The Washington herald., 1906-12-28
LOVE VS.. LAW.
BY c. B. LEWIS.
Copyright. 1906. BY E. C. ParceIls.l

They came face 10 face as they turned
bend in the rough and narrow trail
leading up the Cumberland Mountains
to Laurel Cove, and both stopped and
stared for half a minute before the young
man raised his hat and excused his alb
-mindedness. The young woman
blushed. stammered a reply. and passed
on, and in a minute the trees and bushes
hid them from each other.
The one everybody for five miles around
knew as Abe Goodmau's daughter Tilda
The other had Just appeared in the neigh
borhood, claiming TO be 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 dedicated" as her
father and mother put it. and was now
teaching the dozen children of the noun
taineers in the log schooIhouse which the
young man had passed forty rods before
meeting her.
Tilda had come from mountaineer stock
Her father was rough. uncouth. and ig-
norant. Her mother was uneducated and
plain. The girl had lived In poverty
surrounded by poverty, and yet she was
ike none Of the rest. Nature had given
her a 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 pe0-
IL @ FL 7c
the outset a suspected man, and the first
suspicion that rests on him is that he
must be a revenue spy.
Revenue men have raided and destroyed
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 lie law. 1t was so thirty years ago,
it is 50 to-day; it will be so thirty years
hence. The mountaineer argues that he
is a law unto himself He argues that
he has right to liTe. He argues that
where he has no market for his corn he
has right to turn it into whisky to make
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 neighbor
not to give him away. The revenue men
coax. threaten, bride, and work in every
underhand way to get an advantage. The
enmity is more bitter than in the personal
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 a spy UP
the mountains to nose out and report on
stills he takes his life in his hands. He
may go as a buyer of timber, or
coal or iron lands-as a traveller. peddler.
or artist-as a fur buyer, preacher. or
newspaper man. but the shadow Of death
walks by his side until 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 Har-
ward" was what Griggs claimed to be,
and he was taken into the cabin of the
without question. There was
no undue curiosity about him He was
free to come and free to go. As the neigh
bors 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 never moved 100 feet from the cabin
door without being under surveillance;
that every action was watched: that men
whom he had never seen looked in on
him when he slept: that other men gath
cred together 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. Among
those plain and hospitable people il was
an easy matter for him 10 bring about an
acquaintance with Tilda Two days after
meeting her on the trail they knew each
other The girl was pleased when she
saw admiration in the young mans eyes.
She was pleased when he dared to fiatter
and compliment She knew little of the
world and its hoilowness. IF the noun
tsineer said this OF 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 lovers
that the watch on Griggs was relaxed
he had set no time for departing. but
after a 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 none of her daughter. Sus-
piciOus and distasteful as the noun
taineers were, they had been fooled. The