Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-12-09

Then I'll talk outspoken. Ter try ter
convict these men in cote can to
take a desperate chance. Ye can't
hardly succeed. an IL ye fails we've
lost yore hold on the Haveys-ye're
plumb, eternally done for"
Il don't aim to fail"
NO; but We mought. Anse. no man
hain't never questioned yore loyalty
till now. | mought as well tell We
straight what talkin's goin' round"
Anse stiffened. What is it," he
demanded.
Some folks low that Their Haveys
don't mean as much ter ye now as Their
Turin schoolteacher does. Them
folksI be pretty apt ter think We amt
tryin' ter please them so much as her
If yer attempts this"
Anse stood for a long minute silent,
and his bronzed features grew taut.
At last he inquired coolly:
"Wha do you think. Breck?"
I'D trust we till hell froze."
"All right. Then do as l tells We, an
if | fails l reckons you'll be head of
the Haveys in my place"
Down at the school there was going
to be a Christmas tree that year.
Never before had the children of the
"branch-water folks" heard of a Christ
mas tree. The season of Christ's birth
had always been celebrated with moon
shine jug and revolver. 1t was dread
ed in advance and mourned over in
retrospect.
Now in many childish hearts large
dreams were brewing. Eager antici-
pations awaited the marvels. The hon
ored young fir tree which was to bear
a fruitage of gifts and lights had been
singled out and marked to the Ak. Anse
Havey and Juanita had explored the
woods together, bent on it's selection.
Perhaps Juanita and Dawn were as
much excited as the children, but to
Dawn it meant more than to anyone
else. She was to accompany Juanita
to Lexington to buy gifts and decora-
lions and would have her first won
drous glimpse of the lights and crowds
of a city.
Milt was there at college and would
be returning about the same time, so
the mountain girl secretly wrote him
of her coming. And even facing so
grave a crisis, Anse Havey thought Of
that tree and hoped that Luke would
not come back before Christmas.
That night, while he was sitting
with Juanita and the fire was flashing
on her cheeks, he said moodily: I'm
afraid yen have to start despisin' me
all over again"
She looked up in establishment.
"Why" she asked.
1--WE got to kill a man"
She rose from her chair, her face
pallid.
kill a MANI" she echoed.
God knows l hate to do it." He
rose, too, and stood before the hearth,
But l reckon it had better be me than
| Jeb."
do you mean" she broke off and
finished brokenly, that Fletch's muir
derer is back?"
He's comm. He's comm to kill
somebody else. Most likely me. It's a
question of settlin' scores with a muir
derer that kilt Fletch for a ticket
West and a hundred dollars-or lettin'
young Jeb McNash go crazy an start.
in the feud all over again, l reckon
ye sees that l amt no choice"
She came nearer and stood confront
ing him so close that he felt her breath
on his face. She broke out in a low,
tense voice: Suppose he kills your"
Hell have his chance" said Anse
Havey shortly. Il amt loWin' to shoot
him down from ambush.
The girl leaned forward and clutched
his hands in both her own. Under the
tight pressure of her fingers he felt