Middletown transcript., 1912-04-20

4aAA snug dud WbEt4 uuuoI u0E DAdu
kets. She presently tested her wound
ed foot, BY moving it gently, and dis
covered agreeably that It was much
less painful than she had anticipated
The treatment the night before hat
been very successful.
She did not get up Immediately, bui
the coldness of the room struck her Sc
soon as she got out Of bed. Upon hel
hrst awakening she was hardly con
scious Of her situation; her sleep had
been too long and too heavy, and hei
awakening too gradual for any sud
den appreciation Of the new condition
1t was not until she had stared around
the walls Of the rude cabin for some.
time, that she realized where she was
and what had happened. When she
did 80 she arose at once.
Her first impulse was to call. Never
in her life had she felt such death.
like stiffness. Even in the camp al.
most always there had been a whis-
per Of breeze through the pine trees,
or the chatter Of water over the rocks.
But here there were no pine trees and
no sound Of rushing brook came to
her. It was almost painful. She was
keen to dress and go out Of the house.
She stood upon the rude puncheon
hoor on one foot, scarcely able yet to
bear even the nghtest pressure upon
the other. There were her clothes on
chairs and tables before the fireplace.
Such had been the heat thrown out by
that huge blaze that a brief inspec.
ton convinced her that everything
was thoroughly dry. Dry or wet, she
must needs put them on, since they
were all she had. She noticed that
there were no locks on the doors, and
she realized that the only protection
she had was the sense of decency and
the honor Of the man. That she had
been allowed her sleep unmolested
made her the more confident on that
account.
She dressed hastily, although it was
the work Of some difficulty in view of
her wounded foot, and Of the stiff con-
dition OF her rough, dried apparel.
Presently she was completely clothed,
save for that disrobed foot. With the
big clumsy bandages upon It, she could
not draw her stocking over it, and even
If she succeeded in that, she could in
no way make shift to put on her boot
The situation was awkward, the pre-
dicament annoying. She was wearing
boomers and short skirt for her
mountain climbing, and she did not
know quite what to do. She thought of
tearing up one Of the rough, unbleach-
ed sheets and wrapping it around her
leg, but she hesitated as to that. It
was very trying. Otherwise, she would
have opened the door and stepped out
into the open air. Now she felt her
self virtually a prisoner.
She had been thankful that no one
had disturbed her, but now she wished
for the man. In her helplessness she
thought of his resourcefuIness with
eagerness. The man, however, did not
appear, and there was nothing for her
10 do but to wait for him. Taking one
AtrsAs-sss7-s- s.-zss,-e-- --.-
Of the blankets from the bed, she sat
down and drew it across her knees and
took stock of the room.
The cabin was built Of logs, the
room was large, perhaps IL by 20 feet
with one side completely taken up by
the stone fireplace; there were two
windows, one on either side Of the
outer door, which opened toward the
southwest The walls were unplaster.
ed save in the chinks between the
rough hewn logs of which it was made.
Over the fireplace and around on one
side ran a-rude shelf covered with
books. She had no opportunity to ex.
anime them, although later she would
become familiar with every one OF
them.
Into the walls on the other side
were driven wooden pegs; from some
Of them hung pair of snow shoes,
heavy Winchester rife, fishing tackle
and other necessary wilderness para
phernalia On the puncheon floor wolf
and bear. skins were spread. In one
corner against the wall again were
piled several splendid pairs Of horns
from the mountain sheep.
The furniture consisted Of the single
bed or berth in which she had slept,
built against the wall in one Of the
corners, a rude table on which were |
writing materials and some books.
row Of curtained Shelves evidently |
made of small boxes and surmounted !
by a mirror, occupied another space. |
There were two or three chairs, the |
handiwork Of the owner, comfortable |
enough in spite Of their rude construe- |
lion. On some other pegs hung a
slicker and a sou'wester, a fur over
coat, fur cap and other rough clothes;
/ pair Of heavy boots stood by the |
fireplace. On another shelf there were
/ number Of scientific instruments, the /
nature Of which she could not deter
nine, although she could see that they
we're all in a beautiful state Of pres
srvation.
There was plenty Of rude comfort in
he room, which was excessively man
11bns Ii AoGlp LACIO Hd6 AOLA4AB any
where which in any way spoke Of the
existence Of woman-except a picture
n a small, rough, wooden frame which
Itood on the table before which she
Iat down. The picture was Of hand
iome woman-naturally Enid Maitland
Jaw that before anything else. She
would not have been a woman If that
lad not engaged her attention more
orcibly than any other fact in the
Dom. She picked 1t up and studied
long and earnestly, quite uncon-
cious Of the reason for her interest,
md yet a certain uneasy feeling might
lave warned her Of what was toward
n her bosom.
This young woman had not yet had
ime to get her bearings. She had not
leen able to realize all the circum-
tances Of her adventure. So soon as
he did so she would know that into
Ter life a man had come, and what
yer the course Of that life might be
n the future, he would never again
10 out of It.
It was therefore with mingled and
emotions that she stud
ed this picture. She marked with
ertain resentment the bold beauty