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Show (Copyright. S. S. McCluro Co.) tARBARA hesitated long between the openwork stockings and the plain silk, but Anally determjned t on the former. Then she vouch-ifed vouch-ifed a pleased little snnlle to her leased little linage in the mirror and epped through the door Into the pres-ice pres-ice of her aunt. The aunt was nppro-rfately nppro-rfately nstonl3hed. This was the first (me Barbara had spread her dainty Sffon wings in the air o the great orth woods, pAItcr her plain old backwoods aunt ad admired and exclaimed over the MtUrfly so unexpectedly developed rora the brown tailor-made chrysalis, larbara determined to take a walk. She Iw that through that cool, fascinating :st. only half a milo away, dwelt Adams The Adams, too, were only the woods people, but they were hull, hu-ll, and chiffon Is chiffon, in the wil-ness wil-ness as In the towns. So Barbara iounced her Intention and stepped ) the open sunlight, rctty soon the trail entered the great, 1, green forest. Barbara closed her asol and carried It under one arm, !1q with the same hand sho swept her rt clear of the ground. Phewl" tame a most terrible, dread.-souud dread.-souud from the thicket close at arbara. dropped her parasol, and pped her heart with both hands, and earned. From the thicket two slender a pointed Inquiringly toward her, two !e brown eyes stared frightened into s, a delicate noaa dilated with, tcr-. tcr-. "Phew!" snorted the deer again, 1 vanished In a aeries of elastlo stiff -(?ed springs. Oh'" cried Barbara, "you horrid nc! How you frightened mc!" he picked up her parasol and ro-ned ro-ned her Journey In some- perturba-of perturba-of mind, reflecting on the utter encss of the deer. Gradually the 11 eeeraed to become more difficult. ier a time It waw obstructed by the .'f a fallen basswood. Barbara ROk.ed about her. She was not on the Brail at all, ttsui flrst ahe Proceded circumspectly, th an eye to the chiffon. It was torn K,a m,en rt'- Then sho thrust one mi.Ji U,c slPPer through the mosa Into r.i uT;ater- Tnreo tlraes the stiff Wiraisnt rods of the tamarack whipped Kii8m?Uy slct0SB the fttcfe- When BR emerffd on the other side- of EniM ? ?d feet o that miserable cedar frE? , ,e had ceased to hold up the t?0..Ert' and was most vexed. Kt i!, , k you're just mean!" sho orled Kui, t0v the atH1 forC3t. and then WMf: r breath ,n the silence of awe. fiwenSi rf?k had bc'cono suddenly un-v2ffii un-v2ffii t klndIlnora had somehow isnefl. in all directions it looked the WhtfnPBht lowerIng trunks, anp- MTver iSot 8". a"a hurry In what-h,M0n what-h,M0n ,Eh.c would' Barbara was uKii , f1 m aPl,urc-nUy the same BlFri leaves, Fto wllh termination. mou n?i!l ? c hell eve d would lead her Mhtedca ,U9h.ea now caught at her un-MPH un-MPH toaXJ0T? throuBh briers, pop-Ka pop-Ka Se,maplcs' allke- Thft chiffon Hh thff iiu the bravc ,lttle Ehoe9. WW Si , 2 VCr Luck,M ana their polnU WsRroeore du vllh wet. In a frlhtened child, but IfcPooriittL n"work horder. W0 Tone wSe', Fa!Lly' shc felt that SLluJ. 6tnnd'e near by. She Ml h Wndfevaw threl thInS-that fcCro tw Infc n3 e'C9' whlch J"t now fWft KUnc: at ho Amusedly; that !lff the handkerchief about his neck .wae cflean; and that the lino of his Jaw was unusually clear-cut and fine. An observant ob-servant person would have noticed, further, fur-ther, that the young man carried a rifle and a pack; that he wore a heavily laden la-den belt aboxit the waist, and moccasins mocca-sins on his feet; that his blue flannel shirt, though clean, was faded; that his skin was brown as pine bark. Barbara had no u for such details. The c-ye was kindly, the Jaw was strong; neatness neat-ness indicated the gentleman. And a strong, kindly gentleman was just what poor little lost Barbara needed the most Unconsciously she tilted her pointed chin forward' adorably, and emlled. "Oh! now It's all right; isn't it?" said she. "I am glad," he replied, tho look of amusement deeping In his gray eyes, "and a moment ago it was all wrong. What was the matter?" "I am lost," answered Barbara contentedly, con-tentedly, as one would say "My shoes are a little dusty." "That's bad," sympathized the other. "Where are you lost from?" "The Adams, or the Maxwells. I don't know which. I started to go from one to the other. Then there was a deer, and so I got lost." "I see," ho agreed, with entire assurance. as-surance. "And now what are you going to do?" "I am not going to do anything. You are to take mo home." "To tho Adams or tho Maxwells?" "To whichever Is nearest." The young man seemed to be debating. Barbara glanced, at hla thoughtful, strong face from under the edge of her picture hat, which slyly sho had rearranged. rear-ranged. Sho liked his face. It was so good humored. "It Is almost uunsetV-Vreplied the youth at length, "You can see lhe shadows are low, IIow do you -hope to push through the woods aftor dark? Thero are wild animals wolves!" ho added maliciously. Barbara looked up again with sudden alarm. "But what shall wo do?" oh cried, less composedly. "You must take me home." "I can try," said he, with tho resignation resigna-tion of a man who con but dlo. The tone had Its effect. "What do you advise?" she asked, "That wo camp here," ho proposed calmly,' with an air of finality. "Oh!" dlsiented Barbara In alarm. "Never! I am afraid of the woodsl It will be wet and cold. I am hungry. My feet aro just sopping!" "I will watch all night with my rifle," ho told her. "I will fix you a tent, and will cook you a supper, and your foot shall not be wet and cold one moment longer than you will." "Isn't your homo nearer?" she asked. "My home 1b whero night llnds me," he replied. Barbara meditated. It was going to bo dreadful. She knew sho would catch her death of cold. But what could she do about It? "You may do the wet feet part," alio assented at last. "All right," agreed tho young man, with alacrity. He unslung the pack from his back, and removed from the straps a little ax. "Now, I am not going go-ing to be gone a moment," ho assured hor, "and while I am away, you must take off your shoes and stockings, rfnd put these on." He had been fumbling In his pack, and now produced a pair of thick woolen lumberman's sock.. When tho young man returned with an armful of hemlock bark and tho slivers of a pine stump, he found hcr sitting bolt upx'Ight on a log, her feet tucked under her. Before the flro he shortly hung the two webs of gossamer and tho two dear little, ridiculous little hlgh-heelcd shoes, with their silver buckles. Then, In a most buslness-llko fashion, he pitched a diminutive shelter tent. With equal expedition he built a second fire, between two butternut logs, produced a frying pan and kettle, and set about supper. "If you pleuue," sold Barbara, .with p u : h, ' her small air of 'decision, "I am very thirsty." "You will have to wait till I go to tho spring," replied the newcomer, without" with-out" stirring. Barbara elevated her small nose in righteous indignation. After a long time ahe just peeped In his direction. Ho was laughing to himself. She hastily elevated her nose again. After all, it was very lonely In the woods. "Supper Is ready," ho said, after a time. "I do not think I care for any," sho replied with dignity. She was very tired and hungry and cross, and her eyes were hot. "Oh, yes, you do," he Insisted carelessly. care-lessly. "Come, now, beforo It gets cold." "I tell you I do not care for any," sho returned haughtily. For answor he picked her up bodily, carried her ten feet, and deposited hor on another log. Besldo her lay a clean bit of bark containing a broiled deer steak, toasted bread and a cup of tea. She struggled angrily. "Don't bo a fool," tho man commanded command-ed sternly. "You need food. You will eat supper, now." Earbara looked up at him with wldo eyes. Then she began to eat tho venison. veni-son. By and by sho remarked, "You aro rather nice," and after sho had drained the last drop of tea sho even emlled, a trifle humbly. "Thank you," she said. It was now dark, and the night had stolen down through tho sentry trees to the very outposts of the llro. Tho man arranged the rubber blanket before be-fore It. Barbara sat upon the blanket and leaned back against the log. Ho perched above her, producing a pipe. "May I?" he asked. Then, when he had puffed a few moments mo-ments In quiet content, he Inquired: "How did you come to get lost?" Sho told him. "That was very foolish." He scolded severely. "Don't you know any better than to go Into the woods without your bearings? It wan idiotic." "Thank you," Barbara replied, meekly. , "Well, it was," he Insisted, tho bronze-on bronze-on his cheek deepening a little. "Are you always In the woods?" Bho Inquired. "Not always," said he. "But you live in them a great deal 7" "Yes." "You must have a great many exciting excit-ing adventures." "Not many." "Whero did you come from Just now?" "South." ' "Whero aro you going?" "Northwest." "What arc you going to do there?" Thero ensued a slight pause beforo the stranger's reply. "Walk through tho woods," said he. "In other words, It's none of my business," busi-ness," retorted Barbara, a little tartly. "Ah, but you sco it Is not entirely mine," ho explained, I This offered a new field. "Then you arc on a mission?" "Ist Important?" "How" long is it going t6 take you?" "Many years." "What is your name.' "Garrett Stanton." ,., "Why don't you ever look a .me burst out Barbara, vexed.( Wh do jou stare at that horrid fir7 ,. . thc no. turned and looked hcr full in me face In a moment hor eyes dropped hand clasped under his arm. the other questions. Won't this all-night absence alarm your relatives? "Oh no. I often spend the night at the Adams. They will think I am th"Parents are apt to bo anxious." "But mine are not here, you see. "What is your name? "Barbara Lowe." .ihA He fell silent Barbara distinct, ly piqued. Ho might have exhibited a more flattering interest. "Is that all you want to know about mc?" she cried In an Injured tone. "I know all about you now. Listen. Your name is Barbara Lowe; you aro visiting the Maxwells, your relatives, for a few weeks; you came from Detroit, De-troit, where you are not yet out; you are an only child and IS or 19 years of age." "Why, who has been telling you about me?" cried Barbara, astonished. Stanton smiled.' "Nobody," he replied. re-plied. "Don't you know .that wo woodsmen woods-men live by our observation. Do you see anything peculiar about that tree?" Barbara examined tho vegetable In question attentively. "No," sho confessed con-fessed at laBt. "Thero is an animal In it. Look again." "I can see nothing," repeated Barbara, Barba-ra, after a second scrutiny. Stanton arose. Seizing a brand from the fire, ho rapped sharply on the trunk. Then, slowly, what had appeared ap-peared to bo a portion of tho bolo began be-gan to disintegrate, and In a moment a drowsy porcuplno climbed rattling to a placo of safety. "That Is how I know about you," explained ex-plained the woodsman, returning to tho fire. "Your remark about staying overnight over-night told mo that you were visiting the Maxwells rather than tho AdamB. I knew tho lattor must bo relatives, because be-cause a drl who wears pretty summer dresses would not visit mero friends In the wilderness; you would get tired of this life at the end of p. few weeks, and so would not care to stay longer. The makers' name in your parasol caused mo to guess you from Detroit" "'And how about my being an only child?" "Well," replied Stanton, "you see, you have a little tho manner of one who has been a trifle " "Spoiled," finished Barbara with a wicked emphasis. Stanton merely laughed. "That Is not nice," sho reproved with vast dljrnlty. Barbara was furious at herself for blushing. A cry, Inexpressibly mournful, mourn-ful, quivered from the woods, closo at hand. "Oh! what Is that?" she exclaimed. "Our friend tho porcupine. Don't bo frightened." j Down through tho trees sighed a little I wind. "Whool whool whool" doncd an owl monotonously The sparks from tho fire shot up and eddied. A chill was In tho air. Barbara's eyes grew heavier and heavier. The lire penetrated her through. Sho tucked her feet under hor, and expanded in tho warmth like a flrc-sldo flrc-sldo kitten In purring content Then, had she known it, the man was looking at her looking at her with a strange, wistful tenderness in his gray eyes. Deai't harmless, Innocent little Barbara, who had so, confidingly trusted In his goodness. , "Come, littlo girl," he said softly, at last. He arose and held out his hand. Awakened from hcr abstraction, she looked, ut him with, a faint amilo jjxd eyes from which tho coquetry had gone, leaving only tho child. "Dome," he repeated. "Time to turn in." Sho arose dutifully. The littlo tent really looked Inviting. The balsam bed proved luxurious, soft as feathers. "When you arc ready," he told her, "let me know. I want to open tho tent flap for the sake of warmth." Tho soft woolen blanket was very grateful. When the flap was opened Barbara found that a second fire had been built, with a backing of green logs so arranged as to reflect the heat directly di-rectly Into her shelter. Hours later, as It seemed, some trifling sound uwakened her. The heat still streamed gratefully Into the tiny shelter; shel-ter; the solemn shadows still danced across the forest; the contemplative figure fig-ure still stared Into the embers, strongly strong-ly silhouetted by the firelight A tender ten-der compunction stole Into Barbara's tender little heart "The poor dear," said she. "lie has no placo to sleep. He Is guarding me from thp dangers of the forest," which was qulto ridiculous, as any woodsman will know. Her drowsy eyes watched him wistfullyher wist-fullyher mystery, her hero of romance. Again thc lire blurred, again thv solemn shadows paused. A last thought shaped Itself In Barbara's consciousness. "Why, ho must be very old," sho said to herself. "He must be 20." So she fell asleep. Barbara awoko to the sun and the crisp morning air, and a delightful feeling feel-ing that she had slept well, and had not been uncomfortable at all. The flap of her lont was discreetly closed. When ready sho peeped through tho crack and saw Stanton bending over the fire. In a moment ho straightened and approached ap-proached the tent. When within a few feet he paused. Through tho hollow of his hands he cried out tho long musical morning call of the woodsman. "Ito-o-oll-out!" he cried. Tho forest took up tho sound in dying modulations. For answer Barbara threw osldo tho tent flap and stepped into the sun. "Good morning," said she. "Salutol" he replied. "Come, and I will show you the spring. "I am Borry I cannot offer you a better bet-ter variety for your breakfast It is only tho supper over again," ho explained, after she had returned and had perched like a fluffy bird of paradise on tho log. Her cheeks wero very pink from the cold water and her eyes were very beautiful beau-tiful from tho dregs of dreams, and her hair very glittering from the kissing of the early 6un. And, wonderful to say, she forgot to thrust out her pointed chin In tho fashion so entirely adorable. Shc ate with relish, for the woods hunger was hers. Stanton said nothing. noth-ing. The tlmo was pregnant with unspoken un-spoken things. All the charming elements ele-ments of the little episode were crystallizing crystal-lizing for them, and Instinctively Barbara Bar-bara felt that In a few moments sho would be compelled to read their meaning. mean-ing. At last the man said without stirring; "Woll, I suppose 'we'd batter be going?" go-ing?" "I Bupposo so," sho replied. They sat there some tlmo longer, staring star-ing abstractedly at the kindly green forest; for-est; then Stanton abruptly roso and began be-gan to construct his paclc The girl did not move. "Come," ho said at last She arose obediently. "Follow close bohlnd me," ho advlBed. "Yes," said she. They set off through the greenery. It opened silently beforo them, Barbara looked back. It had alreadj' closed silently si-lently behind them, shutting out the epl-sodo epl-sodo forever. Tho little camp had ceased to exist; the great, ruthless, calm forest had reclaimed its own. Nothing was left Then sho noticed that ho had stopped and was looking at her Jn deprecation and was holding aside tho screen of moose maples. Beyond sho could see the familiar clearing and tho smoko from tho Maxwell cabin. v Sho had slept almost within sight of her own doorstep. "Please forgive me," ho was saying. "I meant it only as an interesting little adventure. It has been harmless enough, surely to you." His eyes were hungry. Barbara could not find words. "Good-bye," he concluded. "Goodbye. "Good-bye. You will forgive mo in time or forget, which la much the same. Believe me, If I have offended you, my punishment punish-ment Is going to be severe. Good-bye." "Good-bye," said Barbara a littlo breathlessly. She had already forgotten the trick. She could think only that tho forest, thc unfriendly forest, was about to recall her soon. "Good-bye," ho ro-peated ro-peated again. He should havo gone, but he did not Tho situation becamo strained, "When are you coming to sec me?" she Inquired, at length. "I shall be here two weeks yet" "Never," ho replied. "What do you mean?" she asked, after af-ter a moment. "After Painted Tiock, the wilderness," Iig explained almost bitterly, "tho wilderness wil-derness and solitude for many years forever!" "Don't go until tomorrow," she urged, "I must." "Why?" "Because I muot be at Painted Rock by Friday, and to reach it I must travel fast and long." "And if you do not7" "My mission falls," he replied. They ctood there silent. Barbara dug tiny holes with the tip of hcr parasol. "And that Is ruin?" ahe asked softly, without looking up. "I havo struggled hard for many years. The result Is this chance." "I sec," sho replied, bending her head lower. "It would be a very foolish thing for you to stay, then, wouldn't It?" He did. not reply. "But you are going to, aren't you?" she went on In a voice almost Inaudible, "You must not go llko that I ask you to stay." Again the pause. "1 cannot," ho replied. Sho looked up. He was standing erect and tall, his face set In tho bronze lines of a resolution, his gray eyes leveled, straight and steady, beyond her head. Instantly hor own spirit flashed. "I think now you'd better go," she Gald superbly. They faced each other for a moment Then Barbara dropped her head again, extending her hand. "You do not know," she whispered. "I have much to forgive." Ho hesitated, then touchod the tips of her fingers with his Hps. Sho did not look up. With a gesture which ehe did not see, he stooped to his pack, and swung Into tho woods. Barbara stood motionless. Not a line of her llguro stirred. Only the chiffon parasol dropped suddenly to tho ground. After a tlmo sho lifted her head and blinked bravely at the sky. She raised the parasol and clanted It over her Bhoulder, and drew one of Its tiny bead-Hko bead-Hko rib ends across hor face. Then she began elaborately to Eaunter through the clearing, playing out to herself and 'to tho solemn stumps a bravo little tragedy that sho waB happy. "He might have stayed," sho parried thc question. "It would only havo been polite, after tricking mo so. I do not think It was very, nlco of him." A porcuplno trundled out from tho edge of tho forest, and paused to reconnoitre. recon-noitre. She did not notice him. She was trying to see, "I suppose I am unreasonable to expect ex-pect him to ruin his chances," Barbara conceded thoughtfully.- "But he might have seemed a little sorrier about It" "I wonder If he really cared to seo me again," pursued Barbara. "I don't suppose he thought much about it Most men would have. But ho Is different from most men." She threw up her head proudly at the comparison. "Ho has big things to think of; big things to do. He Is strong and brave." Her eyes shone with the splendor of her Idea- She was seeing far Into the land of mys- fljl tery and light and romance Then th iS exaltation died. "No," rhe confessed Fit humbly, "he would not think of mo. I V am not worth his thoughts. I am silly. If and a little fool. Oh. I am a littlo fool. I ill i I am ashamed of myself. ' m The summer day had already begun EI to lay its silence on the morning, A ffl wild bco hummed musingly over a flow- Iff er. Far in the woods, clear as a cameo, jb tho crash of a breaking limb sounded. The porcupine, who had Just turned over jll tho paraeol with his nose, cocked his 1 i head Inquiringly. From time to tlmo he i glanced uneasily back, as other sounds I engraved the stlllnesu. iB ; Barbara gazed at nothing with, ead fKl eyes. "I wish I had died in the wood?," 111 oho eaid, slowly. "I wouldn't despise 'jfi: myself so." 'Jlj 5 "I must have looked perfectly horrid 'Im with my gown all torn," contemplated i 1ft 1 Barbara, The round tcar3 trembled on IS her lashes, and finally splashed to tho IS ground, "I shall never see him again," m she ended, brokenly. "Noverl Oh, I ji can't help It I want to see him again! jjm I want tpl I want lol" fc Tho tears flowed unrestrained now it Poor, dear littlo child Barbara, with her iU I tender heart and her quaint, tantalizing. J small face, and her 18 years, waB sud- B donly face to faco with tho great, ter- iill riblo life which mon and women live. .jja And llfo was being very harsh with her. ' 15 Sho covered her face and gave her- flB self frankly to her misery. She cared. nja Nothing elso mattered. But the porcu- ! ju pine, crafty and wary animal, long slnc j!jn beyond more emotion, ceased gnawing M the altogether delightful varnish, and ,fl prepared to roll Into an unassailable II ball. He was rather a stupid porcu- fjB plno, as porcupines run, but ho knew III better than to omit the ordinary pre- f cautions when something reckless and Kf hasty was tearing through tho forest lit exactly In his direction. In a moment iiu he did coil, congratulating himself on. his chances for a greon old age. The dim, fin mystic, symbolism of approach through Ijg the Invisibility of the forest had. sudden- 111 ly materallzed. Barbara did not know BJB It; grief is even stupider than porcu- 111 pines. Ill Thon suddenly, subtly, sho knew. Life, III great and mysterious, had rclonted. She wl throw her arms out to him, hor face I1E transfigured, her eyes streaming. What Ijl did oho care for torn chiffons and Ijl blurred vision, for the gossamer web of Ijl convention? Llfo had, turned kind. Shc. Iln dear little Barbara, whose tender heart III was never meant to b denied, knew now ijl that tho sun of happiness had not been Ijtt really blotted out from tho heavens; mm that tho cloud had passed. Ijl "Ohl" she cried. "Oh! Oh!" HI Ho dropped beside her on the grata Ujl and took her hands. His Impassive m bronze face had becomo boyish In Its Hli Joy and relief, "I could not go!" he kept Bljf repeating. "I could not! 1 could notl Mjft I tried! I got as far as the Crossing- III But I had to come back to you. I ll thought I was strong. It was stronger mm than I. Dear littlo girl, look up at me. tmm Let mo seo you. Let me bo sure It Is 111 you. Oh, It can't bo true! Dear little lljfl girl; dear little Barbaral All the way H to the Crossing I saw you sitting there SM on the log In the firelight I could not HS go. I love youl I love you! I have al- II ways loved you. I havo always known I that you must be, I have always felt si I that some day I should see you, that I ill should see your eyes, and your hair, and III your red lips, and your dear pointed III chin always, always, elnco I began to gm dreamt" VI The. porcuplno cast one beady eye on HI his two neighbors, and promptly un- jnl colled. He was a stupid porcupine, as fljl porcupines run; but he was not so stupid m as all that. W& They talked, perhaps; perhaps not. IB They could not have told. Life moved IB on In cadences. The great life of the IB winds of heaven had commanded hcr Bl children; and unthinking, like children, they had obeyed her. That was all. Bl So the porcuplno leisurely ate his un- SUM noticed way from ono end of the para- uRB sol to the other. nttl |