The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1913-07-24
CHAPTER III.


slept at all til after l. She was lame,
heart weary aud dismaycd, but she
rose and dressed herself ms neatly as
before. She had decided 10 return TO
Sulphur. ~ cannot endure this" she
had repeated 10 herself a hundred
times. II wiH notr'
Hearing the clattcr Of dishes. she
vcnturcd with desperate courage into
the dining room, which was again
filed with cowboys. coal miners.
ranchcrs and their touslcd families
and certain nondcscrlpt town loafers
Of tramp-likc appearance.
Slipping into n seat at the end Of the
table which offered the clcanest cloth.
Lee Virginia glanced round upon her
ncighbors with shrinking eyes. All
were shovcling their food with knife
blades and guzzling their coffee with
bent heads Their faces scared her.
and she dropped her eyes.
At her left. however. sat two men
whose greetings were frank and man
ly and whose table manners betrayed
a higher form Of life. One Of them
was tall man with lean red face,
against which his blond mustache lay
like chalk mark. lie wore n cordu-
ROY Jacket cut in Norfolk style. and In
the collar Of his yellow shirt green
tie was loosely knottcd. His hands
were long and frcckled, but were man
ifcstly trained to polite usages.
The other man was younger and
-. ~ - =, ,np,naaV ofhIafir 0n
urc. on the breast of his olive green
coat hung silver badge which bore a
pine tree In the center His shirt was
tan colored and rough, but his head
was handsome. He looked Ike n
young officer In the undress uniform
OF the regular army. His hands were
strong. but rather small. and the lines
Of his shoulders graceful. Most at
tractive Of all were his eyes. So brown.
So quietly humorous aud so keen.
In the rumble Of cheap and vulgar
talk the voices Of these men appealed
10 the troubled girl with great charm.
She felt more akin 10 them than TO
any one else In the room. and from
time To time she raised her eyes TO
their faces.
They were aware Of her also, and
their gaze was frankly ndmiring as
well as wondering. and In passing the
ham and eggs or the sugar they con
triyod To show her that they consid-
cred her lady In a rough place and
that they would like TO know more
about her
She accepted their civilltics with
gratitude and listened 20 their talk
with growing interest II seemed thar
the young man had come down from
the hills to meet his friend and take
him back to his cabin.
81 can't do q today. Ross said the
older man. II wish | could. but one
meal Of this Kind Is an can stand
these days"
Mrs wetherford. SELLING the mo
mcnt. came down 10 do the honors.
"You fcler- ought 20 know my girl
Virrinny. this IS Forest Supervisor
Rcdheld. and this Is Ross Cavanagh,
his forest ranger In this district Non
ought to know each other My girls
lust back from school, and she don't
think much Of the Fork. It's a little
too coarse FOR her"
Lee flushed under this introduction.
and her distress was 50 evident that
both men came 90 her rescue.
The older man bowed and said. II
didn't know you had n daughter. Mrs
Wcthcrford" And Cayanagh. with ?
glance OF admiration. added. "We've
been wondering who you might be.
Lie went on: II thought I'D got rid
OF her She's been away now Tor
about ten years. | don't know but II
was mistake. Looks Ike shes
grown n little too fine haired for US
doughies out here"
$50 much the worse for us" replied
RedHeld
This little dialogue gave the girl time
70 recover herself. but as Cavanagh
watched the blush fade from her face,
leaving It cold and white, he sympa'
thized with her-pitied her from the
bottom Of his heart. lie perceived that
he was n chance spectator OF the FIRST
scene In a painful domestic drama
one lndl lnlEnl tdHlil bfN'"i' '"S
edy. lie wondered what the forces
might be which had brought such a
daughter to this sloven. this virago
To see maid OF this delicate bloom
thrust into such place as Lie Weth'
erford's "hotel' had the reputation of
being reused indignation.
when did you reach town. he
asked. and into his voice his admira'
ton crept.
"Only last night"
"You find great changes hereT"
mot so great as I'm my mother. Its
ALL She stopped abruptly. and he
understood.
Lie being drawn back to her cash
register. Redfield turned TO say: my
dear young lady, don't suppose you
remember me. but knew you when
you were tot Of Ave or six. knew
your father very we'll"
"Did your" Her face lighted up.
Eyes. poor fellow; he went away
from here rather under a cloud, you
know"
. 81 remember n little OF H. | was