The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-03-25
xlVI

The camp" q large log house
with = living room. small room
for guns and dshing tackle, two
bedrooms. besides the servants
wing. downstairs. and eight bed.
rooms above. stood in a clearing
OF the western shore OF a lake
nearly two miles long, and about
thres-quarters of a mile wide in
the center Of its fine oval sweep.
The lake itself was in q cup OF the
mountains. whose slopes In the dis
lance looked as II covered with
tur. SO dense were the woods. Only
one high peak. burnt bare by fire.
was still covered with snow.
The camp was in q grove OF
pines. but the trees that crowded
one another almost out into the
lake among the lily pads were
spruce and balsam and maple.
The party arrived at half past
nine in the evening, and crossed
he lake in q motor launch. 1t
vas very dark and the forest sur.
rounding the calm expanse OF
water looked like an impenetrable
wall, an unscalable rampant. There
was not a sound but the faint chug.
ging OF the motor. The members
Of the party. tired after their long
trip on the train and two hours
drive up the rough road from the
station to the lake, surrendered to
The high mountain stiffness, and
sven Rollo Todd, who had been in
his best spirits ali day. fell silent
md forgot that he was a jolly good
fellow, remembered only that he
Sas a poet. Eva Darling, who had
airted shamelessly with Mr.. Din
widdie from New York to Hunters
rille, forgot to hold his hand, and
he forgot her altogether.
Mary had a sudden and complete
sense Of isolation. Memory had
played her a trick. These were
the mountains OF her girlhood. and
she jvas Mary Ogden once more.
Even the future that had been so
hard OF outline in her practical
mind, that unacceptable future Just
beyond a brief interval in an Aus
trian mountain solitude. seemed to
sink beyond horizon Infinitely re-
mote. Europe was az unreal as
New York. She vowed. II 1t were
necessary to vow, that she would
give neither a thought while she
was here In the Wilderness And
as she was a thoroughgoing per-
son she knew she would succeed
She took her first step when Mr.
Dinwiddie was showing them to
their roort. She took Cora into
her own room and shut the door
II want you to do me aafavor--if
Won will. dear Miss Dwight. she
said.
"Of course" Cora wondered
what was coming.
II want you to ask the others to
abandon their subtle game while
we are up here and ignore the sub.
1ects Of Lees play. his future. his
genius. which will wither outside
Of New York. and cease to attempt
to strike terror into my soul. You
may tell them that we are to be
In a month or two from
Austria-but that I shall
do nothing to interfere with his
career: nor protest against his
passing part Of each year in the
United States. Ask them kindly
to refrain from congratulations. or
any allusion to the subject what
ever. We have only eight days
here. and should like It to be as
nearly perfect as possible"
Cora had had the grace to blush.
"They have been worried. and I'm
afraid they hatched q rather
plot. But they'll be de.
lighted to have their apprehen.
sions ban1shed-and Of course
they'll ignore the entire matter.
They wont say . word to Clavey, |
either." .t:
They've not made the slightest |
on him, so It really |
doesn't matter whether they do or |
not But-when It dawned on me
what they were up to. and the |
sound reasoning beneath It.. I will |
that I had some bad half |
hours. OF course. Lee has right |
to his own life. I had hoped he |
would help me in my own field. but
he could not II he would. I have
come to see that plainly. ! do not
mean to say that these amiable
Of your friends
caused me for a moment to con.
slider giving him up. have sur.
vived worse" She. shuddered
- che recalled that hideous hour |