The Grit-advocate., 1903-04-03

/ sudden tnat We Ndu 10 time 10 seuc
for her"
Can you not do it now?"
He shook his head and said the
avalanche had fallen in the pass be
hind them ard they were completely
shut in where there were.
VIII there be no esCare?' she
asked.
Not until spring unless We can
| cut our way through"
Laura went to her tent and wept.
She realized how helpless she was
and began to distrust the man who
proiessed to be her friend.
"Oh, God" she groaned. "to Thee
alone can | now appeal for help! !
! need expect none from these men.
Mr.. Lakeland seemed very much
distressed that she was cut off from
her female companion, and selected
! four men to go back, as he said, and
bring her over the fallen avalanche
| If possible. The four selected were
Ben Allen, Morris. Ned Padgett and
| Tom Ambrose. When Lakeland took
them apart, to give his final instruc-
tions. he said:
Take the woman and wounded man
back to Skaguay."
What. An have him hang us for
holdin him prisoner in the noun
| tains?" asked Allen.
But he is insane. You are four
witnesses to one"
Ned shrugged his shoulders and
| ,,,,tt ipp f..
ing to see Skaguay, especially while
their late prisoner lived.
VERY well, then, start with them
| toward Skaguay, but don't reach the
| place. Become lost. You understand
how to do that. At least he must
man here, and she must have no
| knowledge that Paul Miller is alive"
His final instructions were SO clear
and imperative there could be no pos
sible mistaking them, and when he
| had finished they took their departure.
| The story about the avalanche fall
ing in their rear and blocking up the
way was all clever invention on the
part of Mr.. Lakeland.
Lakeland went to Lauras tent, his
white face wearing a careworn and
troubled look The lines of his fea-
lures seemed more deeply drawn and
his face was expressive of the great
est concern.
'Laura-NIiss Kean," he began, in
| his cautious, considerate manner, Il
hope you will believe me when | say
| that this lamentable accident causes
me unaccountable annoyance on your
account. When awakened in the
night with the intelligence that a
storm was coming and the pass would
| be impossible, | decided that for you
| | must act at once. II we were aboard
a sinking ship and should rescue you
and take you ashore, would you deem
| it an act of hostility because l did
not wait for some companion of
yours?"
She bowed her head and was silent.
In argument, the subtle villain al
| ways beat her, but when left to her
| self to con over what he had said and
| commune with her own heart, she in
stinctively felt the man was villain.
Intuition, or whatever you may choose
| to call it, told Laura her lover lived
| She was conscious of his presence
| somewhere in this vast world, and
felt as instinctively drawn to him
as the needle to the magnet.
Days passed and the small party
was still in the valley. hemmed in
by the mountains and eternal SHOWS
Lakeland made frequent visits to
Laura after despatching the four men
to give an account of their progress
in cutting their way through the pass.
Laura" he said, in low gentle
tone, which would have thrilled any
other woman, Il have tried to hope
against hope for your sake. I have
tried to believe your lover lived, but
l must yield to facts. All this jour
ney, hardship and suffering, this
passing the winter in an Alaskan
wilderness is to no purpose"
''Is it not?"
Laura, are you very strons?"
She gave him swift, wild look-an
imploring glance and gasped:
What do you mean?"
Can you bear great shock?"
What shock-what is it-speak out,
| beseech you!"
Paul is dead!"
at is false!"
at is true!"
What evidence have you?"
THE evidence of men who saw him
die. He died three weeks ago."
His face was so white, he expressed
such concern, that she was strongly
impressed with his manner, yet she
| cried:
What you say can't be true! Ny
heart tells me he lives"
Nevertheless, her eyes grew dim
with tears, which trickled adown ner
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