The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1912-03-19
Copyright. 1911. by W. G. Chapman


only-and the canon turned sharply
back on themselves just beyond the
little meadow where the camp was
pitched. Past the tents that had been
their home for this joyous period the
river ran due east for few hundred
feet, after which 1t curved sharply,
doubled back and flowed westward
for several miles before 1t gradually
swung around to the east on its prop
er course again.
It had been Ends purpose to cut
across the hills and strike the river
where 1t turned eastward once more,
avoiding the long detour back. In
fact, she had declared her intention
of doing that to Kirkby and he had
given her careful directions so that
she should not get lost In the noun
tains
But she had plenty of time and no
excuse or reason for saving it, she
never tired of the charm of the canon;
therefore, instead OF plunging directly
over the spur OF the range, she fol-
lowed the familiar trail and after she
had passed westward far beyond the
limits OF the camp to the turning, she
decided, In accordance with that ut
terly irresponsible thing, a woman's
will, that she would not go down the
canon that day after all, but that she
would cross back over the range and
strike the river few miles above the
camp and go up the canon.
She had been up In that direction
few times, but only for a short dis
lance, as the ascent above the camp
was very sharp, in fact for a little
more than q mile the brook was only
a succession of water fall; the best
fishing was below the camp and the
finest woods were deeper in the canon.
She suddenly concluded that she
would like to see what was up in that
unexplored section of the country and
SO, with scarcely momentary hesi-
tation, she abandoned her former plan
and began the ascent of the range.
Upon decisions so lightly taken
what momentous consequences de-
pend? Whether she should go up the
stream or down the stream, whether
she should follow the rivulet to its
source or descend it to it's mouth,
was apparently a matter OF little mo-
ment, yet her whole life turned abso-
lutely upon that decision. The idle
and unconsidered choice of the hour
was frought with gravest possibilities.
Had that election been made with any
suspicion, with any foreknowledge, had
1t come as the result of careful rea
IF no
1t might have been understandable
but an impulse, whim, the vagrant
idea OF an idle hour, the careless
| chance of moment, and behold! q
| life Is changed. On one side were
youth and innocence, freedom and
happiness, a happy day, good rest
by the cheerful fire at night; on the
other, peril of life, struggle, love
jealousy, self sacrifice, devotion, suffer
ing, knowledge-scarcely Eve herself
when she stood apple in hand with
/ ignorance and pleasure around bel
/ and enlightenment and sorrow before
Her, had greater choice to make.
4 How fortunate we are that the fu
ture is yelled, that the psalmist':
Il prayer that he might know his enc
and be certified how long he had tt
live Is one that will not and canno
be granted; that 1t has been given t.
but One to foresee his own future
for no power apparently could enabl
us to stand up against what might be
because We are only human being
not sufficiently alight with the sparl
divine. We wait for the end becaus
We must, but thank God we know /
not until it comes.
Nothing of this appeared to the gir
that bright sunny morning. Fate hi
in those mountains under the guise Q
fancy. Lighthearted, carefree, itte
with buoyant Joy over every fact @
life, she left the flowing water an
scaled the cliff beyond which In tn
wilderness she was to find after al
the world.
The ascent was longer and NOR
difficult and dangerous than she ha
imagined when she first confronted i
perhaps 1t was typical and foretold be
progress. More than once she ha
to stop and carefully examine the fac
Of the canon wall for practicabl
trail; more than once she had to e,
ercise EXTREMIST care In her CHM
but she was bold and fearless moul
taineer by this t1Ine and at last su
mounting every difficulty she stoo
painting slightly, a little tired, b.
triumphant upon the summit
The ground was rocky and broke
the timber line was close above b,
and she judged that she must be Sc
eral miles from the camp. The cane
was very crooked, she could see on
Q few hundred yards Of it In any {
rectton. She scanned her circuI
scribed limited horizon eagerly for Il
smoke from the great fire that tn,
always kept burning in the camp, b
not sign of 1t was visible. She vi
evidently q thousand feet above Il
river whence she had come. Fl
standing ground was a rocky rid
which fell away more gently on t
other side for perhaps two hundr
. teet toward the same brook 81
could see through vistas In the tire
the uptossed peaks OF the main rans
bare, chaotic, snow crowned, lone
majestic, terrible
The awe of the everlasting hills
greater than that of heaving Sci
Save in the infrequent periods of cal
the latter always moves; the mou
tains are the same for all time. T
ocean is quick, noisy, living; t
mountains are calm, st1ll-dead!
The girl stood as 1t were on t