Jasper County Democrat, Volume 22, Number 79, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 December 1919 — The Eldest Camper [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Eldest Camper

By CONSTANCE GRAY

(CopyrUbt, 1M». by McGlor. Nw paper Syndicate) < When the news Reached Camp Segatchie that a junior naval reserve station was to be located near by Muriel Brown, the head camp counselor, sighed audibly and remarked to her coworkers: “We’ll earn our keep this year, girls. What chance have sports and crafts with a couple of hundred or more uniformed youths not two miles away? Every girl will have one eye on the tennis ball and the other wandering into tire dim distance pfter a potential speck of white!” Bertha, Muriel’s eldest sister and tha business manager of . Sagatcbie Camp for Girls, paused in her task of arranging simple furniture in an A tent. “Cheer up, sis; there will. perforce, have to be grown-up uniforms In charge. Perhaps they will give some dances. Those naval men dance like dreams, too.” ; “M-m-m; maybe so. But I prefer, dreams in nay own little hammock, thank you, after a strenuous day’s work in the open,” returned Muriel. There were 80 girls at the camp that year,' ranging from fifteen to eighteen years old. Clad exactly alike to khaki bloomer suits with black sailor tiks, the little company set but one morn(pg for the daily hike. Muriel was walking ahead with Miss Holden; an assistant counselor, when, without warning, there appeared over a rise Of ground a squad of white-clad sailor lads commanded by a young officer, Immaculate in snowy duck. Miss Muriel heard the excited exda-

mations of her charges, but ignored them and led them into an opportune woods road. Now the head counselor did not look a day older than some of her campers. However, she was twen-ty-five. Miss Holden, though only a year older, looked every bit of It. Therefore It was not surprising that the dapper young officer, halting his detachment and hurrying ahead, should address the latter. With lifted cap, disclosing brown curls closely barbered, he inquired if the shore road came out on the highway. Then he listened attentively to Miss Holden's reply—and looked at Muriel. At a crisp order from their commander the sailor lads continued down the road. The campers vanished into their own woods. The incident was closed. Lily Dart, a romantic young woman of seventeen, elaborated upon the meeting to Bertha. "And the officer was a peach. He fairly ate up Miss Muriel with his eyes.” Muriel looked up from where she was assisting one of the “Cleveland twins” to pick up a Stitch gone wrong. “Lucky he used his eyes instead of those white teeth, Lil,” she said, "but I don’t admire fatal beauty in a man. So don’t waste you)' time building tip a romance on that look."

It was when the campers were out in the canoes the next day that a big square envelope arrived. There was to be a hop on the following Saturday night at the reserve station. Every one at Camp Segatchie was invited. Great was the rejoicing among the girls when they returned and heard the news. Immediately “what to ■wear” became the principal topic of conversation. Lily Dart, against the rules of the camp, had brought a Very flossy evening gown. t Every one. was envious. That matter, however, was quickly settled by Muriel. “Now, girls,” said that decided young lady, “the costume of the evening will be a white skirt, white middy, white shoes and stockings; then your black sailor ties. We are campers, not a society outfit. I shall wear the same.” “I’ll bet that good-looking officer takes you for one of ils,” gushed the Irrepressible Lily. JBTss Muriel, you don’t look a day older.” As ithappened, thO 'romantic- prophecy true. EnMgn Bichard Aikens simply took it for grahted that Muriel was one of th? campers. She let labor under /that delusion. When he Inquired her home port she gave Akron, Ohio, which, luckily, she knew—-for bo did Ensign Aikens. He

juted it callers were allowed at the camp. Muriel told him, very decidedly, they were not. But when the young officer proposed thflt they meet on boulder path at two the following afternoon she agreed to try. Muriel walked rather slowly and thoughtfully down the path at the appointed.hour. Quite against her will, she liked the handsome youqg officer. The flush which so often flooded hi* tanned cheeks seemed to absolve himfrom the vanity dt the merely handsome man,, - - • • , It had beep great fun to “keep him on a string.” Then, no woman, however young, really enjoys confessing to more years than appear to. be hers,. But the head counselor-had decided, by the time she drew close to the plqce designed for the meeting, that she would do that very thing. > • » / Aikens was sitting on a rock when Muriel came into sight. He arose and greeted her. “Miss- Brown, 11 Was wrong to ask you toXmeet me here clandestinely, put there is something P want to tell you where no one can overhear.” s “Why, this is Interesting, ’’ said Muriel; "you have something to tell me and I hAve a confession to make to you. Let’s sit down. You talk . first.” Ensign Aiken, after a moment’s hesitation; proceeded. "You know Jack Hm"in Akron?” u “I certainly do.”

; "Well, there Js where I say your picture.” ' The girl seemed about to speak, but Aikens kept on: "it was in Jack’s room. Ooe of a row across the mantel, third from the left He had a “qulja board' there that afternoon tty'lng to get some -dope on one oCWw’ championship ball games. Jack’s a queer duck” —Aikens smiled—-"wanted me to try It. So I asked it the usual Stock, question, ‘Whom would I marry T and—l swear I hadn’t even glanced at the photographs on the shelf —the thing spelled out “Third girl from left, on the mantel.’ Then, of course, I quizzed Jack to find out something about the girl in the picture, for it looked mighty good to me. But he wouldn’t give me a hint who she was. Said it would be a test of the powers of the board, and I was to let him know If I ever met her. I’ve been looking for a year. And now when I’ve found you I’m not even allowed to call!’*

Muriel had listened with mixed emotions. “I have no faith whatever in ouija boards, Mr. Aikens,” she said, “but you may call. You see, you labored under a»mistake and I —well, I just let you. lam not one of the camp girls, but the head counselor. My sister and myself run the camp. We don’t take girls over twenty—and I’m years and years more than that. I m twenty-five.” “And I’m twenty-six. Now, don’t tell me I don’t look it, for that’s the cross of my life,” returned the ensign. Muriel arose and moved away. “I must go back to my charges." “But when may I call?” queried Ensign Richard Aikens, as the girl started up the path. Muriel did not answer till she came to a large boulder, around which she must pass. “Ask the ouija board,” she called out —and ran laughing up the path, campward.

Aikens Was Sitting on a Rock.