The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1912-08-01
CHAPTER XIV. (contlnued)

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hermit falls In love with Enid.
CHAPTER XIV. (Contlnued).
Having little else to do, she studied
the man, and she studied him with
warm desire and an enthusiastic pre-
disposition to find the best in him.
She would not have been a human
girl if she had not been thrilled to
the very heart of her by what the
man had done for her. She recognized
that whether he asserted it or not, he
had established an everlasting and
indisputable claim upon her.
The circumstances of their first
meeting, which as the days passed
did not seem quite so horrible to her,
and yet a thought of which would
bring the blood to her cheek still on
the instant, had in some way turned
her over to him. His consideration
of her, his gracious tenderness to-
ward her, his absolute abnegation, his
evident overwhelming desire to please
her, to make the anomalous situation
in which they stood to each other
bearable in spite of their lonely and
unobserved intimacy, by an absolute
lack of presumption on his partial
those things touched her profoundly.
Although she did not recognize the
fact then perhaps, she loved him from
the moment her eyes had opened in
the mist and rain after that awful
battle in the torrent to see him bend
ing over her.
No sight that had ever met Enid
Maitland's eyes was SO glorious, so
awe inspiringS so uplifting and mag
nificent as the view from the verge
of the cliff in the sunlight of some
bright winter morning. Few women
had ever enjoyed such privileges as
hers. She did not know whether she
liked the winter crowned range best
that way, or whether she preferred
the snowy world, glittering cold in the
moonlight; or even whether it was
more attractive when it was dark and
the peaks and drifts were only light
ed by the stars which shone never so
brightly as just above her head.
When he allowed her she loved to
stand sometimes in the full fury of
the gale with the wind shrieking and
sobbing like lost souls in some icy
inferno through the hills and over the
pines, the snow beating upon her, the
sleet cutting her face if she dared to
turn toward the storm. Generally he
left her alone in the quieter moments,
but in the tempest he stood watchful,
on guard by her side, buttressing her,
protecting her, sheltering her. Indeed
his presence then was necessary,
without him she could scarce have
maintained a footing. The force of
the wind might have hurled her down
the mountain but for his strong arm.
When the cold grew too great he led
her back carefully to the hut and the
warm fire.
All, yes, life and the world were
both beautiful to her then, in night,
in day. by sunlight, by moonlight, in
calm and storm. Yet it made no diff
ference what was spread before the
woman's eyes, what glorious picture
was exhibited to her gaze, she could
not look at it more than moment
without thinking of the man. With
the most fascinating panorama that
the earth's surface could spread be-
fore human vision to engage her at
tention, she looked into her own
heart and saw there this man!
Oh, she had fought against it at
first, but lately she had luxuriated
in it. She loved him, she loved him!
And why not? What is it that WON
en- love in meni Strength of body?
She could remember yet how he had
carried her over the mountains in the
midst Of the storm, how she had been
so bravely upborne by lis arms to his
heart She realized later what a task
that had been, what feat of strength.
The uprooting of that sapling and the
overturning of that huge Grizzly were
child's play to the long portage up
the almost impossible canon and
mountain side which had brought her
to this dear haven.
Was it strength of character she
sought, resolution, determination?
This man had deliberately withdrawn
from the world, buried himself in this
mountain, and had stayed there deaf
to the alluring call of man CT woman;
he had had the courage to do that.
Was it strength of mind she ad-
mired? Enid Maitland was no mean
Judge Of the mental powers of her
acquaintance. She was just as full of
life and spirit and the JOY of them az
any young woman should be, but she
had not been trained by and thrown
with the best for nothing. Noblesse
oblige. That his was a mind well
stored with knowledge of the most,
varied sort she easily and at once
perceived OF course the popular
I books Of the last FIVE years had passed