The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-01-11
(Continued.l

! like white dots in the green foliage | and above them shot for a thousand 1 feet the sheer face of a mountain. With l the rudeness of the village, hidden by 1 the trees and only the sublirrity and 1 beauty of nature before us, there was nothing to offend the eye and much to l please the mind.
 l "Not a bad place for seclusion and
 rest" said Harrison, "but I should not 1 want long period of it.
 | We entered the little town and a cu- l riOus crowd soon gathered about us, attracted by the first Governor who 1 had ever appeared in Elverson. Nor l were they wanting in respect for my | office: there were no hostile looks, no 1 derisive gestures, but an attentive s- | 1ence; the taciturnity of the noun | tains in the presence of strangers still | prevailed
 We stood in the little public square
 talking with the town officials, when a 1 murmur suddenly arose.
 l "Mr. Peabody is coming" said some
 one, and the next moment tall thin l man, with long black haira and the 1 rapt face of one of the old Hebrew prophets. Strode among us. It was l Elias. I should have known him any where, and under any circumstances. but it was Elias, changed and gIorified. Upon his face was the seal of a deep and abiding peace. The mountains breed mysticism and faith, particularly so when the mind that receives them is not troubled by learning or cultivation, and the eyes of Elias Peabody looked beyond this world. He had found faith and fulfillment.
 He stood a moment in our circle and looked about him. His eyes, fell upon me, standing among the others, but in civilian garb, and he never hesitat- ed A look of sudden, but intense joy
 
 movement he stepped toward me. Charlie! Charlie Johnson" he ex- claimed, "I thought I'd never see you again, but you've come backt" He seized my hand in an iron grasp and wrung it, and I, dazed, not know ing what to say, said nothing.
 Tt is the Governor of Kentucky, MT. Clarke, MT. Peabody" said Harrison dryly at my elbow.
 I glanced at Harrison. Deep down in his eye was a cynical gleam, but his face showed nothing else. But Con- nor. look of intense surprise and suspicion on his mean, gross face, was leaning forward to hear more. Elias dropped my hand when he heard Harrison's words, and stared at me moment. Then the rapt, far away expression returned to his face and he said:
 "Ive made mistake, MT. Clarke, All of us welSOme the Governor or Kentucky to Elverson."
 He spoke in tone of deep conviction and sincerity, and it seemed that the mistake had passed forever out of his mind. Yet he had known me, he alone the changes of years and po- sition had been nothing to him; at the first glance he had seen Charlie John son under them all and had come straight to me. I knew that Harrison had observed, and I knew too that, already guessing something, he would now infer much. But the very inn minence and greatness of the danger steadied me for the moment I acted as if nothing unusual had occurred, and, with the officers around me, en- gagged Elias in talk about the feud Here he was thoroughly at home and he spoke rapidly, earnestly and clear iy. He had seen the leaders of both sides and he had sought to put in them the fear of God. He had brought them to his meetings and he had preached to them with all the fervor of which his fervent mind was capa- ble.
 This may sound strange to those who live in cities, and who take faith lightly, but it was not so to those
 who dwell in the deeps of the noun tains. We have our feuds and the world has made much of them, often far more than fae truth, to our deep disgrace, but it is a solemn fact near ly all these mountaineers, willing as many of them are to take life, are 1n- tread the right road to their fears and hopes alike, and they stood in more awe of Elias Peabody with the thunders of the Church behind him, than of the Governor of Kentucky with rapid fire rifles at his back.
 +I1 I resolved upon a mixture of force and moral suasion. That afternoon I sent out soldiers and arrested every sus- pected man who could be reached in so short a space. while other details were to go further into the mountains end seize the more distant feudists. Often while giving orders for these movements I came in contact with Harrison, and I felt always that he was watching me, more than once l noticed the same cynical little look in his eyes, but he said nothing, and I forced myself to appear indifferent.
 I had been asked to stay while l was in Flverson as a guest at the home of MT. Samuel Hay, who kept the general store and who had the best house in the place. an offer that I accepted. At twilight, feeling that the work of the day was over l went there and sat down with the family to Q hOSpitable mountain supper. Then after spending a while in talk before the open fire to answer the de- mands of courtesy, I went to my room, weary with the long days toll and anxiety.
 It was a. good apartment, large, and with all the comforts of the mountain home of the best class. I sank with an unuttered sigh of relief into a deep wicker chair, and looked through the window before me toward the dark crests and ridges beyond, now faintly touched with silver in the growing moonlight But though my eyes were turned ir that direction I scarcely saw tfNm; the events of the day were passing swiftly before me, and I was conscious that the business on which I had come to the mountains had fall en suddenly into second place. It was myself now with whom I had to deal and who I was and what I might ap- pear to the world made the vital question.
 A tap at the door, and my hosts
 small son said that the Reverend Elias Peabody wished to see me. might have known that Elias would come and, glad of it, I promptly told the boy to bring him up. In a moment his firm step wer heard in the pas sage, and then he entered, closing the door behind him with care. I had risen and I held out both hands.
 "Old friend!" ] said.
 la< 11, f