The Red Cloud chief., 1888-07-06

mo love NELL hold You to it."
Il want You to hold me to il, onliest l
want you to do the same by me-" she re-
piled.
Relinquishing his gun for . moment. he
drew her into his arms and kissed her ten.
derly, then, with q guilty start and invol-
untary glance round him, released the girl
and took up his weapon.
I'm . scoundrel to ask it." he said, with
q forced. angry luagh, ignoring the amend
ing request.
'Mirry. Mirry" called a shril voice fsom
the house.
20, me! That's grandmother! She'u be
arfter me in n minMte!" and Miriam hur-
re on up the path. Heathe followed.
easily keeping apace with her rapid steps.
miriam, shall I inform Alb and your
grandmother he asked. you'll marry
me when there's q preacher comes tO-Oids
Corner, don't you call it"
Yes: the preacher can come here.
Father don't talk, en- grandmother don't go
nowhere" Miriam replied. intuitiyely di-
vining a reservation of doubt and caution
under the phrasing of his question.
"Ab can hold his tongue, and there is
no one here who cares to hear of me-"
he remarked refectHely. "Ab is shy of
strangers"
The girl laughed.
"You need never fault father for talkin'
to strangers. You, haven't promised,
though, to do good en- faithful by ne"
But her lover had opened the door, and both
went in.
Heaths slung his u upon two gnarled
roots. nailed to . log not over an arms
length from the seat in the chimney corner
which he invariably occupied. Not once in
the six months since he had stopped at the
cabin. one dark, rainy night, and asked for
shelter. had DR.. Hcathe forgotten to hang
his firearms within reach, and never had
the restless vigilance Of his eyes ceased or
rested. His evident desire to shun observa-
ton, especially of the "Guv'ment men"
commended him to the mountaineer who. in
the past, for reasons Of his own, had thought
best to steer clear Of any q who might be
. revenue collector in disguise. Alb Sagsby
had prefixed doctor" to the strangers
name. 'Danno but he has the 'Vok Of a
doctor" he had said, and perhaps SOM in
nate respect which forbade the familiarity
Of John" or even Of simple .Heathe," had
induced him to adopt doctor as an easy
way out of a perplexity. Heathe himself
| made nc revelations. only staid on from
week to m~onth-abroad all day, but at night
. welcome inmate of the cabin. There IS no
curiosity among the denizens of the moun-
tain ridges in Southwest Virginia. Nobody
asked who he was, or why's man like Heathe
buried himself in b unknown rcmOteness
Of the mountains. The fact Of his being
under the roof OF the wary old mOonshiner,
Alb Sassby. was sufficient warranty for abso-
Lutte oblivion Of what might be going on
around him, If indeed any thing ever did 60
on.
'.Mirry kin tie ter whomst she pleases,"
her father said when Heathe, taking advan-
tage Of Miriam's absence in the shed. told
him Of his hopes. ''H'it's Q good leetle gal
es you'll git, en- she's a smart gal, Mirry is
-h'ain't afreed o. nothin'. She'll stick ter
YOU. spite O. ole Nick hisself, less'n o &c
back on her; 'twOuldn't be overly safe fur
you them" and Ab chuckled, while the
great quid Of tobacco oscillated in his check.
''She says that she will, and l suppose
there are people who are true and a he
trusted, though I AVE never had the good
fortune to meet them" replied the stranger,
. bitter smile fitting Over his countenance.
"Jes' 50; they be skurce, en- pOw'ful good
ter come across w'ena shurfen' packO Guv'-
mentors KEN ut yo' heels. The gal knows
h'it-Mirry knows. she do"
The escapes Of memory perhaps amused
Alb, now that time had shOrn them Of dan
ger. The allusion, however, seemed to have
something terribly realistic in the picture
it limned to the man sitting in the shadow
Of the chimney corner, with his gun slung
on the rests. in convenient reach. Tn
alert eyes in~voluntarily swept every corner
andcrevice of the apartment aud the visible
portion of the shed-rOom beyond. The in
tent look of one straining his hearing to
catch faintest stir decpened into . panied
anxiety.
"YOu hev' mo- larnin' than we'uns,
DOCTOR" resumed Alb, with an abrupt change
of manner. You mebbe want fetched up
like we-uns. en- I'm a-gwine ter say Is you
mougnt think yo'sef bettern m en- Mirry
'Miriami Is better than I am-that Is what
Ethink-and You have been my best FRIEND"
interrupted Heathe, speaking hurriedly, q
hot impatience, almost desperation in his
manner. Old Alb looked pleased.
ssThen you won't be 'shamed o. Mirry ur
me. whensty you luck tu'ns. en- you han
'bleeged ter hug ter the mountingsr
'.YOu are my only friends. There is no
turn Of luck can help me, no chance what
ever that I may wish to quit the noun
tains.'' was the deliberate assurance.
Hits all right, then. l h'ain't much
tried in my mind long o. whery you be foolir'
ur no. Mirry's ekil to that ar; hits her
lookout"
Abner relspsed into his moody enjoyment
Of the huge cracking blaze. Grandmother
Sagsby came in, and soon dozed over her
knitting. Miriam sat on the hearth opposite
Heathe. The freight 9lowed over her
beautiful face, and the strong, shapely
figure. Utter repose and the delightful
warmth conduced to that half-drowsy hazi-
ness and abandon Of perfect rest. The one
exception was the stranger. Apparently he
never rested. Tho watchful. listening, wide
awake look seemed never beguiled away by
any charm Whatsoever. Two or three dogs,
that slept ON the floor near Alb, became
somewhat restless. An old hound opened
his eyes. and pushed himself nearer the
door. The movement was slight and noise
less. but Miriam sat up and noted the ami
NAL for an instant, then left her seat and
slowly past him to the shed-room.
The dog followed her into the chilly star
light beyond. Then she stopped short and
observed the hound. Lifting his nose high,
shifted suspiciously and gave q low grOwl.
s.What is it, Miriam!"
The girl started. Hoathe was beside her.