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Show f " 1 wxl. - -y- ' a 7 aW ifcc Story cf x Gitaft-Jswis V xUy (Cyrqg Journed BiMv . VvTT,letter Marihferi arid .Xv rp2r . ,:', ffy Upjui;.rfV''at. ,-'". --tLjl1ut!rM f ont CDs uor 1-Young in need, you would not say a word to deter Mm. "Why, Steve," expostulated Hubert Maltland, "aurely you know I would risk anything for Euld. Somehow, It seems aa If I were being put lu tbe selfish poaltlon by my opposition." "No, no," aald tit brother. "H Isn't that. You have your wife and children, chil-dren, but thla young man" "Well, what do you aay, KlrkbyT Not that It makea any difference to me what anybody aay a. Come, we are waiting time," Interpoeed Armstrong, who, now that he hail made up bta mind, waa anxious to be off. "Jim Armstrong," answered Klrkby, decidedly. "I never thought much o' you In the paat, an' 1 think eenee you've put out thla last projlck of yourn, that I'm entitled to call you a damn fool, w'lch you are, and I'm another, an-other, for I'm goln' Into the mountains with you." t prejudiced against the west Ton are men that would do honor to any family, to any society In Philadelphia or anywhere any-where else." "Lord love ye," drawled Klrkby, his yea twinkling. "There ain't no three men on the Atlantic aeabourd that kin match up with two of us yere, to aay uoihln' of the third." "Well." aald Robert Maltland, "the thing now la to decide on wbat'a to be done." "My plan," said Armstrong, "la to go to the old ramp. "Yep," aald Klrkby, "that's a good point of deeperture, aa my aeafarln' father fa-ther down Cape Cod way used to aay; an' wot'a next?" "I am going up the canon instead of down," aald the man, with a flash of Inspiration. "That ain't no bad Idea, nuther," aasentcd the old man. "We looked the ground over pretty thoroughly dawn H I waa a living gritf and a living reproach re-proach to him. Although he waa quite blameless he blamed himself. Me had not known how he had grown to love hla niece until he had lost her. ills conscience accused hla hourly, and yet he knew not where he waa at fault or how he could have dune differently. dif-ferently. It waa a belplese and hope-leas hope-leas situation. To him, therefore, entered en-tered Armstrong. "Maltland," he began, "I can't atand It any lunger. I'm going Into the mountains." moun-tains." "You are mad!" "I can't help It. I can't alt here and face them, damn them, and remain re-main quiet." "You will never come out alive." "Oh, jres. I will; but If I don't, I swear to God I don't care." Old Stephen Maltland rone unsteadily unstead-ily to hla feet and gripped the back of hla chair. "Did I hear aright, air?" he asked, with all the polished and graceful courtesy cour-tesy of birth and breeding which never deserted him In any emergency whatsoever. what-soever. "l)o you aay" "I aald I was going Into the mountains moun-tains to search for ber." "It Is madness," urged Robert Maltland. Malt-land. Hut the old man did not hear hlin.' "Thank Cud!" he exclaimed with deep feeling. "I have sat here day after aft-er day and watched those mighty hills, and I have aald to myself that If I had youth and strength as I have love, I would not wait." "You are. right," returned Armstrong, Arm-strong, equally moved, and Indeed It would have been hard to have heard and seen that father unresponslvely ; "and 1 am not going to wait, either." "I understand your feelings, Jim. and youra, too, Sieve," began Robert Maltland, arguing against bis own emotions, emo-tions, "even if she escaped the flood, she must be dead by thla time." "You needn't go over the old argument. argu-ment. Mob. I'm going Into the mountains, moun-tains, and I'm going now. No," he continued swiftly, aa the other opened hla mouth to Interpose further objections, objec-tions, "you needn't aay another word. I'm a free agent, and I'm old enough lo decide what I can do. There Is no argument, there la no force, there la no appeal, there is nothing that will until I have examined every square rod within a radlua of CO mtlea from your camp. I'll take' the long dance, the longest, even." "Well, that's all right." said Robert Rob-ert Maltland. "Of course, I Intend to do that aa soon aa the spring opena; but what's the use of trying to do It now?" "It's use to me. I'll either go mad here In Deliver, or I must go to seek for her there." "Hut you will never come back If you once get In those mountains alone." "I don't care whether I do or not. It'a no tine, old man, I am going, and that's all there Is about It." Robert Maltland knew men. lie recognized rec-ognized finality when be heard It, or when he saw It, and It waa quite evident evi-dent that he was In the presence of it then, it waa no use to say more. "Very well," he aald. "I honor you for your feeling, even If I don't think much of your common aense." "Damn common sense," cried Armstrong, Arm-strong, triumphantly. "It'a love that moves me now." At that moment there waa a tap on the door. A clerk from the outer office of-fice bidden to enter, announced that old Klrkby waa in the ante room. "Ilrlng him In," directed Maltland. engor to welcome htm. He fancied that the newcomer would undoubtedly assist him In dissuading Armstrong from his foolhardy, useless enterprise. "Mornln', old man." drawled Klrkby. "Howdy, Armstrong, my respects to you, air," he said, sinking hla voice a little aa be bowed respectfully toward Mr. Stephen Maltland, a very sympathetic sympa-thetic look In the old frontiersman's eyes at the sight of the bereaved father. fa-ther. "Klrkby, you've come In the very nick of time," at once began Robert Maltland. "Allua glad to be Jobnny on the-spot," the-spot," smiled the older man. "Armstrong here," continued 4tLS other, Intent upon his purpose, "says he can't wait until the spring and the snow melt, he la going Into the mountains moun-tains now to look for Enid." Klrkby didn't love Armstrong He didn't care for him a little bit, but there waa something In the bold bardt- Go the three men even considered what was to be done next. "We must begin a systematic search tomorrow," said Armstrong decisive ly, aa the three men aat around the cheerful fire In the hut. "Yes," assented Maltland. "Shall we go together, or separately?" "Separately, of course. We are all hardy and experienced men. Nothing la apt to happen to us. We will meet here every night and plan the next day's work. What do you aay, Klrkby?' Klrk-by?' The old man bad been quietly smoking smok-ing while the otbera talked. He smiled at them In a way which aroused their curloalty and made them feel that he had news for them. "While you waa puttln' the flntshln' touches on this yere camp, I come acrost a heap o' stuns that somehow the wind had swept bare, there was a big rift Id front of It which kep' us from aeeln' It afore; It was built up In the open w'ere there waa no trees, an' In our lumberln' operations we wasn't lookln' that a-way. I came acrost It by any chance an" "Well, for Ood'a sake, old man," cried Armstrong, Impatiently, "what did you find, anything?" "Tbla," answered Klrkby, carefully producing a folded scrap of paper from hla leather' vest. Armstrong fell on It ravenously, and aa Maltland bent to him. they both read these words by the firelight "Mlsa Enid Maltland, whose foot Is so badly crushed as to prevent her traveling, la aafe In a cabin at the bead of this canon. I put this notice here to reassure any one who may be seeking seek-ing her as to her welfare. Follow the stream up to Its aource. "WM. UERKELY NEWBOLD." "Thank God!" exclaimed Robert Maltland. "You called me a fool, Klrkby," said Armstrong, bis eyes gleaming. "What do you think of It now?" "It's the foola. I find." aald Klrkby ', sapiently, "that gener'ly gits there. Providence seems to be a-watchln' over 'em." "You aald you chanced on this paper. pa-per. Jack." continued Maltland. "It looka like the deliberate Intention of Almighty God." "I reckon bo," answered the other, simply. "You see He's got to look after all the foola on earth to keep m from dorn' too much damage to tbelr-selves tbelr-selves an' to others in this yere crook-ed crook-ed trail of a world." "Let us start now," urged Armstrong. Arm-strong. "Taln't possible." aald the old man. taking another puf at hla pipe, and only a glistening of the eye betrayed the Joy that bo felt; otherwise hla phlegmatic calm waa unbroken, bla demeanor de-meanor Just aa undisturbed aa It always al-ways waa. "We'd Jest throw away our Uvea a-wanderla' round these yere mountains in the dark. We've got to have light, an clear weather. Ef It should be anowln' In the mornln' we'd have to wait until It cleared." "I won't wait a minute," aald Arm-atrong. Arm-atrong. "At daybreak, weather or no weather, I atari" "What'a your hurry. Jim?" continued Klrkby, calmly. "The gal'a aafe; one day more or lesa ain't goln' to make no difference." "She's with another man," answered Armstrong quickly. "Do you know this Newbold?" liked lik-ed Maltland, looking at tba note again. "No, not personally, but I have beard of him." v "I know him." answered Klrkby quickly, "an you've seed him too. Bob; he's the feller that shot hla wife, that married Louise Rosser." "That man!" "The very aame." "You aay you never aaw him, Jim?" asked Maltland. "1 repeat I never met him." aald Armstrong, flushing suddenly; "Jiut f knew him wife." "Yes. you did that" drawled the old mountaineer. "What do you mean?" fluabed Arm-atrorg. Arm-atrorg. , "I mean that you koowed her, that a all," answered the old men with an Innocent In-nocent air that waa almost cblldlke. When the others woke up In the morcicg Armstrong's sleeping bsg wae empty. Klrkby crawled out of hla owa warm neat, oper-td the door and peered peer-ed out into the atcrn. "Well." be said. "I fuess be damn fool baa beat God thla time. It don't look to me as If even lis could sat him now." "But w must go after him at once. urged Maltland. "See for yourself." answered the o:d man. throwing wider the door. "We o got to wait til thla wind dies down. an-less an-less we give the Almighty the Job lookln' alter three Instld o' one." ITO UK CONTINUED II SYNOPSIS. Knld Maltland, a frank. fr and un-eie.il.-d voung I'hslladelphia girl. I taken to Ilia Colorado mountains by her undo. Holier! Maltlund. James Armetmng, Mallland'a protege, faila In leva wild her, lila persistent wooing thrllle the Klrl. but she hesitates, ami Armstrong east on boalneae without a definite answer. Kn lil henrs I ha etory (if a mining rnxl-mr, rnxl-mr, New bold, w lions .wife Ml off a i-IIIT and was an seriously hurt (hat ha was compelled o alimit her lo irtvrnt her being be-ing eaten by wolves while lm -nl for help. Klrkby, the Did guide who Mia tha alory, aliaa Ktild a h kaa of Irltrra which Tia aaya wrra found on the di-ad wnrrMn'a body. Hlin reada tho b'ttern and tt Klikhy'a mjio'it k ( thnm. Wlilln bathing In mountain atrvnm Kuli la at-tarkrd at-tarkrd by a lM-r, w Inch la mynK-rloualy hot. A atorm adda In h Kill's turror. A auridrn d'-lugs Iranafornia brook Inlo raving torrent, which awi-ppa fcnld Inlo org whr aha la roaoiid by mountain moun-tain hrrmlt nfti-r a thrilling pvrli-nre. nifr In gfut ronfualon upon dlaiov In Ktild'a atmenuM when tha atorm rakx. Mitliland and old Klrkby go In mri h of IIib girl. Knld nlarovara that br ankln la apralnrd and that aha la un-abl un-abl to walk. I lr inyatot -lima rarur carrb-a hir lo Ida camp. Knld gora to Iwn In lha alrangn limn' bunk. Wln.-r -onks brvakfaat for Knld. after wlihh bey go on lour of Inspection Tha hermit her-mit tella Knld of bla unaucceaaf ill attempt to nod lh M.illUn.l i-ampera ll adinlla that be la alao from riilladeluhlit. Tin hermit falls In love with Knld. The man comes to a reallaatlon of bla lova for her. but naturally In that atrange solitude the relations of tha girl and her rescuer be-torne be-torne tinnnturnl and alriilned. The stranger strang-er tella of a wife be bad who la dead, and aaya he baa sworn to ever rhertnh tier memory hv living In solitude. Il and Knld. however, confess their love for Mfh other, fihe learns that ha la I lie Y'inn who killed bla wife In the mountain. Knld rtlecovers the writer of the letters lo Krwhold'a wife to have been Jiinoa Armstrong. Nrahold decides lo atari lo the M ill, i, lent for h lp. Tha man Is vai krd by the belief thai be Is eiifultbfut 1o bla wile's memory, and Knld Is templed templ-ed lo tell hint of tha letlera In her possession. pos-session. Armstrong accompanied by Klrkbv and Hobert Maltland, nnd a note that Newtw.ld bad left In the deserted al.ln and know that the girl la In bis kveplnx, CHAPTER XIX (Continued). - x Not altogether admirable bad been James Armatrotig's outwardly successful success-ful career. In much that la high and noble and manly his actions and hla character had often been lacking, but even the Imoe can love, and sometimes love tratmforma. If It be given a chance. The pasiilon of Cymon for Iph- , igetila, made a man and prince out of the ruatlc boor, and bis real love for i Knld Maltland might have done more for Armstrong than he himself or any- i ne who knew him as ho was, and i few there wire who bad such i knowledge of him, dreamed waa f,orilb!e. Tljfre wns en thing that love could not do, however; it ould not make him a patient philosopher, phil-osopher, a good waiter. Ills rule of life was not very high, but In one way It was admirable. In that prompt, bold dealre action waa bla cbicfust characteristic. charac-teristic. On thla certain morning a mouth alter the heartbreaking disaster, his power of passive endurance had been strained to the vanishing point. The great white range was flung In his face like a challenge. Within Jts secret re- cesses lay the sotutlon of the mystery. ' Homewhere. dead or alive, byotid the eon ring rampart was the woman be i loved. It was Impossible for him to remain quiet any longer. Common ense, reason, every argument that had been add wed. suddenly became of no weight He lifted his head and atared straight westward, hla eyea swept the long semicircle of borlxon acroas which the mighty range was drawn like the chord of gigantic arc or the string of a mighty bow. Karh white peak mocked him, the insolent aggression of tro range called him Ir reslatlbly to sctli n. "By Heaven," he said under hia breath, rllng to bis feet, "winter or no Inter, 1 go." Robert Maltland bad, offices in the eame building. Having once come to a determination, there was no more tin-certain tin-certain ) or hesitation about Armstrong's Arm-strong's course. In another moment he was standing In the private room of Ms friend. The two men were not alone there. Stephen Maltland aat In a low chair before another window removed from the desk somewhat, atarlng out at the range. The. old man was huddled down In bis seal, ev?ry line of bis figure spoke of grief and despair. Of all the places In Denver, Den-ver, he liked best his brother's office fronting the rampart of the mountain, moun-tain, and hour after hour be aat there quietly looking at the summits, sometimes some-times softly shrouded In bite, sometimes some-times sept bare by the fierce winter gales ir Jt blew acroas tbem, sometimes some-times shining and sparkling so that the eye scarce sustain tbetr reflection of the dazzling sua of Colorado; and at Other times teen dimly through mists of whirling anow. Oh, yes, the mountains challenged him alao to tbe other aide of the range. Ills heart yearned for his hlld. bat be waa loo old to make tbe attempt He could only alt and pray and wait with such faint and fading fad-ing hope aa he could still cherish until un-til the bteak up of tbe spring came, roe tbe reat be troubled nobody; nobody no-body noticed him. nobody marked him. nobody minded Waa. Robert MaiUaad tranaacted hie bualaeas a little more softly, a mile more gently, that waa all Yet tbe prasanoo ef ale brother I ill ll "It Is Madness." Urged Robert Maltland. "Oh, thank Ood!" cried Stephen Maltland fervently. "1 know you don't like roe," answered answer-ed Armstrong. "Thafa neither here nor tbere. perhaps you have cause to dlalike me, perhaps you have not I don't like you any too well myself, but there's no man on earth I'd rather have go with me on a quest of this' kind than you.'and there's my baud! ou It." Klrby shook It vigorously. "This ain't commlttln' myself," be said cautiously. "So fsrs I'm concerned, con-cerned, you ain't good enough for Miss Maltland. but I admires your spirit. Armstrong, an' I'm goln' with you. 'Taln't no good, 'twon't produce oothln', most likely we ll never come back agin; but Jest the same. I'm goln' along. Nobody'e goln' to show me tbe trail. My nerve and grit. wo It cornea to helpln' a young female tike that girl, la as good as anybody's. I guess. You're ber father," be drawled, on turning to Stephen Maltland. "an I ain't no- kin to her, but. by gosh. I believe I can understand better than any one elae yere what you are feelln'." "Klrkby," said Robert Maltland, smiling smil-ing at the other two. "you have gone clean back on me. I thought you had more sense. But somehow I guess it's contagloua. for I am going along with you two myself." "And I. cannot I accompany your pleaded Stephen Maltlund. eagerly drawing near to tbe other three. "Not much," said old Klrkby promptly. prompt-ly. "You ain't got tbe etren'th. ol" men. You don't know them mountains, nether. You'd be helpless on a pair o' snow ehoee; there ain't anything you could do. you'd )-( be a drag on aa Without eayln" anything about myself, w'lch I'm ton modest for that there ain't three tetter men in Colorado to tackle thla Job tban Jim Armstrong aa' Bob Maltland an Well, aa I said. I 0B " mention no other names" -Ood Wleee yow alt geatlesnen." faltered fal-tered 3ifa-n Maltland. "I think, per-Lata. per-Lata. 1 may have beea wrong, a little tbe canon. Mebbe we can find aome-tblng aome-tblng up It" "And what do you propose to take with your asked Maltland. "What we can carry on the backs of men. We will make a camp somewhere some-where about where you did. We can get enough husky men up at Morrison who will pack In what we want, and with I that aa a baala we will explore tbe upper up-per reaches of the range." "And when do we start?" "Tbere is a train for Morrison In two hours," answered Armstrong. "We can get what we want In the way of sleeping baga and equipment between now and then, If we hurry about It" "Ef we are goln' to do It we might aa well git a mo' "o us," assented Klrkby, making rtcTly to go. "Right" answered Robert Maltland grimly. "When three men set out to make foola of themselves, tbe sooner they get at It and get over with It tbe better. I've got some business busi-ness matters to aettle. You two get what'a needed, and I'll bear my share." A week later a little band of men on anow shoea, wrapped in furs to tbelr eyea. every one heavily burdened with a pack, staggered Into the clearing where once bail been pitched tbe Maltland Malt-land camp Tbe place waa covered with snow, of course, but on a ahelf of rork half way up the hogback, they found a comparatively level clearing, and there, all working like beavers, tbey built a rude but which they covered cov-ered with ranvaa and tben with tightly tight-ly packed anow, and wblcb would keep the three who remained from freezing to death. Fortunately they were favored with a brief period of pleasant weather, and a fef days served to make a sufficiently habitable camp Maltland. Klrkby- and Arm strong worked with tbe reat. There aa no thought of e.-areb at first; their Uvea depended upon tbe erection of a sellable shelter, aad It waa not oatU the be per a. leaving tbelr burdens behind be-hind tbem. had deparud. that tbe restrain ml. I can't alt here and eat my heart out when she may be tbere." "But It'a Impossible!" - "It la Impoaalble. How do I know that tbere may not have been somebody some-body la tbe mountains; she may have wandered to some settlement some hunter's cabin, aome proepertor's but." "But we were tbere for weeka and aaw nothing, no evidence of human ity" "1 don't care. The mountains are filled with secret nooks you could paaa by within a atone'a throw, and never see Into; she may be la one of theas. I auppoee she la dead, and It'a all fool lab. thla hope; but I li sever believe It hood. of tbe man. something In the way which be met tbe reckless challenge of the mountains that the old man an1 all the others felt that moved tbe Inmost In-most soul of tbe hardy frontiersman. He threw an approving glance at him. "I tell bim that It Is abaurd. ImpoasU ble. that be risks hla life for nothing, noth-ing, and I want you to tell him the aame thing. You know more about tbe mountains than either of ua" "Mr. Klrkby." quavered Stephen k'ait land, "allow me. I don't want to in-j in-j fluence you against your better Jndf I meet but If you could ait here aa I have done, and think that maybe ah la there, and perhaps alive still, aad . |