The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1915-01-08

pathy had grown out of the trials and
hardships they had of late suffered
in common 1t was undeniable-but
even in his most private thoughts
Alan denied it fiercely. Judith, on
the other hand, not only acknowledged
it freely to herself but secretly de-
rived a strangely sweet and poignant
pleasure from the knowledge that she
loved so madly and hopelessly.
That her love was hopeless she
knew but too we'll Even though Alan
might not be altogether Indifferent to
her after all that mad passed between
them, his loyalty to Rose was I'M
shakable And not for worlds would
Roses rival have had it otherwise.
She could not have loved him as she
did had he not been so unmovably
true. AS it was. since she could not
hope her love might be returned, she
was content to love and to promise
herself that, if opportunity ever Of
fered, she would not prove unready to
sacrifice herself for her love.
And at times she caught herself
praying that such opportunity would
be accorded her, and quickly, and
that the sacrifice it should demand
would be complete.
Now prayers are sometimes an
swered when the boon craved is good
for the soul.
Slowly and painfully these four
nj
lowed the windings of the little river,
until a branch struck into the main
stream and so discovered to them yet
another trail leading into the west
ward canyon.
Then again slowly and painfully
other trail blazed by Fates as blind as
they.
Above them, on the road they had
abandoned, the crimson racer doubled
back to the point where it had passed
Judith and Barcus; it's occupants de-
ly upon the trail of the fugitives.
Bloodhounds could not have set
tied down upon a scent with more
good will and eagerness than Mr.. Mar
rophat and his faithful aide.
The sun was high and blazing above
the canyon when the pursuit came
within rifle shot of the chase.
A spiteful shot reused the quar-
tet from a pause of lethargic dismay
due to tardy appreciation of the fact |
that they had penetrated witlessly al
most to the end of blind alley.
A hasty council of war armed Alan |
with Judith revolver and posted him
behind a bowlder commanding the APP
proaches to the chasm. The weapon,
a powerful As, had range sufficient !
to numb the impetuosity of the as
sassins and keep them under cover
and out of sight of the desperate es-
says the fugitives were making to
compass an escape.
For in the shed behind an abandoned
log cabin-souvenir, no doubt of some
forgotten prospector-Barcus had UNI
earthed length of stout hempen rope. |
With the aid of a rusty shovel he
had hacked this into two equal lengths |
One of these lengths he proceeded to !
make fast around his own waist, then
around Roses. The other he left to |
be similarly employed by Alan and |
Judith. For it was agreed that they |
must climb, and while the cliff offered |
no problem to daunt a mountain climb |
er of any pretensions, it was cOnsid- |
cred best that the fugitives should be |
hitched up in pairs against any pos !
sibility of a slip. The pairing had |
been determined by the fact that |
Barcus boosted some slight experience
in mountaineering, while Rose was
plainly the most exhausted of the two
women, the least able to help herself !
in an emergency.
He had worked his cautious way,
with the girl in tow, to a point mid
way up the face of the cliff, following
a long diagonal that provided the cas-
lest climbing, when Alan stole back
to Judith and reported that, on the
evidence of observation and belief, he
was convinced that the pursuit had
turned back-perhaps for want of am
perhaps to execute some
less hazardous attempt upon the lives
Of the fugitives.
Without delay, then, he made the
free end of the rope fast around his
own waist. and, following the way Bar
Gus had chosen, began the ascent.
Twothirds of the climb had been
and Rose and Barcus
had arrived in safety at the top, be-
'ore the temptation to look down
proved irresistible.
Immediately beneath his heels the
ace of the cliff was deeply followed
1ut, leaving a drop of so feet to
ledge Of shale as steep as a
'oof, whose eaves-perhaps another
fifty feet below-jutted out over an
,ther fall of hundred feet.
Alan shuddered and swallowed hard
,efore resuming the ascent.
Another 20 feet brought him to
ledge quite six feet wide, offering
,road and easy path 20 the summit
lie gained this with a prayer of heart
cit relief and was on the point of
Using to his feet when a cry of horror
rom Barcus and a scream Of terror
rom Rose, watching over the upper