The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1915-02-20

not too seriously
Samson, tremendously busy these
days in new studio OF his own. had
run over for a week Horton was. Of
course, OF the party. and George Les
colt was doing the honors as host
One evening AdTienne left the dane
ers for the pergola, where she took
refuge under a mass Of honeysuckie-
Samson South followed her. She
saw him coming, and smiled She was
contrasting this Samson. loosely clad
in fiannels, with the Samson she had
first seen rising awkwardly 10 greet
her in the studio.
You should have stayed inside and
made yourself agreeable to the girls
Adrienne reproved him, as he came
up. Whats the use Of making a lion
of you, if you won't roar for the Wis
itors?'
I've been roaring" laughed the
man. I've Just been explaining to
Miss Willoughby that we only eat the
people we kill in Kentucky on certain
days of solemn observance and sacri-
fee. 1 wanted to be agreeable to you,
Drennie, for a while.
DO you ever find yourself homesick,
Samson, these days?'
The man answered with a short
laugh Then his words came softly,
one more eloquent:
" Who hath desired the sea? Her ex-
celIent loneliness rather
Than the forecourts Of kings, and her
OF he STRAITS
where men gather.
His sea that his being fulflls?
So and no othervise-so and no other
wise hillmen desire their hills g"
"And yet" she said, and trace Of
the argumentatiYe stole into her voice,
you haven't gone back"
No" There was g note Of self
reproach in his voice. But soon 1
shall go. At least, for a time. I've
been thinking a great deal lately about
my futtered folk and Wild I'm just
beginning to understand my relation
to them, and my duty"
your duty is no more to go back
there and throw away your life," she
found herself instantly contending.
than it is the duty of the young eagle,
who has learned to fly, to go back to
the nest where he was Matched"
"But, Drennie,' he said, gently, Sup
pose the young eagle is the only one
that knows how to f1y-and suppose he
could teach the others? Don't you
see? I've only seen it myself for
little while"
what is it that-that you see now?"
ct must go back, not to relapse, but
to come to be constructive force.
must carry some of the outside world
to Misery. 1 must take to them. be-
cause I am one of them, gifts that
they would reject from other. hands" "
From the house came the strains OF
an alIuring waltz. For a little time
they listened without speech, then the
girl said very gravely:
'You won't-you won't still feel
bound to kill your enemies, viii you,
Samson ?"
The mans face hardened.
CT believe I'd rather not talk about
that. shall have to win back the
confidence have lost I shall have to
take a place at the head of my clan
by proving myself a man-and man
by their own standards. 1t is only
at their head that I can lead them
If the lives of a few assassins have to
be forfeited I shan't hesitate at that
1 shall stake my own against them
fairly. The end is worth it"
The girl breathed deeply, then she
heard Samson's voice again:
'Drennie, I want you to understand
that if I succeed it is your success
You took me raw and unfashioned, and
you have made me. There is no way
of thanking you"
There is a way" she contradicted-
you can thank me by feeling just
that way about it
Then do thank you"
The next afternoon Adrienne and
Samson were sitting with gayIy chat
tering group at the side lines Of the
tennis courts.
when you go back to the noun
tains. Samson" Wilfred was suggest
ing I'VE might form a partnership.
South, Horton & Co., Development Of
Coal and Timber There are millions
in it,
Give years ago I should have met
YOU with Winchester rifle, laughed
the Kentuckian. Now 1 shall not. ="
I'll go with you, Horton, and make
a sketch or two" volunteered George
Lescott, who had just then arrived
from town. "And, by the way, Sam
son, here's a letter that came for you
Just as 1 left the studio"
The mountaineer took the envelope
with a Hixon postmark, and for an
instant gazed at it with puzzled ex-
preston It was addressed in femi-
nine hand, which he did not recognize.
1t was careful, but perfect, writing,
such as one sees in a school copybook-
With an apology he tore the covering
and read the letter. Adrienne, glanc-
ing at his face, saw it suddenly pale
and grow as set and hard as marble.
Samson's eyes were dwelling with
only partial comprehension on the
script. This is what he read:
CTo BE CONTINUED