The Nome daily nugget., 1935-01-26
CHAPTER v-Continued

perience wasn't unpleasant" broke in Nancy's, her eyes dancing. Do I get out here?" Gas Matt, his face the color of a peony, stopped the engine.l "And do keep straight on until I reach the top?"
 "Td better show you the way, hadn't T.? That is-unless-unless you'd rather go alone. I-I dGn't want to butt in if-"
 "Oh, come on." laughed Nancy. T wasn't keen on solitude, if that's what you mean. And if you've got time to play around for an hour. nothing would please me more. Jack was vanquishing wood pile; Cousin Columbine was mapping and Aurora was too much inclined to give advice, so 1 ran away"
 Matthew laughed softly. It was . pleasant laugh, and his voice was pleasant, too, thought Nancy, when he forgot himself and spoke naturally.
 Aurora Tubbs strikes me com pletely dumb,' he told her; "and advice Is one of her strong points. Whats she found to pick at about your"
 Stockings l" said Nancy, and wondered If Mat, following close be- hind in the narrow path, was blushing again. My sport hose got left at home, and she implored me to borrow pair of Cousin Colum- bine's black cottons' Honestly, I didn't know till I saw Cousin Col umbine the day we came, that cot ton stockings were manufactured any more."
 They're growing scarcer all the time," said Matthew gravely. "Even in Pine Ridge there's not much call for 'em; and the high lace boot is doomed"
 Nancy whirled about. This was the strangest young man she had ever come across. One moment he stammered with confusion, and the next was saying something as anus ing as 1t was unexpected. Their eyes met as she turned, and they both laughingly felt better ac- Quainted.
 T wonder" remarked the girl as she started forward, where Cousin Columbine gets hers?'
 You mean boots?
 Nance nodded because the trail was sleeper here, and she found her self little short of breath.
 Maybe she gets 'em where she gets the middies," suggested Mat thew. "Slow down, Miss-er !" Don't be Victorian" said Nancy, without turning. Was going too fastT'
 '"Too fast for your own good, at this altitude. It takes time to get acclimated when you're transplant ed from sea level Has your broth CT found a job?"
 Not yet; and he's pretty worried. Oh, just look at the Peakl And and-why l never imagined such a view. 1 didn't know there was any thing like 1t in the world !"
 Matt beamed, as pleased with her enthusiasm as if he were respon- eible for the view himself.
 Keep on," he 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 be?' 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. Its almost too beautiful to be true," she said at last. "Why has no one ever built q home on this spot?'
 Mat tapped the scared old tree trunk, shaved clear of bark where lightning had done its work.
 "A house would be too good a tar get This is the highest point in sew eral miles. Are you afraid of thunder. showers? If so, you'd bet ter pack your trunk before the mid dle of Mayi''
 Are the showers so bad?''
 Sometimes they're fierce. Moth CT insists It's because we're so near the skyi Those storms are the only thing in the world, I believe, that she's afraid of. Her father was killed by lightning before I was born"
 Nance shivered.
 "No wonder she's frightenedl It's. q miracle this tree has escaped be- ing demolished. Does anybody know how old it is?''
 Matt shook his head.
 Its q great deal older than any one in these parts surely. Miss Columbine remembers 1t just like this when she was only a little girl It must have been struck by light hing many times. I often think that is-I-n
 Matt was, all of . sudden. self conscious again; but Nance was mercilesR