Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-11-11
CHAPTER Il-contInued.

It's Havey," he said slowly, but
hereabouts I've got another name
that's better known" He paused, then
added with a hardened timbre Of
voice, as though bent on making def
ant what would otherwise sound like
confession: It's Bad Anse."
The girl recoiIed, as though under
Il physical shock. It seemed to her
that every way she turned she was to
meet staggering disappointments. She
had spoken almost pleadingly to the
man with whom she could make no
terms-the man whose arrogant power
and Iawless influence she must break
and paralyze before her own regime
could find standing-room in these hills.
Yet, as she looked at him standing
there, and stiffened resoluteIy, she
could say nothing except OH"
Into the monosyllable crept many
things: repulsion, defiance and cha
grin for her mistake, and in recosni-
ton of them all the bronzed features
of the man hardened little and into
the cool eyes snapped sparkle of the
sleeping fires she had OWNED
L made my suggestion to the wrong
man." she said steadily. 81 misunder-
stood you. I thought you said you
wanted peace"
He swung himself to the saddle
again; then, as he gathered up his
reins, he turned. and in his utterance
was immovable steadiness and gla-
cial GOODNESS, together with a ring
of contempt and restrained anger
Il did say that, and by God AL
mighty, I meant just what I said. I
do want peace in these mountains
but l amt never found no way yet to
get peace without fghtin for it."
She saw him ride away into the
moonlight, with his shoulders very
straight and the battered felt hat very
high, and she looked neither to right
nor left as ne went until the mists
had swallowed him
For a long time while she sat there
on the stile gazing across the steep
banks between which the waters of
Tribulation slipped along in a tide of
furnished quicksilver and beyond
W HUI 1O56 bilG near 41uBGS u bluG
and the fa-, dim ridges of gray.
At her back she knew that the fam
fly and the missionary were sitting in
talk.
She sat there with her hands clasped
about her updrawn knees as she used
to sit when some childhood grief had
weighed upon her
-, = L i
the humiliation of having shown her
weakest side to Bad Anse Havey. It
was some satisfaction to remember
the offended stiffening of his Shout
ders and the smoldering fire in his
eyes. She had heard much of the
strong, easily hurt pride of these
mountain men-a pride which made
them walk in strange surroundings
with upright heads and eyes, challeng-
ing criticism of their uncouthness.
She had first appealed to this man,
but at least she had also stung him
with her scorn. Now they would be
open enemies.
She knew that this young man, in
a country where every man was poor
and no man pauper, owned great
tracts of land that yielded only sparse
crops with the most arduous cOaxing.
She knew that under his rocky acres
slept a great wealth of coal. and that
above them grew noble and virgin
forests of hardwood The coming of
railroads and development would
make him rich man. Yet he stood
there, seemingly pricing above all
those magnificent certainties the
empty boast of feudal craftsmanship
Yet he was a man. With that thought
came an unweIcome comparison. She
thought of someone whom she had
loved-and sent away-and of their
leave-taking That man had had every
gentle attribute which this man
lacked. All that universities, travel
and ancestry can give had shown out
in his bearing, his manners, his voice
and the expression of his eyes.
There had been a time when she
had wavered in her determination to
devote herself to the mission for which
she had been educated. She thought
that this man might be more impor-
tant than any mission; that a life
with him might be full enough. Then
had come the discovery. which at first
she had rebelliousIy denied, but which
forced itself hatefully upon her reali-
cation. Despite his unchallengea Die
charm and gentility, he was, after all.
not quite a man. When she had ad-
mitted that beyond dispute, she had
turned. sickened. from the life which
she could not contemplate without
him. The man whom she thought she
loved was empty and fine, like a
swordless sheath" Very well, she
would turn to the work of putting an
edge on the sturdier metal of raw
humanity.