The Spectator., 1915-12-07
CHAPTER Xil-Continued,

C
 Dawn turned away and went stalk ing along the woodland path without backward glance. and Milt followed at her heels, with Juanita much amused. bringing up the rear. The customer thought that these two young folks made splendid pair. specimens of the best of the mountains. as yet unbroken by heavy harness. Then, as the younger girl passed under a swinging rope of wild grapevine. stopping low. tendril caught in her hair.
 Without word Young Milt bent for. ward and was freeing it, tingling through his pulses as his fingers touched the heavy black mass. but as soon as she was loose the girl sprang away and wheeled. her eyes blazing.
 How dast ye tech me-" she de- manded. panting with wrath. How dast ye?"
 The boy laughed easily "I dast do anything I wants" he told her.
 For moment they stood looking at each other, then the girl dropped her eyes, but the anger had died out of them. and Juanita saw that. despite her condescending air. she was not displeased.
 Juanita, of course, knew nothing of Jeb's suspicious that had led him into the laurel but even without that in formation, when Young Milt met them more often than could be attributed to chance on their walks and fell into the habit of strolling back with them. strong forebodings began to trouble her
 And one morning these forebodings were verified in crisis for, while the youthful McBriar lounged near the porch of Juanita's cabin talking with Dawn, another shadow fell across the sunlight: the shadow of Jeb McNash. He had come silently. and it was only as Young Mlt. whose back had been turned. shifted his position, that the two boys recognized each other.
 Juanita saw the start with which Jeb's figure stiffened and grew taut. She saw his hands clench themselves and his face turn white as chalk; saw his chest rise and fall under heavy breathing that hissed through clenched teeth, and her own heart pounded with wild anxiety.
 But Milt McBriars face showed nothing. His fathers masklike calm ness of feature had come down to him. and as he read the meaning of the other boys attitude he merely nodded and said casually: "Howdy, Jeb."
 Jeb did not answer He could not answer. He was training and punish ing every fiber cruelty simply in standing where he was and keeping his hands at his sides. For a time he remained stiff and white, breathing spasmodically: then. without a word, he turned and stalked away.
 That moon horseman brought note across the ridge, and as Juanita Holland read 1t she felt that all her dreams were crumbling the soul of them was paralyzed.
 It was a brief note. written in a copybook hand and it ran:
 I'll nave to uSk you 10 send the McNaSh children over to my house. Jeb doesn't want them to be consortng with the Me Brars. and 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 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 it's ten der beginning to vagabond end with it's tattered banners of ripened corn; autumn had blazed and hared into high carnival
 Al young Jeb lad turned on his heel