Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1907-03-28
A Mountain
Joan
BY Alicia Carr
Copyright. 1905, by P. G. Esstment

eltueI sue ustu 0SCA h4AACu " RV1AAsASss
for FIVE long years. They passed each
other on the highway, they met each
other in the village, and they sat al
most side by side In the log church on
a Sunday. They did this with knives
in their belts and rifles at hand. AT
any moment there might be bloodshed
The girl was not a stranger to feuds,
but she was not Halter. She had the
sentiment of one born amid peaceful
surroundings. She had gentleness
about her that awed the grim noun
taineers who had sent for her to teach
the school at Chestnut Cove. The
Doanes and the Hacketts were agreed
on that They had met at the school
house. half dozen on each side, each
man with his Winchester across his
arm. and talked it over. When they
rode slowly away in different direc-
lions they had looked back at each
other. but not shout of defiance had
been uttered or shot fired. Schooling
was a part of patriotism.
In a week the schoolmistress had
heard the story Of the feud, but she
had refused to become partisan.
When month had gone past and she
was INDUCING in the hope that she
might be the humble instrument OF
making the truce permanent peace
she precipitated the very calamity she
was praying might be avoided. The
.1ssr - A. TNooyoc md 4l,o Haa1y-
etts were in the same classes, but they
mingled no more than oil and water.
Down to the fiye-year-old child they
had heard the story Of the feud, and
each was a self constituted champion.
One of the Haclxett boys finally re-
scented a word from one of the Doanes,
drew pocketknife and made an at
tack. The teachers screams called In
James Doane, who happened to be
passing, and he disarmed the Hackett
boy. Doane had been away In North
Carolina, and this was his first meet
ing with the schoolmistress. He was
the Kentucky mountaineer in size and
strength and lithesomeness and fear
lessness, but he had face In which
there were good nature and gentleness.
He had grown from youth to manhood
during the truce He had neither
sought to make peace nor provoke
hostilities. Having disarmed the boy,
he stood staring at the girl, blushing
and unable to say word.
Next day there were mutterings from
the Jackets and chuckles from the
Doanes. There were those who sought
to enlarge upon the incident. Three
days later, as young Doane rode to
town, he passed two of the Hacketts,
and they crowded him off the narrow
highway. There would have been an
outbreak but for the gentleness of the
teacher. Her mingled tears and smiles
turned the knives and bullets aside for
the time. Then a foe crept in against
which she could not guard.
James Doane was just past bis
twenty-first birthday It was the same
with David Hackett. Both young men
came to call upon her with that free
dom from restraint found among the
primitive. Each fell in love with her
ere she was aware of having created
any feeling at all When she found
that the demon Of jealousy had been
aroused in young Hackett's breast she
wanted to return to her home and lei
the feeling die out, but the people
would not hear Of 1t. They were tax
ing sides again to renew the feud, YET
they insisted on regarding her as Q
neutral figure and also on her remain
Ing.
Down In her heart Tllda was just a
bit glad Of this. While she would moi
admit 1t to herself, she was learning
to love the young man with the mild
blue eyes and gentle face.
The dozen families at Chestnut Cove
had already taken sides. The partisan
ship soon extended to others miles
away. In a family feud you are fol
or against. For a man there can be
no neutrality. Next came arming and
mutterings and threats. All knew thai
these were the preface to deeds Of
violence. 1t needed an overt act and
the killings would begin.
AS the excitement intensified young
Doane ceased bis visits to the school
mistress. She had not seen him for Q
week when one gray afternoon as she
walked alone up the mountain side fe
gather the ripening chestnuts she saw
him hiding behind bowlder. Even az
she stood there looking and wondering
he aimed, fred his rifle and quickly
disappeared among the laurels. TWEEN
ty minutes later she knew that a horse
ridden by one of the Hackett partisani
had been killed in its tracks.
The girl could have told, but she
didn't. Even when the Hacketts
charged her lover with the crime and
had him arrested and confined In jail
for examination she spoke no word ex
cept to him. From that hour she wal
thinking and planning. Her face was
still gentle, but her scholars noticed
that it had taken on a new look Of de
Termination. almost Of herOism