The Coolidge examiner., 1934-11-02
CHAPTER v-con,iaued

lfftfHEr y AhA uuptFaaaa OK. broke
Sc Naucy's. her eyes dancing ~Do I
Eet out hereT' tas Matt. his face
the color of a peony. stopped The
enEluel and DO I keep straight on
until ! reach the iopTT
I'D better Show you the way.
hadn't ~ That unless
you'd rather 70 alone. II don't
want 90 butt 10 H---
~Oh. cone on laughed Nancy.
Il wasn't keen on solitude. u that's
what you mean. And u you've Eoi
time 70 play around for an hour.
nothing would please me more. Jack
was vauqulshinE a wood pile
Cousin Columtinc was mapping and
Aurora was TOO much inclined Ia
give advice. - / ran away
Matthew laughed softly. II was
pleasant lFugh. and bis voice
was pleasant too. thought Nancy.
when De forgot hlmsei; and spoke
naturally.
-AaFura Tuhbs strikes me com
plciely dumb" be told her. "and
Edylce j. one of Der strong points.
what's she found 10 pick AZ about
your'
~StocklnKs T. said Nancy. and
wondered II Mai. follow In. close be
hlnd Ia The uarrow path. was
blushiug again. Ny sport hose 20,
left al home. and she lmploTcd me
t0 borrow a pair OF Cousin Colun-
blnes black cpitous. Honestly. /
Gldnt know glll I saw Cousin Col
umbine The day we came. that cot
ton stockings were manufactured
any more.
lhey - growing scarcer all the
time said Matthew graFcly. Even
in Pine Ridge there's not much call
foT 'em. aud the high lace boot is
doomed"
Nancy whlrlcd about. This was
tie siTnnsest yOung maB she had
Syeg come across one moment be
siammeFed with confusion. and the
uc1t was saying something as anus
iug as Il was unexpected Their
eyes met as she turned. and they
both laushlngly felG better &C
QuAinied
Il wonder remarked the girl as
abe started forward. where Cousin
Columblne gets hersI"
You mean bootsT
Nance nodded because the trail
was sleeper here. and she found her
self a little short OF breath.
Maybe she gets 'en where she
gets the alddies.~ suggested Mat
thew. slow down, Mlss--er ="
"Dont be Victorian" said Nancy.
without turning. Was going too
fAsfT'
Too fast for your own good. at
this altitude IL takes time 10 get
Gcciimated when you're transplant
ed from sea level Has your broth.
er found a lobg"
Not yet: and he's pretty worried.
on. Just look at the Peak, And
and-why I never imagined such
view. ! didn't know there was any.
thing Ike IL in the world :"
Matt beamed. as pleased with her
enthusiasm as II he we're respon.
si5le FOR the view himself.
Keep on" be told her. 'till you
reach that old pine that's been
struck by lightning. That tree Is
practically on the summit: and
there isn't a finer view for miles"
How could there beY" Nance
stood. breathleSs. at the foot OF the
ancient tree Plains. and mesa, and
mountains lay stretched before her
behind heron every side: val
leys that would be green as emer-
aids In summer: deep gorges; snow
capped peaks. "It's almost too
beautiful 10 be true" she said nj
last. why has no one ever built
a home on this spot!"
Mat tapped the SCARED old tree
trunk. shaved clear OF bark where
lightning had done It's work
a house would be too good tar.
get This Is the highest point In sew
erAl miles. Are you afraid OF
thunder showersg II SO. you'd bet.
ter pack your trunk before the mid
die OF May :"
Are the showers so badf"
Sometimes they're fierce. Meth
er insists its because we're SO near
the sky Those storms are the
only thing In the world. believe.
that she's afraid Of Her father
was killed by lightning before was
born"
Nance shlvered.
NO wonder she's frightened It's
a miracle this tree has escaped be-
ing demolished. Does anybody
know how old II is!"
Matt shook his head.
Its a great deal older than any
one In these parts surely. Miss
Columbine remembers IL just Ike
this when she was only a little girl.
II must have been struck by light
ming many times. / often think
that isl"
Matt was, all OF sudden, self
conscious again; but Nance was