Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-11-04

He was standing, as she entered,
little back from the hearth, with the
detached air of one who drops into the
background or comes to the fore with
equal readiness. She found that in
appearance as in voice he bore rough
sort of impressiyeness about him. In
the brighter light stood the messen-
ger, a gaunt youth, in whose wild,
sharp features lurked cunning, cruelty
and endurance. But the other man.
who stood a head taller, fell into
pose Of indolent ease which might
wake instantly into power.
It was face strongly and ruggedly
chiseled, but so dominated by unfal-
tering gray eyes that one was apt to
forget all else and carry away only
memory Of dark halr-and those eyes.
Then, as they sat at table and the
girl struggled with her discontinue
over each unclean detail Of the food,
she raised her eyes from time to time,
always to encounter upon her the
steady, appraising gaze of the dark
stranger.
When they rose from the table the
stranger drew fetch, now somewhat
sobered by his meal, aside, and the
other men retired to the chairs in the
dooryard. Then the girl from the East
slipped away and took up her solitary
place on top of the stile where she
sat thinking.
AT last she was conscious of pres
ence besides her own, as of someone
standing silently at her back
Rather neryously 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 We, ma'am,"
said the even voice, but I can't hardly
get acrost that stiIe whilst ye're settin'
on it.
There was no note of badinage or
levity in his tone, and his clear, drawn
features under the moonlight were en-
tirely serious.
Juanita rose. 81 beg your pardon, F."
she said hastily, as she went down the
stile on the far side.
That's all right, ma'am," replied
the man easily, still with a 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 of his
movements was the ripping some
thing that suggested the leopard S
frictionless strength.
The very quality that gave this
young stranger his picturesqueness
and stamped him as vital and dynamic
in his manhood sprang from that wild
rOughness which he shared with his
eagles and Dawn shared with her
weedlike flowers. And yet it was
somehow as though this man, whose
voice was so calm, whose movements
were so quiet, whose gaze was so I'M
arrogant, was crying out in clarion
challenge with every breath: 81 am
a mani"
Suddenly she wondered if in him
she might not find an ally. She felt
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. If 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 IN
spoken appeal Of the deep, rangeful
twice the same gray, and the sweetly
sensitive lips so tantalizingly charm
ing, because they were fashioned for
smiles and were now dropping instead.
81 reckon he said, you find it right
different, don't your"
She nodded.
But it's very beautiful" she added
as she swept her hand about in ges-
ture of admiration.
1t was he who nodded at that, very
gravely, and almost reverently, though
at the next moment his laugh was
short and almost ironical.
81 reckon God never fashioned any
thing better-nor worse" he told her.
when you've breathed it an seen it
an lived it, no other place is fit to
dwell in, an yet sometimes l low that
God didn't mean it to be the habita-
ton Of men an women. It's cut out
for eagles an hawks an wild things
1t belongs to the winds an storms an
bear an deer. 1t puts fire into veins
meant for blood, an the only crop it.
raises much is hell"
"You-you've been out in the other
world-down below?" she questioned.
Yes; but couldn't stay down there.
l couldn't breathe, hardly. l sick
ened-an' I came back"
She turned to him impulsively.
Il don't know who you are" she
began hurriedly, but l 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 l
know you have a heart, and it means
omething-means a great deal-to
feel that someone in these hills feels
about it as l feel"
She stopped suddenly, realizing that
she was allowing too much appeal to
creep into her voice; that she had
come to fight, not to sue for favor.
II thought maybe you would
help me-" she finished, little falter-
fngIy. would you mind telling me
your name?"
He had unhitched his horse and
stood with the reins hanging from one
hand.
CTO BE CONTINUED)
Keeping Cheese.
To keep cheese from molding in a
wet season spread the cut surface