xt7dz02z3k89 https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt7dz02z3k89/data/mets.xml Popham, William Lee, 1885- 1911  books b92-126-29177689 English World Supply Co., : Louisville, Kentucky : Contact the Special Collections Research Center for information regarding rights and use of this collection. Mammoth Cave (Ky.) Fiction. Mammoth Cave romance  / William Lee Popham ; description being from the author's observation. text Mammoth Cave romance  / William Lee Popham ; description being from the author's observation. 1911 2002 true xt7dz02z3k89 section xt7dz02z3k89 






























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         MAMMOTH CAVE

Is a great subterranean world, with starry
firmament, dells and grottoes, pits and
domes, mountains and rivers, cascades, etc.
Temperature at all times, 54 degrees. The
Cave has five different levels and 226 streets
and avenues. Of this greatest of all caverns,
more than 150 miles have been explored.
Eternal darkness and stillness reign here
supreme.
  A trip to Mammoth Cave means more
than merely viewing one of the world's
greatest natural wonders. It means observa-
tional education-affording scientific studies,
indescribable scenes and thrills; pleasant
visitation of lasting memory; a helpful va-
cation of rest and recreation; and something
to talk about the remainder of one's life-
time. The Cave is open all the year-ac-
cessible to visitors-few or many. Greatest
depth-860 feet underground.
  A pathway from the Cave Hotel winds
thru the garden, down amid the forest,
crossing a wagon road that leads to Green
River, and then brings us to the only known
entrance to Mammoth Cave. The Cave
mouth is seven hundred and thirty-five feet
above sea level, one hundred and ninety-
four feet above the level of Green River,
and one hundred and eighteen feet below
the crest of the overhanging bluff. The lime-
stone stratum is three hundred and twenty-
eight feet thick, measuring from the sand-

 










stone above to the drainage level below; and
within these limits all the vast labyrinth ex-
tends its ramifications. One of the first
things noticed by the visitor is the strong
current of cool air that flows from the Cave
mouth, frequently too strong to allow the
carrying of lighted lamps until a point is
reached many yards within, where the gale
dies away. As we descend the solid stone
stairway we observe with pleasure a water-
fall that leaps from the ledge, gleams in the
sunlight, and vanishes amid the rocks on
the floor. Around us hang festoons of vines
and ferns, and before us is the noble vesti-
bule to a temple of eternal night. An iron
gate is unlocked for us, put there to prevent
unpaid intrusion and vandal spoliation. Pass-
ing thru, we bid farewell to daylight, and
depended on the simple lamp given each of
us by the guide.-Hovey.


              LOCATION
  Mammoth Cave is halt a mile from Green
River, near the main line of the Louisville
 Nashville Railroad, in Edmonson County,
Kentucky. It is about 90 miles from Louis-
ville, 200 miles from Cincinnati, 188 miles
from Evansville, and 96 miles from Nash-
ville.

 







Mammoth Cave Romance





    WILUAM LEE POPHAM








 DESCRIPTION BEING FROCM THE AUTHOR'S
           OBSERVATION






       THEI WoRw SUPPLY COMPAY
         LOISuVLLE, KENTUCKY


         Mayes Printing Company
            Louisville, Ky.

 


























   COPYRIGHT 1911
WULALaM LEE POPHAM

 
















        CHARACTERS:

FRANKLIN LENTON
        MISS VIOLET THURMAN
                  BARTO JAMISON

 











BOOKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR


Poems of Truth, Love and Power.
Silver Gems in Seas of Gold.
Nutshells of Truth.
Love Poems, and the Boyhood of Kentucky's
     Poet.
The Village by the Sea.
The Valley of Love.
Love's Rainbow Dream.
A Tramp's Love.
She Dared to Win.

  SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD
         SERIES (American).
   1. Mammoth Cave Romance.
   2. Niagara Falls Romance.
   3. Garden of the Gods Romance.
   4. Natural Bridge Romance.
   5. Yosemite Valley Romance.
   6. Yellowstone Park Romance.
   7. Washington Monument Romance.

           Distributed by
   THE WORLD SUPPLY COMPANY,
         LOUISVILLE, KY.

 








Mammoth Cave Romance

 
This page in the original text is blank.


 







Mammoth Cave Romance



  It was a June morning when
Franklin Lenton, with a number of
tourists-strangers to each other,
posed at the entrance to Mammoth
Cave before the camera. With but
rare exception, the photographer
persuades each company oi visitors
to assemble in a group, before their
descent into the yawning cavern,
and later a copy of the group may
be purchased, at the option of each
visitor.

 






MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



  Two years previously " Frank-
liha" as the story will name him,
took Cave "Route No. 1," and, ere
finishing that visit, was summoned
to his office in Louisville where he
conducted a business in real estate.
  " Everybody  smile  and  look
pleasant," shouted the photograph-
er, but Franklin did not smile, and
if he "looked pleasant," he was far
from feeling so.
  At this same spit, two years be-
fore, Franklin had sat with a group
of visitors before the same camera
-beside Violet Thurman, a belle of
Bowling Green, who was then
              12

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE

"sweet sixteen," and one of famed
Kentucky's fairest. This was the
very spot where they first met. "I'd
give heaven, were it mine, " thought
Franklin, "if Violet were only here
now as then."
  But Franklin had little time to
think ere the company started, in a
row by twos, down the stone steps
into the open mouth of Mother
earth-penetrating the silence of
eternal night-amid the cool air of
a strange world of thrill and won-
der.  Thru the iron gate they
marched, swinging their lanterns-
looking with awe-struck eyes upon
               13

 






MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



the limestone walls, each thinking,
as no one can describe, his own
peculiar thoughts.
  Franklin lagged to the rear-to
think-not of the natural wonders
about him, but to think, at least for
a moment, of Violet; for this visit
had awakened old, but dear and
tender memories- memories of
when he first beheld her girlish
face, when he had led her over
queer and dangerous looking rocks,
when she clung safely to his strong
and willing arm, when they togeth
er emerged from the underground
night into the summer sunlight,
               14

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



when they lingered by the road-side
where the air was sweet with the
breath of flowers-and alas! mem-
ories of their parting, when she put
a farewell letter into his hand-and
left him standing alone.
  The letter, tho' written two years
before-he repeats in his mind:
"Dear Franklin, you must not meet
me again. It is best for you that
you do not; you will find it easier
to forget me. Go to the throne of
prayer and ask the power to forget,
for I am too young to be wooed and
won. And now, dear friend, for all
the sympathy and friendship-yes
               15

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE

-for all the love you have given me
I thank you. You have the heart of
a gentleman, the soul of a Christian
man. I admire you-but lovers we
must not be. The God you serve so
faithfully, bless and keep you-and
me. Good bye."
  With the words of this old letter
still lingering in his mind, Franklin
proceeded with the company-on
and on, where day-light has never
dawned, and where no sunbeam has
ever strayed to kiss away the night.
Methinks that seeing, he saw not
-and the guide 's many descrip.
tions of wonderful things were, to



16

 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



this lover, almost in vain; for he
saw and thought only of Violet.
  After hours and miles of wander-
ing hundreds of feet below the
earth 's surface, the company of
''sight-seers" reached the light of
day-and looking back upon the en-
trance thru which they went and
came, they observed the perpetual
waterfall that leaps in small
streams, into the Cave 's open
mouth-and like a great mustache,
the yawning mouth is garlanded
with ferns and the greenest of liv-
ing verdure. Franklin paused but
little to look. He broke loose from



17

 





MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



the company-as if he desired to be
alone. Crossing the wagon-road
near the Cave entrance, he caught
sight of a small, white kid glove ly-
ing in the road. He stooped to get
the glove which still retained, al-
most perfectly, the shape of the
band that had worn it. He lifted
the little glove as carefully as if he
feared it might break or dissolve in
his hand. To his great surprise,
the inside of the glove, near the but-
tons, bore in silk letters the name
"Violet." He was suddenly struck
with this interrogation: "Can it be-
long to the Violet I love so well"
               18

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



He laid it flat upon his broad palm,
and stood looking at it in a waking
dream. He lifted it to his lips. A
faint perfume reached him. He
smoothed and patted the lifeless
fingers till they lay unwrinkled in
his hand. Like some guilty culprit
he looked back but saw the company
were still near the entrance at rest.
Then looking high into the clear
sky, he murmured something-per-
haps it was a prayer.
  He began to reason as to the
probable situation. He knew that
no one would wear a white kid glove
in the cave; he almost knew that the



19

 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



Violet he loved would not be visit-
ing the cave again-unless it might
be with some friends.
  But the glove was there; it caine
from a feminine hand-and that re-
cently; and the name it bore was un-
mistakably "Violet." To him, how
sweet the name!
  A happy thought entered his
mind. Perhaps its wearer had gone
from the cave hotel along the wag-
on-road, down to the river. This
led to another conclusion-that she
was in a carriage; for beside the
wagon-road there ran a foot-path
for those who walked. He paused a
               20

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



moment to decide as to the direction
he would take to solve the mystery.
  Remembering that dinner was to
be served just after their return
from the cave route, he hastened to
the hotel, glancing anxiously at the
groups of visitors while passing,
and entered the dining-room. Of
the abundance of dainty and whole-
some viands placed before him he
ate heartily-but whether he really
enjoyed them-who shall say



21



 









CHAPTER II.



  Franklin could see Violet no-
where. His eyes searched the din-
ing-room, verandas, lawns and
groves-but in vain. Added to the
exercise of his cave journey, was
the exhaustion of his vain search.
Physically weary, and mentally dis-.
quieted, he went to his room to rest
awhile. Lying across the bed by
the open window, he was soon
asleep and dreaming. Thru the
window of his dream the garden
was like a romantic landscape-
painted in gray and white and gold.



22

 






MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



In his dream he saw the winding
walks among massed shrubberies,
the drooping willows, the sparkling
fountains-and it all was reminis-
cent of the Temple of Love-for in
the vision he saw Violet, who beck-
oned the dreamer. On the wings of
dream, he fluttered to her presence
among the sunlit glades and spread-
ing shade.
  Beneath a dark archway of trees,
she greeted him. The garden was
large-and very beautiful. Togeth-
er they strolled happily for a long
while. The Temple of Love-yes-
just so it had seemed when he first
              23

 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



looked out upon it. Gazing into her
eyes, he thought her the most beau-
tiful person he had ever seen. So
cunning and fair, so truAtful and
innocent, with the loveliest eyes,
and a face as fair and blushing as a
wild rose. He stood very near her,
and she appeared even more beau-
tiful thus closely seen. She looked
at him with eyes that he seemed to
know very well indeed. She smiled
at him with, as it seemed, all her
heart in her eyes. "May I take
your hand" he said. And in the
dream it seemed the only natural
thing to say. She answered with
               24

 





MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



her small white hand extended. It
was smooth and soft, warm in the
palm and chill at the slender finger-
tips. He held it gently, but hesita-
ted to tell her why he desired to
hold it. Therein is found one rea-
son why dreams are so beautiful-
one has neither to define nor to ex-
plain things. You may wander in
beautiful gardens and it's not tres-
passing. You may go thru or-
chards and gather the fruit and it 's
not stealing. You may hold a hand
like this-and it 's not forbidden.
"But I want to kiss your hand. May
I"' This might be natural in a



25

 






MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



dream, but it's unnatural when lov-
ers are awake-for few girls say
yes-even when they wish to grant
your request. "Why not" she an-
swered, with charming naivete.
  So raising her hand to his lips he
kissed it. Their eyes met and the
meeting was long-so long and so
intimate that at last he moved to
draw her to him. She drew back
and breathed softly: "No, no-not
yet." Now this is not so dream-
like. "But you love me" he whis-
pered. She didn't say "yes." No
woman likes that word. Again their
eyes met and their hands, and in his



26

 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



dream the scent of the jasmine
amid the garden was heavy and
sweet. If only the dream could last
forever! But it did not last-per-
haps, a moment, for dreams are
quick as the lightning flash. It
broke up in confusion, as dreams
will. He was awakened by the flood
of June sunshine and the sound of a
song-bird.
  " Ye Gods! what a dream! " he
exclaimed to himself. He rubbed
his eyes and rising, bathed his face
in cool water and rushed outdoors
for a walk.



27



 









CHAPTER III.



  Franklin sat alone in the park
near the hotel-also near the gate-
entrance to the wagon-road. He
took the little glove from his pocket
and placed it to his cheek. Next
he looked at the name so beautiful-
ly marked in threads of silk, and ex-
chnimed as if talking to the trees,
"What an empty place this world
is! Even on a beautiful day in June,
when love is like the flowers that
blush and bloom unseen-unknown,
and when you realize that you've
been led on by illusions, and that
               28

 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



everything has gone wrong. " To
Franklin the heavenly June day had
lost its charm. The sunshine glim-
mering across the lawn, the scent of
Nature's breath, the cool shade, the
shadow of whose wings enfolded
him, failed to soothe him. It irri-
tated him even to hear the glad
birds singing in the breeze-kissed
trees. Life is out of harmony to the
one who loves in vain. Sitting thus
disconsolate, his attention was at-
tracted by the noise of rolling
wheels. He turned his head toward
the wagon-road that led down the
hill to the valley and beheld a car-
               29

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE

riage filled with young people-
headed for Green River, a half mile
below the cave hotel. The crowd in
the carriage chatted and laughed.
Amid the sounds of mirth and chat-
ter, he heard a familiar voice which
struck his heart like an arrow shot
from cruel hands. Magic-like his
searching eyes found in the crowd
the owner of the familiar voice. It
was Violet Thurman who with
friends and kinsfolk was again vis-
iting the Cave. He started to wave
his hand-but it semed paralyzed.
She turned her face toward where
he sat. Her flashing eyes seemed to
              30

 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



melt his throbbing heart.   The
laughing party, loaded with flowers
gathered from the fields, clattered
by, and Franklin, with lifted head
and choking throat, still sat-as if
unable to move. His love-keen eyes
picked her unmistakably from the
others. While he still looked, she
turned her face, and lifting her eyes,
looked straight into his very own!
Then with a kindly smile, she drop-
ped some flowers into the road-
just below the gate. The carriage
was departing slowly down the hill.
He saw something fall from her
hand-and caught himself trem-
               31

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE

bling in every limb. Their happy
voices yet lingered on the still air.
  Later, when the crowd had dis-
appeared and their voices had been
swallowed in the silence, he walked
down the path to the gate; and
there, in the dust of the road, he
furind a bunch of wild, white roses!
Witb something like a sob he knelt
and gathered them up, pressing the
cool petals to his lips. Like the
pounding of a gigantic hammer to
his brain he remembered she al-
ways favored white roses! Was it
by accident they had been dropped
-or was it    I



32

 









MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



  " They must have fallen unno-
ticed from her arms." He exclaimed
to himself over and over again as he
stood there caressing the flowers.
"Surely she could not have meant
them-for me. "
  And yet, in a deep recess of his
heart he reasoned that Violet had
dropped them, and knew of it, and
that they were her gift. So he very
tenderly carried the roses back to
his room and put them in a bowl on
the table.
  "She will be at the hotel for sup-
per," he decided. He hardly knew
what to do. Tears almost came to



33

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



his eyes. He wanted to sit in medi-
tation. Again, he wanted to run
and shout. Why, the whole world
must have changed in one hour!
What miracle could have been
greater Finally he knelt and kissed
the bowl of flowers. They still kept
fresh, as if to cheer him. He hur-
riedly donned some fresh laundry
in preparation for supper.
  Luckily, Franklin found Violet in
the dining-room, ate at her table
and her smile of gratitude well paid
him for the return of the lost glove.



34



 









CHAPTER IV.



  It was after supper when Frank-
lin and Violet were together-alone.
All the fragrance of the flowers
seemed to enfold them as they stood
in the wagon-road; the great boughs
waved a welcome to them; the
nightingale was singing, and the
lovely, solemn night-with its
sweet, brooding silence, seemed lis-
tening.
  A moonlight night! And such a
moon, sailing so round, bright and
clear thru the blue sky-a thousand
stars attending her! A moon that



35

 









MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



shamed the garish light of day, for
its beams fell like a flood of molten
silver over the peaceful earth.
  All the prosaic huriadrum of
every-day life had disappeared.
The moonlit fields seemed glorified.
The western wind was sweet with
the balmy breath of blossoms. The
rustling of the green boughs, the
scent of the dew-kissed flowers, the
grace of the nodding trees were all
suggestive of the sweetness and
fairness of fairyland.
  "Two Junes have passed since
we met," said Franklin, "and every
day since, I have longed for a meet-
               36

 





MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



ing such as this." Violet made no
reply-so he continued: " You were
sixteen then-perhaps too young to
accept my courtesies, but that ob-
stacle should not hinder us now."
She listened well and silently. They
had come now to a spreading shade
flecked here and there with bits of
silver moonlight, while the airy,
graceful shadows danced over
moss-grown rocks. The moonlit
land lay fair and smiling while he
talked: "Violet, my message is not
a secret-I love you, and I want you
to hear the words from my very
lips-I love you still!"



37

 






MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



  While they sat there on a moss-
covered stone, the nightingale
poured out the story of her love and
sorrow. Violet turned to him to
speak. Surely the moon had never
shone upon a face so fair, so pure,
so tender. Those eyes raised to his
were lustrous and-perhaps-full
of love.
  "I like to hear you talk," she re-
sponded, "speak on." Whoever it
was that said that "woman's
tongue is longest," was in error
when it comes to courtship-if not
all the time. A woman "makes
love" with her smile and eyes. "I



38

 






MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



think this place was created for lov-
ers," he said- 'a place like this is
so inviting, inspiring, suggestive."
He was smiling-a smile that was
tender and pleading, and yet withal,
a little roguish, perhaps-when lie
continued: " That which I have to
offer you on this lovely June night,
is a gift-of all gifts most divine.
It hasn't wings-Violet-and it
doesn't soar out of sight in the blue
heavens singing an angelic song.
On the contrary, it plods-some-
times clumsily, along the humble
earth, and sometimes it even crawls,
but always in the right direction-



39

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



or as nearly the right direction as
the difficulties permit."
  "Violet," he added, "do you
know what this ' gift ' is" -Tnstant-
ly the girl's face crimsoned-and
looking down, she could only mur-
mur, after the manner of girls from
time  immemorial- "I - don't--
know." But she did know, aye,
even as an ass knoweth the way to
the master's crib. As the flood of
witching moonlight fell upon her
trim and perfect figure so beauti-
fully and tastefully gowned, and
she so coyly answered his tender
pleading, he realized that memory



40

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



had not done half justice to her
glorious beauty.
  Suddenly all control slipped from
him, and forgetful of the dictates of
prudence and decorum and of all
things else than that she sat by his
side, he leaned over and drew her
almost savagely to his wildly throb-
bing breast as he murmured words
of tenderest devotion. He was not
conscious of how he gathered her
within his strong arms. He stood
just where the soft light beamed
upon his face, which revealed as
never before, the great strength of
his loving and loyal heart. Visions
               41

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



of happiness greater than he had
ever known came before him.
  After he had pressed his hungry
lips against her rosy lips she drew
away.   Protested-but  "after."
"You must not do that," she cried.
But he only laughed-laughed in a
way he had never done during the
two long, endless, heart-craving
years.
At last he calmed himself to say:
"Only heaven knows how I love
you." She glanced at him with
swift admiration-and glanced
away before he saw her. She col-
ored deeply.



42



 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE

  "It is growing late," she ven-
tured, "and we must go." Reluc-
tantly he obeyed. The rather long
and rugged walk back to the hotel
seemed very short. But even thorns
in "lover's lane" are but flowers.



         CHAPTER V.
  Another June morning-and they
were walking-just Franklin and
Violet. Their last day together at
the Cave-and heaven smiled pro-
pitiously. The pretty places where
they rambled are too many to tell-
but the beauties of Nature beamed



43

 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



upon them everywhere. Walking
together like two rhymes in the
same verse-they moved slowly, af-
ter the fashion of lovers All of
what they said, we do not know-
what they thought, we know less.
The sunbeams lighted up the fresh,
coloring of her face and hair to
wonderful advantage. With tem-
per so sweet, disposition so child-
like and gentle-she thought it a
heavenly morning-and it was. And
he was very attractive-for a man.
She watched him closely; saw his
white even teeth when he smiled;
saw in his white cuffs the glint of



44

 









MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE

gold; noted the polish and cleanli-
ness of his nails; the smoothness of
his recently-cut hair-and the man-
ly breadth of his shoulders. But
women are close observers-espe-
cially if they are interested. They
could see a hen's teeth without her
cackling. The very look from Vio-
let's observing eyes gripped the
heart-strings of the man, and
turned his soul to song. There was
a softness, a beauty, a restfulness
about her look which were singu-
larly soothing to him. Nearby a
humnming bird darted, now at a



45

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



rose, now almost disappearing in
the heart of a crimson trumpet.
  As they sat there talking, close to
the very heart of nature, he spoke
to her very tenderly, and when she
raised her white face to his, what
he read therein startled him. "Do
you care so very much for me"
she asked. "I Care for you Oh,
Heaven! Care for you! Why, I love
you-love you madly!"    "I aLn
very sorry," Violet replied tender-
ly, "I have not sought your love-
I discouraged you from the first
hour we met-why do you love
me" He seemed puzzled. "How



46

 









MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE

can I help it" he cried, "who is
there like you Who is so good, so
pure, so beautiful, so queenly How
can I help it"
  She was only human, young and
untried-no wonder such sweet
words flattered her. As he raised
her hand to kiss it, she offered no
resistance. Then a good impulse
came to her, and she drew her hand
from him, thinking to speak to him
gravely and wisely-she would tell
him that if he loved her so madly, it
would not be wise for them to meet
again-that they must part, and in
time he would forget her and be
              47

 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



happy; she would speak gentle
words of kindly wisdom to him, and
tell him they must soon part for-
ever. All this she did tell him-and
even more. Pained and silent he
sat until she ceased to speak and
then he said: "I cannot live with-
out seeing you at least now and
then. I cannot compel you to love
me-but I will love you forever,
even if my love be vain. I would
rather love you, and see you once a
year, than love another and see her
always. "
  For an instant the girl lowered
her eyes, while a vivid wave of col-



48

 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



or swept over her face. A moment 's
silence and then she replied:
  "But, Franklin, you have no
right to love me so, and you must
not. " He looked for a moment into
the sweet, tender eyes lifted to his,
then dropped his head in silence.
Had she looked, she could have seen
a tear, but she turned her head
away. It is too sad to write-to tell
how a rose dies, how a lily fades,
how a wild bird pines for its unan-
swering mate, but harder still to
trace the poignant arrow into a
pure soul, or to tell how a star falls
from heaven. His hope grew pale,



49

 








MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



and the wings of song and peace
flew from out his soul. But after
awhile she let him kiss her hand
again-willingly. "I didn't mean
to hurt you," she said sweetly-
" and you must not be sad any
more. "
  Might this be a ray of hope or the
straw for a drowning man His
hope was more crimson-tinted now.
With one impulse they rose and be-
gan a farther stroll to enjoy the
glorious sunshine and scenery. He
held her arm now and then-per-
haps to help her along, but "per-
haps." The natural beauty of their
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pathway was soul-expanding-al-
ways inspiring to those "who, in
the love of Nature, hold communion
with her visible forms."
  The sunbeams that sifted thru
the thickness of the virgin forest,
dotted the ground with specks of
gold.
  In the dewy morning, sunny noon
or shadowy evening, the broad
acres around them must have re-
sembled much the original Eden.
Tall sycamores, chestnuts, poplars
and oaks like tall giants stood lift-
ing their waving tops heavenward.
Lover-like, they strolled slowly on



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MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



and on beneath bended boughs fes-
tooned with clinging vines, clumps
of pawpaw, spice-wood, with here
and there a group of the Judas-tree
and dogwood.
  The undergrowth of bushes,
moss-beds, fairy-like ferns and
hazel thickets conspire to prevent
human intrusion into the forest 's
virgin depths. There are said to be
four thousand sink-holes and five
hundred known caverns in the coun-
ty in which Manmmoth Cave lath
wrought its giant home. The larg-
est sink-hole is known as Eden Val-
ley, along whose verdant expanse



52

 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



winds the county road. In size, it
contains about two thousand acres
-wherein are found many small
and fertile farms, dotted with
patches of virgin forest, and with
here and there a limpid pool mir-
roring the over-arching sky. While
this gigantic sink-hole may seem im-
possible, it will be more easily com-
prehensible if we try to imagine a
two-thousand-acre valley, the bot-
tom of which having dropped a few
feet-leaves a   sufficient incline
around same to serve as a sort of
fence.
Perhaps this enormous depres-



53

 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



sion was made by the forming of a
series of caverns beneath its bor-
ders.
  Filled with the very joy of
living, the young couple continued
their walk-enchanted with new
scenes, along the border of Eden
Valley, across foot-paths, past vari-
ous trees and wild flowers. The
old-fashioned roses and honey-
suckles, sweet and fragrant, per-
fumed the air of that June morning
for our lovers to a degree that nei-
ther had ever known before.
  Occasionally a cloud veiled the
sun, and the light on earth was soft



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MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



and dim. Violet scanned the visible
stretches of clouds and pictured
fair islands on the outer walls of
heaven. But to Franklin, the sky
was empty as the desert of Sahara.
  He was thinking intently. He
looked at her, conscious of her
sweet, youthful charm, and realized
that she was about to slip away
from him indefinitely-the minor
conversation seemed to fall away,
and he became daring. But what
should he say -what do
At last he spoke: "I am not weak,
Violet, and it is not weakness to say
that my love cannot let you go."



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MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



  "No, you are not weak," she re-
plied, "that's what I call strength,
a strength and a tenacity that all
women admire in those who would
win their love."
  He looked at her amazedly. Was
there ever a man who understood
woman
  "'You are such a girl and only
such as I should want to make my
wifey he said-and was longing to
have her within his arms, her soft,
warm lips caressing his while she,
with glowing eyes and languorous
voice, would murmur all sorts of



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MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



foolish, meaningless, but thrilling
love speeches.
  She tossed her head and smiled
mischievously, saying little, as is the
wont of woman when a pleading
lover sits at her feet. She only
soothed him with her smile. The
sun came out to greet them again.
The landscape, the sunbeams and
the breeze brought out all their nat-
ural youthful gaiety. The richness
of the sky-the loveliness of their
pathway led them on.
  They stopped to rest again. He
must have whispered something
strange in her ear. The stillness of
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MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



utter solitude shut out the world
and held them awed and motionless.
There was a quiet dignity and still-
ness about the valley, a gentleness
which made it seem the natural out-
growth of its shady isolation. In
this valley was an ideal spot to for-
get the past-and dream of the fu-
ture. The hours passed. They kept
no account of the time-what lovers
do Here it seemed that one could
linger in the peacefulness of this
solitude forever-where care and
sorrow and worldly strife it seemed
could surely never enter. They still
lingered-forgetful in their sweet



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MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



content. He seemed to think that
this ramble meant the beginning of
a long parting, and the strangeness
of it all sent his thoughts leaping
into realms he had never known be-
fore. His tenderness and sadness
blended with her haunting sweet-
ness. Now she talked-he alone
knew what she said. The sweet
tones of her voice-low and full of
the charm of liquid accents, rang in
his attentive ear. The shadow of a
cloud again crept over the valley-
dimmed the green hills, while a mul-
titude of birds fluttered from tree to
tree, and hill to grove.
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MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE

  As he replied to Violet his every
word betrayed his love. She bowed
her head in silence-fearing to
trust herself with speech.   He
talked of things very lovely-in a
clear way that comes natural to the
man with the clear-thinking mind.
She beamed with pleasure while he
talked, and occasionally uttered a
word of protest-but the tone of his
musical voice quieted her. The cool
greenness seemed listening too. Ob-
serving her yet more closely as he
talked on, he felt a response of love
from her womanly heart. How long
they strolled-and what time they



60



 







MAMMOTH CAVE ROMANCE



came back to the cave hotel, need
not be told here.
  Next day they parted-she going
to her home in Bowling Green, he
to his home and business in Louis-
ville; parted with a mutual agree-
ment to correspond.


        CHAPTER VI.
  The way in which Franklin
moved about in his office showed
him to be a busy man. He was char-
acterized by neatness and exact-
ness. He set his hat straight upon
his head, no unsightly wrinkle was
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MAMMOT