The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1912-08-30

present possessor or not, had been Q
college man. Say that he had gradu-
ated at twenty.one or twenty-five, he
would be twenty-eight or twenty.nine
years old now, but II so, why that
white hair? Perhaps, though, the
book did not belong to the man of the
cabin.
She turned to other books on the
shelf. Many Of them were technical
books. which she had sufficient gen.
eral culture to realize could be only
available to q man highly educated.
and special student Of mines and
mining-a mining engineer. she de-
cided, with a glance at those instru-
ments and appliances Of a scientific
character plainly. but Of whose actual
use she was ignorant.
A rapid inspection of the other
books confirmed her in the conclusion
that the man Of the mountains was
indeed the owner of the collection.
There were q few we'll worn volumes
Of poetry and essays. Shakespeare. a
Bible, Bacon. Marcus Aurelius, Epicte-
tus, Keats, small dictionary, COM
pendious encyclopedia, just the books,
she thought, smiling at her concei&.
that a man Of education and culture
would want to have upon desert is.
land where his supply of literature
would be limited.
The old ones were autographed a.
the first book she had looked in; 9th
ers, newer additions to the little IL
brary, If she could Judge their condi-
ton, were unsigned.
Into the corner cupboard and tho
There was nothing else in the room
to attract her attention, save some
piles Of manuscript neatly arranged
on one Of the shelves, each one cover
ed with a square Of board and kept
In, place by pieces Of glistening quartz.
There were four Of these piles and an
other half the size of the first four
on the table. These, Of course, she did
not examine, further than to note that
the writing was IN the same bold.
free hand as the signature In the
books. II she had been an expert she
might have deduced much from the
writing; as it was. she fancied 1t was
strong. direct, manly.
Having completed her inspection Of
this room. she opened the door and
went into the other. It was smaller
and less inviting. 1t had only ono
window, and a door opened outside.
There was q cook stove here. and
shelves with cooking utensils and
graniteware, and more rude box re-
ceptacles on the walls which were I'LL
ed with bountiful and we'll selected
Of various kinds. This was evident
ly the kitchen. supply room. china
closet. She saw no sign of bed in
1t. and wondered where and how the
man had scent the night.
By rights, her mind should have
been filled with her uncle and his
party, and in their alarm she should
have shared, but she was SO extremely
comfortable. except for her foot, which
did not greatly trouble her SO long as
she kept it quiet, that she felt a GER
tain degree Of contentment, not to say
happiness. The adventure was so TO
mantle and thrilling-save for those
awful moments in the especially
to the soul Of conventional woman
who had been brought up in the most
humdrum and stereotyped fashion Of
the earth's ways. and with never an
opportunity for the development Of
the spirit Of romance which all of US
exhibited some time In our life, and
which. thank God. some Of us never
lose, that she found herself revealing
in It.
She lost herself in pleasing imagina-
tons of tales Of her adventures that
she could tell when she got back to
her uncle. and when she got further
back to staid old Philadelphia. How
shocked everybody would be with 1t
all there! OF course. she resolved
that she would never mention one ep
isode Of that terrible day, and she had
somehow absolute confidence that this
man. in spite OF his grim, grun tact
turnity, who had shown himself so ex.
.ceedtngly considerate OF her feelings,
would never mention It either.
She had 20 much food for thought
that not even In the late afternoon o.
the long day could she force her mind
to the printed pages Of the book she
had taken ct random from the shelf
which lay open before her, where shs
sat In the sun. her head covered BY an
old "Stetson" that abe had ventured
to appropriate. She had dragged :
bear skin out ON the rocks In the mn