Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-12-04
In Deaths
Head Valley
BY ANDREW BROSoN

When Jessie's father, Simon
Ogilvie, acquired his coffee estate on
the summit of Santa Nits, Co
lombia, South America, in the GEN.
trail Andes, he knew little of the
climate he was about to face, and
Jessie knew less. But he was q
brave man and "faced the music"
gayly and made a lot of money,
while Jessie seemed to find nights
Of thunderstorm and days of steamy
heat agree with her perfectly. Not
q girl in all Colombia half so fair as
she, with her black hair and brown
eyes and s feet IL inches of noble
young womanhood.
She was loved "passionately mad
"" BY two men, '1madly passionate
"" BY seventeen others and quietly
and undsmonstratively by a TWEEN
tieth- The two passionate mad"
adorers were Spanish Colombians,
Pedro and Fernando by name. The
seventeen "mad passionate" ones
didn't count. The administrative
one was Algie Bruce, and be was the
only one of whom Jessie appeared
to take any notice at all, and that
seemed only q contemptuous no
tice.
''He is so tame" she would say to
her father.
"He's a good deal of a man for
ell that" her father would reply,
with a quiet smile.
Pedro and Fernando had been
bosom friends till Jessie came. Then
they Immediately became bosom
enemies. Twice under the cover of
darkness had Pedro sought Fernan-
dos life with his ghttering forest
knife. Thrice had Fernando Kissed
an awful VOW straight into Pedro's
face that the day he (Pedro) won
the love of Jessie would be his last
They watched her wherever she
went. Did she appear on the door
step of her fathers wooden house
they would spring from behind
trees and help her into her saddle
Did she come climbing up the
mountain with water from the well
they would scamper down to relieve
her of her pals. And of an even
ing, while she would be singing bal
lads to her father in the drawing
room, they would be fiattening Their
noses against the window, kissing
forth their love for her and theil
hate for each other, and finally
turning, with a roar of disgust, and
burying their fingers in each others
Threats. They were a nice, engag
ing couple.
1t was a May morning. After
a night of equatorial thunderstorm
the sun was shining gloriously upor
world of green hill and forest
and far away in Venezuela CLEANED
the white heights of the Sierra Ne
vada wrapped in their mantle Of
eternal snow. Jessie stepped forth
from the house, a basket in one
hand and pair of large scissors il
the other, and in the same moment
Pedro and Fernando also sprang
forth, the one from behind a large
aloe, the other from the shadow o.
a pile of deal boxes.
"Where are you going?" shouted
the two rufians as gently as posi-
BILE.
SFWhere neither of you coward.
will follow me-" laughed the girl.
81 would follow you to -
Pedro screamed, stopping abruptly
$50 would Ip yelled Fernando
"Where are you going2"
"To gather orchids in Death
Head valley" replied the girl, still
smiling.
The two men started and thei
brown faces turned little pale.
II saw a patch on one of the tree
looking down from my window las
evening, and I'm going to have it."
fBut it's certain death !" shouted
the two men.
''Not it!' said Jessie. 'T'n com,
back safely, you'll find"
fYou shan't gop Kissed Pedro
advancing, but Jessie fixed he
brown eyes steadily upon him, anC
her shoulders went back, and hel
! right arm was raised slowly. Sh,
seemed about to brush him from hel
path, and he retreated with a NUT
tered apology.
At that moment Algie strolleC
on the lawn, tremendously raised
his big linen cap and said in thai
deliberately courteous voice of his
Good morning, Miss Jessie. Can
be of any use?"
II am going for some orchids
down in Deaths Head valley" she
said. "You can come with me il
you are not afraid"