Western Kansas world., 1915-12-25


said curtly; but don't aim ter leave
'thout seein 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 yelping derisively
about him
Then she saw another figure emerge
from the dark door to stand at the
threshold. and the flush in her cheeks
grew deeper. Bad Anse Havey stood
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 it's corners de-
spite a shaft of sun that slanted
through a window and fell on a heavy
table in a 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 a page
the caption. ..Plutarch'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
wiki We, Anse." Talbot began Il
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 stif1ed 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 snook 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, l have very little reason
to expect consideration from you.
Even now. if it were a question of
pleading for myself, 1 would die first,
but it isn't that" She paused and
shook her head. you told me that l
must fail unless l came to you. Well.
I've conceive come to humiliate my
self. ! guess I've come to surrender"
His face did not change and 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 a very
eager voice.
You are a man of action, Mr.. Ha-
vey. I make my appeal to your man
hood. l 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 a chance. Her little brother
wants a chance. I've humbled myself
to come and plead for them. If you
take them away from me you will
smash my school. / don't underesti-
mate your power now. Children are
Just beginning to come to me, and il
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, we needn't have no fear
of thet, 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 a 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 flower. the thirsty in
teiligence with which she has drunk
up what l have taught her; the way