Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-12-30


God-forsaken tangle?" he inquired
God help theml"
"A lady whom / have known for q
long while is establishing a school
there
With the mention of the lady NAL
colm's voice took on an uncommunica-
tive note, and Mr.. Trevor at once
changed the topic to coal and timber
The girl from Philadelphia had for
some days been watching the road
| which led in toTtuous twists from Peril
to the gap. She herself hardly realized
how expectantly she had watched it.
She was thinking of the man she
had sent away and wondering what
their meeting would be like And the
girl OF the hill sitting near by would
look on, her fingers gripping them.
selves tightly together and an ache in
her own heart. Deep in Dawn's nature,
which had been coming of late into a
sweetly fragrant bloom, crept the ran.
cor of fierce jealousy for the man
from down below" whom she had
! never seen, but whose letter could
make Juanita forget present things
and drift away into world Of other
days and other scenes-a world in
which Dawn herself had no part.
Juanita was wondering if, after all,
she had not misjudged Roger Malcolm.
She wanted to think she had, because
her heart was hungry for love. She
had written to him, sternly forbidding
his coming, and if he obeyed that man
date he would, Of course, prove himself
weak and lacking in initiative. So she
was waiting with 1uttering heart.
But on the day that he came she
was not watching. He had pushed
on at a rate Of speed which mountain
patience would not have countenanced
and had arrived in two hours less than
the journey should logically have re-
quired. The heaving sides Of his tired
horse told almost as much of the Gag.
erness that had driven him as did the
frank worship Of his face.
At the front fence he hitched his
mount and walked noiselessly up to
the larger house. Two feminine fig
ures sat sewing in the hall as he silent
ly opened the Unattached door and let
himself in. One of them was a figure
he knew even with its back turned-a
figure which, because of something
distinctively subtle and -wondrous,
could belong to no one else. The other
was a mountain girl of undeniable
hJ1t to n re |r+
1t was Dawn who saw him first and,
with glance that brought a resentful
flash to her eyes, she rose silently and
slipped out through side door. Then,
as Juanita came to her feet with a
little gasp and held out both hands,
ly, and he knew that the fingers he
held were trembling.
He would have taken her at once in
his arms, but she held him off and
shook her head.
Il told you not to come" she re-
buked him in voice that lacked con-
viction
"And 1 fagrantly disobeyed you" he
answered. LAS 1 mean henceforth to
dtsobey you. Once lost you because
played a weak game. You want a
conqueror, and l have always been a
suppliant. Now l have changed my
method"
"Oh!" said Juanita family. For just
an instant she felt leap at her heart.
Perhaps, after all, he had grown to
her standard. That was how she must
be won, if ever won, and she wanted
to be won.
She saw him draw out of his pocket
small box which she had once given
back to him and take from it ring she
had once worn, but again she shook
her head.
mot yet, dear" she said very softly.
you haven't proved yourself a con-
queror yet, you know. You've just
called yourself one"
Then her heart misgave her, for,
after gazing into her eyes with hurt
look, the man masked his disappoint-
ment behind a smile of Difference and
replied: Very well, can wait, but
that's how it must be in the end"
In the endi Juanita knew that, after
all, he had not changed.
He was still the man Of brave In
tents and words-still the man who
stood hesitant at the moment for a
blow.
1t was while Malcolm was Juanita's
guest that Anse Havey broke his re-
solve and for the first time came
through the gate of the school She
saw him come with a pleased little
sense Of having broken down his re-
serve and a feeling of feminine vic
tory.
A moment later the mountaineer was
standing on the steps and shaking
hands with Roger Malcolm, whom he
greeted briefly and with mountain re-
serve.
II was down at Peril with a couple
of teams he said, turning to Juanita,
"an' | found a lot of boxes at the sta
ton for We. I lowed We didn't hardly
have any teams handy, SO l fetched
'em back to my house. I'll send them
over in the morning, but I thought
I'd ride over tonight an tell ye."
She had been wondering how, at a
time of mired roads, she was to have
those books. which she would soon
need. brought across the ridge. Now
he had solved the problem for her.
Anse Havey stood leaning against a
porch post, his broad shoulders and
clearcut profile etched against the
moonlight as he studied the Philadel-
phian. Suddenly he asked abruptly:
Have We found anything that inter.
ests We il the coal an timber line2n