The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1912-07-06

me than a barred door. pledge you
my word"
"And l accept It wtthout reserve |
give you my hand In token OF the
compact You think me an odd girl.
no doubt. When other children learn
TO walk. was learning TO ride and
to use firearms: aye. and TO distrust
strangers. Perhaps that very expert
ence has brought me self reliance and
an unusual confidence In my own judy
ment. Am overbod?"
Far from it; yet may be when |
say you are my ideal OF womanhood."
The quick flush mounted TO her hair.
her hands clasping.
"Oh. but did not expect that. What
poor ideal you must have? No north
ern school ever held me up as
model. hardly, know what spirit
possesses me to make me forget the
real purpose Of my visit | came In all
seriousness. told you was alone
here. but for the negroes. Believing
you perfectly helpless. confined here
I'm the cellar. Colonel Donald rode
away to collect some of his men. who
are widely scattered just now. intend
ing TO convey you under guard tonight
to Johnston's headquarters. Calvert
Dunn. with two of the negroes. de-
parted even earlier with Lieutenant
Navarre's body"
"Tbey intend holding me. then. as a
prisoner OF war;
She hesitated. as II doubtful OF her
reply. her eyes lifting suddenly to my
own. then falling as quickly to the
stone door Of the cellar.
You fear To tell me the trutbY"
mo. not that. but do not feel quite
certain of the final outcome. Both
Calvert Dunn and his father hold you
merely as an emissary OF Daniels
and would treat you as they would
him If he ever fell into their hands.
We have not known much about law
in this region. Lieutenant King. and
men have learned TO wreak their own
vengeance. | cannot picture to you
what the bitterness of mountain
feud means" She pressed her hands
to her eyes as If TO shut out the mem
DRY. yet went steadily on. her soft
voice trembling with emotion. IL
have seen so much Of It.; from my
very babyhood have. lived amid
scenes OF violence-burned homes. wo-
men and children suffering and dest
tute. men shot down from ambush
and outrages unspeakable. War Is
terrible. but mountain feud turns
human beings into tends"
Her words. the deep intensity Of her
utterance. told how clearly she recalled
1t all She stopped, breathing heavily.
one hand reaching out to the door for
support.
but why should 1t be? We know
nothing OF such conditions In the
north. What caused all this fighting?"
IL heard the story" speaking now.
almost YEARLY. Way back. they say
a hundred years ago. when the first
settlers came. some controversy arose
between the Danielses and the Don
aids. Blood was shed. and little by lit
tie every relative was drawn into the
controversy. The Danielses were the
more numerous. the more ignorant,
the more vindictive. Colonel Donald
saw them kill his father and burn his
own home TO the ground. He sought ear
nestly TO compromise. to make peace
The others laughed. thought him a
coward. and finally burned his home
for the second time. twenty of them.
at midnight. Bill Daniels at their
head. They left hi ! seriously wound
ed and drove his wife and children into
the night and storm. His wife and one
child died from exposure. He lay for
weeks in this house delirious with
fever. and twice those 6ends sought
him even then. When he recovered be
WAS another 1man-living for no other
purpose than to clear this region of
that scum. He was tive years at 1t,
night and day. tireless as a blood
hound. Bill Daniels was tried for MUIR
der and convicted He escaped from
Jail two years ago and since then.
peace. Now he has come backbone
back with the Yankee army behind
him-and and 1t Is murder again"
You know this to he all true"
The cellar was almost dark now.
but | could see her straighten up. her
hands clasped tightly together.
do | know? Oh, God. yes: have
been part of il. | have seen men shot
down. have covered III darkness
and rain while flames destroyed the
house called home. All my childhood
wns a passion of fear
you say Calvert Dunn and his
followers hold me to be one OF Dam
iels' followers aud would deal with me
accordingly How about Colonel Don-
ald?"
He believes you guilty of killing
Lieutenant Navarro. but merely In an
effort to escape Otherwise he thinks
you have told the truth and favors
turning you over to the military au.
thoiities"
They expect TO returnT'
"Yes. tonight. with a squad OF Colo.
mel Donald's men"
And yet you ask me to remain,
Miss Denslow. to remain here volun.
tarily and walt for tnemr ! asked In
despair OF communicating "you onen