The Penn's Grove record., 1895-08-30
CIRCAssIA.

turned abruptly into a narrow gorge
and there. in the dusk of the falling
evening, Kendall Trance came upon
strange scene. At first he scarce dis
tipguished the two figures and TIN
respective attitudes they held. ii,
saw an arm raised, saw it descent
with manly and final vigor, then urg
Ing on his horse, he was at the sid,
of the combatants, and he faced tn,
slim youth and the tall, massive
girl, blond and muscular as a Nors,
war goddess. whose round arm, Urn
as marble in the twilight cher coars,
homespun sleeve was turned up from
the elbow, had hurled itself against
the youths head.
"tior sname!" cried Kendall Trance,
who knew the youth, a pitiful fellow
enough, Hwhat's the meaning Of
this?"
But 1t was the girl who replied,
standing there with heayiDg chest
and a frown dark as midnight upon
her straight brows:
"He kin let me be after this" she
remarked, scowling toward the vic,
tim OF her own magnificent strength.
81 cu6ed him till he'll reco'nize II
when he sees me next"
'IDid you insult this grip" came
quickly from Kendall, The e RI
looked up at him in the dusk. His
face had a pallor under the brim OF
his SLOUGH hat
81 kin help myself II he didl" she
suddenly spoke, the defiance Of her
mead turning largely against this
would-be defender. 81 don't want
none o your jawin'." And she was
gone, with a bound in the thicket OF
the hillside.
Jaw! sho be a shee.devil," NUT.
tered the chastised delinquent, after
her. "That what Se'cashy be -
What l done anyways? 1 grabbed
her ez she was a-walkin' along, Just
fur a kiss. She's OWN 1t ter me, fer
she knows she's set me plumb crazy
with those eyes o. hern; and I done
axed fer 1t, and when she turned
about on me l sees sparks, AMI |
grabbed her, and she flung out! Aw,
she be a devil"
Serves you right Leave heralone
after this" brusluely said Kendall,
squirting his horse. The sickle of he
moon was coming up above the
mountains The lonely road was full
Of strange ~murmurings from tle
woods. Kendall Trance set his lips
together. This had been one of the
days when the past mot so long
passed) had surged upon him till he
sickened, and the details OF the pres
emit life had become impossible. Tho
revolted bitterness OF his mood was
distinct upon him, as an evil taste In
the mouth.
Two days later it was Sunday.
Kendal Trance talked to the people
then they called 1t ''preachin't"-
eyen as he tried to teach them dur.
ing the week in the school-house.
They shrugged in-women with
babies In their arms, men In muddy
top-boots. carrying their guns. The
doors were open and the Autumn
snnsSine made a pale glare without.
In the blue calm Of the Indian sum.
mer tho red and yellow trees stood
m~otiolless. Kendall began to speak
aud forget his hearers He spoke
pa ssionately, carried ON by the long
pent up stress Of contending emotions
within, losing sight of his initial
text Of the concrete and practical
notions for everyday application,
which he generally sought to instill
into the dull minds of these, his
,iGnolanJ feIlow-creaturcs. When he
stopped h saw the slow wonderment
drawing In the eyes Of his hearers as
they filed out. Ti.cy had understood
nothing, but that impassioned poetry
OF speech had stirred some dormant
chord within them. As he reached
the door himself he saw q tall girl In
blue homespun leaning against the
outside wall. She had heavy masses
OF blonde hair wound above a mass
I've throat lie recognized her. 1t
was the girl called In the mountains
.Se'cashy"-the parentless girl who
lived alone In tho cabin In the woods.
and whom he had met on the road
two nights beforo-the. girl Circassa.
He nodded to her absently.
. That night, as he sat under the
lamp, not reading, there was u sharp
tap ut the door, and before he could
Ieil y the door was flung open and
Circlssia entered. She stood an in
slaut irresolute, her scowling glance
absorbing the details of the room. is
hooks. its papers. Then she burst
lhrth, turning those strange blue eyei.
upon him.
Il want 'er learn some book stuff ~
SEc tossed Der thumb toward the
books ON the shelves II amt never
kee ed for book-larnin'. but l want 1t
now. Folks scz you teach ter The
schulz i wanter conc" she ended,
70 .ghly.
Ivory well. What makes you wish
10 learn now?"
II heern you this mornin'; that's
che reason whyp she said, dehantly
II ain't kctchcd on ter what yer
said. But ! wantcr; that's why
come. Yer beon't like other men
round yere I hates men. But /
kin abide ter listen to you"
All this she spoke with her hapd
eth on the knob OF tho door. Through
eli her uncolth savagery Kendall'sI
aesthetic instinct that cultivation Of
The eye which was second nature tt
hima perceived, as 1t were uncon.
sciously, her strange beauty. The
Uonds Of her pitiful, worsted ad, !
micer on the roadside two nights be.
fore 'she done set me plumb crazy
with those eyes of hern," flashed
back upon him. They were remark.
able eyes. Mue-green in the lamp
with something in~violately viz.
ginal In the core OF their bold bril-.
Aud even as he thought al
she was gone, with a clang of the
door.
And thus. with a new pupil in thI
settlement 8, 900 feet above
level, the winter began for the
WIN. M az hlasfad in tha unrIdl