Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-04-18

across him, helpless or not, he would
have killed him out Of hand.
Armstrong had soon enough forgot.
ten Louise Rosser, but he had not
forgotten Newbold. All his ancient an.
imosity had famed into instant life
again, at the sight Of his name last
night. The inveteracy of his hatred had
been in no way abated by the lapse
Of time, it seemed.
Everybody in the mining camp had
supposed that Newbold had wandered
off and persisted in the mountains, else
Armstrong might have pursued him
and hunted him down. The sight of
his name on that piece Of paper was
outward and visible evidence that he
still lived. It had almost the shock
Of a resurrection, and resurrection
to hatred rather than to love. If
Newbold had been alone in the world,
if Armstrong had CHANGED upon him in
the solitude, he would have hated him
Just as he did, but when he thought
that his ancient enemy was with the
woman he now loved, with growing
intensity beside which his former re-
sentiment seemed weak and feeble he
hated him yet the more.
He could not tell when the notice,
which he had examined carefully, was
written; there was no date upon it.,
but he could come to only one conclu-
sion. Newbold must have found Enid
Maitland alone in the mountains very
shortly after her departure, and he
had her with him in his cabin alone
for at least a month. Armstrong
grltted his teeth at the thought. He
did not undervalue the personality of
Newbold. He had never happened to
see him, but he had heard enough
about him to understand his quail
ties as man. The tie that bound
Armstrong to Enid Maitland was a
strong one, but the tie by which he
held her to him, il indeed he held her
at all, was very tenuous and easily
broken; perhaps it was broken al
ready, and so he hated him still more
: and more.
Indeed, his animosity was so great
and growing that for the moment he
took no joy in the assurance Of the
| girls safety; yet he was not altogether
; an unfair man, and in calmer moments
he thanked God In his own rough way
: that the woman he loved was alive and
r we'll, or had been when the note wa
3 written. He rejoiced that she had no
, been swept away with the food or tina
t she had not been lost in the mountain
! and forced to wander on finally t
starve and freeze and die. In one me
= ment her nearness caused his heart t
D throb with joyful anticipation. Tn
certainty that at the first flush of da
d he should seek her again sent tn
e warm bleod to his cheeks. But thos
e thoughts would be succeeded by tn
knowledge that she was with his eI
envy. Was this man to rob him Of tn
latest love as he had robbed him G
+ the first? Perhaps the hardest tas
!. that was ever laid upon Armstron
d was to lie quietly in his sleeping ba
and wait until the morning.
v So soon as the first indication {
!; dawn showed over the crack of tn
It door, he slipped quietly out of hi
sleeping bag and without disturbin
the others drew on his boots, put o
his heavy fur coat and cap and gloves
r slung his Winchester and his sno'
M ar and xvffl,n,
d \ Stopping for 4 bite to eat ssoft1y ofel
! ed the door, stepped out and. closed
after him. 1t was quite dark in III
,e bottom of the canon, although a fe
= pale CLEANS overhead indicated ii
n. near approach Of day. 1t was quit
still, too. There were clouds on ii
g mountain top heavy with threat
n. wind and snow.
e. The way was not difficult, the dire
ne ton of 1t, that is. Nor'w the goir
as very difficult at first; the snow W;
rn frozen and the crust was strong enoul
n. to bear him. He did not need h
snow shoes, and, indeed, would hay
IN had little chance to use them in Il
1T narrow, broken, rocky pass. He hi
slipped away from the others becau
"a he wanted to be first to see the m,
"a and the woman. He did not want al
~ witnesses to that, meeting. TIL,
VA would have come on later, of cours
IA but he wanted an hour or two In p
M vate with EnA and Newbold witho
M any interruption His conscience W
NJ not clear. Nor could he settle upon
"a course of action.
IN How much Newbold knew of h
III former attempt to win away his vii
~ how much of what he knew he HI
M told Enid Maitland, Armstrong cou
VA not surmise. Putting himself in
s. Newbold's place and imagining tn
$ the engineer had possessed entire
81 formation, he decided that he mu
"a have told everything to Enid Ma
81 land as soon as he had found out t
- quasi relation between her and Ar
- strong. And Armstrong did not belle
= the woman he loved could be in al
body's presence month without te
ihb oohiSAhAhb obuuN mn. Ollllt ~ w
possible that Newbold knew nothlT
I'M. and that he told nothing therefore
The situation was paralyzing to
man of Armstrong; decided, determ
ave ed temperament, He could not deci
upon the line Of conduct he shot
g. pursue. His course in this. the mt
critical emergency he had ever fac,
oid must be determined by circumstanC
I'VE Of which he felt with savage reese
UNI ment' he was In some measure I
o sport. He would have to leave
chance what ought to be subject to
will OF only one thing he was sure
he would stop at nothing, murder
ing; nothing, to win the woman, a
to settle his score with that man.
ersi There was really only one thing
10 on,.iI 40 .,,I th.t ...,. A.