The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-08-13

land.
mountains. Admitting that, Enid was.
dead, the conclusions were sonnd, Of
course.
The others pointed QUITO Armstrong
that Il. the woman they all loved had
by any fortunate chance escaped the
cloudburst, she must inevitably have
persisted from cold, starvation and ex'
posure In the mountain long since.
There was scarcely possibility that
she could have escaped the flood, hut
Il she had. It would only to be de-
voted to death, q little later. II she
was not in, the lake, what remained Of
her would be In. some lateral canon.
1t would be Impossible to discover
her body in the deep SHOWS until the
spring and the, warm weather; came.
When the SHOWS melted what, was con;
cealed would be reyeaie I'd. S Alone, she
could do nothing. And Limiting again
that Enid was alone, this conclusion
was as sound, as the other. K I, d.
Now no one had the fafntest hope
that Enid Maitland was yet alive, ex!
cept. perhaps. her father, Mr.. Stephen
Maitland. They could not convince
him, he. was SO old and set in ,hisiopln-
ions and SO utterly unfamiliar with the
conditions that they tried to describe
to him. that he chung to his belief In
spite OF all, and finally. they let him
take such comfort as he could from
his vain hope without any further at
tempt at contradiction. z y
In spite OF. all the arguments. how
ever, Mr.. James Armstrong was not
satisfied. He was as hopeless as the
rest, but his Temperament would not
permit him 10 accept the Inevitable
calmly. It was barely possible that
she might not be dead, and that she
might not be alone. There was scarce.
up enough possibility Of this ito, Justify
a suspicion. but that, is not saying
there. was none at all. $50.
Day after day he had sat In his Of
fee denying himself to everyone and
refusing to consider anything, brood
ing over the situation. He loved Enid
Maitland. he loved her before. and now
that he had lost her, he loved her still
more. RI
Not altogether admirable, had been
James Armstrong; outwardly success-
full career. In much that Is high and
noble and manly his aotlons--and /, his
character-had often been lacking, but
even the base can love. and sometimes
love transforms. Il IT be given q
chance. The passion Of Cymon for Iph.
,igenia, made. man and prince out, Of
the rustic 'boor, and his real love for
Enid Maitland might. have done more
for. Armstrong than he himself or any
one who knew him as he was, and
few there were who had such
knowledge OF him. dreamed was
possible. There was one thing that
love could not do, however: It
could not make him patient phil.
osopher. good walter. His rule OF
life was not very, high, but In one way
1t was admirable, in that prompt, bold
desire action was his chiefest ckarac-
terlstic.
On this certain morning month
after the heartbreaklng disaster, his
power OF passive endurance had been
strained to the vanishing point, The
great white range was, flung In his face
like a challenge Within, Its. secret; re-
cesses lay the solution of the, mystery.
Somewhere, dead or alive. beyond the
soaring rampant. was the woman be
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 a mighty bow. Each
white peak. Knocked him. the ,insoleut
(. A Eew type OF hail destroyer is he.
- .Ht4ll'.