Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1915-10-29
place on top Of the .,Ils. wher. ,hs

NJ last she was conscious OF pres
ence besides her own. as OF someone
standing silently at her back.
Rather nervously she turned her
head. and there. with one foot on the
lower step OF the stile stood the
young stranger himself. Once more
their eyes met, and with a little start
she dropped her own. ~
Il kinder hate to bother ye ma am.
said the even voice, but cant hardly
get acrost that stile whilst ye're settin
on g."
There was no note of badinage or
leyity IN his tone. and his clear. drawn
features under the moonlight were en-.
| iirely serious.
Juauita rose. II beg your pardon"
W said hastily, as she went down the
tile on the far side.
That's all right. ma'am," replied
the man easily, still with serious
/ dignity as he, too, crossed the road.
While he was untying the knot In
. his bridle.rein the girl stood watch.
ing him. In the easy Incidence ~ his
movements was the ripping some
thing that suggested the leopard's
/ rrictionless strength.
The very quality that gave this
young stranger his picturesgueness
and stamped him as vital and dynamic
in his manhood sprang from that wild
roughnes5 which he shared with his
eagles and Dawn shared with her
weedlike flowers. And yet Ii was
somehow as though this man, whose
voice was so calm, whose movements
were SO quiet, whose gaze was so un-
arrogant. was crying out in clarion
challenge with every breath Il am
u mani"
Suddenly she wondered II In him
she might not find an ally. She felt
very lonely. To have counsel with
someone in these hills less stupidity
phlegmatic than Good Anse Talbot
would bring comfort and reinsurance
TO her heart She must cope with the
powerful resourcefulness of Bad Anse
Havey, he OF the untamed ferocity
and implacable cruelty and shrewd in.
telligence. Ii some native son could
share even a little OF her viewpoint
she would find in him a tower OF
strength.
Perhaps he had yielded to the un.
spoken appeal of the deep, rangeful
eyes that were always gray. yet never
twice the same gray. and the sweetly
sensitive lips so tantalizingly charm.
ing because they were fashioned for
smiles and were now dropping instead
Il reckon" he said. you find it right
different, don't you?"
She nodded
But it's very beautiful" she added
as she swept her hand about in a ges.
ture of admiration.
II was he who nodded at that. very
gravely, and almost reyerently. though
at the next moment his laugh was
short and almost ironical.
Il reckon God never fashioned any.
thing better-nor worse" he told her
when you've breathed il an seen il
an lived ii, no other place is tit to
dwell in, an yet sometimes low that
God didn't mean IL to be the habita.
tion Of men an women. It's cut out
for eagles an hawks an wild things.
II belongs TO the winds an storms an
bear an deer 1t puts fire int veins
meant for blood, an the only crop II
raises much is hell"
"iOu-you'ye been out in the other
world-down below she questioned
Yes; but ! couldn't stay down there.
! couldn't breathe, hardly. / sick.
encd-an | came back"
She turned to him impuisively
Il don't know who you are" she
began hurriedly, but | know that you
brought this man home when he was
not in condition to come alone.
know that you sent a man ahead OF
you to keep peace at the dance. ]
know you have heart. and II means
something-means great deal-to
feel that someone in these hills feels
about il as ! feel"
She stopped suddenly. realizing that
she was allowing too much appeal to
creep into her voice: that she had
come to tight, not to sue for favor.
II thought maybe you WOuil
help me-" she finished. little falter.
ingly. Would you mind telling me
your name?"
He had umhitched his horse and
stCcl with the reins hanging frcm one
hand.
ITS Hayey." he said slowly. but
hereabOuts I've got another name
that's better known He paused, then
added with a hardened timbre OF
voice, as though bent on making den
ant what would otherwise sound like
confession Its Bad Anse."
The girl recoiled, as though under
physic shock. Ii seemed IL her
that every way she turned she was 10
Meet staggering disappOintments. She
had spoken almost pleadingly to the
man with whom she could make no
terms-the man whose arrogant power
and lawless influence she must break
and paralyze before her own regime