The Elk Mountain pilot., 1920-05-13

the. growth about him. The tall trees
were friends to Nathan. and the vide
spaces his breathing place. Twice, he
had attempted city life.
The walls of Nathan's bungalow were
lined with books and on tables covered
with various skins were always the
latest magazines. Nathan liked to pick
out Accompaniment to his singing on
the piano which filled a further cor
ner. and old Charlie, attended quietly
to Nathan's needs. Charlie was, in his
own recommendation, "a natural born
cook" and Nathan required no other.
SO he lived. When he returned from
some enforced stay in fafaway city,
lying upon the bank of stream with
fishing rod in hand, Nathan called
that, and not the buster life, living,
And II he missed woman's touch or
ministration he contented himself with
the thought that here he had made his
choice. Resting satisfied In his deci-
sion, Nathan looked up one fall day to
find young woman standing before
him. he stared, surprised at her ap-
pearance in his fisherman's seclusion,
and his stare was prolonged when he
was smiling thing, lips with dimpled,
smiling corners like those Of child,
her gray eyes deep and Swallowed as
one knowing SORROW. The girls golden
brown hair blew in wisps across her
dark lashes: and as she raised her
hand to confine 1t beneath her hat she
smiled. II have lost my way" the girl
said. will you direct me7 1 am look
ing for Rawley's shack"
II have taken the school up at Bel
don's Pass" she said, 'and--I did not
care to board In that vicinity as for
mer school teachers did; SO / looked
the country overland rented the only
available walls and floors called q
house. It's Rawley's shack"
"You mean," Nathan asked, that
you intend to live there-alone7'
ut is for that reason I rented the
place. she replied, 80 that could be
alone"
He glanced at the modish suit the
girl wore, at the simple hat, which
: bore the mark of style.
I'm afraid" he said gently, "that
you do not realize the situation"
The new school teacher looked inter
ested.
"Then," she told him, II shall have.
to lay in larger supply Of food and
fuel than / have intended. You say i
do not realize the situation. Why, it
is much better than anticipated. !.
just passed house back there, yours
I suppose. I shall have neighbors, peo-
pie Of my kind whom did not hope
to find in this desolatiop. Your wife
would be friendly, would she not
with strangerT
II have no wife," Nathan answered.
Just an old man who acts as house
keeper. He's a silent old chap, but
would no doubt help you in an emer-
gency. There are no women-none-
In all the forest. It would be wiser to
accept the poorest board that Belden's
Pass would OFFER. How do you expect
to reach the school house in winter7s
THE school is. half way between"
she said. II shall make 1t some way
I've brought my own horse and bob,
Sleigh" her eyes were shining. "Ohf
You'll see," she finished: II wish you
would be less pessimistic." Nathan
sighed; he arose and went with her to
show her the way to Rawley's shack.
After that Nathan's visits there be-
came a matter Of course. The little
teacher showed him her housekeeping
transformation. With cretonnes.
bright rugs, and simple home furnish
ings she had made the interior Of the
weather-beaten cottage a place ~
actual beauty. He formed habit q
meeting the girl toward the end Of au-.
tumn days as she came down the road
on her tramp from school. and long
ere this, Nathan acknowledged to him
sell that he loved, with mans one
tru and faithful love, this little Mol
lie Gail. His absences from her were
filled with visions. And Nathan hoped
fearfully. and at times almost conf
IDENTIFY, that the solitude would be SOL
itude for him no longer with her pres
ence always near. He told Mollie OF
his simple life. with its outer giimpses
of farther lunds, Mollie did not recip-
rocate, making no reference to her
past. When the story Of Nathan's love
had forced his lips Mollie trembling.
at last whispered her story. She, too.
had learned to love Nathan. But there
could be no betrothal. A purpose had
brought her to this world. For a year
she had lived under the shadow of
crime. 1t was her father, they said,
who. had committed the great bank rob-
bery-Mollie's father, the cashier.
When he was convicted he had run
away. Where-even Moll'e could not
guess. Certain of her fathers inno-
cence and fearing that the shameful
strain had been too much for him, Mol
lie had determined to follow the clue
of map he had left in his room, which
marked accurately the very route she
had followed to its destination. 1t was