The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1910-07-15
CHAPTER XII.-tContlnned. }

Lne mountain. Ills mother was sitting
up, and was rapidly recovering her
strength His father had gone back to
his work IN the iron plant, and his un-
Gle was preparing to return to his
charge In South Tredegar with no
particular destination in view, It was
only natural that his feet should find
the familiar path leading up to the
great boulder under the cedars. He
had not visited the rock of The spring
since the summer day when he and
Nan Bryerson had taken refuge from
the shower In the hollow heart of IT,,
nor had he seen Nan since their part
ing at the door of her fathers cabin
under the cliff. Rumor in Gordonia
had 1t that TilSo Bryerson had been
hunted out by the revenue officers; and
Tor reasons which he would have found
It difficult to declare in words, Tom
had been shy about making inquiries.
FOR this cause an apparition could
scarcely have startled him more than
did the sight Of Nan filling her bucket
at the trickling barrel spring under the
cliff face Of the great rock. He came
on her suddenly at the end of the long
climb up the wooded slopes, at mo-
ment when-semi- tropiJll growth hav-
ing had two full seasons in which to
change the natural aspect of things
he was half f-bewildered with the un-
wonted look Of the place. But there
was no doubt about IT,; It was Nan I'm
the flesh a little fuller in the figure,
something less childish in the face,
but with all the fascinating, wlld-crea-
ture beauty Of the child time promise
TO dazzle the eye and breed riot in the
brain Of the boy-man.
DID you know / was coming? Were
you waiting for me, Nan?" he bubbled,
gazing into the great black eyes as ca
gerly as freed dog plunges into the
first pool that offers
How could l be KNOWN to it?" she
asked taking him seriously, or appear
ing TO- Il new llnowed school let out
this time O year"
IT'S let out for me- Nan" he said,
meaningly. Il came home-for good
nearly three weeks ago. My mother
has been sick, Didn't you hear of it?"
She shook her head gravely.
say Nan; l hope you haven't got to
hurry home" he interposed, when she
stopped to lift the overhowing bucket.
want to talk to you-to tell you
something"
Air you a man now, Tom-Jen, or
on'y a boy like you used to be?" she
asked.
I'm big enough to be in my own
way a good deal of the time I be-
lieve l could muddy Sim CantrelPs back
for him now, at arm-holts."
Where's your preachers coat, Tom
JEFF? l was allowin' you'd be wearin
1t mex time we met up"
Il reckon there isn't going to be any |
preachers coat for me, Nan; that's |
one of the things 1 want to talk to you |
about. Let's go over yonder and sit |
down in the sum
The place he chose for her was a fiat |
stone half embedded in the up-climb-
ing slope beyond the great boulder. |
She sat facing the path and the spring.
listening, while Tom, stretched luxurl-
ously on a bed Of dry leaves at her
feet, told her what had befallen; how
he had been turned out of Beersheba,
and what for; how, all the former
things having passed away, he was
torn and distracted in the struggle to
find footing in the new order.
"They-all up yonder in that school
/
sense, It looks like to me-" was her
comment. You're a man growed now,
Tom JEFF, and If you want to play
cards or drink whisky, what-all busl-
ness Is it o. their'n?"
You stand by your friends, right or
wrong, don't you, girl?' he said. i'm
sheerest self graduation. That's what
l like in you You asked me a littIo
while back if I was a man or a boy; I
believe you could make a man of me,
Nan, If you'd try"
IF you'd said that two year ago.
she began, in a half whisper that melt
ed the marrow in his bones But YOU
was ony a boy then; and now I reckon
it's too late"
You mean that you don't care for
me any more, Nan? l know better
than that. You'd back me if had
come up here to tell you that I'd killed
Wouldn't you, now?"
He waited overlong for his answer
There were sounds in the air: a metal
lie tapping like the intermittent drum
ming of a woodpecker mingled with a
rustling of some small animal scurrv
Ing back and forth over the dead
leaves. The girl leaned forward. lis
tening intently. Then three men an
peared in the farther crooking of the
spring path, and at the first glimnse
Of them she slipped from the fiat stone
to cover behind Tom trembling, shat- y
Ing with terror. =
Hide me, Tom-Jef oh, hide me y
lulck!" she painted "Lookee therel" !
He looked and saw the three men :
walking slowly up the pipeline which
Trained the barrel spring They were :.
.oo far away to be recognizable to him, II
Ind since they were stopping momen- :,
arily to examine the pipe, there was
rood hope of an escape unseen.
Tom waited breathless for the pro-
'itlous instant when the tapping Of the
,ipe mems hammers should drown the "
loise of a dash for effacement. When G.
I came, he flung himself backward, n
whipped Nan over his head and out of W
he line Of sight as If she had been II
and rolled swiftly after p
er. Before she could rise he had pick e.
d her up and was dragging her to the h
limbing point under the lip of the IT
oulder cave. Is
up with you!" he commanded, max b.
ng a step of his hand, GIVE me your
oot and then climb to my shoulder 81
uick!" But she drew back. al
"Oh, I can't!" she gasped. Tim
90 slzeered!" to
Jumping to catch the lip Of the cav 50
rms mouth, he ascended cat-like, and be
moment later he had drawn her up cl
fter him. of
"Pd like to know what got the mat II
IN. .