionally at night as ho sat gazing across tho blazing campfire camp-fire nt Mrs Simpson put mo 111 at ease It was not tho same look of admiration ad-miration which most of us men cast In her direction There was more to It Scoflold would so far forget his surroundings that he had to bo spoken spo-ken to twice before hu heard And he scorned to take a ferocious delliit III badgering poor little Simpson Simpson Is a little jackass there Is no denying that But there is no reason on enl th why a man should duck a womano husband while they are In bathing not once but again and again unless It bo to show her what a Jackass he really Is So heavily did misgivings weigh upon my mind that at last I mentioned men-tioned tho subject to my wife who has always been a sort of a mentor to young Scofleld Cousin Henry In lovo with Laura Why George hes no moro In lovo with her than the rest of you men Of course hes fond of her and likes to bait her hook and row the boat while she angles and keep tho fire roaring when Its her time to cook Tho Idea Laura Is perfectly safe I never saw a woman moro In love with her husband dear unless of course It bo your own wife Laura was safe I had had no doubt of that before But how about Scoflold My wife as may bo guessed guess-ed Is champion of her own sox Ills peculiar to the heart of man are wholly without her ken Psrhaps that Is tho icasoti I resolved m the future to keep all misgivings on tho subject cooped up In my own mind The next afternoon while Scofield and Mrs Simpson were out shooting at a target In the woods Mrs Simpson Simp-son was taken suddenly ill and returned re-turned alone to the camp Something Some-thing sho had eaten at breakfast had disagreed with her Some of the canned goods she thought I gave her some little pills which were never known to do any ono any good and wore never Intended to and sent her to bed giving strict orders for no one to disturb her Then I went off In the woods by myself It was quite by accident that I ran across Scofleld two miles from camp sitting on a leg with dejected mien Ills clothing was disordered and Us faco and hands were scratched by brambles Seo here Scofield I said where I sty I r liJr sae G i N Thor tit aaaa s d NY There Is no reason on earth why a man should duck a womans husband hus-band did you buy those canned peaches wo ate for breakfast Where a look of perplexity crept Into his face Yes Mrs Simpson Is down thore at camp now suffering from something some-thing sho ate this morning I havo never seen such a look of relief re-lief spread over a mans countenance as nt tho sound of those words George George ho gulped did she say It was tho peaches Peaches or pickles one It must havo been mho peaches Next morning Mrs Simpson was very much better though It could be seen by the dark circles under her eyes and tho droop to tho corners of her mouth that sho had suffered during dur-ing tho night Scofield In tho meantime mean-time had discovered some Important business which demanded his Immediate Imme-diate attention In town It was the first time I had over heard of Scofleld having urgent business At lunch time Mrs Simpsons nb senco from tho camp was noted My wife said sho had gono off canoeing by herself In hopes tho exorcise would mend her strength A very good Idea Indeed though Mrs Simpson Simp-son was not an rxcellont wielder of tIThe ni9y tIR f l i R < J = I = I = = The fool was swimming toward the opposite shore tho paddle No further thought was given to the subject until just as Scofleld was bidding us good by two of the women camo running from the river hank with the frightful news that Mrs Simpsons canoo had capsized cap-sized In midstream and that sho was drowning I am sure wo wasted not a second and yet by the time Trollot and I had reached tho bank and had launched a flatbottomed boat Scofleld who had plunged Into the water was halfway half-way to tho struggling woman I think Mrs Simpson had surely como near drowning had It not been for Scoflelds excellent tactics In the water Long before we got there he had seized her In his arm and was making rapid progress toward not tho boat Tho fool was awlmmlng toward tho opposite shore Not ten yards from tho bank In the stiff current wo overtook them I shall never forget the look which he shot at me as ho felt the woman dragged from his arms Into the boat And then without the slightest warning warn-ing before we could lay hands on him ho sank and though wo watched and waited an ago he did not reappear reap-pear pearH It must have been fully a quarter of an hour later that wo found Sco fields body tangled among tho roots of some willows a hundred yards be low Dead Not quite though wo worked over him two hours before he showed any signs of life nnd then another two hours before consciousness con-sciousness returned And when wo got him back to camp and Into a warm bed I think every one offered up a thankful prayer that things had tufned out as they had Henry said I that night after I had driven every ono from tho tent whore ho lay Illumed up In blankets Henry that attack of cramps carole pretty nearly turning this picnic into a band of mourners He looked at mo quizzically for a moment then pressing my hand feebly in his own ho said Yes tho cramps and tho canned peaches |