Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-12-30

You shan't die" she breathed
hercely between her teeth. my arms
shall always be around you"
But he shook his head and his fig
r sagged a little against her knees.
Il know-when I'm done" he saia
slowly. ITS all right now-Tve done
got here. That's enough loves ye.'
Nor a time she wondered whether
he had lost consciousness, and she
laid him down slowly and brought
cushions with which to soften his po-
sition. 1t was almost daybreak now.
She sat there beside him, and as her
heart beat close to him he seemed to
draw from it some Of its abundant vi
tality. for he revived a little, and
though his eyes were closed and she
had to bend down to catch his words,
his voice grew somewhat stronger.
Il amt never felt lonesome-before
But out there-dyin' by myself-the
last of my family-I had to come.
Dyin' amt like livin'-I couldn't die
without ye."
you aren't dying" she argued des-
perately. you sha'n't die"
1T amt that" His breath came
with great difficulty. They'll come
back here. They'll get me yet-an' I'd
ruther die first"
She laid his head very gently on the
pillows and rose to her feet. In the
instant she stood TRANSPORTED. Deep
in her violet eyes blazed such a blue
fire as that which burns at the hot
test heart of a fame. Around her lips
came the grim set of fight and blood
lust.
The crushed flower on her bosom
rose and fell under a violent tempest
of passion. The skirt of her evening
gown had been torn in her effort to
carry him. Somehow one silk stock
ing was snagged above her slipper,
His blood redeemed her white arms
and bosom. She drew a deep breath
and clenched her hands. The dis
ciple of peace was gone, and there
stood there In its stead the hot
breathed incarnation of some valkyr
lowering wei the din of battle and
urging on the fight.
Yet her voice was colder and, stead.
Ter than he had ever heard it. She
pointed to the door.
Get you'll" she exclaimed scorn-
! fully. mo man but a Havey crosses
that threshold while | live. I'm a Ha.
vey now and we live or die together,
Get you'll" Her voice broke with q
wild laugh. LET them comet"
No bitterly bred daughter of the
hills was ever so completely the
mountain woman as this transformed
and reborn girl of the cultured East
She moved about the place with q
steady, indomitable energy. With
strength borrowed of the need, she
upset the great oaken table and bar
ricaded the door, laughing as she
heard the clatter of pedagogic vol
umes on the floor. Fox's Book Of
Martyrs" fell at her feet, and sht
kicked it viciously to n side.
She went and stood before her racl
Of guns, and her lips curled as sht
caught up a heavy-calibered repeatel
with all the fierce desire Of a drunkart
for his drink. She stood there LOADING
rifles and setting them in an orderl.
line against the wall. She devastated
her altar of peace with the untamet
joy of a barbarian sacking a temple.
Then she turned and saw in thu
mans eyes a wild glow of admiration
that burned above his fever, and sh'
said to him once more, Now let 'en
come"
He shook his head, but strangel,
enough her love and awakened ferot
ity had strengthened and quickene'
him like brandy, and he pleaded
Drag me over where l can get jus
one shot"
Then Juanita blew out the lamp an
stood silent in the hush that come
before dawn. She did not have t
wait long, for soon she heard hoo
beats in the road, and they stoppe
just at the turn.
Hello, stranger!" she shouted, an
it took all her strength to comman
her voice, Halt where you are"
There was an instant's silence |
the first misty gray that vas bringin
the yelled sunrise.
A stifed murmur of voices cam
from the road, and she caught tn
words, Hes in thar all right"
moment later someone called out 81
, lenly from the shadows:
we gives ye three minutes tt
r leave thet house. We're a-comin' 1
l an we'd rather not ter harm We. G
out quick"
eye can't a v me, dearest. II
too late. For Gods sake, go out
pleaded Anse Havey tensely.
Her answer was to cry out into Il
8 dawn in a voice that could not be mi
8 understood, "Anse Havey's in her
Come and get him." and for added el
phasis she crouched behind the owe
turned table and fired a random sh
out toward the voice that had offer
her amnesty.
From the earlier happenings Of t
k evening the men out there knew tn
the school property was empty sa
for the man and the girl, and tn
a. knew that the man was terribly wour
ed.
II Their peering eyes, in the dim or;
ID could just make out an empty do
{, Back of 1t was one woman, and h
IL were five men. Ordinarily they wol
s. have moved slowly, coming up fri
it several sides, but now every mint
was worth an hour at another tin
t. It behooved them, when full daylit
n, came, to be we'll away from sure VI