Middletown transcript., 1912-04-06

land give up hope. He had refrained
from wiring to Philadelphia, but when
he reached a telegraph line some ten
days after the cloudburst, he sent q
long message east, breaking to his
brother the awful tidings.
And in all that they did he and
Kirkby, two of the shrewdest and
most experienced Of men, showed
with singular exactitude how easy It
is for the wisest and most capable
Of men to make mistakes, to leave the
plain trail, to fail to deduce the truth
from the facts presented Yet 1t is
dificult to point to a fault in their
reasoning, or to find anything left un-
done in the search!
Enid had started down the canon;
near the end Of it they had discovered
one of her garments which they could
not conceive any reason for her TAX
ing of. 1t was near the battered body
Of one of the biggest Grizzlies that
either man had ever seen, it had evil
dence of blood stains upon it; still,
they had found no body, but they
were as profoundly sure that the man
gled remains Of the poor girl lay with
in the depths Of that mountain lake
as if they had actually seen her there.
The logic was all fiawless.
1t SO happened that on that Novem-
Der morning, when the telegram was
approaching him, Mr.. Stephen Matt
land had caller. He came at an un.
usually early hour. Mr.. Stephen
Maitland, who was no longer an early
riser, had indeed just finished his
breakfast when the card of Mr.. James
Armstrong of Colorado was handed to
him.
''This, I suppose" he thought test
lily, 'is one of the results Of Ends
wanderings into that God-forsaken
land. Did you ask the man his busi-
ness, James?" he said aloud to the
footman.
Eyes, sir. He said he wanted to see
you on important business, and when
I made bold to ask him what bust
ness, he said it was none of mine, and
for me to take the message to you,
SIR"
''Impudent," growled Mr.. Maitland.
Eyes, sir, but he is the kind of
gentleman you don't talk back to, sir"
''Well, you go back and tell him
that you have given me his card, and
l should like to know what he wishes
to see me about, that 1 am very busy
this morning and unless it is mat
ter of importance-you understand"
Eyes, sir"
'T suppose now / shall have the
whole west unloaded upon me; every
vagabond friend of Roberts and peo-
pie who meet Enid" he thought, but
his reveries were shortly interrupted
by the return Of the man.
.If you please, sir" began James
hesitatingly, as he re-entered the
room, "he says his business is about
the young lady, sir"
"Confound his impudence!" ex-
claimed Mr.. Maitland, more and more
annoyed at what he was pleased to
characterize mentally as western as
surance. where is he?"
'In the hall, sir"
"Show him into the library and say
shall be down in a moment"
VERY good, sir"
It was a decidedly wrathful indiVid-
uaI who confronted Stephen Maitland
a few moments afterward in the IL
bFary, for Armstrong was not accus-
toned to such cavalier treatment, and
had Maitland been other than Ends
father he would have given more out
ward expression at his indignation
over the discourtesy in his reception.
''Mr. James Armstrong, I believe"
began Mr.. Maitland, looking at the
card in his hand.
Eyes, SIR"
"Er-from Colorado7"
"And proud Of it."
"Ah, dare say. 1 believe you wish
ed to see me about"
your daughter, SIR"
"And in what way are you concern
ed about her, sir?"
II wish to make her my wife"
Great God!" exclaimed the older
man in a voice equally divided be-.
tween horror and astonishment.
How dare you, sir? You amaze me
beyond measure with your internal
impudence."
Excuse me, Mr.. Maitland" inter
posed Armstrong quickly and with
great spirit and determination, "but
where l come from we don't allow
anybody to talk to us in this way.
You are Ends father and a much old
er man than I, but l can't permit you
to"
"sir," said astounded Maitland.
drawing himself up at this bold fiout-
ing, you may be a very worthy young
man, I have no doubt OF it, but 1t is
out of the question. My daughter"
Again a less excited hearer might
have noticed the emphasis in the pro
noun
why, she is halfway engaged to
me now" interrupted the younger
man with a certain contemptuous
amusement in his voice. 'Look here,
Mr. Maitland, I've knocked around this
world q good deal. l know what's
what. know all about you eastern
people and don't fancy you any
more than you fancy us. Miss Enid is
quite unspoiled yet and that is why /
want her. I'm well able to take care
of her, too; don't know what you've
got or how you got it, but can come
near laying down dollar for dollar
with you, and mines all clean money
mines, cattle, lumber-and IT'S all
good money l made it myself. left
her two weeks ago with her promise
that she would think very seriously
Of my suit After came back to Dem
ver-I was called eaat-H made up my
mind that I'd come sre when I'd fin
ished my business and have It out
with you. Now you can treat me like
a dog II you want to- but II you expect
to keep peace In the family you'd bet
ter not, for tell you plainly. whether
you give your consent or not, mean
to win her. All / want Is her consent,
and I've pretty nearly got that
Mr.. stephen Maitland was black
with anger at this clear, unequivocal,
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