Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-12-16

HIS AdHuS dL HIS 6lucS- VI q tAAA10
he remained stiff and white, breathing
spasmodically; then. without a word,
he turned and stalked away.
That moon a horseman brought
note across the ridge, and as Juanita
Holland read it she felt that all her
dreams were crumbling-that the soul
of them was paralyzed.
It was a brief note, written in a
copybook hand, and it ran:
I'll have to ask you TO send the McNash
children over to my house. Jeb doesn't
want them to be consorting with the Nc
Briars. and I can't blame him. He is the
head OF his family.
Respectfully,
ANsE HAvEY.
A stronger thing to Juanita Holland
than the personal disappointment
which had driven her to this work was
now her eager, fiery interest in the
undertaking itself. In these months
she had disabused herself of many
prejudices. There remained that lin
gering one against the man with whom
she had not made friends.
The thing she had set out to do was
a hundredfold more vital now than it
had been when it stood for carrying
out a dead grandfather's wish. She
had been with these people in child
birth and death, In sickness and want;
she had seen summer go from its ten
der beginning to a vagabond end with
its tattered banners Of ripened corn;
autumn had blazed and fared into
high carnival
As young Jeb had turned on his heel
and stalked away, even before the com
ing of the note she knew what would
happen, and what would happen not
only in this instance, but in others
like 1t. This would not be just losing
Dawn, bad as that was. It would be
paralysis and death to the school; it
would mean the leaving OF every Ha-
vey boy ana girl.
So she stood there, and afterward
said quietly: "Milt, / guess you'd bet
ter CO." and Milt had gone gravely and
unquestioningly but with that in his
eye which did not argue brightly for
restoration of peace between his house
and that of his enemy.
When the two girls had gone to-
gether into the cabin Dawn stood with
a face that blanched as she began to
realize what 1t all meant, then slowly
she stiffened and her hands, too
clenched and her eyes kindled
She came across to the chair into
which the older girl had dropped list
lessly and, falling to her knees, seized
both Juanitas hands. She seized them
tightly and f1ercely, and her eyes were
blazing and her voice broke from her
lips in turgid vehemence.
Il hain't a-goin' ter leave vel" cried
Dawn. Il hain't a-goin' ter do IT"
No word had been spoken of her
leaving, but in this life they both knew
that certain things bring certain re-
suits, and they were expecting a note
from Bad Anse.
y hope not, dear" said Juanita, but
without conviction.
Then the mountain girl sprang up
and became transformed. With her
rigid figure and blazing eyes she
seemed a torch burning with all the
pent-up heritage of her past.
Il tells We | amt a-goin' ter leave
YET" she protested. and her utterance
swelled to fiery determination. "'Es
fer Milt McBriar. wouldn't spit on
him. l hates him. hates his muir
derin' breed | hates 'em like" she
paused a moment. then finished tu-
multuously like all hell. | reckon
I'm es good Havey as Jeb l hain't
seen Jeb do nothin' yit."
Again she paused, painting with pas
sionate rage. then swept On while Jua-
nita looked at her sudden metamor-
phosis into fury and shuddered.
When [ wasn't nothin' but a baby
fetched victuals ter my kinfolks a
hidin' out from revenuers. | passed
right through men tibet war a-trailin
'em. I've done served my kinfolks
afore, an I'd do hit ergin, but reckon
l hain't a-goin ter let en- take me
away from We.
Juanita could think of only one step
to take. sc she sent Jerry Everson for
Brother Talbot, whom she had seen
riding toward the shack hamlet in the
valley.
Thar hain't but one thing thet ye
kin do, said Good Anse slowly when
ard Iuanita sat alone over the prob
lem with the note of Havey command
lying between them. An / hain't no
ways sartain tibet hit1l come ter
nothin'. Ye've got ter go over thar
an have speech with Anse."
Juanita drew back with start of
distaste and repulsion. Yet she had
known this all along
'Ye see," she heard the missionary
saying, "thar's jest one way Anse kin
handle Jeb. an nobody else KANT
handle him at all. He thinks he's
right. / reckon eff We kin persuade
Anse ter reason with him yen hev ter
promise that Young Milt hain't a-goin'
ter hang round hyar.'
I'D promise almost anything | can't
give them up-I can't cant!"
Eff Anse didn't perfect little Dawn
from the McBriars, Jeb would, ter
Gods certainty, kill Young Mi1t," went
on the preacher, and the girl nodded
miserably.
I don't low ter blame We none" he
said slowly, almost apologetically, but
I've got ter say hit Hits pity we've
seen fit ter say SO many bitter things
ter Anse. Mountain folks air mighty
easy hurt in their pride, an no one
hain't nuver dared ter cross him
afore."
No." she cried bitterly, he will vel
come the chance to humiIiata and to