The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-11-09
BREAKING THE SPELL
BY JANE OSBORN.

the evening sky it reflected. Encir-
cling and overwhelming. lowered the
great Uncovered Mountains. Dance
music tempered by the ceaseless
sound of the mountain streams rush.
ing into the mountain lake drifted to
them.
Deliberately and carefully, the
young man lifted the paddle from
the water and laid it in the bottom
of the canoe.
so you want to talk it over" he
said, looking straight at the girl whose
downcast eyes followed the ripple of
her hand in the water.
Yes, Roderick," she answered. Il
think we agree; don't WEI"
The young man smiled family.
Probably"
Then it is off completely" she
said, before it was ever announced
or guessed, and we are Just as We
were before we were engaged-just
good friends
YES" he said, only really was in
love with you then"
Il think you really were," she re-
flected And l was absolutely in love
with you. 1t is funny what a differ
ence these mountains make. You just
feel as if nothing mattered. 1t is the
spell of the hills that gets control of
you | was lonesome for you when
l first came here and gradually l
just stopped caring. And now that
you have been here week you have
stopped caring, too"
For minute Roderick padded on
in silence.
you've nothing more to say?' he
asked as he pushed the canoe in to
shore.
NO" she said Good night.
can make my way up to the cabin
alone | would rather"
The next morning was the day for
Roderick's departure. He had planned
to leave in the middle of the after
noon but when two o'clock came and
he had seen nothing Of Sylvia he
was inclined to hesitate. He learned
from Martin, his chauffeur, that Syl-
via. with her maid, Jennie, had start
ed out early in the morning for a
tramp down the mountains to the vii
lage on some flimsy pretext.
When nine o'clock came and the
young woman had not returned slight
anxiety was felt throughout the camp
and Roderick had given up all hope
of starting out before morning.
AS long as you have decided to
stay, sir" said Martin, Il think | will
start out and look for them. an
sure they have lost their way. There
is no great harm could come to them
but it's dark in the woods even or
clear nights
I'll go with you" was Roderick':
reply. and without word to an!
members of the camp they started
out, guided only by two foresters' Ian
terms.
I'VE won't find them by keeping t.
the road" said Roderick as they hur
ried along in the direction the younl
women had taken.
So with only few words Of explana
ton the two men began to mount u
stream. For over an hour the,
searched together and then as thei
anxiety grew they separated and eacl
took up a different stream.
AS Roderick went on he could hea
with everdecreasing force the SCUM
of Martins resounding calls through
the woods. Above it all he coul
hear the rush of the streams, whicl
seemed to grow louder and more me
notonous. Gradually sickening drea
of the mountains come upon him
He felt himself rebelling with all hi
soul against the spell Of the hills tina
Sylvia had described to him the nigh
before.
Hello, hello!" he called at meas
ured intervals, and the roar OF tn
stream seemed to try to drown hir
} out. Hello, hello" he called, tryin
to Guido the stream.
All at once he heard very family
cry in the distance that came upo
him with startling force. 1t was ha
| a cry and half wall, impatient an
distressed For a second he stoo
still. She-Sylvia-w calling
him and her voice had come to hii
above the roar of the stream an
J through the darkness of the moul
tain side. Apparently she, too, wa
! trying to break the influence of tn
, mountain spell. The cry came agai
and again, and, with every sens
J alert. he struck out in the directio
: from which it seemed to come.
3 II was only a few minutes befol
r he reached her, and as he hurrie
!. through the darkness and stumble
=, against the great stumps and unde
} growth he heard with new intere
the sound OF her voice. Now it wi
] pleading, now almost angry, now fo
giving and then at last by the lig
OF the lantern he saw through Il
y trees the girl reclining on time-wol
: bowlder.
Worn with excitement and discou
S agement, she threw herself into Il
arms of her rescuer.
oh, Roderick, l knew you wou
find me, Jane and | left the rot
r and thought we could follow the ira
: but it grew dark and we missed
1t has been year"
Roderick was holding the girl clio
in his arms.
You do love me, don't you, Ro
3 erick?r she begged 1T has all con