The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-09-22
The Evening Story


The Spell of the Mountains.
(By Jane OlJorn.)
Around them -ay the dancing sheet
of water, dark blue, darker even than
the evening sky it reflected. En-
circling and overwhelming, lowered
the great fir covered mountains.
Dance music tempered by the cease
less sound of the mountain streams
rushing into the mountain lake drift
ed 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 i
think we agree; don't we?
The young man smiled family.
Probably"
Then it is off col ,letely," 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 I really was
in love with you then"
II think you really Were" she 1e-
Elected. And 1 was assuredly in love
with you. 1t is funny what differ
ence these mountains make You just
feel as if nothing mattered- 1t is the
spell of the hills that gets control of
you. 1 was lonesome for you when
first came here and gradually 1 just
stopped caring. And now that you
have been here a week you have stop
ped caring, too. 1 could tell that the
spell was working. ETery one bores
one else. 1t is the effect of those
wonderful black mountains. There
positively isn't one Irritation to be
found in tho whole camp
corrected
"Who?'
My chauffeur ard your maid he
answered. land they are. t.oing to be
married as soon as they Lave saved
enough money"
u had forgotten them laughed
Sylvia. '-Jc4 ME can hardly wait till
supper is over to go out end meet
Martin. It's really amusing
For minute 2oderick padded on
in silence.
You've nothing more to say?" he
asked as he pushed the lUt IL 20
no" she said. Good hight
can make my way up to the cabin
alone. 1 would rather" She sprang
from the canoe and before Roderlck
had moored the boat she was hidden
in the darkness of the bank. Half
way up the hill sic turned and
looked at the figure on the beach.
"Roderick' she whispered. The color
!
and then. as the sound of the noun
tain streams played their eternal
refrain, she hurried on alone.
The next morning was the day for
to leave in the middle of the after
! noon bat when o -Ock came and
he had seen nothing of Sylvia he
was inclined to hesitate. He learned
from Martin. his chauffeur, that
Sylvia. with he maid, Jennie, had
started out early in the morning for
a tramp down the mountains to the
village on some flimsy preteXt They
usral " returned in the early after
noon, but when o'clock cal and
they had not put in an appearance
Roderick gave the sienal for de-
parture.
Must we start now, sir? quer1eu
Roderick consulted his watch. We
ought to. I want make the 8
o'clock ferry, If we miss that it Will
make me day late in the city.
THE roads are in good shape, ,
pleaded the chauffeur. II can speed
you see, Jennfe-and Miss ong-
haven't returned yet. They went 10
town this morning and l am bit
nervous"
You are in love with the girl"
laughed Roderick with touch of irri-
tation, but we might wait a little
longer"
Two hours later, the two men were
still waiting with growing anxiety on
the part of one and apparently moth
ing but impotence for the other.
i When o'clock came and the young
women had not returned slight anx-
iety was felt throughout the camp.
Martin was in real distress and Rod
erick had given up all hope of start
ing out before morning.
LAS long as you have decided to
stay, SIR said Martin, II think / will
start out and look for them. am
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"
Til go with you," was Roderick's
reply, and without word to any
members of the camp they started out
guided only by two foresters' Ian
terms.
I'VE won't find them by keeping tc
the road said Roderick as they hur-
ried along in the direction the young
women had taken, ''or by the follow
ing the trails, for if they were there
) they could have found the, way them
selves. If they are in the woods at al
they must be following a stream
They are good enough woodsmen to dc
that
So with only a few words of expla
nation the two men began to noun
up stream. For over an hour the,
searched together and then as thei
took up a different stream.
As Roderick went on he could heal
= with ever-decreasing force the sount