West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-11-22


Mamie wetmore had fallen behind.
She was riding with brOnzed young
Lieutenant from Fort Washable. The
two ahead rode long without speaking.
Then Peter broke the silence impa-
tlently:
You did not really mean that. did
YOU" He was boyishly hurt at her
ilippant summing up OF his beloved
blue country. and Kitty. tired with the
long. hard ride. and missing that some
thing I'm Peter that had always been
hers. turned on him pair OF blue
eyes In which the tears were brim.
ming suspiciously. They were well
out OF sight OF the others and had
come to the heavy fringes OF a pine
wood Was It the psychological mo-
ment ut lasti Then suddenly their
horses. that had been smiling the air
suspiciously. stopped. Kitty's horse.
which was In advance OF Peters,
rushed toward the thicker growth OF
pines rs IL all bedlam were In pur-
suit. Peters horse. swerving from
the cause OF alarm, boltcd back across
the trail over which they had just made
their way. A large brown bear. feed
Ing with her cub and hidden by the
trees till they were directly in front
II her. had caused the alarm.
And presently the hush OF the shad-
owy green world I'm which Judith lay
WIZ broken by light. sobblng sound.
IL had been so still that. lying on her
bed OF pine needles, she had likened
IL 10 great waves OF silence rolling up
from the valley. breaking over her and
sweeping back again. nolselcss, green
from the billowing ocean OF pine
branches. aud sunlit Judith bent over
the rocky ledge and saw n girl max
ing her way down the game trail. di-
shcveled and fearful. Her hat was gone;
her pale yellow hair. that I'm shadow
had the greenlng tinge OF corn silk,
blew about her shoulders; her trim
skirt was torn and dusty, and she
looked about, bewlldercd, hardly real
ling that through the unexpected
course OF things she had been stranded
In this great world OF sunlit splendor
and loneliness. She closed her eyes
awful NuhlnthN anu HOlllutlt CD
pressed her with n deepening sense of
calamity. Suppose they never found
herr How could she find her way in
this endless wilderness afooti She sank
to the turf and began to cry hysteric-
ally.
Judith knew I'm flash OF instant
cognitlon that this was Miss Cole
hrnnEn a.. 10
dulled her powers OF actOn--amaZc.
ment that she, who had stolen to this
place and crouched close TO earth that
she might sec the triumph Of this pre-
ferred woman and. having seen and
| paid her grievous dole, steal away and
take up the thread OF endless little
things that spun for her the web OF
life, was forced instead to be an I'M
willing witness of the others distress.
Judith had risen with her first i'm
! pulse. which had been to go 20 Kitty,
+ but halfway through the thicket she
hesltated and recOnsidered Undoubt
eddy Peter would soon come, and Re
I ter's consolation would be more potent
| than any she could offer. She shrank
In shudderlng self consciousness at the
thought OF her presence at their meet
ing. the unlimited guest, the outgrown
friend and cOnfldante, laundering I'm at
such Il time, pltifully full of good in
tentions. She recoilcd from the picture
az from precipice that all unwttingly
she had escaped. What madness had
induced her TO come on this eXpcdi-
J ton? \ sudden panic at the POSSIBLE