The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-08-02

Desperate Face. $50
he fired again and again. Satisfied at
last that the bear was dead, and OBJ
serving that he had fallen upon the
clothes Of the bather, he turned, de-
seconded the stream, for few yards.
until he came TO a place where 1t was
easily fordable, stepped through It
without a glance toward the woman
shivering in the water, whose sensa.
tion 50 far as a mere man could. he
thoroughly understood and appreciat.
ed. and whose modesty he fain would
spare, having not forgotten to be a
gentleman In five years Of his own SO.
ciety-high Iest Of quality. that.
He climbed out upon the bank, up
rooted small tree. rolled the bear
clear Of the heap of woman's clothing
and marched straight ahead Of him up
the canon and around the bend. J..
Thereafter, being man, he did not
faint or. fall, but completely, unneryed,
he leaned against the canon wall.
dropped his gun at his feet and stood
there trembling nightly, sweat be-;
dewing his forehead, and the sweat
had not come. from his exertions. In
one moment the whole even tenor Of
his life :. was changed. The one
glimpse he had got of those white
shoulders, that pallid face. that golden,
cad raised from the water, had swept
him back Ave years. He had seen.
once more in the solitude a woman.
Other women he had seen at a dis
lance and avoided in his yearly visits
to the settlements. OF course, these
had passed him by remotely, but here
he was brought In touch Intimately
with humanity. He who had taken
life had saved II, A woman had sent
him forth: was woman to call him
back? r.. ,,..,
lie cursed himself for his weakness.
he shut his eyes and summoned other
memories. How long he stood there
lie could not have told. He was fight
ing battle and 1t seemed to him at
last that he ,t-iumphed. Presently the
consciousness came to him that per.
haps he had no right to- stand there
idle; 1t may be that the woman need.
cd him; perhaps she had tainted in
the water; perhaps. He. turned; to-
ward the bend which concealed him
from her and then he stopped. Had
he. any right to. intrude upon her
privacy? He must OF necessity be an
unwelcome visitor to her; he had sur
prised her at frightful disadvantage.
be knew instinctively, although Sthe
fault was none Of his, although he
had Saved her life thereby, that she
would hold him and him alone re-
sponsible for the outrage to her mod
esty, md although he had seen littlo
ct first glance and had resolutely kept
his eyes away. the mere conscious
ness of.her absolute helplessness APP
pealed to him-to what was best and
noblest in him, too. He must go to
her; yet stay, she might not yet be
clothed, in which event. But no.
she must be dressed, or dead, by this
time, and in either case he would
have a duty TO discharge.
It devolved upon him to make sure
Of her safety; he was In a certain
sense responsible for It, Until she got
back to her friends. wherever they
might be; hut he persuaded himself
that otherwise he Cd not want to see
her again. that he I'D NOT wish to
know anything sboc. herr dtare;- that
he did not care whether II was well or
III With her. asd It was only stern.
obligation Which drove him toward 4
her-oh, fond and foolish man! So
Ee compromised with himself, at
last by. climbing the ridge that had,
shut off a view Of, the pool, and look:
ing down at the place SO memorable
to him. He was prepared to with
draw instantly should circumstances
warrant, and he was careful 80 to con-,
ceat himself as to give no possible OPP
portunity for her to discover his
scrutiny. ~ 1T
With beating heart and eager
eyes he searched the spot, There. lay
the bear and little distance away
y,ropa IN +ba t,,.o 90 ,tnthnd h,,N - 49,