Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-11-25
CHAPTER VIII.

ton. though all the gossip of the coun-
tryside which might interest a dicta-
tor filtered through the valleys to his
house.
He smiled little over the copy of
Plutarch's Lives" which was the com
panion of his leisure moments, and
held his counsel. While he thought of
Juanita herself with a resentment
which sprang from hurt pride, he felt
for her, as menace to his power, only
contempt
But Juanita's resolve had in no wise
weakened. She had seen that her
original ideas had all been chaotic and
born of ignorance, so she occupied her
self, like a good and patient general,
in pulling all the pins out of her little
war map and drafting a completely
new plan of campaign.
With Good Anse Talbot she rode up
dwindling watercourses to the novels
of the "branch-water folks" and across
hills wheresoeyer the cry of sickness
or distress called him; and since his
Introduction was an. open. sesame, she
found welcomes. where she went
And soon this figure, that walked
with ap almost lyric grace, yet with a
boyish strength and litheness, became
familiar along the roads and trails.
Instead of asking, Who mought tibet
be-" mountaineers nodded and said i:
"Thet's her" and some women added
God bless tibet child 1s s~ =.
She had been into many gloomy
cabins that repealed the brightness OF
the summer sun, and she had been
more like sunlight than anything that
had ever come through their narrow
doors before.
She sometimes rode over to the
cabin OF fetch McNash and brought
little Dawn back with her to spend q
day or two. The turin" girl and the
mountain girl wandered together in
the woods, and Dawn's diff1dence gave
way and her alteration grew Twice
Juanita found another visitor at the
McNash cabin-Bad. Anse~ Havey.- He
recognized her. only with a naughty
nod, like that Of an Indian chief, and
she gave him in return a slight incli-
nation Of her head, accompanied by a
glance OF starry contempt In her violet
eyes. Yet, in the attitude OF the noun
taineers to the man, she saw such
hero-worship as might have been &C
corded to- some democratic young
monarch walking freely among his
subjects. 49, -
Once Fletch said: "Ma'am, how's
yore school a-comin' on? Air we git
tin things started ter>suit yea"
Juanita flushed. -, ~.
Not yet" she answered. I'm try
ing to get acquainted first When l
do start, hope to make up for lost
time"
81 reckon tibet school will be right
good thing over thar; don't we low
so, Anse?" Fletch's good-natured
density had not recognized the hos
tility between his two guests
Anse laughed quietly.
Il reckon" he said, so long as the
lady just keeps on sayin' not yet thar
won't be no harm done | don't quar-
rel with dreams"
The lady flushed, and hot retort
rose to her lips, bus she only smiled.
I'm biding MI time, Fletch," she
assured him my dream will come
true" --------- --.------- ..
But for this. dreams .fulsllment~ she
must haveland. There must be, dormi-
tories for boys and girls, and play
grounds where muscles and brains,
grown slow from heavy harness, could
be quickened. She faneied herself
listening to the laughter of children
who had not before learned to laugh.
But as she made inquiries Of land
holders whom price might tempt to
sell, she was met everywhere with a
reserve which puzzled her Until bare
footed and slouching farmer gave her
cue to it's cause.
ThfE man rubbed his brown toe in
the dust and spoke in a lowered voice
Il don't mind tellin' we thet I'd be
plumb willin' ter sell out an move"
A1Ao CO 00OAO CCOI1y uo dOuEO.
Fer fair f1gger, but moughtn't live
ter move eff sold out"
What do you mean?" she asked,
much puzzled.
Wall, wouldn't hardly like ter hev
this travel back ter Bad Anse, but I've
done been admonished not ter make
no trades with strangers.
"Oh!" she exclaimed in a low voice,
and her face flushed wrathfulIy
Whom does your land belong tor" she
demanded after a moments silence.
Are you a bondman to Bad Anse Ha-
Vey? Isn't your property your OWN"
He looked away and rummaged in
his pockets for a few crumbs of leaf
tobacco, then he commented with the
dreary philosophy @.of hopelessness:
Hits a Gods blessed truth tibet a
Teller hyaTabouts Is plumb lucky es
long as his LIES his own"
So, she told herself, Bad Anse had
begun his war with boycott! She
could not even buy foothold on which
to begin her fight. Back there in the
Philadelphia banks lay enough money,
she bitterly reflected, to buy the coun-
try at an inflated price, to bribe its
courts, to hire yagsassins and snuff out
human lives, yet, since the edict of one
man carried the force Of terror, she 1
could not purchase few acres to
teach little children and care for the
sick. At least it was confession that,
for all his fine pretense OF scorn, the
man recognized and feared the poten-
TALLY Of her efforts
AS the bright green's Of June were
scorched into the dustieF dues OF July