The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-08
"CRESSY.
tcontinued from Second Page.I
in the matter at ALL, returned r, Stacey


"thereis nothing in this amicable dis
5 cussion that requires to be settled out
side"
"Ain't there2" said McKinstry, in
dull, deliberate voice, raising his eye
1 for q second time to Stacy. They wert
bloodshot, with n heavy, hanging fur
tiveness, not unlike one OF his owr
hunted steers. "But | amt kan enuG
in yer" He moved to the door with q
reckoning Of his iateful hand. "0utside
aminit-ef you please"
Stacey started, shrugged his shoulders,
and half defantly stepped beyond the
threshold. Greasy unchanged in color
or expression, lazily followed to the door.
"Wot," said McKinstry, slowly facing
Stacey; "Wot Of | refoose? Wot ef !
say | don't allow any man, or any bank,
or any compromise, to take up my
Quo'r'lls? Wot ef / say that low down
and mean us them Harrisons is, they
don't begin to be ez mean, ez low down,
ez undetermined, ez sneakin' ez that yer
compromise? Wotef say that II that's
the kind O. hogwash that law and sniyel-
ization offers me for peace aud quiet
ness, I'll take the fghtin, and the law
breakin, and the sheriff, and all hill
for his posse instead? Wot ef l say
that?"
at will only be my duty to repeatit,"
said Stacey, with an affected earnestness
which, however, did not conceal his sur
prise and discontinue. "Itsno affair Of
mine"
UNLESS" said Greasy, assuming her
old position against the Intel OF the
door, and smoothing the worn bear skin
that served us mat with the toe Of her
slipper, "unless you've mixed it up with
your other arbitration, you know"
"Wot other arbitration?" asked Nc
Kinstry suddenly, with murky eyes.
Stacey cast rapid half indignant
glance at the young girl, who received 1t
with her hands tucked behind her back,
her lovely head bent submissively for
ward, and prolonged little laugh.
"0h nothing, Paw" she said, "only a
little private foOlishncss betwixt me and
the gentleman. You'd admire to hear
him talk, Paw-about other things than
business. He's just that clipper and
gay"
Nevertheless as with muttered Good
morning" the young fellow turned away,
she quietly brushed past her father, and
! followed bim-with her hands still pen.
itently behind her, and the rosy palms
turned upward-as far MS the gate. Her
single long Marguerite braid OF hair
trailing down her back nearly to the
hem OF her skirt, appeared to accent her
demure reserve. AT the gate she shad-
ed her eyes with her hand, and glanced
upward.
arbitrating. A trille early in the season,
amt it?"
"Good morning, Miss McKinstrv."
She held out her hand. He took it
with an affected ease but cautiously, as
II it had been the velvet paw OF ayoung
panther that had scratched him. After
all, what was she hut the cub OF the UNI
tanned beast, McKinstry. He was well
out OF it! He was not revengeiul-but
business was business, and he had given
them the first chance.
As his figure disappeared behind the
buckeyes ofthe lane, Cressy cast Il glance
ut the declining sun. She re-entered
the house, and went directly to her
room. AS she passed the window, she
could see her father already remounted
galloping towards the tules, as if in
search OF that riparian Exam" his late
interview had disturbed. A few strag-
Cling bits OF color in the sloping mead
ows were the children coming home
from school. She hastily tied girlish
sun bonnet under her chin, and slipping
out OF the back door, swept like lissom
shadow along the line Of fence until she
seemed to melt into the umbrage OF the
woods that fringed the distant north
boundary.
CHAPTER IL.
Meanwhile, unaware OF her husbands
sudden relapse to her old border prin-
cipIes and of the visit that had adduced
it, Mrs. McKinstry was slowly return
ing from lugubrious recital OF her
moods and feelings at the parsons. AS
she crossed the barren flat and reached
the wooded upland midway between the
schoolhouse and the rancho, she saw be-
fore her the old familiar figure OF Seth
Davis Iounging on the trail. In her
habitual Loyalty to her husbands fcuds
she would probably have stalked def.
antly past him, notwithstanding her
late regrets at the broken engagement,
but Seth began to advance awkwardly
toward her. In fact, he had noticed the
tall, gaRnt, plaid-shawled and holland
bonneted figure approaching and had
waited for it.
As he seemed intent upon getting in
her way she stepped and raised her right
hand warningly before her. In spite OF
the shawl md sun-bonnet, suffering had
implanted rude Runic dignity to her
attitude. "Words that hev to be took
back, Seth Davis" she said hastily, "hcy
passed between you and my man. oat
Of my way, then, that l may pass too
"Not much betwixt you and me, Aunt
Rachel" he said with slouching depreca-
ton, using the old household title by
which he had Familiarity known her.
'l've nothin' agin you-and | kin prove
it by wot I'm yer to say. And amt
trucklin' to yer for myself, for ez far ez
me and your'n Cz concerned" he con-
tinued, with malevolent glance, thar
amt gold enough in Caleforny to make
the weddin' ring that could hitch me and
Cress together. want to tell you that
you're bein' played; that you're being
fogled. Tibet while you're groanin' ut
class meeting and Hiram's qno'llin with
Dad, and Joe Masters wRitin' round to
pick up any bone that's throwed him,
that sneakin', hypocritical Yankee
schoolmaster is draggin' your daughter
to hill with him on the sly"
"Quit that, Seth Davis" said Mrs.
McKinstry sternly, "or be man enough
to tell 1t to n man. That's Hiram's BUSH
ness to know"
'And what il he knows it well enough
and winks at itY What II he's willin'
. enough to truckle to it, to curry favor
with them sneakin' Yanks2" said Seth
) Indignantly.
A spasm OF savage conviction seized
: Mrs. McKinstry. But it was more from
her Jealous fears Of her husbands dis
loyalty than concern for her daughters
transgression. Nevertheless, she said
desperately: "Its a lie. Where are your
proois2n - =.
"Proofs?" returned Seth. "Who is it
L.