Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-12-02
CHAPTER xvI--continued.

The girl from Philadelphia had for
some days been watching the road
which led in tortuous twists from Peril
to the gap. She herself hardly realized
now expectantIy she had watched it.
She was thinking of the man she
had sent away and wondering what
their meeting would be like. And the
girl of the hill sitting near by would
look on. her fingers gripping them
selves tightly together and an ache in
her WI heart. Deep in Dawn's nature,
which had been coming of late into a
sweetly fragrant bloom, crept the ran
cor Of a fierce jealousy for the man
from down below" whom she had
never seen, but whose letter could
make Juanita forget present things
and drift away into a world of other
days and other scenes-a world in
which Dawn herself had no part.
Juanita was wondering if, after all,
she had not misjudged Roger Malcolm.
She wanted to think she had, because
her heart was hungry for love. She
had written to him, sternly f~orbidding
his coming, and if he obeyed that man
date he would, of course, prove himself
weak and lacking in initiative. So she
was waiting with a tiuttering heart.
But on the day that he came she
was not watching. He had pushed
on at a rate of speed which mountain
patience would not have countenanced
and had arrived in two hours less than
the journey should logically have re-
quired. The heaving sides Of his tired
horse told almost as much of the Gag
erness that had driven him as did the
frank worship of his face.
At the front fence he hitched his
mount and walked noiselessly up to
the larger house. Two feminine fig
ures sat sewing in the hall as he silent
1y opened the Unattached door and let
himself in. One of them was a figure
he knew even with its back turned-a
figure which, because of something
d~istinctively subtle and wondrous,
could belong to no one else. The other
was a mountain girl of undeniable
beauty, but, to him, of no interest.
1t was Dawn who saw him first and,
with a glance that brought a resentful
flash to her eyes, she rose silently and
slipped out through a side door. Then,
as Juanita came to her feet with a
little gasp and held out both hands,
the mans heart began to hammer Wild
ly, and he knew that the fingers he
held we're trembling.
He would have taken her at once in
his arms, but she held him off and
shook her head.
Il told you not to come" she re-
buked him in a voice that lacked con-
viction.
and flagrantly disobeyed you" he
answered. "As | mean henceforth to
disobey you. Once | lost you because
/ played a weak game. You want a
conqueror, and | have always been a
suppliant. Now l have changed my
method"
"Oh!" said Juanita family. For just
an instant she felt a leap at her heart,
Perhaps. after all, he had grown to
her standard. That was how she must
be won, il ever won, and she wanted
to be won.
She saw him draw out of his pocket
q small box which she had once given
back to him and take from it a ring she
had once worn, but again she SHOOK
her head.
Not yet, dear she said very softly
you haven't proved yourself a con
queror yet. you know. You've JUS
called yourself one
Then her heart misgave her, for
after gazing into her eyes with a huri
look. the man masked his disappoint
ment behind a smile of Difference anC
replied: Very well. | can wait, bui
that's how 1t must be in the end"
In the end! Juanita knew that, aftel
all, he had not changed.
He was still the mar OF brave | %
tents and words-still the man who
stood hesitant at the moment for /;
blow.
It was while Malcolm vas Juanita'l