THE STORY OF A STONE AND WHAT CAME AFTER.
Sam's Point, the crowning backbone of the highest mountain in the
Shawangunk range, bends away from the general course of its fellows
apparently for the especial purpose of giving the mountain climber, by
its isolation, a commanding view in almost every direction except to the
north-east. For miles in extent the flat, rocky top of this crown forms
a promenade of magnificent proportions up amid the clouds. In shape it
is a long, slender triangle, about three miles from its base westward to
the point where its highest altitude is reached, two thousand three
hundred and forty feet above tide-water. Cradled in its rocky bosom,
near the base of the triangle, lies a crystal lake--one hundred and
fifty acres of sparkling water. At this point the promenade is fully
three-fourths of a mile wide, gradually narrowing to a width of less
than one hundred feet at the extreme point. The long battlemented sides
of this lofty triangle, like some mighty fortress, grim and frowning,
are protected and supported by perpendicular cliffs of black rock,
rising like some bastioned wall of terrifying proportions, two hundred
feet above the shoulder of the mountain. In a sheltered nook, near the
point, about five hundred feet below the base of the cliffs, stands the
Sam's Point Hotel, scarcely more than a cottage in size. Here Fern
Fenwick's party left the carriage. Taking the narrow, zig-zag pathway
that led to the cliffs and often pausing to admire the immensity and
grandeur of the black rock palisades towering so far above them, they
soon found themselves under the nose of the point of rocks. Entering the
crevice in the cliffs known as "The Chimney Stairway," they commenced
the steep and toilsome climb to the summit; Fillmore Flagg taking the
lead and assisting Miss Fenwick, George Gaylord performing the same
service for Mrs. Bainbridge; fifteen minutes later they stood, almost
breathless, upon the summit, the blue sky all about them, a precipice on
either hand where shimmering, giddy space seemed to yawn so frightfully
near. Meanwhile a strong, buffeting wind tugged at ribbons and capes,
hats and bonnets, so furiously that walking was hazardous; it gave one
such an uneasy sensation of giddiness and unstable equilibrium
generally, that the temptation to fly over the edge of the cliff was
hard to resist. A huge egg-shaped boulder, twenty-five feet in height
and as large as a house, poised rather unsteadily on its rounded base,
was quite near and gave promise of protection from the violence of the
wind. With one accord our party scrambled towards it, the ladies
clinging tightly to their escorts with one hand, a firm grip on hat or
bonnet with the other. Thus sheltered, and more at ease, they slowly
drank in the glorious vision which greeted the eye on every hand.
Looking down as from a balloon, at the foot of the mountain, on the
north side, the eye was charmed by the length and beauty of the Rondout
Valley, through which ran the Delaware and Hudson Canal, and the Rondout
River. For miles on either side of canal and river the valley was made
more lovely by its checkered farms and gleaming white villages. Directly
at the foot of the mountain on the south side, the broader valley of the
Wallkill presented an equally beautiful and diversified picture of farm,
hamlet and village. Beyond these, in every direction save to the
north-east, vast stretches of country lay spread out like a map; the
mountains far and near, so dwarfed as to give to the surface the
appearance of billowy plains, almost level where they approached the
edge of the horizon. The wonderful extent and scope of the view was
bounded by the line of the horizon, at least one hundred miles distant.
Three-fourths of this sweeping circle responded to the unaided vision,
disclosing the blue hills and hazy mountain peaks located in five
states: New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Connecticut and
Massachusetts, altogether presenting in its immensity a landscape as
variegated and charming as it was wondrously beautiful and attractive--a
marvellous picture of indescribable loveliness never to be forgotten.
"How inspiringly magnificent!" said Fillmore Flagg: "All the sublimity
of my nature is satisfied."
"And I," said Fern Fenwick, "am too profoundly impressed to talk. I
would that I could spend hours here in silent admiration."
"I think," said Mrs. Bainbridge, "that we would better move further back
on the rocky summit where doubtless, sheltered seats may be found, then
we can all enjoy this most wonderful of views at our leisure and with
some degree of comfort."
"Yes," said George Gaylord, "that will be ever so much nicer."
"Stop a moment," said Fern Fenwick, who for some moments had been
examining the huge boulder which sheltered them, "Have you noticed the
curious formation of this immense stone? How many hundreds of tons it
may weigh, I hardly dare guess. Geologically speaking, it is a 'stranger
rock,' not in any way related to the rocks of this mountain, nor of the
mountains near here. It is a mammoth conglomerate of such an
interestingly curious compound and of such flinty hardness. At the time
of its formation enormous pressure, coupled with the most intense heat,
must have molded this strange mass together. Coarse and fine gravel,
smooth, round pebbles, from the size of a pigeon's egg to that of a
two-hundred-pound boulder, are all jumbled together in great confusion,
and so firmly cemented in this immense globular mass of that peculiar,
tenacious clay of greenish gray color, which forms so large a part of
the drift formation, and which is so widely distributed over the face
of our globe--that strange, unaccountable, isolated and unrelated
formation, which still remains an unsolved puzzle by our best
geologists. I wish you to observe the long sides of this strange rock,
especially where the exposed sides of the pebbles have been worn down
smooth and even with the clay--how they are marked and striated by
shallow grooves, all running in one direction as straight as though
graven by rule. Is it possible that any freak or flood of the glacial
period could have floated this huge rock to its resting place on the
very summit of this high mountain, almost two thousand five hundred feet
above the level of the sea? Oh! tell me, ye listening mortals, or ye
winged winds that blow and pull my ribbons so! whence came this stranger
rock? how formed? and how were its smooth, worn sides so systematically
engraved?"
Fern Fenwick closed her series of queries with a gradually rising pitch
and inflection in the ringing tones of her clear, musical voice. With
figure erect, eyes flashing, cheeks glowing and hands uplifted, she
seemed the personification of some priestess of science. Fillmore Flagg
and George Gaylord gazed at her with the admiration of amazement. Mrs.
Bainbridge exclaimed:
"Why Fern Fenwick! How you do go on with such nonsense, to be sure. No
doubt these gentlemen, from this time forward, will look at you as some
scientific freak or geological professor of the female persuasion, but
recently escaped from the walls of some famous college!"
"Mrs. Bainbridge," said Fillmore Flagg, "of course we understand that
you were joking in what you said just now: that you really admire the
terse, clear, and wonderfully complete description of this strange rock
by Miss Fenwick, quite as much as we do." Turning to Fern Fenwick, he
continued: "I believe, Miss Fenwick, that I can throw some light on the
puzzling questions you have so poetically propounded."
"Pray do tell us, Mr. Flagg," said Fern Fenwick; "I can't remember when
I was so excited with interest on any subject before."
"Very well," said Fillmore Flagg: "That curiously able and intellectual
man, Mr. Ignatius Donnelly, in his very interesting book called
'Ragnarok,' or 'The Age of Fire and Gravel,' puts forth a most
remarkable theory regarding the drift formation, to the truth of which
this huge rock seems to bear witness. The theory, briefly stated, is as
follows: A great many ages ago, when this globe of ours was still in the
period of cataclysms, rolling through space around the sun, it came in
contact with a portion of the end of the tail of some enormous comet,
sweeping through the universe on its erratic course. This great boulder
is a sample of the component parts of that fiery tail, which smote the
exposed face of the earth so terribly with the drift deposit at that
time of dire disaster. The age of fire and gravel, surely! This curious
clay, now of such flinty hardness, was at one time the exceedingly fine
dust of the comet, cohering, collecting and embedding its mixture of
pebbles and gravel by the heat and pressure of the friction caused by
its incalculably swift passage through space for periods of uncounted
ages. Remember that the heat of all drift material in the tail of the
comet was greatly intensified by the explosion of accompanying gases as
they came in contact with the atmosphere of our earth. All inflammable
material on the face of the globe, which was exposed at the time of its
passage through the tail of the comet, was burned up: both earth and sky
were on fire! Fortunately our flying globe made a quick passage, thus it
happened that large portions of its unexposed surface wholly escaped
this terrible downpour of fire and gravel, and the absence of all drift
deposit on these places is logically accounted for. The atmosphere, so
heated during that awful period, drank up the waters of the earth--then
came the floods, as the waters fell again. Then followed the reaction
period of extreme cold, snow and ice--the glacial period. This
particular rock, while following in the train of its parent comet,
though lagging many thousands of miles behind, still, being so very
large, moved with accelerated speed towards the comet's head, passing on
its way countless millions of smaller particles, whose cutting edges
scored these grooves. On entering the earth's atmosphere, on account of
its great size, this boulder, through the law of attraction, quickly
moved to the outermost fringe of the comet's tail nearest the earth,
therefore was the first to alight on the top of this mountain, far away
from all smaller drift material.
"I hope, Miss Fenwick, that my brief and rather speculative answers to
your questions, reasoning as I did, from Mr. Donnelly's point of view,
may prove at least in a measure satisfactory."
"Thank you, Mr. Flagg," said Fern Fenwick, "your answers to my questions
have all been very ingenious: equally interesting and satisfactory,
especially as to how this mammoth conglomerate came by its grooved lines
and, later how it managed to find a resting place on this mountain top,
so far from its kind. Mr. Donnelly's theory of accounting for the
widely scattered deposits of the drift formation is the most reasonable
and logical of anything I have ever read or heard. Doubtless, in course
of time, it may be proven the only true one. I see Mr. Gaylord and Mrs.
Bainbridge are becoming weary of all this talk about rocks: let us move
further back from the point in search of more sheltered and comfortable
seats."
Accordingly they chose the central path and were soon seated, enjoying
the changed landscape from a new point of view. However, Mr. Gaylord was
not yet satisfied and soon proposed a walk to the lake. Mrs. Bainbridge
was willing but Miss Fenwick had walked enough for one day. A quiet
enjoyment of her lofty outlook was what she now most desired.
"Very well, Fern," said Mrs. Bainbridge, "Mr. Gaylord will accompany me
to the lake and we will bring back for lunch some of those very large,
delicious blueberries, which Mr. Gaylord assures me are growing so
abundantly around the shores of the lake. You and Mr. Flagg shall remain
here with the lunch baskets."
This plan was agreed to, and very soon Mrs. Bainbridge and her escort
had disappeared on their way to the lake. To Fillmore Flagg it seemed a
long time that Fern Fenwick had been sitting so quietly, apparently
absorbed in admiring the billowy miles of landscape unrolled so far to
the southward. In reality, each was thinking of the other.
"Mr. Flagg," said Fern Fenwick slowly, "will you pardon me for asking
you some very abrupt questions, or what may seem such when considering
our brief acquaintance?"
"Certainly," said Fillmore Flagg, "I hope my replies this time may prove
as satisfactory as those I gave in regard to the rock. The pardon you
crave is granted in advance. Pray proceed."
"Tell me, Mr. Flagg, why are you so much interested in that
advertisement which came to me so unceremoniously yesterday? And again,
tell me why you are so moved and determined to better the conditions of
farm life? I suppose you know that I have wealth and leisure at my
disposal; it may prove that I can be of great assistance to you. This is
my excuse for asking you for more details in regard to your personal
plans."
With a heart filled with hope, Fillmore Flagg began the recital of the
story he had given to George Gaylord on the terrace bench. With frequent
glances of encouragement from Fern Fenwick, his inspiration and
eloquence grew upon him. He gave a masterly statement of the work, his
preparation, hopes and plans. Delighted beyond measure with the
undisguised appreciation and approval of this charming woman, whose very
destiny in the vista of a coming future, seemed to him to be linked in
some mysterious manner with the success of his most cherished ambitions,
he cleverly enlarged and perfected the original statement. As he
concluded, Fern Fenwick rose to her feet with hands extended, her face
glowing with interested enthusiasm, saying:
"Mr. Flagg, I most heartily congratulate you on the noble life-work you
have planned and chosen, I thank you again and again for the valuable
facts you have placed so confidingly in my possession, in regard to
yourself and your work. Rest assured my interest and assistance
henceforth are at your command. You will understand this more clearly
when I tell you that Bitterwood & Barnard are my attorneys, and the
advertisement which played such an important part in bringing us
together here in these mountains, was drawn up by them for my purposes.
That it should bring to me a person of your wonderful ability,
integrity, skill and knowledge, is an almost unhoped for piece of good
fortune. You are the one, of all others, most eminently fitted to help
me to a successful solution of my problem, which you have so admirably
stated. Hereafter I am your debtor. I hope to prove a not unworthy
employer, or, to put it more pleasantly, an interested co-worker. Will
you do me the favor of considering yourself as pledged from this moment
to take up my work? Go at once to my attorneys in Washington, ask them
for a letter of introduction to me, that you may get more complete
details of my plans and work, saying not a word of our present
acquaintance. I will furnish you with a check on my Washington bankers,
with which to defray your expenses. To-morrow, in company with Mrs.
Bainbridge, I go to my summer home on the Hudson near Newburgh, where
letters will reach me. This is the twenty-eighth of August; on the fifth
of September, at noon meet me in the station at Newburgh. Come prepared
to devote a week at the least in discussing the scope and plan of our
work, devising ways and means etc. I very much desire that you have an
interview with my father, I know he will be pleased with you. Do these
arrangements suit your convenience? Do they meet your entire approval?"
"I am greatly elated," said Fillmore Flagg, "at this my golden
opportunity of commencing what you have so kindly named as 'our' work,
under such auspicious circumstances. I thank you, Miss Fenwick, more
than words can tell, for your confidence in my integrity and ability, I
will do my best to retain that confidence. I am ready to start for
Washington to-morrow. I will follow your instructions, and will report
to you by letter from that city, and then meet you at Newburgh at the
appointed time."
As he finished his reply Fern Fenwick said: "Mr. Flagg, I am very much
pleased with your prompt decision in favor of my arrangements. I see our
friends returning from the lake, will you help me to spread the lunch?"
With keen appetites they enjoyed the lunch especially the delicious
blueberries which George Gaylord and Mrs. Bainbridge had brought from
the lake. The hours passed quickly; the drive back to the hotel was
without mishap or incident: the entire party, on separating, voted it a
day of perfect pleasure, Fillmore Flagg and George Gaylord expressing
their thanks to the ladies for their kind invitation which had given
them such a delightful excursion.
Later, George Gaylord called at the room of his chum for a few moments
chat. "Come in," said Fillmore Flagg, "I was just thinking of you. I
have made up my mind to go to Washington to-morrow for the purpose of
answering that advertisement. How much longer do you propose to remain
here?"
"Not more than two weeks," replied George Gaylord. "I understand Miss
Fenwick and Mrs. Bainbridge are going away to-morrow. I am likely to
have a very quiet time, all by my lone self: I think I must take to
bowling for an hour or two each day just to keep up my exercise and kill
time. I hope you may be entirely successful in your interview with
Bitterwood & Barnard. Remember how much I am interested in this matter,
and your promise to let me know the result. By the way, what a perfectly
delightful day we have had, thanks to that lucky gust of wind which
tore your clipping from my fingers and landed it at Miss Fenwick's
dainty feet. What a talented young lady she is, and so handsome too. Her
lecture on the mountain top about that stone would have been a credit to
any one. I never saw her look such a picture of perfect beauty before.
She seemed wonderfully interested in you, Fillmore, especially after
your brilliant reply to her series of apparently unanswerable questions.
I declare, the profoundness, the ingeniousness, and the boldness of your
successful answers filled me with amazement! You fairly surpassed
yourself; all the time looking your best, just like a hero. Yet when you
looked at Miss Fenwick you seemed just at the point of falling down to
worship her. I can't blame you. What a glorious couple you two would
make! If it were not for her immense wealth I believe you could win her;
any one can see that you have made a very favorable impression. Perhaps
you can win her as it is--I wish you all success, you certainly deserve
it. Mrs. Bainbridge tells me that at the death of Miss Fenwick's father,
some years ago, she became sole heir to his vast fortune; most of it in
very rich Alaska gold mines."
"Are you quite sure," said Fillmore Flagg, "that her father is dead?"
"Yes Fillmore, I am quite sure; although it is just possible that I may
have misunderstood Mrs. Bainbridge. In my hotel acquaintance with that
lady I discover that she is a very intelligent and accomplished person
of rare good sense. Splendid company; we seem to get on famously
together, I shall miss her very much I am sure. As usual, I am doing all
the talking: it is now your turn to say something."
"I think I could," said Fillmore Flagg, "if my chatterbox friend,
George Gaylord, would only give me a chance. Miss Fenwick I regard as
the most beautiful and cultured woman I have ever met. I do admire her
very much, but the possibility of ever winning her for a wife is, at
this time, too remote for me to consider for a moment. I must now pack
my trunk and then see the hotel clerk about getting it to the railway
station. So good night, George, I will see you again in the morning."
That night Fillmore Flagg could not sleep. The beautiful image of Fern
Fenwick was before him the moment he closed his eyes. The events of the
past two days, with their crowding memories, kept racing through his
mind: he could not think calmly or connectedly. He was in a fever of
expectancy regarding the meeting at Newburgh, and the prospect of
spending a whole week at Miss Fenwick's cottage on the Hudson. Then and
there, no doubt, she would tell him all about herself, her father, her
particular work, when and why she became interested in it etc. But what
about the father? How could he have an interview with her father, if
Mrs. Bainbridge was correct in saying that Mr. Fenwick had been dead for
several years? It was a mystery he could not solve. He did not doubt
Fern Fenwick for a moment and felt sure she would, at the proper time,
make everything plain. How gracious and winning she had been to him; she
seemed to bid him to have courage. In spite of her great wealth, and a
hundred other obstacles that might exist, he was more and more in love
every hour. If proving himself worthy of her confidence in every way
would win her love, surely then, he would win it. With this
determination fixed in his mind he fell asleep.
In her room that night, as Fern Fenwick brushed her hair and prepared
herself for rest, she often paused to ponder over her strange meeting
with Fillmore Flagg; thinking what a fine, manly looking fellow he was,
and how well he could talk; how thoroughly equipped he was to take up
the question of improving farm life, the lives of farmers and their
families--the question of all questions for her. Surely, Mr. Flagg bore
the stamp of destiny! He was the man of all men to make her work a
complete success. How fortunate she was to secure his valuable services.
How strange, that after a brief acquaintance of only two days, she
should have such perfect confidence in a comparative stranger. Yet, she
did not doubt his integrity; she knew he was loyalty itself; she
intuitively felt that she could trust him implicitly--he would never
betray her interests under any circumstances. She knew from his every
look, tone and gesture that he admired her intensely, devotedly. Her own
feelings, she did not care to analyze. With a sigh, more of pleasure
than weariness, she composed herself for the night and was soon lost in
sleep.