Putnam patriot., 1910-08-19


 the Sierra Nevada mountains. It WAS last seen by .some Indian hunters. Searching parties went out to find it without success. 1t last it was given up and forgotten.
 The leader of the party was Edward Earle. He was widower with a little daughter. Elizabeth, whom he had left in the east in care of his sister Eliza beth was five years old when her fa- ther was last heard from. but she tooS a deep interest in the story of his dis appearance. What to older people was a mystery was to her a ehild's story similar to those she read in her fairy books. It did not occur to her that there was anything more wonderful in the disappearance of a wagon train consisting of half a dozen teams and ten or twelve people than in changing a man into frog. In other words, she did not realize that the one really happened and the other was impossi- ble
 But as Elizabeth grew beyond the age to be impressed by the imagination this story of the lost wagon train be- gan to grow upon her. Had it not been given to her by those in whom she had confidence she would not have believ- ed 1t. A man might disappear to re- turn many years after with an expla- nation. But how could wagons, horses and men all go out like candle?
 Elizabeth was the only person who faneied that her father would some day come back. Her elders did not op- pose her in this, though they did not pretend to agree with her. But as time wore on she realized that the case of the wagon train her father conducted was like that of ship going down un- der some marine catastrophe. carrying with il every living person. There came hope that her father had left some message for her which she would some day receive. She was told that he had had some property. but he alone knew where 1t was located. No will had ever been found nor any other papers to throw light upon his affairs But this was not strange since he had all his effects with him.
 By the time Elizabeth had become eighteen this question of her fathers disappearance had grown upon her to such an extent that it became sort of monomania. Possibly this resulted from trying to solve an insoluble ques- tion She was continually asking her self how such thing could happen. One of her suppositions was that the train had been carried away by eloudburst. Another was that 1t had been buried under an avalanche But in the case of the cloudburst the re mains of men. horses and wagons would be carried down where they would be seen. and in the case of the avalanche they would appear as soon as the snow melted. It was breeding on these problems that at last threat ened to affect Elizabeth's mind.
 When Henry Merryweather began te court Elizabeth her aunt hoped that living interest would relieve her from the burden of a dead one. Henry was a fine fellow and grew more and more wrapped in the serious girl. made so by d mystery. By delicate attentions he endeavored to withdraw her mind from the topic upon which it was ab- normally fastened. But his efforts were a failure. Despite all he could do he elicited only an occasional smile, temporary interest.
 hAf felt that she must relieve her aunt of her support. and she accepted a posi- tion as teacher in a school. Occupa- ton helped her in the matter that was troubling her. but did not cure her. Often in the midst of her duties she would find herself endeavoring to solve the problem of the lost wagon train.
 As a last resort Henry Merryweather resolved to go out to the region where the train was last seen with view to solving the mystery. He hoped that If he could bring back any plausible solu- ton Elizabeth would accept 1t and she would regain her normal status With out saving anything to her in reference te his intention he set out for the
  the train had been last seen.
 Fifteen years had passed since tne tragedy or whatever 1t was occurred. and settlers had come into the regioh that had been a solitude. Henry. oo- taining a good horse. set out 10 go over the pass where the train had been lost. The mystery was so well known that he had no difficulty in lo- eating the position where 1t had been last seen. One of the equipments ne possessed for his quest was taste Tor geology As he rode along he noted the character of the rocks. the flow of the streams. the configuration of the soil. As he passed through canyon in which ran a mountain stream be came to a point where the ground formed a dam. making small lake. II seemed to him that this could nor have long been so. The trees growing ca the dam were all very young. lie wondered If II had not been thrown across the stream by some shaking of the earth. He looked up and saw that the soil on which he stood formed direct incline for several thousand feet to a spot where a side of noun tain seemed to have been scooped out II occurred to him that large mass of earth far above had slid down ana formed the dam ou which he stood
 Might not the lost wagon train have been buried under this iandslides
 The more he studied the eonfigurar ti0ns about him the more he was con Siaeed that some cause, either [ clap of thunder. a snow slide or an earth