The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1915-12-16

oeep rooted In the earth. She stopped
abruptly, luckily having caught q
grip there, for q few feet below her.
the slope stopped abruptly on q
chasm yawning wide.
She looked appealingly, beseech-
ingly at her husband, shrunk tight,
horror-stricken against the wall.
Her plight, however, was not AFFECT
Ing her reason, as she thought when
she was aware of his change of ex-
preston; the change was actual. and
due to the fact that his ear had caught
the sound of approaching footsteps
along the hard, narrow path. These
footsteps became more and more dis
tinct, until a man appeared around
the bend in the trail. This man was
Paul Reed.
At first he saw only Scott, dread
fully pale and nervous looking; then,
following Scott's gaze down the cliff
side, he went icy cold with terror for
a moment. Had he been better bred,
had the same blue blood which so
distinguished Alfred Scott flowed in
his veins, his terror might have last
ed indefinitely, and Anita have plunged
into the bottomless canyon. But he
was vulgar, emotional, impulsive, and
his poor brain, product of centuries
of nondescript admixture, took in the
situation comprehensively, and had
only realized the one course open
moment before his unpoised body had
started to crawl carefully down to
where Anita held on with last des-
pairing grip.
In a moment his strong grip was
around her, and he began slowly,
warily, Iaboriously, to fight his way
back to the path. Scott's panic, mean
time, had abated considerably, and
continued to abate the nearer the man
and his burden came, and when they
we're almost to the edge Of the trail,
halfway over it in fact, he bent and
relieved Paul of Anita's weight, Paul
managing to drag himself exhausted
to the road.
She turned simply and said, Thank
you, Paul" She could say no more.
So, taking Scott's proffered arm, she
walked slowly away, leaving Paul
standing puzzled, incomprehending, in
the middle of the trail.
VII.
John Huff was tired Of waiting
Huff was the tobacconist, creditor Of
Alfred Scott, whom Scott, few days
previously had silenced in his demands
for payment by telling him that he
would shortly be betrothed to Anita
Logan, when his various debts would
be settled.
It was the morning of the second
day that he called at the Logan man
sion and learned that Anita had gone
up into the mountains with her sister,
to spend a week there. Accordingly
he took the first train, and by noon
arrived at the hotel in which Ann and
her sister we're stopping. He learned
there that Ann and the young man
lately appointed astronomer at the
mountain observatory had left half
hour ago for a walk down the noun
tain side, and he set out Immediately
to overtake them.
The life-saving incident of the day
before, and Anita's cold, formal
Thank you,' had been bit too much
for Paul Reed.
He had some important duties to
attend the next morning, and could
not free himself of them until eleven
o'clock He then set out for the noun
tain hotel only half mile distant, mis-
spirit troubled his mind anxious and
on the defensive against a maze OF
complications he scented but knew
nothing OF definitely.
VIII.
He met her alone, on the porch.
Bess and Scott had gone for walk
together.
Good morning, Ann"-awkwardly.
She came forward, her lips silent,
her eyes eloquent, and held out her
hand to him. Together, as by pre-
arranged understanding, they started
to walk away from the house.
II say, you haven't forgotten, Ann?
You promised you'd let me know. Oh
Ann, don't you love me?"
His warm, magnetic personality, that
personality which had always made
her fearfully glad, now again woke in
her that feeling of infinite affinity
which no personal effort could over
come.
She looked up at him, her eyes
liquid and pain-drawn.
"It can never be, Paul." she said
half chokingly.
He was about to ask that fearful
"Why?" when they became conscious
of a man approaching them. 1t was
Hun.
He came up, hat in hand, and bow
ing respectfully, said to Ann, "Miss
Logan, my name is Huff-John Huff;
I'm a tobacconist in town, and a
creditor of Alfred Scott's. Not large
creditor-not nearly as large as sons
of them-but then I'm only small
retailer. Scott's bill has been drag
ging along now for over eight months
and I'm anxious to get it settled. IL
there any truth in Mr.. Scott's state
ment that you will marry him and pay
his debts? He told me so two days
ago, and I want to know whether
there's any truth in it,"
Anita's eyes, soft and tender mo
! ment ago, flashed with the fury of q
vengeful goddess.
did he tell you that?" she Queried
"Yes, miss"
'"Will you leave this affair to me?'
Eyes, miss"
"Very WELL then. You may go.