Show SYNOPSIS enid maitland Malt land a frank tree free and no un polled young philadelphia girl la is taken to the colorado mountains by her uncle robert mobert mateland Malt Matt land james armstrong maitland Malt land a tails falls in love with her his ills persistent wooing thrills the girl but she hesitates and armstrong goes east on business without a definite answer enid hears the story 0 of a mining engi engl ineer newbold whose wife fe I 1 off a cliff band a was so seriously hurt that he was compel ed to shoot her to prevent her be ing eaten by wolves while he went for help kirkby the old guide who tells the story g gives e E enid n id a pad pact age of letters which he sais were to fo nd on the dead woman s body she reads the letters and et at kirkby s request keeps them while tattling in mountain stream enid Is at tacked by a bear which Is mysteriously el al ot A storm adds to the girt girl a terror A sudden deluge transform brook into raging torrent sweeps enid into gorge where she Is rescued by a moun tain hermit atter after a chril ing experience campers in great confusion upon dincov ing enid s absence when the storm breaks maitland Malt land and old kirkby go in search of 0 the g rl enid discovers that tier ankle Is sprained and that she is un able to wait wal her mysterious rescuer carries her to his camp enid goes to sleep in the strange man a bunk miner aliner cool s breakfast for enid atter after which tl ill ei yo vo on tour of inspection the her nit it tells enid of hn unsuccessful attempt 10 lo find the maitland Malt land campers he lie a admits that he Is also from philadelphia CHAPTER I 1 continued entering Tnt ering the main room he led her gently to one of the chairs near the table and immediately thereafter light ed the fire which he had taken the precaution to lay before his departure jt it tad iad t ad been dark in the cabin but the fre tre eoon soon filled it with glo ilous light she matched ched him at his task and as tip lit rose from the hearth questioned him 41 now tell me she began you found first your supper and then the etory story he be answered turning toward the door of the other room no pleaded the girl can t you see rbee that nothing is of any importance lo 10 me but the story did you find the campa caknip I 1 found the place where it had been where it had been there gasn wasn t a single vestige of it tswen t that whole pocket I 1 knew it ia well ell had been swept clean by the flood tood but kirkby and mrs airs maitland and they merent there did you search for them certainly but they can t have been drowned ehe exclaimed piteously of course not he began reassure angly kirkby Is a veteran of these mountains and but do you know him 9 queried the girl in great surprise I 1 did once said the man flushing f darkly at bis his admission I 1 haven t seen him tor for five years so that was the measure of his iso lation thought the woman keen tor for the slightest evidence as to her corn com panion a history of m aich by the way he lie meant to tell her nothing she asked breaking the pause kirkby would certainly see he cloud burst coming and he would take the people with him in the camp up on the hogback near it it Is far above the flood line they would mould be quite sate safe kohere and did you look for them herec 9 I 1 did the trail had been washed out cut but I 1 scrambled ambled up and found un uti disputed evidence that my surmise was correct I 1 haven t a doubt that all m nho ho m were ere in the camp were saved thank god for that said the girl greatly relieved and comforted by his le tic assuring words and robert malt land ind the rest test on the mountain what do you think of thema I 1 am sure that they must have escaped too I 1 don t think any of them have suffered more than a thor ough drenching in the downpour and that they are all sate safe and perhaps on their way to the settlements now but they wouldn rit t go back without searching tor for me would mould they cried ahe girl certainly net not I 1 suppose they are searching ing for you now well then wait said the man you start led d down the canon you told every body you were going that way they naturally searched in that direction they t the faintest idea that you were going up the river no admitted enid that Is true I 1 did not tell anyone I 1 didn dian t dream of going up the canon when I 1 started out in the morning it was the result of a sudden impulse god blesa bless that burst out the man inan and then he checked himself flushing again darkly what nhat had he been about to say saya the question flashed across his own mind and into the woman a mind at the same time when she heard the sentence but she too checked the question that rose to her lips thia this Is the way I 1 it con tinned the man hurriedly to cover up bis contusion confusion they fancy them selves alone in these mountains which save for me they are they be you to hare have gone down the can on kirkby with mrs maitland Malt land and the others waited malted on the ridge until mr maitland and his party joined them they couldn coulden t have saved very burh anu h to eat or wear mear from the camp they were miles from a settlement they probably divided into ta tro parties the larger with the woman and chil dren started for home the second went down the canon searching tor for your dead body and had it not been tor for you cried the girl impulsively they had found it god permitted me to be of service to you answered the man simply ican I 1 can follow their speculations exact ly IY up or down they believed you to have been in the canon when the cloud burst therefore there was only one place and one direction to search tor for you and that was wasa down the canon canona what did you do thena I 1 went down the canon myself I 1 think I 1 saw evidence that some one had preceded me too did you overtake them certainly not they traveled as rapidly as I 1 they must have started early in the morning and they had several hours the advantage of me but they must have stopped some where tor for the night and yes answered the man it I 1 had only myself to consider I 1 should have pressed on through the night and overtaken them when they camped only yourself 7 9 you made me promise to return here by nightfall I 1 don t know cheth er I 1 should have obeyed you or not I 1 kept on as long as I 1 dared and still leave myself time to get back to you by dark she had no idea of the desperate speed he be had made to reach her while it was vms still daylight it if you t come when you did I 1 should have died cried the girl I 1 am n you did perfectly right I 1 don t think I 1 am a coward I 1 hope not I 1 never was afraid before but don dont t apologize or explain to me its not necessary I 1 understand ev grything ery thing you feel it m was as only because I 1 had given you my word to be back by sunset that I 1 left off following their trail I 1 was afraid that you might think me dead or that something bad had happened and I 1 should I 1 did admitted the girl it wasn gasn t so bad during the day time but when the sun went down and you did not come I 1 began to imagine ev grything ery thing 1 I saw myself left alone here in these mountains helpless wound ed without a human being to speak to I 1 could not bear it but I 1 have been here alone for five years said the man grimly that s different I 1 don t know why you have chosen solitude but I 1 you are a woman returned the other gently and you have suffered that accounts for everything thank you said enid gratefully and I 1 am so glad you came back to me back to you reiterated the man and then he stopped if he had al lowed his feirt to speak he would have said back to you from the very ends of the world but I 1 want you to believe that I 1 honestly did not leave the trail until the ultimate moment he added I 1 do believe it she extended her hand to him you have been very good to me I 1 trust you absolutely and for the second time he took that graceful dainty aristocratic hand in his own larger stronger stranger firm er grasp his ills face flushed again un der other circumstances and in other days perhaps he might have kissed that hand As it was he only held it tor for a moment and then gently re lea leased ted it and you think they are searching for me she asked I 1 know it I 1 am sure of what I 1 myself would mould do for one I 1 love I 1 loved I 1 mean and they and they will find mea the man shook his head I 1 am afraid they will be convinced that you have gone down with the flood didn dian t you have a cap or yes said the woman and a sweater the bear you shot covered the sweater with blood I 1 could not put it on again As she spoke she flushed a glorious crimson at the remembrance of that meeting but the man was mas looking away with studied care she thanked him in ili her heart for such generous and kindly consideration they will have gone down the stream with the rest and it s just pos sible that the searchers may find them the body of the bear too this river ends in a deep mountain lake and I 1 think it Is going to snow it will be frozen hard tomorrow and they will think me there I 1 am afraid so and they wont won t come up herec it Is scarcely possible oh ohl exclaimed the woman faintly at the dire possibility that she might not be found I 1 took an empty bottle with me 1 1 ML dUSS ae cc ai who deark abt gra U ott 1 V 0 byrus toem ra audbor ihor of aab aher aa ft U 1 by t efm W 0 said the man breaking the silence in which I 1 had enclosed a paper saying aa that jou ou were here and safe save sa e tor for your wounded foot and giving direction how to mach neach the place I 1 built a calm of rocks in a shel nooh nook in the valley where your camp had been pitched and left the tightly corked bottle wedged on ozz top of it it they return to the camp they could scarcely fail fall to see it 0 but if they don t go back there well it m was as just a chance and if they don t find mea me you will have to stay here for a while until your toot foot gets well enough to travel anyway returned the man evasively but winter Is coming on you said the lake would freeze tonight and it if it snows it will snow the woman stared at him appalled and in that case I 1 am afraid was the slow reply that you will have to stay here he hesitated in the face of her white still face all winter he added des pera tely my god exclaimed the girl alone with youa miss maitland said the man reso cutely I 1 might as well tell you the truth I 1 can make my way to the set clements tie tle ments now or later but it will be a journey of perhaps a meek w eek there aul wul be no danger to me bit you will have to stay here you cot child id lot go with me it if I 1 am any jud judi e couldn coulden t possibly use your foot for a mountain journey for at least three weeks and by that time we shall be snowed in 0 F ff 4 CY and who vho Is james armstrong as effectually as it if we were within the arctic circle but if you will let me go alone to the settlement I 1 can bring back your uncle a woman to keep you company before the trails are impassible or enough men to make it practicable to take you through the canons and down the trails to your home again I 1 could not do that alone even if aou ou were well mell in the depth of winter the girl shook her head stubbornly A week meek alone in these mountains and I 1 should be mad she said alvel it isn t to be thought i of it mut be thought of urged the man you dout don t understand it Is either that or spend the winter minter here with me IN the woman looked at him steadily and what have I 1 to fear from you youa she asked nothing Iso thing nothing as god is my witness protested the other but the world the world said the woman reflect I 1 don t mean to say that it means nothing to me but it ihas has cause enough for what it would mould fain say now she came to her decision swift ly there is no help tor for it she continued we are marooned she A 2 smiled faintly as she used the old word of tropic island and southern sea together you hae haiie shown shorn me that you are a man and a gentleman in god and you I 1 put my trust when R hen my foot gets well it if you can teach me to walk malk on snow shoes and it Is pos sible to get through the passes we will try to get back if it not we must wait the decision ia Is yours said the man and yet I 1 feel that I 1 ought to point out to you how I 1 see all that you see she inter erupted I 1 know what is in your mind it Is entirely clear to me we can do nothing else so be it you need have no apprehension as to your material comfort I 1 have lived in these mountains tor for a long time I 1 am prepared for any emergency I 1 pass my time in lit the summer getting ready for the winter there is a cave or recess rather behind the house which as you see is built against the rock wall and it Is filled with wood mood enough to keep us warm tor for two or ahree winters I 1 have an ample supply of provision and clothing tor for my own needs you will need something w armer marmer than that you wear he continued have you needle thread and cloth she asked everything was mas the prompt an awer then I 1 shall not suffer er are you that wonder of wonders asked the man smiling lightly an educated woman who knows how to sew se wf it is a tradition in philadelphia answered anwer ed the girl that her daughters should be expert needle needlewomen momen oh sou are from philadelphia yes and you youa she threw the question at him so deftly and so quickly that she caught him unaware and off his guard a sec see ond and time within the hour baltimore he answered before he tl ought and then bit hs lip he lie had determined to vouchsafe her no anfor mation regarding himself and here she had surprised bin into an admission in the first blush of their acquaint arce and she knew that she had tri u for she smiled in recognition of it she tried another tack mr air newbold she began at a ven ture and as it was ave ve years since he had heard that name his surprise at her knowledge which after all was very simple betrayed him a third tf time me ve ive are like stories I 1 have read eople veople who have been cast away on desert islands and yes said the man but no cast awas that I 1 hat ever read of have been so bountifully provide pro videl 1 with ev berthing er eo thing necessary to the comfort of life as we are I 1 told aou ou I 1 lacked nothing for your our material welfare and 01 J r even your mind need not stagnate I 1 have looked at your books al ready said the woman answering his glance this was where she had found bis his name he realized you will have this room for your own use and I 1 will take the other for mini he continued I 1 am loath to dispossess you 1 shall be quite comfortable there and this shall be your room exclusively except when you bid me enter as when I 1 bring you your meals I 1 shall hold it inviolate but said the woman there must be an equal division of labor I 1 must do my share there isn t much to do in the win ter except to take care of the burros keep up the fire and prepare what we have to eat I 1 am afraid I 1 should be unequal to outdoor work but in the rest I 1 must do my part he recognized at once that idleness would be irksome so you shall he assented heartily when your toot foot ie le well enough to make you an efficient member of our little society thank you and now Is there anything else before I 1 get supper you think there Is no hope of their searching for me herec the man shook his head it if james armstrong had been in the party she said reflectively I 1 am sure he would never have given up and who Is james armstrong may I 1 ask burst forth the other bluntly why he I 1 he Is a friend of my uncle and an acquaintance of my own oh said the man shortly and gloomily as he turned away enid maitland Malt land had been very brave in his presence but when he went out she put her head down on her arms on the table and cried softly to her self was ever a woman in 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