Show I r i i = z 1 Y J v a J > PHILS FRIEND How Josie Nash Saved the Situation A Story of the Mountains BY EMMA A OPPER Copyright 1S97 by S S McClure Co The road wound up the hill between thickets of palegreen birches and dark pines Just as the boys began the climb a young girl who had been coming behind be-hind them overtook them One of the natives Lon had said glancing back and when she came up he merely looked her over and noted that her shoes were too large for her and that her calico dress looked made over But Phil took off his hat and gave her a friendly smile Lon regarded him with raised brows Phil was always doing those things Lovely morning said he Yes tis Are you going up the mountain said the girl Yes said Phil The girl carried by a cord a heavy bundle and he took it from her Thank you Ive been to the store You neednt take it Im strong she said smiling and she was indeed a picture of blooming health and strength Are you the two city boys Yes Im Phil Roberts and this is Lon Webster Lon lifted his hat half an inch And Im Josie Nash said the girl Youll have a splendid time at the Gibsons Theyre jolly folks Theyre splendid said Phil Our people expect us to join them at the 4 Kaaterskill hotel next month but I shant want to Id rather be on a farm any time you can have more fun Thats so Have you caught any trout yet said the girl And they talked on pleasantly Josie Nash told Phil where the best fishing was to be found and where to go for white birch bark and Phil told her how he and Lon had tried to pitch hay and to ride the clumsy old farm horses They chatted with great good will and frequent fre-quent laughter until the girl stopped at a gate and a little whiteheaded boy ran out from the house to meet her She stood for a moment however looking curiously at the little black box slung over Phils shoulder Its a camera he said Would you like to have your picture taken 0 Id like to have Dannys said the girl eagerly with a fond hand on her brothers little white head We havent any good picture of Danny and Ive always wanted one But the sun had gone under I can take it better when its sunny Phil explained Youll be here when we come back wont you Ill take It thenThank you said Josie Nash and she looked radiant And Phil carried her bundle to the door for her and made his best dancing school bow and told her he hoped they should meet again IN THE WOODS Lon stalked on Why didnt you go or i i Lon when they had penetrated j I where the trees were tall and old and the light came through their thick leaves but scantily Yeup Wasnt that a thrush said Phil pushing on in pursuit of the songster song-ster 2101The chased not only birds but squirrels and red lizzards and as a last resort a little striped snake City bred as they were it was a novel delight de-light to tread spongy moss and climb over fallen logs and crawl under low bushes They nibbled at wintergreens and checkerberries they dug with their knives at many roots with vague hope that they might be sassafras And finally after a season during which they had taken no thought of time they nuns themselves down for a rest Its a regular jungle In here said Lon Wonder where we are any hdw hdwDont ask me I know one thing Im fearfully hungry Lets go back and get acme dinner said Phil He looked at his watch and whistled in astonishment Two oclock he cried They could hardly believe it They sprung ur on the instant and made a start Im famished said Lon Im actually faint Dont believe I can stand it till we get there The tnonped back in the direction from which thev had come as nearlv as they knew it Think were going the right way said Phi Guess so Lon answered and they strode on silentlyfor what seemed to them finally to have been an hour Then if weve come right we ought said for this Phil to be out by Jime we didnt make time like this coming in we fooled along you know We ought to be out but we arent said Lon Were going wrong Lets try another an-other tack Phil suggested Anything And veering from their course a little they pushed on Their feet sunk deep in the moist ground the bending branches scratched their faces and they tripped and They had no on the roots snags longer their freshness of the morning and they lagged Well said Lon Well Phil answered Its almos 4 oclock They sat down and stared at each other I guess were lost Lon said I dont guess I know it Phil answered an-swered Im scared Lon and thats that are so hungry the truth Here we weak and all worn out from were tramping so long and we cant find of these woods Id like out our way to become of going to know whats u27 get out Lon cried Wcve got to I UP in a sort of desperate springing one way and ITO fury Suppose you go I another TO bad other No Its And lose each lost together said Phil enough being I They started again wearily They with anxious eyes for a glimpse peered thickset trees to the of light beyond had reached a tell them that they Not a glimmer came to them The clearing black trunks shut them in and them back They seemed to press and another and with turned one way every minute their hope lessened Look here said Phil Do you remember You pine stump member that great know we spoke about the shape of it Lon remembered it It marked the I which they had first very point at I turned to leave the woods They were just where they had started I They dropped down then with a com consternation mon impulse of We hadnt any business to come here What did we know about these woods I anyhow said Phil Perhaps the Gibson will send somebody I some-body to look for us No for they dont know were here We didnt tell them where we were going go-ing we didnt know ourselves Its getting dark said Lon Yes I guess well have to stay here 1 all night i f And what will we do In the morning I morn-ing If we couldnt find our way out today we cant tomorrow iiyr I l t 1 as 1 1l 1 t f th 1 rte f1 J I I 1 J r 1 1 f k g 4 tf 7i THE LOST ARE FOUND II in and make a call on your friend he inquired derisively when Phil caught up with him Id have liked to firstrate Phil retorted re-torted Did you see those bright streaks in her dress where the tucks were let outr outNo No I didnt You found her conversation so entrancing en-trancing that you didnt notice anything i any-thing else I suppose said Lon with K an azsrravatins laugh Maybe I did Shes a real bright girL Shes as good as you or I I wouldnt be such a prig as you are for anything In the world Alonzo Webster said Phil When Lons notions no-tions exasperated him particularly he called him by his full name But he did not want to spoil the day by a quarrel His sunny good nature came back nresentlv Those woods look cool he said They had set out on a tour of discovery dis-covery with no particular object and they plunged Into the cool depths of the woods Best place weve struck yet said AndandIf we go without any thing to eat very much l n erA er-A FRIEND IN NEED They said no more The shades were growing thicker the evening was coming com-ing on They heard the rustle of the leaves in the light wind and soft bird notes and the hooting of an owl faraway far-away They sat with their arms around their knees and saw the ghostly shadows shad-ows gathering and in spite of themselves them-selves there grew in their hearts a real dismay a real terror Whats that Phil cried suddenly Whats that his voice was sharp with excitement They strained their ears Yes Somebody was hallooing It was a clear long note sweet and shrill Sounds like a girl Phil gasped and Chen he put his han < P5 to his lips and gale an earsplitting catcal The clear halloo came again They waited for no more They ran and stumbled and leaned toward the welcome wel-come call shouting as they went Their weariness was a bygone thing I can see a lantern Phil shouted and in another minute its rays fell upon 7 0 z t them and the bearer of the lantern swung it over his head and called out to them heartily They had never seen the man before But they had seen before the tall young girl who stood beside him It was the girl with whom they had walked up the hill in the morning it I was the girl with whom Phil had I I scraped friendly acquaintance the girl 1 whose bundle he had carried It was j Josie Nash I Phil found no words He went to Josie Nash and seized her hands and swung I them back and forth and sawed them up acd uo It was no proper way of greeting a young lady but he did not know exactly what he was doing Josie Nash did not care She was looking at the boys with all her eyes 0 father she cried Im so glad we cameHow did you happen to said Phil gazing at her Well said Josie Nash and she picked out a comfortable place and sat down I got to wondering why YOU didnt come back that was all You know you promised to take Dannys picture when you came back and I got him all fixed upI combed his hair and put his best jacket on himand I took my work and he and I sat out in the yard and watched for you We sat there the whole afternoon said the girl and she laughed And when you didnt come and didnt come I commenced to wonder I knew youd come back that road fc there wasnt any other road And when it got along toward night and not a sign of you She come to me out In the potato I field her father put in and says she Its funny about those two boys And I says What two boys And says she Why that boy that was going to take Dannys picture and the other boy as if Id ought to know all about you without any telling And she says Theyve got into the woods and lost themselvesand she stuck to it And says I What are you going to do about it And what do you think She said she was going togo to-go and hunt you up and I could = o along if I wanted to and if I didnt why Danny would go with her He laughed a great laugh She fairly enjoys en-joys a Jaunt of this kind anyhow She aint afraid of anything never was I knew these woods are the meanest mean-est woods in the mountains said Josiethe easiest to get twisted up in I if you dont know em I knew Mark Jennings got lost here once and hed been in em before too Father knows em clear through for he chopped here one summer and I know em too for I used to bring my dinner and stay with him all day sometimes But I knew you didnt know em and I was just as sure as I wanted to be that youd got lost and I knew father and I could find you if you had Thats how we happened to come said Josie Nash LOWS SHAME Something in the boys faces held her eyes and made her falter over her last words and flush Why twasnt anything at all she declared You dont suppose I was going to let you stay here In the woods all night if I could help it And then besides youre going to take Dannys picture I you know and I guess I was glad of the chance to do a little something for youLon Lon stood and looked at her She was the same girl he had seen that morning she wore the same large shoes the same calico dress with streaks where the tucks had been letdown let-down But he saw neither the shoes nor the dresshe looked at her JI never saw a girl like you he blurted out And nobody but Phil knew all that he felt That night after the boys had got to bed they talked it over They had found the anxious Gibsons scouring the neighborhood for them And they had eaten a supper whose enormous proportions pro-portions had alarmed Mrs Gibson for their safety If you hadnt been going to take her little brothers picture Phil said Lon stretching his tired legs under the patchwork counterpane she wouldnt have been vatching for us nor thinking think-ing about us And if she hadnt thought of us said Phil wed have been there yet Andwe might never have got out said Lon They shivered I called her your friendand I made fun of her Gracious said Lon Wish she was my friend I shall go up the first thing in the morning and take that picture Phil saidIm I Im going with you said Lon and Ive thought of something Lets take two or three and two or three of her too and send them to the city and have them all printed on one cardyouve seen themand a dandy frame put on it What do you say I say yes said Phil He had fallen asleep when Lon nudged him Dont lets go over to the Kaaters kill said he If all the girls In this place are the sort Josie Nash is we can have a better time right here Dont you say so And he took It meekly when Phil answered an-swered Yes I say so Alonzoand laughed sleepily but meaningly |