Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-03-06


pressed on through the night and
overtaken them when they camped."
only yourself?"
"You made me promise to return
here by nightfall. l don't know wheth-
er I should have obeyed you or not.
kept on as long as 1 dared and still
leave myself time to get back to you
by dark"
She had no idea of the desperate
speed he had made to reach her while
it was still daylight.
eff you hadn't come when you did,
should have died." cried the girl i'm
petuously. "'You did perfectly right.
don't think l am a coward; I hope
not. l never was afraid before, but"
Don't apologize or explain to me,
it's not necessary; l understand ev-
erything you feel. 1t was only because
had given you my word to be back
by sunset that left off following their
trail. / was afraid that you might
think me dead or that something had
happened and"
'I should, I did," admitted the girl.
'It wasn't so bad during the day time,
but when the sun went down and you
did not come / began to imagine ev-
erything. l saw myself left alone here
in these mountains, helpless, wound
ed, without human being to speak
to. I could not bear it."
''But I have been here alone for
five years." said the man grimly.
That's different. I don't know why
you have chosen solitude, but T"
''You are a woman" returned the
other gently, "and you have suffered,
that accounts for everything"
Thank you," said Enid, gratefully.
'And I am so glad you came back to
me-"
''Back to you," reiterated the man,
and then he stopped. If he had al
lowed his heart to speak he would
have said, Back to you from the very
ends of the world. "But want you to
believe that honestly did not leave
the trail until the ultimate moment"
he added.
81 do believe it," she extended her
hand to him. "You have been very
good to me, trust you absolutely"
And for the second time he took
that graceful, dainty, aristocratic
hand in his own larger, stronger, firm
er grasp. His face flushed again; I'M
der other circumstances and in other
days perhaps he might have kissed
that hand AS it was he only held
it for a moment and then gently re-
leased it.
And you think they are searching
for me?" she asked.
81 know it. I am sure of what I
myself would do for one I love-I
loved, l mean, and they"
"And they will find me?"
The man shook his head.
Il am afraid they will be convinced
that you have gone down with the
food. Didn't you have a cap or"
eyes," said the woman, "and a
sweater. The bear you shot covered
the sweater with blood. l could not
put it on again"
AS she spoke she flushed a glorious
crimson at the remembrance Of that
meeting, but the man was looking
away with studied care. She thanked
him in her heart for such generous
and kindly consideration.
"They will have gone down the
stream with the rest, and it's just pos
sible that the searchers may find
them, the body of the bear, too. This
river ends in a deep mountain lake
and l think it is going to snow; it
will be frozen hard tomorrow"
"And they will think me-there?"
II am afraid So"
"And they won't come up here?"
ct is scarcely possible"
"Oh!" exclaimed the woman family
at the dire possibility that she might
rot be found.
81 took an empty bottle with me-"
said the man, breaking the silence, lin
which l had enclosed a paper saying
that you were here and safe, save
for your wounded foot, and giving
direction how to reach the place.
built a cairn of rocks in a shell
tered nook in the valley where
your camp had been pitched and left
the tightly corked bottle wedged on
top of it. II they return to the camp
they could scarcely fail to see it."
''But if they don't go back there"
well, it was just a chance"
"And if they don't find me?"
"You will have to stay here for a
while; until your foot gets well
enough to travel, anyway" returned
the man, evasively.
But winter is coming on; you said
the lake would freeze tonight and if it
snows?"
cit will snow"
The woman stared at him appalled,.
"And in that case"
81 am afraid" was the slow reply,
''that you will have to stay here"
He hesitated in the face Of her white,
still facial winter" he added, des-
perately.
"My God" exclaimed the girl,
"aIone, with you?"