The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-03-19

honor OF his nclghbors not TO give
him away. The revenue men coax,
| threaten. bribc and work In every un.
derhand way 10 get an advantage,
The enmty Is more bitter than In the
personal feuds. When the mountalneer
goes down TO the towns. he Is trailcd
about, cross questioned, made drunk,
II possible, ana his wife or his children
are offered money to hetray him.
When the revenue men send a spy
up the mountains TO nose out aud 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 traveller.
peddler or artist as fur buyer,
preacher or newspaper man, but the
shadow Of death walks by his side un.
Ill 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 as missing.
4 botanist and a naturalist from
Harvard was what Grlggs claimed TO
be, and he was taken into the cabin
Of the mopntaineer without question,
There was no undue curiosity about
him. He was free to come aud free to
60 As the nelghbors 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 hundred 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
gathered together in the laurel thick
cts and reported on him and discussed
him.
Young Griggs shot squirrels aud
hares and gathered flowers aud plants
and sought to make friends with all.
Among those plain and hospltable peo-
lle II was an easy matter for him TO
oring about an acquaintanceship with
rilsia. 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 latter
and to compliment. She knew little OF
the world and its hollowness II the
mountaineer said this or that, he meant
1t. 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 f6r departing. but
after month Il vas seen that his
work was tinished 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. Suspicious and dis
trustful as the mountaineers were.
they had been fooled. The newcomer
was revenue spy, working with the
promise of great reward. He had re-
hearsed his part for months before
playing it. He had counted on every
thing but meeting Tilda. There had
been admiration from the first, and
love had soon followed. Within two
weeks there had sprung up In his
breast conflict 'twixt love and duty,
and 1t was for this reason he fingered
He was not what he claimed to be, and
yet he was the girls superior In all
ways. It was her ingenuousness and
Innocence that appealed to him. He
had come to betray, and yet he could
not do it. He loved, and yet he hesi-
tated to 60 further More education
and refinement, more contact with the
world, and she would be woman to
be proud of, and yet there was her an
cestry-the impossible in the environ
ments that had surrounded her for SO
many years and must have their due
effects.
When 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 it was for him to make
choice. Should he return and betray
the stills hidden away in Laurel Cove
and then disappear and be seen no
more, or should he report that none ex
listed and take away mountain bride
and the good viii Of the lowly people?
Love carried the day. 1t was to the
credit Of human sentiment that 1t was
so. But before this determination was
reached the young man walked alone
on the mountains. No one followed
him this day. 1t was Sunday and the
mountaineers were smoking their pipes
as they rested. Their suspicious had
been lulled. They had kept their eyes
open and whispered among themselves
whispered and smiled On this day,
as he walked under the giant chest
nuts and made his way through the
laurels, young Griggs came upon a
man. The revenue force had grown
impatient with his dilatory tactics and
had sent an emissary to see and ques-
ton him. The two talked for half an
hour as they leaned against the trunk
Of a great tree at the edge of thicket
When they separated, the revenue man
knew that nothing further could be ex-
pected from the spy. He had shut his
eyes to all but the song of love. 1t had