St. Tammany farmer., 1901-08-03

a spiteful shower to the earth
crouched there, listening to the cry
of the owl and the low moaning of the
wounded man.
Thrice, as'she thought how much
was needed woman's tender touch to
ease his feverish brow, did she start up
as if to go to him, but each time she
shook her head and said: "Not yet;
not yet"
When the first light, shining from a
window in Craig's Hollow, warned her
of the approach of dawn, she crept
stealthily away, crawling upon her
hands and knees until she reached the
road. And that morning Joe, going
out to feed his horses, found her stand
ing at the gate, gazing anxiously
across the ravine towards the Ransom
cabin on Pine mountain, and-weep.
ing. He put his arms around her ten
derly.
"What air the matter, sis ?" he said.
"Air you sick?"
"Yes," said she, II air-sick O. the
world.'
'.What be it you mean by that?" he
asked, anxiously.
II mean I air sick O. world where
two men, two brothers, you might say,
kill each other, counter what they
choose to call revenge. No matter what
former friendship there may have ex-
listed, or what ties may be broken"
She paused suddenly. The excite
ment Of the moment had paled her
cheeks-paler in contrast to her raven
hair. Her eyes shone like twin jewels,
and Joe Burton, looking at his sister in
the light of the rising sun, thought he
never had seen a girl more beautiful.
ooh, Joe," she continued, passionate
ly, "do you not see; can you not under
stand?"
Then she turned suddenly and went
into the house, leaving him alone with
Bruno.
Her brother watched her retreat ting
figure until it disappeared through the
| doorway. Then he sat down in the
grass and gave himself up to thought.
For long time he sat there; then he
shook his head.
81 give it up,' he said. 81 don't un-
| derstand."
The summer passed, and Sam Ran
| som, in whose veins the life-giving,
| life-preserving tonic of the mountain
air throbbed warmly, was again in
the saddle, his trusty rifle in his
hand, the brightness of a dauntless
spirit in his eyes, the tan of outdoor
life upon his face, and in his heart
the ever-warring emotions of venge-
ance and of love.
Ever as the thought of revenge
upon the Burton gang" steeled his
nerves and caused his fingers to an
grily fondle the trigger of his rifle,
the thought of Blanche stole into his
heart and brought CLEAN of tender
ness to his eyes. She haunted lis
dreams; she was the central figure in
all his hopes and plans and ambi-
tions. He loved her, but he had nc
thought that she regarded him other
than an enemy, until
Down the winding road from his
bin on Pine mountain Sam Ransom
rode one afternoon, the autumn sun
shine in his face, the mountain
breezes toying with his hair, aud
never thought of death within him.
Turning sharp bend in the road
he came suddenly face to face with
Blanche She was on her pony; her
bonnet had slipped from her head
and hung down her back, suspended
by its strings; her hair, tossed by the
boisterous breeze, fell across her
shoulders like the dark shadows OF
the pine trees across the mountain
road; her face was pale; her eyes
glistened like the stars on winters
night. She raised her hand and he
drew rein, his heart bounding within
him.
"Sam,' she said, timidly, II have
come to meet you, an [ want to ride
beside you down the mounting. May
I, or do you reckon me too great an
enemy O. yourn?"
''Little gall he replied, taking his
hat from his head and awkwardly
fumbling it in his hands, ''little gal
me an you can't never be no enc
miles,"
She smiled, the warm blood surging
to her cheeks and. a great gladness
in her eyes. Then she held out her
hand to him, and he took it in both
his big brown ones, patting it as he
would pat his horses neck.
When they had come to narrow
passage between two dense thickets
of underbrush Blanche grasped the
bride of Sans horse suddenly and
stopped both animals. Then, turning
and peering into the thicket on he1
left, she commanded:
"Put up that gun O. yourn, Joe, an
come outen that bresh. Be a man;
don't be coward"
The bushes parted, and out OF the
dense foliage, his rife in his hand
stepped her brother. Ransom quick
" raised his weapon from the pom
mel of his saddle, but Blanche placed
her hand softly upon his. @@
'.No, SAM" she said, and he dropped
his rifle in his lap.
"Joe," she said, turning to hel
brother, "come here"
Without word he advanced to hel