Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-04-26
CHAPTER XVIII.
Facing the Music

They mad not underestimate the
/ danger from Sassoon's suspicious ma
| levoIence. He returned next morn
| ing to read what further he could
among the rocks. 1t was little. but it
! spelled 4 meeting of two Deople-Nan
| and anOther-and he was stimulated to
keep his eyes and ears open for fur
| Their discoveries. Moreover, cOntinu-
ing ease in seeing each ether, unde-
| tected by hostile eyes, gradually rem
dered the lovers less cautious in their
arrangements.
DE Spain, naturally reckless, had
won in Nan q girl hardly more con-
cerned. Self-reliant, both of them,
and instinGfiyeIy vigilant, they spent
SO much time together that Scott and
LefeyCr, who, before q fortnight had
passed after Dukes return home, sur
missed that De Spain must be carry
ing on some sort of a clandestine at
fair limiting toward the sap, only que&.
toned how long it would be before
! something happened, and only hoped
it would not be, in their own word,
unpleasant. 1t was not theirs in any
case to admOnish De Spain, nor to
dog the movements of so capable a
friend, even when his safety was con-
cerned, So long as he preferred to keep
! his own c9unsel-there are limits
within which go man welcomes unin-
vited assistance. And De Spain. in
his long and frequent rides, his pro-
tracted absences, Indifference to the
details of business and careless humor.
had evidently passed within these
limits
What was stage traffic to him com
pared TO the sunshine on Mans hair:
what attraction had schedules to offer
| against a moment Of her eyes; what
pleasing connection could there be be-
! tween bad-order wheels and her low
laugh?
The two felt they must meet to dis
cUss their constant perpleXfties and
The problems OF their difficult situa-
ton: but when they reached their
/ tryst;ng places, there was more of CAV.
ETY. than gravity, more OF nonchalance
| than concern, more of looking into
each others hearts than looking into
| the troublesome future. And there
was hardly an inviting spot within
miles of Music mountain that one or
| the other Of the two had not waited
near.
There were, of course, disappOint-
ments, but there were only few fail
/ Jres in their arrangements. The diff
culties of these fell chiefly on Nan.
! How she overcane them was d source
Of surprise to De Spain, who maryeled
at her innocent resource in escaping
! the demands at home and making her
| way, despite an array Of obstacles, to
his distant Impotence.
Midway between Music mountain
| and Sleepy Cat & loW-lying wall of
| lava rock, in part sand-covered and in
! part exposed, parallels and sometimes
/ crosses the principal trail. This undu-
! lating ridge was q fayorite with De
/ Spain and Nan, because they could
ride in and out Of hiding places with
! cut more than just leaving the trail
! itself. To the west of this ridge, and
! commanding it, rose rather more than
/ u u'Ile away TIE CONE cai1eu bltCh zap
Suppose" said Nan one afternoon,
looking from De SPANS side toward
! the mountains, someone should be
/ spying on US from Black Cap?" She
pointed to the solitary rock.
eff anyone has been, Nan, with a
/ good glass he must have seen ex-
/ changes of confidence that would make
him gnash his teeth. I know if 1 ever
saw anything like it I'd go hang. But
the country around there is too rough
for a horse. Nobody even hides around
| Black Cap, except some tramp hOld-up
man that's crowded in his getaway.
Bob Scott says there are dozens of
mountain lions over there"
ITO be COntinued.)