Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1912-06-06
CHAPTER iV.-continued.

CHAPTER iV.-Continued.
Surveying the great range she Won
dered where the peak climbers might
be- Keen sighted though she was, she
could not discover them. The crest
that they were attempting lay in an
other direction hidden by nearer
spur. She was in the very heart OF
the mountains; peaks and ridges rose
all about her, so much so that the gen
eral direction Of the great range was
lost She was at the center Of far
flung cocavtty of crest and range She
marked one towering point to the right
Of her that rose massiVely grand above
all the others. Tomorrow she would
climb to that high point and from its
lofty elevations look upon the heav-
Ems above and the earth beneath,
aye and the waters under the earth
far below. Tomorrow!-it is gen
orally known that we do not usually
attempt the high points in life's range
at once, content are we with lower al
titudes today
There was no sound above her; the
rushing water over the rocks upon
the nearer side she could hear faint
~; there was no wind about her to stir
the long needles Of the pines. 1t was
very still the kind of a stiffness of
body which Is the outward and visible
complement Of that stiffness of the
soul in which men know God. There
had been no earthquake, no storm,
the mountains had not heaved beneath
her feet. the great and strong wind
had not passed by, the rocks had not
been rent and broken. yet Enid caught
herself listening as if for voice. The
thriIl of majesty, silence. loneliness
was upon her She stood-One stands
when there is a chance of meeting
God on the way, one does not kneeI
until he comes-with her raised hands
ciasped, her head uplifted in exuIta-
lion unspeakable, GOd-conquered with
her face to heaven upturned.
Z win lift up mine eyes to the
hills whence cometh my salvation"
her heart sang voicelessIy. I'VE praise
thee, oh, God, we magnify thy holy
name forever" floated through her
brain, in great appreciation Of the
ulsrvelOus work of the Almighty shap-
ing master hand. Caught up as it
were into the heavens, her soul Ieaped
to meet its maker. Thinking to find
God she waited there on the heaven
kissing hill.
How long she stayed she did not
realize; she took no note Of time; it
did not occur to her even to look at
the watch on her wrist, she had swept
The skyline cut off as it were by the
peaks when first she came, and when
at last she turned away-eyen diyin-
est moments must have an end-she
locked not backward. She saw not a
little cloud hid on the horizon behind
the rampant of the ages. as it we're,
no bigger than a mans hand, cloud
full of portent and which would alarm
greatly the veteran Kirkby in the
camp and Maitland on the mountain
top. Both of them unfortunately were
unable to see it, one being on the
other side of the range, and the other
deem in the canon, and for both OF
them as for the girl the sun still
shone brightly.
The declivity to the river on the
upper side was comparatively easy
and Enid Maitland went slowly and
ShoughtfuIly down to it until she
reached the young torrent She got
her tackle ready, but did no casting,
as she made her way slowly up the
ever narrowing, ever rising canon.
She was charmed aud thrilled by the
wild beauty Of the way, the spell OF
the mountains was deep upon her.
Thoughtfully she wandered on until
presently she came to another little
amphitheater like that where the
camp was pitched, only smaller.
Strange to say, the brook or river
here broadened in a little pool per
thrown a full force of water against
the huge boulder wall and in ages
of effort giant cup had been hol-
lowed out Of the native rock. The
pool was perhaps four or five feet
deep the rocky bottom worn smooth.
The clearing was upon the opposite
side and the banks were heavily
wooded beyond the spur of the rock
which formed the back of the pool
She could see the trout in it, She
made ready to try her fortune, but
before she did so an idea came to
her-daring. unconventional, extraor-
binary, begot OF innocence and mex
perienCe.
The water Of course was very cold,
but she had been accustomed all her
life to taking q bath at the natural
temperature Of the water at whatever
season. She knew that the only PEG
pie in that wilderness were the mem
bers of her own party, three of them
we're at the camp below; the others
were ascending a mountain miles
away. The canon was deep sunk, and
she satisfied herself by careful obser-
walton that the pool was not over
looked by any elevations far or near.
Her additions in common with
those Of the rest OF the campers had
been by piecemeal of necessity. Here
was an opportunity for a plunge in a
natural bath tub. She was as certain
shat she would be under no observa-
zion as If she were in the privacy of
her own chamber. Here again impulse