Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-01-10
CHAPTER l.

specialized product of the far east. 1
say far, viewing Colorado as a point
of departure, not as identifying her
with the orient. The classic shades
of Bryn Mawr had been the Groves
OF Academus where with old Plato
she had walked Incidentally during
her completion of the exhaustive cur
riculum Of that justly famous institu-
ton she had acquired at least a bow
ing acquaintance With other masters
of the MIND.
Nor had the physical in her educa-
ton been sacrificed to the mental. In
her at least the mems sana and the
corpore sano were alike in evidence.
She had ridden to hounds many times
on the anise-scented trail Of the West
Chester Hunt! Exciting tennis and
leisurely golf had engaged her atten-
ton on the courts and green's of the
Merton Cricket club. She had buffeted
"Old Oceans gray and melancholy
waste" on the beach at Cape May and
at Atlantic City.
Spiritually she was a devoted mem
Der Of the Episcopal church, of the
variety that abhors the word "Protes-
ant" In connection Herewith. Alto
gether she reflected great credit upon
her pastors and masters spiritual and
temporal and her up-bringing in the
three departments of life left little to
be desired.
Upon her graduation she had been
at once received and acclaimed by the
Assembly Set" of Philadelphia, to
which indeed she belonged unques-
toned by right of birth and position
and there was no other power under
heaven by which she could have eff
fected entrance therein, at least
that is what the outs thought
of that most exclusive circle. The
old home of the Maitlands over
looking Rittenhouse Square had
been the scene of her debut. In
all the refined and decorous gaities OF
Philadelphia's manifestations society
she had participated. She had even
looked upon money standardized New
York in its delirium of extravaganza,
at least in so far as a sedate and we'll
born Philadelphia family could coun-
tenance such golden madness. During
the year she had ranged like con-
querer-pardOn the masculine appella-
tion-between Palm Beach in the
south and Bar Harbor in the north.
Philadelphia was proud of her, and
she was not unknown ii those I'M
fortunate parts of the United States
which lay without
In all this she had remained a frank,
free, unspOiled young woman. Life
was full of zest for her, and she en-
jOyed it with the most un-Pennsylva-
MAN enthusiasm.
The second summer after her com
ing out found her in Colorado. Robert
Maitland was one of the big men of
the west. He had departed from Phil
adelphia at an early age and had set
tied in Colorado while it was still in
the formative period. There he had
grown up with the state. The Phil
adelphia Maitlands could never under
stand it or explain it. Bob Maitland
must have been, they argued, rever-
sion to an ancient type, a throwback
to some rObber baron long antecedent
to William Penn. And the speculation
was true. The blood of some lawless
adventurer of the past, discreetly for
got by the conservative section of the
family, dubbed in his veins unchecked
by the repressive atmosphere Of his
home end immediate environment
He had thoroughly identified him.
self with his new surroundings and
had plunged into all the activities of
the west During one period of his
life he had actually served as sheriff
of one of the border counties, and it
was rapid bad man" indeed, who
enjoyed any advantage over him when
it came to drawing his gun His
skill and daring had been unques-
toned, he had made name for him
self which still abides, especially in
the mountains where things yet re-
manned almost as primitive as they
had been from the beginning.
His fame had been accompanied by
fortune, too; the cattle upon thou
sand hills were his, the treasures OF
mines OF fabulous richness were at
his command He lived in Denver in
one of the greatest Of the bonanza
palaces on the hills of that city, con-
fronting the snow-capped mountain
range. For the rest he held stock in
all sorts of corporations, was a di-
rector In numerous concerns and so
on-the reader can supply the usual
catalogue, they are all alike. He had
married late in life and was the father
of two little girls and a boy, the old
est sixteen and the youngest ten.
Going east, which he did not love,
on an infrequent business trip, he
had renewed his acquaintance with
his brother and the one eve lamb of
his brothers flock, to-wit, the afore-
mentioned Enid. He had been struck,
as everybody was, by the splendid
personality OF the girl and had striven
earnestly to disabuse her mind of the
prevalent idea that there was nothing
much worth while on the continent