The state herald., 1915-05-28
CHAPTER !.

Chose to the serried backbone Of the
Cumberland ridge through n sky oi
mountain clarity. the sun seemed hest
tating before Its descent to the hori
Ion. The ugar-loaf cone that tow
cred above q creek called Misery was
pointed and edged with emerald trac'
ary where the loftiest timber thrust
up its crest plumes into the sun. On
the hillsides It would be light for
more than an hour yet but below
where the waters tossed themselves
along in chorus of tiny cascades. the
light was already thickening into a
cathedral gloom Down there the fur.
riner" would have seen only the rough
course OF the creek between moss
velveted and shaded powders OF
titanic proportions. The native would
have recognized the country road In
these tortuous twistings. A great block
of sandstone. to whose summit a man
standing in his saddle could scarcely
reach his hngertips. lowered above
the stream, with a gnarled scrub oak
clinging tenaciously to Its apex. Loft
lily on both sides climbed the noun
tains cloaked in laurel and timber.
Suddenly the LEAKAGE was thrust
aside from above by a cautious hand,
and shy. half-wild girl appeared In
the opening. For an instant she halt
ed. with her brown fingers holding
back the brushwood. and raised her
face as though listening. As she
stood with the toes Of one bare foot
twisting in the gratefully cool moss
she laughed with the sheer exhilara.
ton OF life and youth. and started out
on the table top OF the huge rock.
But there she halted suddenly with a
startled exclamation and drew instinc.
lively back. What she saw might we'll
have astonished her, for II was a thing
she had never seen before and OF
which she had never heard. Finally,
reassured by the silence. she slipped
across the broad face OF the fat rock
for o distance Of twenty-five feet and
paused again to listen.
AT the far edge lay pair OF saddle
bags. such as form the only practical
equipment for mountain travellers
Near them lay tin box, Uttered with
small and misunderstanding tubes OF
soft metal. all grotesquely twisted and
stained. and beside the box was q
strangely shaped plaque OF wood
smeared with dozen hues. That this
plague was painters sketching pal
ette was thing which she could no,
know. since the ways of artists had
TO do with n world as remote from
her own rs the life OF the moon oil
stars. II was one Of those vague mys
teries that made up the wonderful life
OF down below" Why had these
things been left here In such .confu
sion! II there was a man about who
owned them he would doubtless return
TO claim them. She crept over. eye.
and ears alert. and slipped around Il
the front of the queer tripod. with nj
her muscles poised In readiness 70,
night.
A half-rapturous and utterly aston
ished cry broke from her lips. Sh,
stared moment, then dropped to tn.
moss'covered rock. leaning back oil
her brown hands and gazing Intently
Hits purty!" she approved, in I
low, musical murmur "Hit's plumb
dead beautiful"
or course II was not finished pic
ture-merely study OF what lay be
fore her-but the hand that ha,
placed these brush strokes on III,
academy board was the sure, def
hand OF n master OF landscape. VIII,
had caught the splendid spirit OF tn,
thing and hxed II lmmutably in tru,
and glowing appreciation. Who h,
was; where ho had gone; why hi
work stood there unfinished and aban
doued. were details which for the mo
msnt this hnlfsavage child.voman for
got to question. She was consciou
only OF q sonso Of revelation and awe
Then she saw other boards. like tn,
ono upon the easel. piled near tn
paint box. These were dry. and ret
resented tho work OF other iaya: bu
they were all pictures OF hor ow,
mountains, and in each OF them. a
In this one. was something that mad
her heart leap.
To her own people these steep hill
aidss and "coves" and valleys were
matter OF courso. In their stony sol
they iaborsd BY day. and In their rhad
ovs slept whom work was done. Y.
someone had discovered that thoy hel
a picturesque and rugged beauty; tina
they verc not merely steep fieid
wboro the plow was useless and th
hoe must bc used She must toll San
son-6amson. whom she . held In nj
srtiess sIaltation OF hero worship
Samson. who was no smart" that b
thought about things beyond hor ut
derstandinx. Sampon. who could no
only Rad Md write. but speculate o.
probiematseAl mattors
suddenly she came to her foot wit
= uwift.dartins impulse OF alarm. lie
car had caught sound. She cas-
searching glAnoss about her. but IN
tanxle was empty OF humanity. III