Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-07-04
IN APEX
CANYON
By WILLIAM
MACLEOD RATNE


aboard the Rocky Mountain Limited
and comfortably settled in her section
he looked about to see if by any
chance there were any of his friends
aboard to whom he might confide the
care of his sister for the journey from
Chicago to Denver. His eye fell on
MaddoX-big Jim Maddox of Cripple
Greek and Seattle and Los Angeles, a
mining argonaut who knew his west
as Boston girl does her Henry James.
A moment later Maddox's big fist
was squeezing the blood out of the
clubman's limp hand.
'By thunder Huntly, but I'm glad
to see you. Let me see-last time
saw you was on the dump of the Mol
lie K, out in Gods country. Member
the day 1 drove you up Son-of-a-Gun
hill and sold you 5000 shares in the
James G. Blaine? We saw weather
that day, young man. The blizzard
sure did hit us on the way home. You
on the way out there now?'
Huntly rescued paralyzed hand be-
fore he ventured on explanations. mo.
I'm seeing my sister started. She has
not been well, and the doctors have Or
dered a complete change. We're send
ing her to Denver. 1t was the original
plan that I should go with her, but
received telegram this morning that
the senior partner of our firm has died
suddenly, and it is imperative that
should leave for New York at once
Would it be asking too much of you
to see that she doesn't get too lone
some and that she makes connections
with my aunt at Denver"
'Well, 1 guess not. That's what I'm
here for-to help out my friends when
they need me. But I'm not much of
lady's man. Miss Huntly will have to
take me in the rough"
Now, big hearted, breezy Jim Mad
dOx was the very man to cheer home
sick girl who was travelling in search
of health He was as full of good spir-
it's and wholesome energy as a Fourth
of July is of noise. He had in his va
ried past experiences enough back Of
him to beggar romance, and he had the
gift of breezy narration as few men
have it. To be sure, he didn't know
anything about young college graduates
from Bryn Mawr, but as soon as he had
seen Miss Huntly he was more than
willing to learn.
Helen Huntly accepted the introduc
ton with outward reserve and with in
ward doubt. She was tired, and she
did not want to have to smile and look
pleasant to this big, awkward man for
two whole days. But Maddox did not
know of the existence of either the
doubt or the reserve. If he had, it
wouldn't have mattered. His big brown
hand came out and buried the little
white one, and somehow the girl found
herself less lonely when she looked in
to the honest smiling, blue eyed face
of this tanned stranger.
Before they had reached Rock Island
she was congratulating herself on the
good fortune that had made him her
travelling companion. He was the most
interesting man on her list, she decided.
More strange adventures had fallen to
his lot than to dozen average men.
He told his experiences quite simply
and because she was interested in hear
ing them, not at all because he was
proud of them. He seemed to have
gathered into his personality the free
dom and the breadth of about dozen
of the mountain states. He wasn't
coarse in the least, but he was as I'M
conventional as Kansas cyclone in ac-
ton. He trampled unconsciously on
her New England traditions with Wig
or that would have shocked If it had
not amused her. They simply die not
exist for him; that was all
The emotions of Jim Maddox were
not a bit complex. When after two
happy days he said goodby at the Un-
ion depot in Denver, where Miss Hunt
ly's aunt met her, he had already made
UP his mind to marry her or know the
reason why. AS he phrased it to him
self:
you've struck the best vein Of ore
you ever unearthed, Jim Maddox, and
If you don't follow it up you're the big
gest fool in Arapahoe county"
He certainly followed it up, and II
his mines at Cripple Greek required
any great amount of personSl attention
during the next three weeks they
must have suffered, for their owner
openly and patiently made it the bust
ness of his life to WOO Miss Huntly.
He organized picnics and excursions
galore, and he always contrived to be
the man who was paired off with her.
Finally he induced party of the elder
Miss Huntlys choosing to go camping
in the mountains near a new mine he
was developing.
AS to Miss Huntly, Jr., her feelings
were as house arrayed against itself.
She found herself falling into greater
liking than she cared to admit for this
free and easy blond Hercules, and the
nature of her liking did not approve
itself to her judgment. She knew, Of
course, that he was in love with her,
and the knowledge of it sent delightful