The Spectator., 1915-12-07

sald curtly; put dOnt aim ter leave 'thout seein' me, too"
 Several shaggy retainers were loung- ing on the front porch, but as Good Anse Talbott and Juanita turned in at the gate these henchmen disappeared inside They would all be there to wit. ness her humbling, thought the girl. It would please him to receive her with his jackal pack yelping derisiVely about him.
 Then she saw another figure emerge from the dark door to stand at the threshold and the flush in her cheeks grew deeper Bad Anse Havey stsod and waited and when they reached the steps of the porch he came slowly for ward and said gravely, Come inside He led the way. and they followed in silence.
 Juanita found herself in the largest room she had yet seen in the noun tains-a room dark at it's corners de spite shaft of sun that slanted through a window and fell on a heavy table in q single band of light. On the table lay a litter of pipes, loose to- i bacco. cartridges and several books ! Down the stripe of sunlight the dust notes foated in pulverized gold. and the radiance fell upon a book which lay open. throwing it into relief. so i that as the girl stood uncertainty near the table she read at the top of a page the caption. "Plutarch's Lives"
 But she caught her breath in relief. l for the retainers had disappeared.
 Bad Anse stood just at the edge of the sun-shaft. with one side of his | face lighted and the other dark.
 But if to the girl the whole picture was one of somber composition and color, it presented a different aspect to Bad Anse himself as the young mountaineer stood facing the door
 We've done come ter hev speech with ye. Anse." Talbott began II reckon ye know what hit s erbout'
 The Havey leader only nodded. and his steady eyes and straight mouth 1 line did not alter their sternness of eX- pression.
 He saw the stifed little gasp with which the girl read the ultimatum of his set face and the sudden mist of tears which in spite of herself. blurred her eyes. He pushed forward a chair and gravely inquired Hadn't ye better set down, ma 'am?"
 She shook her head and raised one hand, which trembled a little, to brush the hair out of her eyes.
 Palpably she was trying to speak. and could not for the moment com mand her voice. But at last she got herself under control, and her words came slowly and carefully MT Havey have very little reason to expect consideration from you Even now. if it were question of pleading for myself, would die first but it isn't that" She paused and shook her head You told me that must fail unless came to you. We'll I've conceive come to humiliate my self I guess I've come to surrender" |" His face did not change and he did not answer Evidently, thought the girl bitterly. she had not sufficiently abased herself. After a moment she went on in very tired. yet a very eager voice.
 You are man of action. Mir. Ha- vey. l make my appeal to your man hood. l suppose you've never had q dream that has come to mean every thing to you-but that's the sort of dream I've had That little girl Dawn. wants chance. Her little brother wants a chance I've humbled myself take them away from me you will smash my school l don't uuderesti- mate your power now. Children are just beginning to come to me. and if you order these to leave the others will leave. too. and they won't come back It will kill my school If that's your purpose, l guess it's no use even to plead. know you can do it-and yet you told me you weren't making war on me"
 "I reckon" interrupted Brother Tal- bolt slowly. ''ye needn't have no fear of thet, ma'am. Anse wouldn't do thet."
 put IT NOu ultu hplIE lldl, Wtut on Juanita. 'I want to make my plea just for the sake of these children of your own people. I'm ready 10 accept your terms. I'm ready to abase and humble my own pride, only, for God s sake, give them a chance to grow clean and straight and break the shackles of illiteracy"
 She waited for the man to reply, but he neither spoke nor changed eXpres- sion, so with an effort she went on, unconsciously bending little forward in her eagerness
 If you could see the way Dawn has unfolded like a flower. the thirsty in telligenCe with which she has drunk mp what l have taught her; the way il has opened new worlds to her; don't think you could be willing to plunge her back into drudgery and ig norance. She is woman, or soon will be. MT. Havey. You don't need women in yOur fpuds "