The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-01-04
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MARIE MANNING,
copyrisht 1905, by Harper q Brothers

she had finally pulled herself together
and followed what appeared to be a
trail in the hope of finding some one.
She dwelt long Oh the details Of the &C.
cident.
Eyes, but Peter? What has happened
him?" Judith chose her words impa-
tlently. She was racked with anxiety
at his long delay, and now she hung
over Kitty waiting for her answer,
without the semblance of cloak for
her alarm.
There was reproof in Kitty's amend
ment. Il don't know which way Mr..
Hamilton's horse went It started back
over the trail, Think
Judith clasped her hands. LET us
60 and look for him. Why do we
waste time?'' But Kitty hung back.
She was shaken from her fall and up
set by the events of the morning. Be
sides, her faith in Peters ability to
cope with all the exigencies Of this
country was supreme And chiefest
reason of all for her not going was
a something within her that WINGED
at the thought of this fellowship that
had for it's object the quest of Peter.
"Oh, don't you see," pleaded Judith,
that if something had not happened
to him lie would have been here long
agoY'
Judiths anxiety awoke in Kitty a
new consciousness. What was she to
him that at the possibility Of harm,
fear not shared by Kitty, she should
throw off reserve that every line of
her face pronounced habitual? In her
very energy of attitude, an energy that
all unconsciously communicated itself
to Kitty, there was the power that be-
longs to all elemental human emotion
the power that compels. Kitty rose to
follow Judith. then hesitated.
I'm sure nothing has happened him.
No, I'm really too unstrung by nv
fall to walk" She sank again to the
bowlder on which she had been sitting.
To the woman of the world Judith's
ingenious display of feeling had in it's
very sincerity something pitiable.
How could she strip from her soul
every fold of reserve and stand I'M
loved and unashamed, sanctlfed, as it
were, by the very hopelessness of her
passion? How could women make Of
their whole existence thing to be re-
jected, reflected Kitty, who, giving
nothing, could not understand? She
looked again at the bronzed face be-
side her, SO bold in outline, so express
i've in detail. Yes, she was beautiful.
and yet what had her beauty availed
her? The thought that she herself was
the preferred woman throbbed through
her for moment with sense of exal-
tatiOn.
The next moment haunting doubt
laid hold Of her heart, held up mock
ingly the little that she and Peter had
lived through together, the lofty plane
of friendship along which she had tried
to lead his unwilling feet sedately, his
protests, his frank amusement at her
serious pretensions to a career. How
much fuller might not have been the
intercourse between him and this wo-
man, who in all probability had been
his comrade for years? And she had
been idealizing him and his love for
her and his loneliness! Kitty stood
with eyes cast down, while images
crowded upon her, leaving her cold ana
smiling.
"But think" pleaded Judith. eff yoa
don't come it will take me longer to
search the trail marks. You could
show me just where the horses ram
Kitty's eyes were still on the ground
She did not lift them, and Judith, real
izing that further appeal was but
waste of time, turned and ran swiftly
down the trail.
''He is lie: lover said Kitty. And
all the wilderness before her was no
lonelier than her heart.
Swift, intent, Judith traced Kitty's
footprints. They, followed the game