The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-28
THE EVENING STOR Y

(By c. B. Lewis. )

stopped and stared for half a minute
before the young man raised his hat
and excused his observation-disclosures
The young woman blushed, stalnmer-
ed a reply and passed on, and IN
minute the trees and bushes hid them
from each other.
The one everybody for five miles
around knew as Abe Goodman's
daughter TiIia. The other had just
appeared in the neighborhood, claim
ing to be a botanist and a naturalist.
and had secured a temporary home at
the cabin of Saul Markham. For the
last two years Tilda had been down to
Nashville, ''bein' eddicated.' as her
father and mother put it, and was now
teaching the dozen children OF the
mountaineers in the log school house
which the young man had passed forty
rods before meeting her.
Tilda had come from mountaineer
stock. Her father was rough, uncouth
educated and plain. The girl had lived
in poverty, surrounded by poverty,
and yet she was like none of the rest.
Nature had given her good figure
and a handsome face, and the time
spent in the city had made, what the
natives called a lady of her. The
establishment of the young man, who
had given his name as Arthur Griggs.
was but natural.
The stranger who goes among the
PCOp4S u Inc SOuLn6En 10
from the outset a suspected man, and
the first suspicion which rests on him
is that he must be a revenue spy.
Revenue men have raided and de-
stroyed scores of stills in the coves and
ravines and sent scores and scores of
moonshiners to the penitentiary, but
other stills are brought in and other
men take the places of those who have
fallen under the ban of the law. 1t
was so thirty years ago; II is so today;
1t will be SO thirty years hence. The
mountaineer argues that he Is a law
unto himself. He argues that he has
a right to live. He argues that where
he has no market for his corn as corn
he has a right to turn it into whisky
to make a market. The government
does not argue with him. 1t sends
men into the mountains to break up
his business and imprison him. The
moonshiner works in secret. So does
the government. He depends upon
the honor Of his neighbors not to give
him away. The revenue men coax,
threaten, bride and work in every I'M
derhand way to get an advantage. The
ennity is more bitter than in the per-
sonal feuds. When the mountaineer
goes down to the towns he is trailed
about, cross-questioned. made drunk,
If possible, and his wife or his children
offered money to betray him.
When the revenue men send spy
up the mountains to nose out and re-
port on stills he takes his life in his
hands. He may go as buyer of tim
Der or coal or iron lands-as a travel
er, peddler or artist-aS a fur buyer
preacher or newspaper man. but the
shadow of death walks by his side I'M
til he has proved himself all right. In
that case he is heard of again down in
the lowlands. In the other case he is
reported missing
"A botanist and a naturalist from
Harvard" was what Griggs claimed to
be, and he was taken into the cabin
OF the mountaineer without question.
There was no undue curiosity about
him. He was free to come and free to
60 AS the neighbors were introduced
to him they seemed to accept him as
Saul Markham had done. He walked
about in contentment and slept in
peace. He did not know that he new
er moved a hundred feet from the
cabin door without being under sur
veillance; that every action was
watched; that men whom he had new
err seen looked in on him when he
slept; that other men gathered togetn-
er in the laurel thickets and reported
on him and discussed him.
Young Griggs shot squirrels and
hares and gathered flowers and plants
and sought to make friends with all.
people 1t was an easy matter for him
to bring about an acquaintanceship
with Tflda. Two days after meeting
her on the trail they knew each other
The girl was pleased when she saw ad-
miration in the young mans eyes. She
was pleased when he dared to f1atter
and to compliment. She knew little
of the world and it's hollowness. If
the nountaineer said this or that he
meant it. She had to judge others by
this standard.
1t was only after the newcomer and
Tilda were being talked about as low
ers that the watch on Griggs was re-
Taxed. He had set no time for depart
ing, but after month it was seen that
his work was finished and that he was
staying on account of the girl. Abe
Goodman asked no questions of the
young man, and the mother asked mona
of her daughter. Suspicious and dis
trustful as the mountaineers were, they
had been fooled. The newcomer was q
revenue spy, working with the. promise
of a great reward. He had rehearsed
He had counted on everything but
meeting TilCa. There had been admiral
ton from the first, and love had soon
followed. Within two weeks there had
love and duty. and it was for this Icu
son he fingered. He was not what he
claimed to be, and yet he was the girls
superior in all ways. It was her in
and innocence that ap-
pealed to him. He had come to betray. |
and yet he could not do It, He loved |
and yet he hesitated to go further. |
More education and refnement--more !
with the woodland she would |
be a woman to be proud Of and yet |
there was her ancestry-the impOssl-
BILE in the environments that had sur
rounded her for so many years and |
must have their due effects
When a man trusts woman he has |
limits. When a woman trusts a man |
she has none. She is ready to give
her whole life to him. Arthur Griggs |
knew that he had won the maiden's |
love, and 1T was for him to make q /
choice. Should he return and betray !
the stills hidden away in Laurel love- !
and then disappear and be seen Ito |
more, or should he report that none ex-
sted and take away 9 mountain bride |
and the good will of the lowly people? 1
Love carried the day. 1t was tc the /