The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-01-13
hu Ruth 0roA4

Qry rom a Cnalr III ITOIlJ Ol tllS fire, and held it out for her. She slipped into it and donned her hat and gloves.
 I'm afraid" she laughed, I've been a great nuisance-intruding on this mans paradise of yours. " Her tone was lightly ironic, but her mouth trembled a little suspiciously.
 "Oh, not at all-' The words were faultlessly polite, but they car ried no conviction. Glenn shook himself down into his great coat, took his hat from it's peg and threw open the door T will go ahead" he added briefly, "the foot ing may not be any too safe"
 Anne followed Glenn mo the chill dusk. He led the way along the familiar trail towards the Lodge. The rain was over as sud- denly as it had begun and stiff wind from the peaks had swept the last moist whisp off the valleys.
 For almost an hour they tram ped along in silence broken only by his regularly timed inquiries as to how she was coming. Each time she answered "all right" al- though it became increasingly diffi- cult to keep her footing on the slippery and treacherous trail ana strain On her physical powers to maintain a reasonable distance be- tween them.
 Anne began to think as they trudged along that her pacemaker was some god of the mountains with winged feet.
 1 As Glenn roun-eG a curve ahead of her she sank down beside the trail, thinking to snatch mo- ment's rest and then catch ur again. She felt she would almost rather die than admit that she was too tired to go on. She could hear his stalking on down the trai. and she wondered vaguely how long ! it would be before he would miss her, if she did not go on at all.
 His footsteps died away alto lgether, and still she could not rouse her number and aching limbs. Tears of weariness stung sharply in hel eyes. Finally she put her heae down on her knees and let then
 flow unchecked. She had nevel
 supposed that any body could b'
 so tired, just sheer physically tired After an interval all too brief sht heard him coming back. She liftes her head. dashed away some of thi tears and began hastily unlacins enc of her boots. Thus engaged she did not see the look of mingled relief and worry in his eyes, as h. brought up abruptly in front of her
 Give outP" he queried laconieally
 'No, rock in my shoe she an
 swered with equal brevity "Humph, that's queer" He drop ped on the wet ground whicl
 slusned gurgingly under his weight and reached for the boot whicl :, came two-thirds to her knee. Bu Anne jerked it off herself and shoo out the supposed rock with he z final spurt of energy.
 "Why didn't you say you wer V ltired?" he demanded rather impa ] tiently.
 , q wasn't" Anne lied stoutly, he , tclltale eyes fixed unswervingly O the boot.
 He smiled a little Why didn V you call out to me thenP" i "How did you happen to discove
 that was missing?" she barrie
 ironically, resolutely crushing bac :, the tears which still flowed copi d ously. Y
 d Heres your handkerchief in tn . pocket" he informed her, a susp :. cion of appreciative humor lurkin
 behind the gravity of his voice ,r he took the strings out of her fir ;s gers and began to lace up tf ,r boot. I'm afraid" he added mol
 seriously as he jerked the lac' h into a crisp knot, the truth is V Ia are up against pretty disagret 10 able situation" He helped her M her feet. Come and see"
 al A dozen yards or so farther ( .r Anne drew back against his r
 straining arm with gasp of te D. TOT and dismay. The trail was gon 1T, Literally vanished. In its pla Id was sheer drop of some 12 fe ,e and between the two levels yawn ,h a horizontal gap of perhaps thr as of four feet. Far below could in heard the roar and rush of swoli n- waters.
 Copyright, Ruth Cross) mt Morse and Douglas craftIiy +o plan to thwart Glenn in tomor.