Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-01-30


worked it froze. The weather had i
changed some days before. heavy |
SHOWS had already fallen; they had to |
get out of the mountains without !
further delay or else be frozen up to |
die. Then and not till then did Matt |
land give up hope. He had refrained |
from wiring to Philadelphia, but when |
he reached a telegraph line some ten |
days after the cloudburst, he sent a
long message east, breaking to his
brother the awful tidings
And in all that they did he and
Kirkby, two of the shrewdest and
most experienced Of men, showed
with singular exactitude how easy 1t
is for the wisest and most capable
Of men to make mistakes, to leave the
plain trail, to fail to deduce the truth
from the facts presented. Yet 1t is
difficult to point to a fault in their
reasoning, or to find anything left IN
| done In the search!
Enid had started down the canon;
near the end Of It they had discovered
| one Of her garments which they could
not conceive any reason for her TAX
| OF one Of the biggest Grizzlies that
either man had ever seen. it had evil
| dence of blood stains upon it; still,
they had found no body, but they
were as profoundly sure that the man
| gled remains Of the poor girl lay with
| in the depths Of that mountain lake
as IL they had actually seen her there.
! The logic was all fawless
It so happened that on that Novem-
Der morning, when the telegram was
approaching him. Mr.. Stephen Matt
usually early hour. Mr.. Stephen
Maitland. who was no longer an early
riser, had indeed just finished his
| breakfast when the card of Mr.. James
Armstrong of Colorado was handed to
him.
This, suppose" he thought test
fly, 'is one of the results Of Ends
| wanderings into that God-forsaken
land. Did you ask the man his busi-
ness, James," he said aloud TO the
footman.
Yes, sir. He said he wanted to see
you on important business, and when
1 made bold to ask him what bust
ness, he said 1t was none Of mine, and
for me to take the message to you,
sir"
"Impudent," growled Mr.. Maitland.
Eyes, sir, but he Is the kind OF a
gentleman you don't talk back to, sir"
We'll, you go back and tell him
that you have given me his card, and
% zho% 10 icb
to see me about, that I am very busy
this morning and unless It is mat
ter Of importance-you understand"
Yes, sir"
81 suppose now I shall have the
whole west unloaded upon me; every
vagabond friend of Roberts and peo-
pie who meet Enid" he thought, but
his reveries were shortly interrupted
: by the return of the man.
eff you please, sir" began James
hesitatingly, as he re-entered the
room, "he says his business is about
the young lady, sir"
J "Confound his impudence!" ex
claimed Mr.. Maitland, more and more
annoyed at what he was pleased to
characterize mentally as western as
surance. Where is he?"
In the hall, SIR
"Show him into the library and say
l shall be down in moment"
Every good SIR
1t was a decidedly wrathful individ
ual who confronted Stephen Maitland
a few moments afterward in the Ii
brary, for Armstrong was not accus
toned to such cavalier treatment, and
had Maitland been other than Ends
father he would have given more out
ward expression at his indignation
over the discourtesy in his reception.
J "Mr. James Armstrong, I believe,
began Mr.. Maitland, looking at the
card in his hand.
Yes, SIR
"Er-from Colorado"
"And proud of it,
"Ah, dare say. I believe you wish
ed to see me about"
your daughter. sir"
"And in what way are you concern
ed about her, sir?"
81 wish to make her my wife"
Great God" exclaimed the olde
man in a voice equally divided be
!. tween horror and establishment
: How dare you, sir? You amaze me
!, beyond mea-are with your inferna
impudence."
Excuse me. Mr.. Maitland" inter
A posed Armstrong quickly and will
: great spirit and determination, 'bu
where 1 come from we don't ALLOW
- anybody to talk to us in this way
= You are Ends father and a much old
er man than I, but I can't permit yol
:, to"
"Sir." said astounded Maitland
-. drawing himself up at this bold flout
- ing, you may be a very worthy youni
man, 1 have no doubt of it, but it i
. out of the question. My daughter
Again a less excited hearer nigh