Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1912-09-19

the others waited ON the ridge until
Mr.. Maitland and his party Joined
them. They couldn't have saved very
much to eat or wear from the camp,
they were miles from a settlement;
they probably divided into two parties,
the larger with the woman and chill
dren, started for home, the second
went down the canon searching for
your dead body!"
And had it not been for you" cried
the girl, impulsively, "they had found
it."
God permitted me to be Of service
to you," answered the man, simply.
II can follow their speculations exact
ly; up or down, they believed you to
have been in the canon when the
cloud burst, therefore there was only
one place and one direction to search
for you"
"And that WASP"
Down the canon?"
"What did you do then?"
81 went down the canon myself. l
think l saw evidence that some one
had preceded me, too"
did you overtake them?"
Certainly not, they travelled as
rapidly as I; they must have started
early in the morning and they had
several hours the advantage of me-"
But they must have stopped some
~ r.. H. ~JulE onA-p
YES" answered the man; If ! had
only myself to consider. l should have
pressed on through the night and
overtaken them when they camped."
"Only yourself?"
"You made me promise to return
here by nightfall. l don't know wheth'
er l should have obeyed you or not. ]
kept on as long as / dared and still
leave myself time to get back to you
by dark"
She had no idea Of the desperate
| speed he had made to reach her while
it was still daylight.
eff you hadn't come when you did
/ should have died." cried the girl i'm
petuously. "You did perfectly right
| don't think l am a coward; | hope
not. l never was afraid before, but
Don't apologize or explain to me
it's not necessary; l understand ev
erything you feel. 1t was only because
l had given you my word to be bach
by sunset that l left off following theil
trail. l was afraid that you nigh
think me dead or that something hat
happened and"
II should, / did," admitted the girl
ut wasn't so bad during the day time
but when the sun went down and YOU
did not come I began to imagine ev
erything. l saw myself left alone herr
in these mountains, helpless, wound
ed, without a human being to speal
to. l could not bear it."
"But l have been here alone TO
five years." said the man grimly.
That's different. l don't know VIII.
you have chosen solitude, but L"
"You are a woman" returned tn
other gently, and you have suffered
that accounts for everything"
Thank you," said Enid, gratefully
"And | am so glad you came back t
me-"
Back to you," reiterated the man
and then he stopped. If he had al
lowed his heart to speak he woul'
have said, Back to you from the yer,
ends Of the world. "But l want you t
believe that l honestly did not leav
the trail until the ultimate moment.
he added.
II do believe IT." she extended he
hand to him. you have been YER
good to me, l trust you absolutely"
And for the second time he too
that graceful, dainty, a%ristocrati
hand in his own larger, stronger. firm
er grasp. His face flushed again; III
der other circumstances and in othe
days perhaps he might have kisse
that hand. As 1t was he only hel
1t for a moment and then gently n
leased 1t.
"And you think they are searchin
for meT' she asked.
II know 1t. l am sure Of what
myself would do for n love-
loved, I mean, and they"
"And they will find me?"
The man shook his head.
II am afraid they will be convince
that you have gone down with til
food. Didn't you have q cap or"
EYES," said the woman, land
sweater. The bear you shot covere
the sweater with blood. I could nc
put IT on again"
As she spoke she flushed q gloriou
crimson at the remembrance Of this
meeting, but the man vas lookin
away with studied care. She thanke
him in her heart for such generou
and kindly consideration.
. "They will have gone down tn
stream with the rest, and It's Just pc
sible that the %searchers may fin
them, the body Of the bear, too. TIL
t river ends In a deep mountain LAX
and / think 1t is going to snow;
i, will be frozen hard tomorrow"
"And they will think me-therei
II am afraid So"
: "And they won't come up here?"
}, ut is scarcely possible"
: "Oh!" exclaimed the woman faint
|, at the dire possibility that she migl