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


consort with murderers, an hits me
we've got ter reckon with"
Brother Talbot only nodded. Son, ;"
he gently assured him, we aims ter
talk with you, too. but / reckon ye
hain't got no call ter hinder US from
havin' speech with Anse first"
For a moment Jeb stood dubious,
then he ierked his head toward the
house.
Go on in thar, eff We sees fit.
haint got no license ter stop ye," he
said CURLY; 'but don't aim ter leave
'th0ut SEEM me, too"
Several shaggy retainers were loung-
ing on the front porch, but as Good
Anse Talbot and Juanita turned in at
the gate these henchmen disappeared
inside. They would all be there to wit
ness her humbling, thought the girl
1t would please him to receive her
with his jackal pack yeIping derisiveIy
about him.
Then she saw another figure emerge
| from the dark door to stand at the
threshold, and the flush in her cheeks
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 its corners de-
rhnf% - Il
! through a window and fell on heavy
I table in single band of light On the
/ table lay litter Of pipes, loose to-
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
that as the girl stood uncertainty near
the table she read at the top Of q page
the caption, "Plrtarch's Lives
But she caught her breath in relief,
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 We, Anse," Talbot began. u
| reckon We know what hits erbout."
The Havey leader only nodded, and
his steady eyes and straight mouth
line did not alter their sternness of ex-
preston.
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
We 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.
Mr.. Havey. have very little reason
to expect consideration from you
Even now, if it were a 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. Well
I've conceive come to humiliate my
self. | guess I've come to surrender"
His face did not change ard 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 very
eager voice.
You are a man of action, Mr.. Ha-
vey. | make my appeal to your man.
hood | suppose you've never had
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 chance. I've humbled myself
to come and plead for them. If you
take them away from me you will
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. 1t will kill my school. If that's
your purpose, | 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-"
Il reckon interrupted Brother Tai
bott slowly, 'ye needn't have no fear
of tibet, ma'am. Anse wouldn't do
thet."
But if you aren't doing that" went
on Juanita, Il want to make my plea
just for the sake of these children Of
your own people. I'm ready to accept
your terms. I'm ready to abase and
humble my own pride only, for Gods
sake, give them 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 express
sion, SO with an effort she went on,
unconsciously bending a 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
up what l have taught her; the way
it 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, Mr.. Havey. You don't need
women in your feuds"
Again came the cautioning voice of
the preacher in his effort to keep her