stefansson-wrangel-09-15-044-010

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I have ever been on. We get in at 5:30 this evening, an hour and a half late.
I don't know just what the trip will bring forth. I hope the foundation is
laid for a good deal more confidence in you, and in other people.

I believe I have a new lead. I am beginning to think that
her suspicion comes from talking to people who came down on the boat from
Nome, who warned her against newspapers, photographers, explorers, and the human
race in general. A very poor piece of business, I think. It came to my atten-
tion this way. In S.F. the photographers were there for papers - and reporters -
she at once fled to her stateroom and locked the door and "refused to be inter-
viewed." A photographer later got Bennett in the sandpile (a good picture at
that) and as we walked up the street to the Ferry Bldg. there was the paper on
the stand. Not knowing there was a story in it I bought the paper.

I had talked a few minutes to Mr. Dreyer, who was on the Seattle Times and now
on the S.F. Herald, told him her destination and that you had given her the
trip on account of Bennett's illness. For that he, without seeing Ada made
up a two-column story. When Ada discovered this she said, "Here is my name.
If I had known there would be all time papers to get story I would stay in
Seattle." Then she followed it with, "if they tell things not true I'll give
them hell." This being unanswerable I kept quiet.

After she had been angy a while, I told her that if she
wanted to go back to Seattle she could just stay on the boat and ride back, as
it made the round trip. That you had given her the trip down for Bennett, but
you wouldn't want her to do anything she didn't enjoy. If she wanted to stay
only a week in California that was all right, too, just as she wished. This
she didn't answer. After a long time she said Marshall Jordan had read her a
letter from Stefansson saying she could stay a month or two in LA. if she wanted
to. I said that would be all right if she liked it and it did Bennett good.

She was still in silent mood when I went off at lunch time