The Spectator., 1915-12-03
CHAPTER V.

 upflung shafts of light, but here in the hills of Appalachia even the sun comes stealing with surreptitious caution and yelled face. as if fearful of ambuscade
 When Juanita opened her eyes, to find the tumbled beds empty save for heart that a day of rain and sodden skies lay ahead of her.
 The dim room reeked with wet mists, and an inquisitive young roos- ter stalked jauntily over the puncheon floor, where his footballs sounded in tiny clicks. It was a few minutes after five clock. and Juanita shivered little with the clammy chill as she went over to the door and looked out.
 Bending over gushing spring at one corner of the yard in the uncon- scious grace of perfect naturalness, her sleeves rolled back and her dark hair tumbling, knelt the girl Dawn.
 Juanita crossed the yard, and as she came near the younger girl raised face still glistening with the cold wa ter into which it had been plunged and glowing with shyness.
 The older woman nodded with a smile that had captivated less simple | subjects than Dawn and said Good morning l think you and l are going to be great friends. l know we are if you will try to like me as much as do you.'
 Then the girl from Philadelphia l plunged her face, too, into the cold, living water. and raised it again, smil- ing through wet lashes. What makes ye like mel" Dawn suddenly demanded in a half-challeng- ing voice.
 You make me like you, laughed Juanita.
 The mountain girl held her eyes still in the unwavering steadiness of her race. then she said in voice that car ried an undertone of defiance:
 "Ye hain't nuver seen me afore, an" she broke off, then doggedly. an besides, l don't know nuthin'"
 Il mean to see you often after this.'' announced the woman from down be- low, and the things you don't know can be learned.
 A sudden eagerness came to the younger face and a sudden torrent of questioning seemed to hover on her lips, but it did not find utterance. She only turned and led the way silently back toward the house. When they were almost at the door Dawn hesi- tatn1 Ipa ta y,i+t couraging smile. It was clear that the mountain girl found whatever she meant to say difficult, for she stood indecisive and her cheeks were hotly suffused with color, so that at last Juanita smilingly prompted: What is it, dear?"
 "Ye said" began Dawn hastily and awkwardly, ''ye said suthin bout me a tryin' ter like ye. I--I don't halter try--I does hit" Then, having made confession as difficult to her shy taci- turnty as a callow boys first declara- tion of love, she fled abruptly around the corner of the house.
 Juanita stood looking after her with a puzzled brow. This hard mountain reserve which is so strong that friends rarely shake hands. that fathers sell dom embrace their children, and that the kiss is known only to courtship, was new to her.
 At breakfast she did not see Dawn the dryad had vanished!
 During the meal no allusion was made to the happenings of last night. but the girl noticed that inside the door leaned the householder's rifle gun" and under young Jeb's armpit bulged the masked shape of a pistol butt.
 Young Jebs face yesterday had been that of boy, this morning 1t was the sullen face of a man confronting grim realities. Had Juanita been more familiar with the contemporary affairs of the community. she might have known that on many faces along Tribulation that morning brooded the same scowl from the same cause. The McBriar yell had been raised last night in the heart of the Havey coun- try. and this morning brought the shame of land invaded and dishon- ored
 Dawn did not reappear until Juanita had mounted and turned her mules head forward Then. as she was pass ing the dilapidated barn, the slim. cal ico-clad figure slipped from it's door and intercepted her in the road, hold ing up handful of queer-shaped roots.
 "I lowed ye thought need these hyar." said the girl ditfidently. Juanita smiled as she bent in her | saddle to take the gift.
 Thank you, dear; what are they?" Hits ginseng" Dawn assured her. Hit grows back thar in ther woods an hits got a powerful heap of vir- tue Hit frisks ther speret an drives away torment. Elf yer starts ter swoon agin, jest chaw hit" Juanita repressed her amusement.
 You see. dear," she declared. there's one very wonderful thing you know that l didn't know. And