Middletown transcript., 1912-04-27
own use and I will take the other Tor
mina +" ha continued

own use and viii take the other Tor
mine," he continued.
Il am loath to dispossess you"
Il shall be quite comfortable there,
and this shall be your room exclusive
ly except when you bid me enter, as
when I bring you your meals. l shall
hold it inviolate."
But" said the woman, "'there must
be an equal division Of labor. l must
do my share"
There isn't much to do in the win
ter except to take care Of the burros,
keep up the fire and prepare what we
have to eat"
Il am afraid should be unequal to
outdoor work, but in the rest l must
do my part"
He recognized at once that idleness
would be irksome.
$50 you shall, >" he assented heartily,
when your foot is well enough to
make you an efficient member Of our
little society"
Thank you, and now"
"Is there anything else before get
supper?"
"You think there is no hope Of their
searching for me here?"
The man shook his head.
"h James Armstrong had been in
the party" she said rehectively, Il am
sure he would never have given up"
"And who is James Armstrong, may
1 ask?" burst forth the other bluntly.
why he-I-he is a friend Of my
uncle and an-acquaintance Of my
own"
"Oh," said the man shortly and
gloomily, as he turned away.
Enid Maitland had been very brave
in his presence, but when he went out
she put her head down on her arms
on the table and cried softly to her.
self. Was ever a woman in such a
predicament, thrown into ms Of
a man who had con-
ceivable claim tude,
forced to live in q
twO-room log o.. aely
mountain range, >. lofty
and inaccessible / -, pierced by ter
rife gorges soon to be impassabla
from the SHOWS? She had read many
stories of castaways, from Charles
Reade's famous Foul Play" down to
more modern instances, but in those
cases there had always been an island
comparatively large over which to-
reign with privacy, seclusion, opportu-
nifty for withdrawal; bright heavens,
balmy breezes, idyllic conditions.
Here were two uplifted from the earth
upon a sky-piercing mountain. They
would have had more range Of action
and more liberty of motion If they
had been upon a derelict in the ocean.
And she realized at the same time
that in all those stories the two cast
aways always loved each other. Would
it be so with them? Was it SO? And
again the hot fame within outvied the
fire Of the hearth as the blood rushed
to the smooth surface Of her cheek
again.
What would her father say If he
could know her position, what would
the world say, and above all what
would Armstrong say. T. mot be
denied that her thoug' terri
bly, and overwhelmir Il. I'd,
and yet that despair ri ut
a certain relief. : r so
interested her as It was
the mystery Of his was he
there, what had he L when he
had blessed the idle Impulse that had
sent her into his arms?
Her heart throbbed again. She lift
ed her face from her h~r5e ard, ar.'o+
her tears, warm gloJ /.
and once again not ..:er -cn,
the fire. Who and WAS b
man? Who was that o.
picture ne had taken fl q
she would have time to find out. And
meantime the world outside could
think and do what it pleased. She
sat staring into the fire light, seeing
pictures there, dreaming dreams. She
was as lovely as an angel to the man
when he came back into the room.
ITO BE CoNTNUED.)