Middletown transcript., 1912-05-18
CHAPTER XIX.
The Challenge Of the Range.

CHAP EH AINs
The Challenge Of the RANGE.
Mr.. James Armstrong sat at his
desk before the west window in his
private room in one Of the tallest
buildings in Denver. His suite Of Of
fees was situated on one of the top
floors, and from it he had clear and
uHobstructed view Of the mighty
range over the intervening house tops
and other buildings. The earth was
covered with snow. It had fallen stead
lily through the night, but with the
dawn the air had cleared and the sun
had come out brightly, although it was
very cold.
Letters, papers, documents, the de-
mands Of a business extensive and var
led, were left unnotieed. He sat with
his elbow on the desk, his head on his
hand, looking moodily at the range,
In the month that had elapsed since
he had received. news Of Enid Matt
lands disappearance he had sat often
in that way, in that place. staring at
the range, a prey to most respondent
reflections. heavy hearted and discon-
solate indeed.
After that memorable interview
with Mr.. Stephen Maitland in Phila-
deIphia he had deemed 1t proper to
await there the arrival Of Mr.. Rob
ert Maitland. A brief interview with
that distracted gentleman had put
him in possession Of all the facts in
the case. AS Robert Maitland had
said, after presentation Of the tragic
story, the situation was quite hope
less. Even Armstrong reluctantly ad-
mitted that her uncle and old Kirkby
had done everything that was possi-
BILE for the rescue or discovery OF
the girl.
Therefore the two respondent gem
tlemen had shortly after returned to-
their western homes, Robert Maitland
in this instance being accompanied
by his brother Stephen. The latter
never knew how much his daughter
had been to him until this evil fate
had befallen her. Robert Maitland
had promised to inaugrate a thor
ough and extensive search to solve the
mystery of her death, which he felt
was certain, in the spring, when the
weather permitted humanity to have
free course through the mountains.
Mr.. Stephen Maitland found a GER
tain melancholy satisfaction In being
at least near the place where neither
he nor any one had any doubt his
daughters remains lay hid beneath
the snow or ice on the mountains in
the freezing cold. Robert Maitland
had no other idea than that Ends
body was in the lake. He intended to
drain it-an engineering task of no
great difhculty-and yet he intended,
also, to search the hills for miles on
either side of the main stream down
which she had gone, for she might
possibly have strayed away and died
of starvation and exposure, rather
than drowning. At any rate, he
would leave nothing undOne to discov-
er her.
He had strenuousiy opposed Arm
strong's recklessly expressed inten-
ton of going into the mountains i'm
mediately to search for her. Arm
strong was not easily moved from any
purpose he entertained, or lightly to
be hindered from attempting any en-
terprise that he projected, but by the
time the party reached Denver the
winter had set in, and even he real
lied the futility of any immediate
search for dead body lost in the
mountains. Admitting that Enid was
dead, the conclusions were sound, Of
course.
The others pointed out to Armstrong
that If the woman they all loved had
by any fortunate chance escaped the
cloudburst, she must inevitably have
perished from cold, starvation and ex-
posure in the mountain long since.
There was scarcely a possibility that
she could have escaped the food, but
IL she had, it would only to be de-
voted to death a little later II she
was not in the lake, what remained Of
her would be in some la1eral canon.
It would be impossible to discover
her body in the deep SHOWS until the
spring and the warm weather came.
When the SHOWS melted what was con-
cealed would be revealed. Alone, she
could do nothing. And admitting again
that Enid was alone, this conclusion
was as sound as the other.
Now no one had the faintest hope
that Enid Maitland was yet alive, ex-
cept, perhaps, her father, Mr.. Stephen
Maitland. They could not convince
him, he was SO old and set in his opin-
ions and so utterly unfamiliar with the
conditions that they tried to describe
to him, that he clung to his belief In
spite Of all, and finally they let him
take such comfort as he could from
his vain hope without any further at
tempt at contradiction.