Show THE FICTION ION AGGIE CORNER By Richard H. H Wilkinson north woods guide Q QUENTIN told me this story It happened shortly after gold golc was discovered up near Hayden he began It wasn't much of a strike A settlement however sprung up and they I- I I named it Leland Minute after alter JimA Jim 3 Minute 3 Fiction A year after the fir first s t log buildings w were ere erected the settlers decided they ought to have a school teacher and they sent down to Ottawa for one Miss Agnes Sheldon volunteered and I was delegated to meet her a athe at atthe atthe the station in Twin Forks It was wasa a six-day six canoe trip the only practical practical means of summer tion One look at Miss Agnes Sheldon when she stepped from that train and I smelled trouble She wasn't old but her features bore a mature look She wore a severe black suit rimmed bone-rimmed glasses cotton stockings stockings stockings stock stock- ings laced boots When I introduced myself she looked at me as though I 1 were some new kind of Insect That made me mad at the start I scouted around the town and borrowed some apparel for her herto herto herto to wear that was suitable for the tripI tripI trip I offered them to her and she glared at me as though Id I'd called her a bad name In no uncertain terms she assured me she was capable capable capable cap cap- able of choosing her own costumes Well I was sort of glad My conscience conscience conscience con con- science was clear and I felt that the i- i In no uncertain terms Agnes Sheldon told him she was capable capable capa capa- ble of choosing her own cos cos- trip would teach her a much needed lesson I did however endeavor to prevail upon her to rub some mosquito mosquito mos mos- quito lotion on her skin before we started She wasn't she said going to smear herself hersel up like a savage The mosquitoes were pretty bad that year Before noon of the first day Miss Sheldon was bitten so badly badly bad bad- ly it hurt me to look at her I offered of of- her the lotion again and she refused it I could see then that she was stubborn The morning after the first night I crawled out of my tent at dawn and found that Miss Sheldon was up ahead of me She was down at al althe atthe atthe the river bathing her face By the looks of her clothes shed she'd slept in iD them The ine remainder of that trip was something to write home about With each passing mile Miss Sheldon Sheldon Shel Shel- don got more uncomfortable and more obstinate And I though 1 pitied her got pretty stubborn my my- self I decided not to offer her the lotion again until she asked for lor it I was sure that sooner or later shed she'd break down and admit defeat But she didn't We had a pretty tough time inthe in inthe inthe the Little Falls rapids because the river was high that year We shipped a lot of water and Miss Sheldon got drenched through to the skin That night it rained and she slept in wet clothes The next day she broke her glasses and because of near sightedness was always tripping tripping trip trip- ping over things W reached Leland shortly after afternoon noon of the sixth day and there was quite a delegation down downto to meet us Jim was there beaming a welcome and ready to make a speech But at sight of Miss Sheldon the beam died on his lips Gentlemen I says says this heres here's Miss 1 Agnes Sheldon our new school teacher She aims to bring a a. bit of civilization Into our settlement and I reckon she's done it It Well sir if Miss Sheldon hated me before she despised me after that speech But Im I'm danged if 1 l could help it This was my first experience experience experience ex ex- with a female and I tell teU you I was mad Any who'd let mosquitoes bite the tar out of her like that deserved to be told what was thought of her Jim Lelands Leland's wife fetched her up to o their cabin and put her to bed She stayed there for almost two weeks Mosquitoes sunburn and wet vet clothes had danged near ruined her Me after Id I'd cooled off some I felt elt kind of apologetic and decided he the best thing I could do was to get out of town for a spell But I didn't No sir I stuck there and faced my medicine Theres There's nothing like being married to a wife wile who's got a mind of f her own they own they say S |