The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-02-10
GOOD FOR EVIL.

Hlm' w "aIHeu you Often enough.
When man is ashamed to tell his bust
ness, it doesn't take much discernment
to see that something is wrong. He
has boon in our house now about five
weeks and during the whole time has
not limited word as to the meaning of
his trips into the woods Yesterday
saw him providing about the old quarry.
but when l asked him what he was aft
sr he said he was looking for game. A
likely place indeed to find anything to
shootl''
Father" said the daughter, Mr..
Hayes has always treated me like gen.
Heman, and as there is no other COM
pany here | don't sec what harm can
come from talking with him."
II know that it is lonesome here,
jessie, with no one but me for COM
pany, and when we can afford it we
shall go where you can have better adj
vantages, but that fellow Hayes is not
tho right kind, and don't want you to
have anything at all to do with him.
horse ready when he gets back, for ho has
got to leave this place today. OF course
I've got no proof that he is bad one,
but it is easy enough to see. Look at
his brace of pistols. tell you q rifle
ts good enough here against anything
but tho sheriff's posse. But must go;
remember what l say and don't look
for mo back before night" and Mosby
turned away.
Anton Mosby's occupation was to
protect a large section Of pine timber
owned by an eastern company from en-
croachments by rival firms and neces-
STATED long tramps along the bounda-
ries of tho great forest estate. His homo
was located in small clearing not
largo enough to escape tho shadows Of
the trees for moro than half of the day.
The nearest village was q numbering
town about Is miles distant. From
this village ran narrow, scraggy road
out into the forest, past Mosby's house,
and then at the distance of milo or so
divided, one branch turning south and
leading somewhere in tho direction of
civilization, the other running several
miles northward and ending in an old
quarry which was dug in the side of n
rocky ledge.
After Mosbys departure Jessie went
on with her work indoors with heavy
heart. Her fathers suspicion that the
man Hayes, who had been sojourning
with them, was only refugee from
Justice, panied her. EIo had always
been very obliging about the house, had
books i'll his saddlcbags and sometimes
read al"ud to her, which was Il matter
OF real entertainment and while she
did not care for him she felt extremely
sorry Tor the treatment he received at
her fathers hands. She had to confess
however, on thinking it over, that 1t
was queer place for n man to come
whose only occupation was pleasure.
Her father had an idea that some day
an officer of the law would ride into
their little clearing and demand pris-
oner; that Il scene would follow, ana
the prisoner, escaping, would seek safe
ty i'll the Shiny caves which penetrated
the sides of the limestone ledge He
even dreamed about it and awoke one
night lmbued with the idea that the
house was surrounded by mounted
horsemen. Day by day his suspicious
increased, until finally from fear of
Jessie's falling in love with villain he
decided to drive him away.
Hayes was an ordinary looking man
of about 8 feet 10, hair brown, eyes
blue and rather quick and nervous in
his speech. 1t was suspicion of en-
barrassmcnt in the latter respect when
questioned as TO his business that first
led Mosby to observe his actions, and
his preference for the old quarry road,
which was rough and swampy and led
through tangled growth of under
brush, seemed evident enough that he
belonged to those who prefer darkness
rather than light.
These suspicious mado Mosby, nat
urally hospitablo man, cold and sa-
tirlcal, and many an arrow Of sarcasm
was plumed for his victims breast, but
Hayes usually seemed perfectly oblv-
ious of their meaning, Il fact winch only
further determined Mosby in the belief
that he was n bad one.
The season had been exceedingly dry.
For nearly month not drop of rain
had fallen. The sand lay in drifts in
the middle of tho road and blew away
from the roots of the trees During the
previous weeks great fire had been
raging to the northward, several towns
being RACED to the ground and wide
stretch of timber ruined. The ledge of
rocks referred to ran in n crescent and
acted as Il barrier to the flames, so that
the country over which Mosby presided
was left unframed.
This great northern section, however,
where the fires had been so destructive.
was inhabited by wolves, which now,
goaded by fire and hunger, sought safe
ty to the southwark Mosby saw them
frequently, and their baying could be
heard at night while prowling through
the woods in search of food.