Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-04-24


strained to the vanishing point The
great white range was flung in his face
like a challenge. Within it's secret re-
cesses lay the solution of the mystery.
Somewhere, dead or alive, beyond the
soaring rampant was the woman he
loved. 1t was impossible for him to
remain quiet any longer. Common
sense, reason, every argument that
had been adduced, suddenly became Of
no weight. He lifted his head and
stared straight westward, his eyes
swept the long semicircle of horizon
across which the mighty range was
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 1r-
Cesistibly to action.
"By Heav en-" he said under his
breath, risil to his feet, winter or
no winter, l D."
Robert Mai land had Offices in the
same building Having once come to a
determination, there was no more I'M
certainty or hesitation about Arm
strong's 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
Gains, 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 whirIing 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 un-
til the break up of the spring came
For the rest he troubled nobody; mo-
body noticed him, nobody marked him,
nobody minded him. Robert Maitland
transacted his business a little more
softly, little more gently, that was
all. Yet the presence of his brother
was a living grief and a living re-
prOach to him. Although he was quite
b1ameless 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, "I can't stand
it any longer. I'm going into the noun
Gains'
You are mad!''
81 can't help it. 1 can't sit here
and face them, damn them, and re-
main quiet"
You will never come out alive"
"Oh, yes, I will; but if I don't, 1
swear to God I don't care"
Old Stephen Maitland rose instead
lily to his feet and gripped the back of
his chair.
did l hear Alright, sir?" he asked,
with all the polished and graceful cour-
tesy of birth and breeding which never
deserted him in any emergency what
soever. do you say"
81 said I was going into the. noun
tains to search for her"
cit is Madness" urged Robert Matt
sand.
But the old man did not hear him.
Thank God!" he exclaimed with
deep feeling. 81 have sat here day aft
er day and watched those mighty hills,
and I have said to myself that if I
had youth and strength as have love,
I would not wait"
''You are right" returned Arm
strong, equally moved, and indeed it
would have been hard to have heard
and seen that father unresponsively;
S|and I am not going to wait, either"
"I understand your feelings, jim,
and yours, too, Steve" began Robert
Maitland, arguing against his own emo
tions, "even if she escaped the flood.
she must be dead by this time"
''You needn't go over the old argu-
ment, Bob. I'm going into the noun
tains, and I'm going now. No." he
continued swiftly, as the other opened
his mouth to interpose further objec-
lions, you needn't say another word.
I'm a free agent, and I'm old enough
to decide what can do. There is no
argument, there is no force, there is
no appeal, there is nothing that will
restrain me. can't sit here and eat
my heart out when she may be there"
"But it's impossible!"
@'It is impossible. How do I know
that there may not have been some
body in the mountains; she may have
wandered to some settlement, some
hunters cabin, some prospector's hut"
"But we were there for weeks and