Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-11-29

! half 'aIgh ng gesture, drive them before
her from the room. When they had
disappeared in the distan e she turned
10 the front door, untolted and opened
it. Hays b,und red in out Of the snow
W tn mnt cred exclamation, and then,
as the light from the open office door
revealed stranger, started and fell
back
Miss Hays is busy" said the woman
QuiCtl II am afraid, on my account.
But my sleigh broke down on the way
10 the hotel and l was forced to get out
here. 1 suppose this is Mr. Hays?"
A strange woman-by her dress and
appearance a very wording, and even
braver in looks and apparel than many
! he had seen in the cities-ha1, in spite
of all his precautions, fallen short Of the
hotel and been preeipita cd upon him.
Yet under the influence Of some odd alb
straction he was affected by it less than
he could have believed. He even achieved
a lie bow as he bolted the door and
ushered her into the office. More than
that, he found himself explaining to this
far trespasser the reasons OF his return
to his own home; for, like direct man,
he had a consciousness OF some lncOn-
sistency in his return, or in the circum-
stances that induced change of plans,
which might cOnsci; ntiously require an
explanation.
You see, ma am, o rather singular
thing happened to me after passed the
Summit. Three times I lost the track,
got off it somehow, and found myself
travelling in q circle. The thirl time,
when 1 struck my own tracks again, l
concluded I'd just follow them tack
here. l suppose ! might have got the
road again by trying and fightin' the
snow, but there's scme things rot worth
the fghtin'. This was matter Of busi-
ness, and, after, all, ma'am, business
ain everything; is it?"
He was evidently in some unusual
mood, the mood that with certain reti-
cent natures often compels them to
make their brief confidence to utter
strangers rather than impart them TO
those intimate friends who might after
wand remind them of their weakness.
She agreed with him pleasantly, but
not so obviously as to excite suspicion.
And you preferred to let your business
go, and come back to the comfort of
YOUR own home and family.
/
he repeated in a dry, del berate voice.
well, [ reckon | amt been tempted
much by that. That isn't what | meant.
Buthe went back to the phrase, repeat
3 ing it grimly, as if it were some manda-
tory text. "The comfort o. my own
/ home and family! Well, Satan hasn't
set that trap for my feet yet, ma am.
Nol le saw my daughter? well that's
all my family; ye e this room? that's
all my home. My wife ran away from
me; my daughter cleared out, too; my
eldest son, as was with ne here, quo He'd
with me and reckCns to set up rival
business against me. No" he Eaid,
| still more meditatively and Ge'iberat ely,
at wasn't to come back to the comforts
OF my own home and family that faced
roun on Heavytree Hill, reckon.
As the woman, for rtain reasons,
had no desire to cheek this SUI spcious
and unlooked-for confidence, she pa
tiently waited. Hays rema ned silent
for all instant, warming his hands be-
fore the fire, and then looked up inter-
rogatively
"A professor of religion, ma'am, or
under convictions"
Not exactly, said the lady, smiling.
Excuse me, but in spite of your fine
clothes, Ieckoned you had a serious
look Just now. A reader of scripture,
maybe?"
Il know the Bible"
You remember when the ang with
the flaming sword appeared unto Saul
on the road TO Damascus?"
yes"
1T mout hev been euthin in thaV style
that S opped me-" he said slowly and
tentatively. Though naturally didn't
see any hing, and only had the queer
feelin 1t might hev been that that
sh ed my mare off the track.
But Saul was up to some wickedness,
wasn't hep" said the lady, smilingly,
while you were simply going some
where on business.
Yes, said Hays, thoughtfully, but
my business might hev seemed like per-
{ secution. 1 don't mind tellin' you what
! it was if you'd care to listen. But meb-
| bee you're tired. Mebbee you want to
retire. You know" he went on with
sudden hospitable outburst, you
needn't he in any hurry to go; we kin
take care of you here tonight. and it'll
cost you nothin' And I'll send you on
with my sleigh in the mornin'. Per'aps
you'll like suthin' 10 eat-a cup of tea
or-Ill call Zuleika, and he rose with
an expression of awkward courtesy.
But the lady, albeit, with a self-satls-
fed sparkle in her dark eyes, here care
: lessly assured him that Zuleika had al
ready given her refreshment, and, in
dee1, was at that moment preparing her
own room for her. She begged he would
not interrupt his interesting story.
Hays looked relieved.
well, l reckon | won't call her, for
what l was goin' to say amt exactly
the sort O. thin for an innocent, simple
sort O. thing like her to hear-I mean,
he interrupted himself hastily, that
folks of more experience Of the world
like you and me don't mind speakin' Of.
I'm sortcr tak.n' it for granted that
you're a married woman, ma am.
The lady who had regarded him with
su lden rigidity hero re axed her ex-
preston and nodded.
We'll, continued Hays, resuming his
pace by the fire, you see this yer man
| was go n 10 see lives about four miles
beyond the Summit on ranch that
furnishes most of the hay for the stock
that side of the divide. He's bin boldin'
off his next years contract with me,
hopin to make better terms from the
prospects of late spring and higher
prices. He held his head mighty high
and talked of waitin' his own time.
happened to know he couldn't Go it.
He put his hands on his knees and
stared at the fire, and then went on:
"Ye see this man has had crosses and