The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-07-07

rituu Il lUIOTH AU anu your
grandmotherl" he asked. you'll marry
me when there's preacher comes to-Odds
Corner, don't you call iti'
Yes; the preacher cnn come here.
Father don't talk, en- grandmother don't go
nowhere" Miriam replied, intuitivcly d.
vining a reservation Of doubt and caution
under the phrasing OF his question.
"Ab can hold his tongue, and there IL
no one here who cares TO hear Of me-"
he remarked reflectively. "Ab is shy Of
strangers"
The girl laughed.
"You need never fault father for talsin'
to strangers. You haven't promised,
though, to do good en- faithful by me-
But her lover had opened the door, and both
went in.
Heathe slung his gun upon two gnarled
roots, nailed to q 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. Heathe 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-
tion, 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 one who might be
n revenue collector in disguise. Alb Sagsby
had prefixed "doctor'' to the strangers
name ''Dunno but he has the look Of q
DOCTOR" he had said, and perhaps some 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 perplexity. Heathe himself
mado no revelations, only staid on from
week &c mcnth--abroad all day, but at night
u welcome inmate of the cabin. There is no
curiosity among the denizens of the noun
tain ridges in Southwest Virginia. Nobody
asked who he was, or why q man like Heathe
buried himself in the unknown remoteness
Of the mountains. The fact of his being
under the roof OF the wary old moonshiner,
Alb Sagsby, was sufficient warranty for abso
lutte oblivion of what might be going on
around him, If indeed any thing ever did go
on.
"Mirry kin tic 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 good leetle gal
es you'll git, en- she's a smart gal, Mirry is
-hain't afreed o. nothin'. She'll stick ter
you, spite o. ole Mick hisself less'n you go
back on her; 'twouldn't be overly safe fur
you then" and Alb chuckled, while the
great quid of tobacco oscillated in his cheek.
"She says that she will, and / suppose
there are people who are true and can be
trusted, though have never had the good
fortune to meet thom,' replied the stranger,
a bitter smile fitting over his countenance.
'Jes' so; theybe skuroe, en- pow'ful good
tor come across wien shurf en- pack o. Guv'-
nienters KEN at yo' heels. The gal knows
h'it-Mirry knows, she do"
The escapes of memory perhaps amused
Ab now that time had shorn them of dan
ger. The allusion, however, seemed to have
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. The
alert eyes involuntarily swept every corner
andcrevice of the apartment and the visible
portion of the shed-room beyond The In
tent look of one straining his hearing to
catch faintest stir deepened into a panied
anxiety.
''You hev' mo- larnin' than we'uns,
DOCTOR" resumed Alb, with an abrupt change
of manner. "You mebbe WANT fotched up
like we-uns, EN- Pm a-gwine ter say es you
think yo'sef bettern me en- Mirry
"Miriami is better than am-that is what
think-and you have been my best FRIEND"
Heathe. speaking hurriedy, a
hot impatience, almost desperation in his
Old Alb looked pleased.
''Then you won't De 'shamed o. Mirry ur
me, whenst you luck tuns, en- you h'an't
'bleeged ter hug ter the mountings!"
''You are my only friends. There is no
turn of luck can help me, no chance what
ever that / may wish to quit the noun
tains,, was g deliberate assurance.
glIJ,i%,c oil yei~ thnn 7 hsointt
tried in my mind long o. wher you be foolin'
ur no. Mirry's ekil to that ar; hits her
lookout"
Abner relapsedinto his moody enjoyment
Of the huge cracking blaze. Grandmother
Sagsby came in, and soon dozed over her
Miriam sat ON the hearth opposite
Heathe. The freight gl0wsd over her
beautiful face, and the strong, shapely
hgure 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. The watchful, listening, wide
awake look seemed never beguiled away by
my 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 aud noted the ami
NAL for an instant, then left her seat and
stepped 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,
he shifted suspiciously and gave low growl.
"What is it, Miriam!"
The girl started. Heathe was beside her,
an agony of apprehension in his counten-
ance even as he grasped his gun and held it
ready to fire.
"Sommut strange is around. Leader never
she whispered, creeping closer
to him. ''Do you think they are hunting for
your
''Yes, know It, They are on my track at
last. They are hunting for me If they are
hunting foranybody, but pll never be taken,
Miriam-never!
''Takenl no. It's not many get taken in
the mountings," was tho scornful reply.
''Leader'll give tongue time enough; and
the big hollow tree back o. the
rope is always there to let you
down in it," she directed, in quick low tone.
.'Mirlam,n he whispered, "don't believe
their black story of me-dOn't believe 1t.
was there--I saw it-but l didn't do 1t.
never intended the worst. can't prove
my innocence; but solemnly tell you. am
innocent of the worst-the very worst you
will hear"
Miriam laid her hand gently on his arm
her face grew tender-her voice soft and
tremulous.
~ care for you, John, whsthor it were true
or not. Go-now; Leader sniffs lower
Quiet there, Leader--sommit's clOser!"
I'd