Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-04-11


drawn like the chord Of gigantic arc
or the string of mighty bow. Each
white peak Knocked him. the insolent
aggression of the range called him IT.
resistibly to action.
by Heaven" he said under his
breath, rising to his feet, winter or
no winter, / CO."
Robert Maitland had Offices in the
same building. Having once come to a
determination, there was no more UNI
certainty or hesitation about Arm
strongs course. In another moment
he was standing In the private room Of
his friend. The two men were not
alone there. Stephen Maitland sat in
a low chair before another window
removed from the desk somewhat,
staring out at the range. The old
man was huddled down In his seat,
every line Of his figure spoke Of grief
and despair. OF all the places in Den
yer, he liked best his brothers. office
fronting the rampant of the noun
tains, and hour after hour he sat there
quietly looking at the SUBMITS, some
times softly shrouded in white, some.
times swept bare by the fierce winter
gales that blew across them, some
times shining and sparkling so that
the eye scarce sustain their reflection
Of the dazzling sun Of Colorado; and
at other times seen dimly through
mists Of whlrling snow
Oh, yes, the mountains challenged
him also to the other side of the
range. His heart yearned for his
child, but he was too old to make
the attempt. HE could only sit and
pray and wait with such faint and fad
ing hope as he could still cherish I'M
til the break up of the spring came.
For the rest he troubled nobody; no
body noticed him, nobody marked him,
nobody minded him. Robert Maitland
transacted his business little more
softly, a little more gently, that was
all. Yet the presence Of his brother
was q living grief and living re.
proach to him. Although he was quite
blameless he blamed himself. He had
not known how he had grown to love
his niece until he had lost her. His
, conscience accused him hourly, and
yet he knew not where he was at
' fault or how he could have done diff
: ferently. 1t was helpless and hope
.. less situation. To him, therefore, en-
tered Armstrong.
Maitland" he began, ~ can't stand
| II any longer. I'm going into the noun,
tains."
! "You are mad!"
81 can't help 1t. can't sit here
and face them, damn them, and re-
main quiet"
"You will never come out alive"
"oh, yes. l will; but II l don't,
swear to God don't care"
Old Stephen Maitland rose unstead
4 lily to his feet and gripped the back Of
Il his chair.
II "Did l hear Alright, sir" he asked
y with all the polished and graceful cour
tesy of birth and breeding which never
|. deserted him in any emergency what
soever. do you say"
II said was going into the noun
IS tains to search for her."
" ut is Madness" urged Robert Matt
land.
q But the old man did not hear him.
d THANK God!" he exclaimed will
e deep feeling. II have sat here day aft
q er day and watched those mighty hills
e and have said to myself that II
a. had youth and strength as have love
II l would not wait"
It "You are right" returned Arm
g. strong. equally moved, and indeed
ia would have been hard to have hear,
IL and seen that father unresponsively
q. "and am not going to wait, either
,r II understand your feelings, jim
Ie and yours, too, Steve" began Rober
e. Maitland, arguing against his own emo
n lions, "even II she escaped the foot
IL she must be dead by this time"
in "You needn't go over the old argr
IN ment, Bob. I'm going into the mour
tains. and I'm going now. No." h
- continued swiftly, as the other opene
'. his mouth to interpose further objec
~ tions, you needn't say another wore
"a I'm free agent. and I'm old enoug
- to decide what can do. There is n
- argument, there is no force, there
~ no appeal, there Is nothing that wi
~ restrain me. can't sit here and. es
=, my heart out when she may be there
:, "But It's impossible!"
I, ut Is impossible. How do / kno
that there may not have been som
body In the mountains; she may ha,
V. wandered to some settlement. son
~ hunters cabin, some prospectors hut
~. But we were there for weeks an
" saw nothing, no evidence Of huma
no ity."
a. II don't care. The mountains al
Nv filled with secret hooks you could pal
=, by within stones throw, and new,
~ see into; she may be In one Of ther
Ae l suppose she Is dead, and It's all foe
ish, this hope; but I'll never believe
or- until l have examined every squai
nu rod within radius OF 80 miles fro
'a' your camp. I'll take the long chanc
I'D the longest, even"
ow "Well, that's all right" said Ro
I'LL ert Maitland. "of course, intend
do that as soon as the spring open
zen but what's tho use Of trying to do
ss- now?"
nd IT'S use to me. I'll either go M
his here in Denver, or must go to Sc
tut for her there"
les But you will never come back
you once get in those mountains alone
PHI II don't care whether l do or n,
OF It's no use. old man, am going, al
for that's all there Is about H."
ore Robert Maitland knew men. He r.
n.y. ognlzed fnality when he heard It,