The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1907-07-17
When
Breathitt's S Best Shot
Failed.
BY SNOWDEN KING.

Come out and tell fellow good-by,
wont you Ken?"
Daw Simpleton drew his horse up
bssore the door Of small mountain
che foothills of the Culrerlands.
There was the CLINT of brown, blue
and pink-Kentucky Garrettson brown
head, blue dress, and pink apron, and
she stood in the doorway.
'Howdy, Daw. Come in"
The man glanced down at his right
Aand lying on his knee, and shook his
head.
whats up? Have you and daddy
been scrapping?"
She came out and leaned on the
gate, evidently undisturbed.
4 am going away, Ken, and I want
n good long look at you before l go"
You are really and truly going? |
nsyer thought you would. Why, Daw,
yvB love the dear old mountains as
Msuch as l do l don't see how you
can leave them-I couldn't. | wouldn't
gwen try, for l know the home-sickness
10 see them again would xii me-"
Day Simpleton's whole attitude
Mgure dropped, and the lips under the
@lnck mustache, that were usually
sspse set and resolute, trembled. His
syes sazed wistfullly over the wild,
vugged scenery for a moment then
came quickly back to the girls face.
Yes, Ken, they are much to me,
bat you are dearer than everything
ssse in the world, except the desire
10 hit back when | have been hurt.
y would do anything to injure the
sren If the doing spoiled your whole
Nie.~
Oh, Daw, that is why you are 60
ing away You don't want to hurt
Doctor Hearst because you know it
would break my heart. Why don't
yOm hate me?"
Ken, don't you know that noun
tnineer's hate and love are always
TOO deep to be put aside? My love has
MADE me do many things" he continu-
sS in a musing tone. when your
4ssher sent you away to school | took
nm oath that when you came back you
wyald not find the untaught lout you
9s'a- quit chewing tobacco, drinking
mountain dew, and buying loud neck
6sea In order to get money to buy
books. l quit fighting so as to have
sfne to study them. | read every
fhing ! could lay my hands on. AS fast
as ] learned how words should be
xse6 dropped the mountain dialect
nhar' was the. word that clung longest.
FoU cannot know how hard this was,
3or you never had the mountain tongue.
YonT mother taught you better. When
yDu came back you seemed to like me
betaer than the other boys that went
wsld over you, although we had our lit
Tie tiffs occasionally. Ken, do you re-
member the night your after thrash
I'D me because | would not go home
wSs5 You from Caleb Vests candy pull.
1ing after you had told me couldn't
woz That night was the first time
Hgked you to marry me, and you told
me you rever could bear the idea of
Dsfng called Kentucky Simpleton.
look arGther oath that night told
NTseH and God that would one day
XIII Ben Garrettson, and all that has
saved him from that day to this is be-
raAxs he is your father. l believe I
ccEid have won you in time il that
cpwardiy sneak of Doctor hadn't"
STOP" The eyes that could fill
with tears could also flash with quick
scsewtment. There isn't man in the
s4zte who deserves that less than Doc
aw Hearst, and you know it. He came
here and went practicing his profess
aicu when the mountain guns were
htysing like rattlesnakes, and when the
1ends are on their threats fail to keep
him from caring for both sides alike.
He doesn't back his bravery with
vhiskey and pistols, either, for every.
body in Breathitt county knows that
he never even carries a pocket knife.
ms the man in him that goes quietly
where others have to shoot their way
fhroogh."
The good and the bad-the two ele-
Wents that were forever waging war
In Daw Simpleton's heart-suddenly
Sought to finish.
Zen, are you quite sure you are
going to marry him? may not be
Azsch Of fortune teller, but predict
tAzt instead of marrying him you will
kiD him before the sun goes down"
Tse girl laughed low, happy laugh.
Why not say the mountains will be
1syrled into valleys in the same length
Gf time, while you are about it? One
- quite as likely to happen as the
Crksey"
Well, 1t all depends on how much
of the mountain spirit you've got It
has been Ben Garrettsons boast for
Tcars that hfs daughter Is the best
shot In the country, and that she stood
~ ready ss a son to defend him-to
kzn the man who injured her father"
Sire nodded her head "It Is true.
n