Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-07-10
! The Lone
! Watcher
4 A Story of a Brave Girls
/ Struggle
By CLARlSSA MACKIE


The plain was a level Wilderness of
snow, broken here and there by wan
dering trails that crossed each other at
various angles, At the foot of the
mountains the dark blur Of pine trees
showed against the pale cloak of win
ter, growing fainter until at the sum-
mlts the gray clouds came down and
all outlines were lost.
At the base of the mountains were
scattered cabins of homesteaders. They
were many miles apart, and each
roughly built house was half hidden
under the heavy snowfall.
On certain March morning Anne
Bellew opened the door Of her fathers
house and drew In deep breaths OF the
Cling with the Icy contact when she
reluctantly closed the door and threw
several chunks OF wood into the stove.
She moved about the kitchen, slen-
der, graceful girl Of twenty-five with
golden brown hair and eyes and a sweet
face that now dropped a little sadly
In response to her thoughts.
Her father came In to breakfast
fresh from his morning ablutions,
big, strong, rudy looking man with
crisp gray hair
"Some colder, Anne, my dear" he
said cheerily as he sat down to the ap-
petizing meal Of corn bread and fried
bacon with fragrant coffee.
Eyes, dad. 1 suppose you will go
into the forest today"
mo; l shall try to get to Moonton
for more supplies. shall walk, and
can pack the things back by sled. 1
rather wanted to go over and see what
has become of young Wallace. Haven't
seen him for fortnight hope the
lad isn't III. He might be, and no one
would know 1t. That's the worst Of
the Wallace claim; it's the last one Of
the bunch and ON the edge Of all crea-
ton"
Anne's face lost its lovely color, and
her hand trembled as she poured her
father second cup Of coffee.
"If Jim Wallace is all alone and sick,
why, there is no one to wait upon him,
and perhaps he hasn't anything in the
house to eat" she said practically.
"Thats the worst Of 1t, Anne. Well,
I'll make an early start. Where arc
my snowshoes2 Yes, az I was saying.
III make an early stare and try to get
home by shutdown. II I don't, Anne,
you needn't worry. | shall stop at
Gillman's for the night"
When the dusk fell Anne placed a
lamp In the window, although she did
not expect her father to return that
night. The storm was increasing in
fury, and now the wind was screaming
around the house, seeking entrance
through some unprotected Granny.
II wOnder-I WONDER" was the re-
frain Of Anne's thoughts all through
that lonely day-"I wonder IL no IL all
right"
Anne Bellew was not thinking OF her
father. She knew that he was safely
housed at Gillman's, but there was an
other, Jim Wallace. who had only
year before taken up a claim on the
edge Of the government tract Wallace
had worked hard clearing his place and
had developed from pale city bred
man into great sun Drowned pioneer.
She had seen jim Wallace many
times before they met, and after that
Jim's wooing had been very short and
sweet as well, for Anne loved him.
There wouldn't have been any story
to write If Anne and Jim had not quar-
relied one autumn day, and since then
three months had passed by without
word spoken between them.
II wonder-l wonder II Jim Is all
right" Anne went ON thinking, and at
last her thoughts found relief in ac-
ton. II was 7 o'clock when she set
forth clad In a suit Of her fathers
clothing. much too large for her. but
comfortably warm nevertheless.
Leaving the lamp In the window, she
went out into the storm, bending her
head to the piercing blast
Turning nOrthward, she faced the
bitter blast. and more than once she
was tempted to go back to the warm
comfort OF the house, but a Fremont
ton Of danger to Jim Wallace possess
ed her, and she fought sturdily ahead.
II was FIVE miles to the Wallace
claim, facing the wind every inch Of
the way. A man would have suffered
keenly. but some inward exaltatiOn
kept the blood singing through Anne's
veins. and her feet stepped out brave
ly, and her fur goyed hnnds were as
warm as her tender heart.
She was going to Jim Wallace's place
TO See II he were alive and well, and
the last time they had met she had
told him she hated him, aud newell,
Jim had quoted something about "a
woman with a serpents tongue"
which had been the final straw ON the
camel's back Of her patience
All at once there came an ominOus
long drawn cry.
evolves" she shnddered and half
hesltated In her tracks.
"He might be sick and helpless" she
thought, but, though her courage was
nearly gone, she kept on dOggedly. The
cry was growing louder and she recog-
niZed the cry Of a solitary wolf
~ wonder II It Is the watcher" she
thought as she sped on. III II is II
means that Jim Is IN danger. Indian
Bill says that the watcher always
goes on ahead to spy out victims and
that he sits and howls until he draws
the full pack, Oh. dearw