Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1915-03-31

Z
courtesy which circumstances now
and again demanded that he show
Judith or seem a boor. was enough
to cloud the countenance OF Alan's
betrothed.
Nor. indeed. was Rose altogether
destitute of plausible excuse for This
| feeling. 1t was undeniable that be-
tween Alan and Judith a bond of sym
pathy had grown out OF the trials and
hardships they had Of late suffered
in common. Il was undeniable-bu
, even in his most private thoughts
| Alan denied il fiercely Judith, on
the other hand, not only acknowledged
it freely to herself, but secretly de
rived 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 had passed between
them. his loyalty to Rose was I'M
shaksble 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 il 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 unleady 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
toiled along an obscure trail that fol.
lowed the windings of the little river.
until 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
they plodded on following blindly an.
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; its occupants de.
seconded, explored. and came present
ly upon the trail of the fugitives
Bloodhounds could not have set
tied down upon scent with more
good will and eagerness than Mr. Mar
rophat aud 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's revolver and posted him
behind a bowlder commanding the APP
proaches to the chasm. The weapon,
powerful AS, had range sufficient
to numb the impetuosity Of the as.
sassins and keep them under cover
and cut 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 un-
earthed a length of stout hempen rope
With the aid of 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 IL was agreed that they
must climb, and while the cliff offered
no problem to daunt mountain climb
err Of any pretensions, 1t was consd-
cred best that the fugitives should be
hitched up In pairs against any pos
sibility OF 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 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
munition. perhaps to execute some
less hazardous at eempt upon the lives
of the fugitiyes.
Without delay. then, he rnade 'he
free end of the rope fast around his
own waist. and, following the way Bar
Gus had chosen. began the ascent
Two-thirds Of the climb had been
accomplished, and Rose and Barcus
had arrived in safety at the top. be-
fore the temptation to look down
proved irresistible.
Immediately beneath his heels the
face Of the cliff was deeply followed
out, leaving a drop OF so feet to a
shelving ledge OF shale as steep as
roof whose eaves-perhaps another
fifty feet below-jutted out over an
other fall of a hundred feet.
Alan shuddered and swallowed hard
before resuming the ascent.
Another 20 feet brought him to
a ledge quite six feet wide, offering
broad and easy path 70 the summit
He gained this with prayer Of heart
felt relief and was on the point OF
rising to his feet when a cry OF horror