Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-02-26
CHAPTER xIV.-A Mystery is Un-
rayeIed.


7 love her SO well. Mr.. Gale. that moth
ing YOU can say viii AFFECT me. IL hes
itated at nrst about asking her TO be my
wife. because-you'Il appreciate the un-
usual-WeI. her unusual history. You see,
I come from a country where mixed
blood is about the only thing that can l
be lived down or overlooked, and I've
been raised with notions OF family
honor and pride OF race and birth. and
80 forth. that might seem preposterous
and absurd TO you. But heap or con-
cefts ike that have been bred into me
from generations back; they run in the
blood OF every old family In my coun-
try. and so, I'm ashamed to say, L hesl-
tated and tried 10 reason myself into
giving her up. but I've had my eyes
opened. and 1 see how little those
things amount TO. after all I'm going
TO marry Necia, Mr.. Gale. I'd like 10
DO II the day after tomorrow, Sunday.
but she isn't OF age yet, and II you OBJ
ject, Wen have to wait until November,
when she turns eighteen Wed both
IKE YOUR consent, Of course; I'd be sorry
20 marry her without IT; but IL sou re-
fuse. we'll be forced to displease you"
lie looked up and met the fathers gaze
steadily. Now, III be glad to listen
as long as you care to talk. but / don't
think IT viii 90 any good"
The other mans lips framed faint
smile
wen see. I wish TO God I'd had
your decision when was your age, this
story would be different, and easier TO
tell He waited a moment, then set
tied TO his seIf-appointed task Il was
mining at the time up in the Mother
Lode country OF California, which was
the rrotier then. pretty much as this
IS now, only we had better things to
eat. / came from the east, or my peo-
pie did. but I was ranch-raised, and
loved the hills and woods and places
where you don't talk much. so 1 went
20 prospecting because it took me out
where the sun was bright and could
see the wild things at play. 1 was one
OF the first men into a camp named
Chandon-helped TO build IL. in fact, and
got hold OF some ground that looked
real good. 1t was hard mining, how
ever, and. being poor. I was still grip
ping my drill and hammer after the
town had grown up.
"A woman came out from the east
Vermont. Il was-and school-teaching
was her line OF business. only she hadn't
been raised to II. and this was her
nrst clatter at the game: but things
had broke bad for her people, and ended
n her pulling stakes and coming west
all alone. Her folks died and left her
I'D against IL, 1 gathered from what lit
tie she told me-sOrt OF an old story,
! guess. and usual too. only for her
she was plumb unusual"
He seemed to ponder this a moment,
and then resumed:
81 don't make any difference to you
how I nrst saw her. and how began
10 forget that anything else in the
81 hrFW har
lived in the woods all my life, as said.
and knew more about birds and bugs
and bees than I did about women; ]
hadn't been broke proper, and didn't
know how 20 act with them; but I laid
out TO get this girl. and I did fairly
well There's something wild in every
woman that needs 20 be tanned, and il
isn't Ike the wildness that runs in wood
critters; you can win that over by gen
tleness. but you have TO take II away
from a woman Every live thing that
couldn't talk was my friend; but made
the mistake OF counting my own kind
the same way. not knowing that wher
two OF any species mate the male must
rule. I was too gentle Even so.
reckon I'd have won out only for an
other man. Dan Bennett was hts name
the kind that dumb animals hate, and
well. that takes his measure. His
range adjoined mine. and. though I'd
never sen him, heard stories now ant
theu-the sort Of tales you can't tell q
a good woman; so It worried me wher
heard OF his attentions to this girl
ctill. I thought she'd surely find him on
and recognize the kind OF fellow he was
hut Lord. a woman can't tell man from
= dog and there wasn't any one TO war
her There were plenty OF women VIII
know him. but they were the ones VIII
few BY night. while she lived In the sun
shine. anu women OF that kind don't max
Complaint. anyhow
This Bennett came from the town be
low. where he ran a saloon and a brac
game or two: but being as he rode int