Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-09

reassuring words. And Robert Matt
land and the rest on the mountain,
what do you think Of them?"
Il am sure that they must have
escaped, too. I don't think any Of
them have suffered more than a thor
ough drenching in the downpour and
that they are all safe and perhaps on
their way to the settlements now"
But they wouldn't go back without
searching for me, would they?" cried
the girl.
Certainly not. I suppose they are
searching for you now"
"Well then"
wait" said the man. you start.
ed down the canon, you told every
body you were going that way. They
naturally searched in that direction,
they hadn't the faintest idea that you
were going up the river.
NO." admitted Enid, that is true.
I did not tell anyone. l didn't dream
out in the morning, it was the result
of sudden impulse"
! God bless that" burst out the
man, and then he checked himself,
1 flushing again darkly.
What had he been about to say?
/ The question flashed across his own
mind and into the woman's mind at
the same time when she heard the
| inoompleted sentence; but she, too,
checked the question that rose to hen
lips.
This Is the way I figure IT," con-
tinued the man hurriedly to cover up
his confusion. They fancy them
selves alone In these mountains,
which, save for me, they are; they be-
lieve you to have gone down the can
on. Kirkby with Mrs. Maitland and
the others waited on the ridge until
Mr.. Maitland and his party Joined
them. They couldn't have saved very
much to eat or wear from the camp,
they were miles from a settlement;
they probably divided into two parties,
the larger with the woman and chill
dren, started for home, the second
went down the canon searching for
your dead body
And had it not been for you" cried
the girl, impulsively, they had found
it"
God permitted me to be Of service
to you" answered the man, simply.
81 can follow their speculations exact
ly; up or down, they believed you to
have been in the canon when the
cloud burst, therefore there was only
one place and one direction to search
for you"
"And that was?"
Down the canon"
"What did you do then?"
81 went down the canon myself. I
think l saw evidence that some one
had preceded me, too"
Did you overtake them?"
Certainly not, they travelled as
rapidly as /; they must have started
early in the morning and they had
several hours the advantage of me-"
But they must have stopped some
where for the night and"
YES" answered the man; ''if Lad
only myself to consider, should have
pressed on through the night and
overtaken them when they camped. u
only YOURSELF"
you made me promise to return
here by nightfall. l don't know wheth
er should have obeyed you or not.
kept on as long as l dared and still
leave myself time to get back to you
by dark
She had no idea Of the desperate
!, speed he had made to reach her while
It was still daylight.
, 'If you hadn't come when you did
should have died." cried the girl i'm
. petuously. You did perfectly right
! / don't think l am a coward; / hope
not. never was afraid before, but
Don't apologize or explain to me
! it's not necessary; l understand ev
a erything you feel. It was only because
/ had given you my word to be bach
4 by sunset that left off following theil
trail. / was afraid that you NIGH
think me dead or that something had
= happened and"
I II should. did" admitted the girl
a 1T wasn't so bad during the day time
but when the sun went down and yoJ
q did not come / began to imagine ev
erything. / saw myself left alone herr
In these mountains, helpless, wound
ed. without a human being to speal
to. could not bear It."
. But l have been here alone 70
FIVE years" said the man grizzly.
r. That's different. don't know VIII.
70 you have chosen solitude, but L"
You are a woman" returned tn,
q other gently, and you have suffered
that accounts for everything"
z Thank you" said Enid, gratefully
t And am so glad you came back L
me-"
D. Back to you" reiterated the mar
n and then he stopped. If he had a
n lowed his heart to speak he woul
'. have said, Back to you from the yer
ends OF the world But I want you t
"a believe that / honestly did not leav
the trail until the ultimate moment,
70 he added.
"a 81 do believe it," she extended he
N hand TO him. You have been yer
70 good to me, 1 trust you absolutely"
fs And for the second time he TOO
that graceful, dainty, aristocrsti
|" hand in his own larger. stronger. fru