Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-02-20

mountains. Admitting that Enid was
dead, the conclusions were sound, OF
course.
The others pointed out to Armstrong
that If the woman they all loved had
by any fortunate chance escaped the
cloudburst, she must inevitably have
persisted from cold, starvation and ex-
posture in the mountain long since.
There was scarcely possibility that
she could have escaped the flood, but
IL she had, it would only to be de-
voted to death a little later. II she
was not in the lake, what remained Of
her would be in some lateral canon.
It 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 revealed. Alone, she
could do nothing. And admitting again
that Enid was alone, this conclusion
was as sound as the other.
Now no one had the faintest 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 his opin'
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
/ fep1pt ar contradiction
In spite of all the arguments, how
ever. Mr. James Armstrong was moi
satisfied. He was as hopeless as the
rest, but his temperament would MOI
permit him to accept the inevitable
calmly. 1t was barely possible thai
she might not be dead, and that she
might not be alone. There was scarce
up enough possibility of this to justify
a suspicion, but that is not saying
there was none at all.
Day after day he had sat IN his OF
fee denying himself to everyone ant
refusing to consider anything, brood
ing over the situation. He loved Enit
Maitland, he loved her before, and nov
that he had lost her, he loved her still
more.
Not altogether admirable had beel
James Armstrong; outwardly success
full career. In much that is high an
noble and manly his actions-and hi
characterized often been lacking, bu
even the base can love, and sometime
love transforms, II it be given
chance. The passion of Cymon for Ipt
igenia, made a man and prince out @
the rustic boor, and his real love TO
Enid Maitland might have done NOR
for Armstrong than he himself or AMI
one who knew him as he was, an
few there were who had sue
knowledge of him, dreamed wa
possible. There was one thing tina
love could not do, however;
could not make him a patient phi
osopher, a good waiter. His rule c
life was not very high, but in one wa
1t was admirable, In that prompt, Dol
desire action was his chiefest charat
teristic.
On this certain morning a mont
after the heart-breaking disaster, hi
power of passive endurance had bee
; strained to the vanishing point. Tn
great white range was flung in his fac
Ike challenge. Within its secret n
cesses lay the solution of the myster!
Somewhere. dead or alive, beyond tn
soaring rampant was the woman b
loved. 1t was impossible for him
.. remain quiet any longer. Commo
sense, reason, every argument tbs
had been adduced. suddenly became {
: no weight. He lifted his head an
stared straight westward, his eye
swept the long semicircle of horizo
across which the mighty range wa
drawn like the chord OF gigantic al
or the string of q mighty bow Fac
white peak mocksA him. the insolez
aggression Of the range called him l
: reststibly to action.
BY Heaven" he said under b
breath, rising to his feet. winter
, no winter. / CO."
Robert Maitland had Offices in Il
same building. Having once come to
discrimination, there was no more u
certainty or hesitation about Arr