Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1915-01-09
CHAPTER l..

NuAuDtIldHu FluE6 lHIOuBh shy VI
mountain clarity. the sun seemed hest
tating before its descent to the hori-
Eon. The sugar-loaf cone that tow
cred above a creek called Misery was
pointed and edged with emerald trac-
cry where the Hottest 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 man
standing in his saddle could scarcely
reach his flngertips lowered above
the stream. with "a gnarled scrub oak
Elinging tenaciously to It's 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 a 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 Il was a thing
she had never seen before and of
which she had never heard Finally
treasured by the silence. she slipped
across the broad face OF the fiat rock
for distance OF twenty five feet and
paused again ." listen.
Az the far edge lay a pair OF saddle
Bags such as form the only practical
equipment for mountain travellers
Near them lay n tin box. Uttered with
small and notwithstanding tubes of
soft metal. all groteequely twisted and
stined. and beside the box was
strangely shaped plaque Of wood
3meared with "A dozen hues. That this
plaque was q painters sketchinR pal
cite was thing which she could not
know. since the ways Of artists had
10 do with a world as remote from
her own as the life Of the moon or
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 man about who
owned them he would doubtless return
to claim them. She crept over, eyes
and ears alert. and slipped around to
the front Of the queer tripod. with all
her muscles poised in readiness for
flight.
A halfrapturous and utterly aston.
ished cry broke from her lips She
stared a moment. then dropped to the
moss-covered rock. leaning back on
her brown hands and gazing intently
Hits purity" she approved. in a
low. musical murmur. Hits plumb.
dead beautiful"
or course II was not q finished pic.
merely a study az what Law be-
fore her~-but the hand that had
placed these brush strokes on the
academy board was the sure, deft
hand OF master OF landscape. who
had caught The splendid spirit OF the
thing and fixed II immutably I'm true
and glowing appreciation who he
was; where he had gone: why his
work stood there unfinished and aban.
doned were details which for the mo
ment this hali-savage child-woman for
got to question She was conscious
only OF sense OF revelation and awe
Then size saw other boards. like the
one upon che easel. piled near the
paint box. These were dry. and rep
resented the work Of other DAYS: hut
they were all pictures OF her own
mountains. and In each OF them. as
in this one. wac something that made
her heart leap
To her own people these steep hill
sides and "coves" and valleys were a
matter Of course In their stony sol
they labored by day. and il their shad
ows slept when work was done Yet
someone had discovered that they held
picturesque and rugged beauty: thai
they were not merely steep fields
whore the pillow was useless ana the
hoe must be used she must tell Sam
sOn-SamsoE. whom She held in ar
Rrtless sSAltation Of hero. worship.
Samson. who was $50 smart" that ht
thought about things beyond her IN
derstanding. samson who touM mo-,
only read and write bat speculate OK
problemattcal matters
Suddenly she came 20 her feet with
s. swiftdartiEg impulse OF alarm Hei
ear had caught sCand She cas-
searching glances about her. but III,
tangle vas empty Of humanity. Th,
water still murmured ever the rock.
undistugbed. There was 10 sign O
human presence. other than herself
that her eyes could discover ana ye
TO her ears came tie soucd again. ant
ahs~ 4.r,, at~+z-.f.