Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1915-10-07
CHAPTER I.

III y N1J o0AN1
into movement or whisper. Banks OF
rho~dodendron, breaking into a foam OF
bloom. gave the seeming of green and
white capped waves arrested and so
lidified by some sudden paralysis OF
nature. Sound itself appeared dead,
save for hushed minors that only &C
centuated the stiffness of the Cumber-
land forest.
Now, as evening sent her warning
with gathering shadows that began to
Turk in the valleys, two mounted fig
ures made no sound either, save when
q hoof spiashed on a slippery surface
or saddleleather creaked under the
patient scrambling of their animals.
In front rode a battered mountain
eer astride a rusty, brown mule.
The second figure came some yards
behind, carefully following in the
others wake On a mule which limped.
This second mule bore a woman rid
ing astride. She was a young woman.
and if just now her slender shoulders
also dropped a little, still even in
their droop they limited at a gallant
grace of carriage.
The girl was very slender and.
though conveyed by the drab mission
airy, Good Anse" Talbot, riding
astride a lame mount and accoutered
with ~saddlebags and blanket-roll, her
clothes were not of mountain calico.
but of good fabric, skillfully tailored.
and she carried her head erect.
Individually this was a ''furriner;"
a woman from the other world of
down below" But who was she. and
why had she come? AS to that, word
had gone ahead of her and been duly
reported to the one man who knew
things hereabout; who made it a point
to know things, and whose name stood
as a challenge to innovation in the
mountains.
When at morning she had started
out from the shack town at the end
of the rails, bad Anse" Havey's in
formers had ridden not far behind her.
Later they had pushed ahead and re-
layed their message to their chief.
She had often heard the name Of
Bad Anse Havey. The yellow press of
the state, and even Of the nation, was
fond of using it. Whenever to the law
less mountains came a fresh upblazing
of feudal hatred and blood was let, it
was customary to say that the affair
bore the earmarks of Bad Anse's in
citement. Certain it was that in his
own territory this man was overload
and dictator.
Like one of the untamable eagles
that circled the windy crests of his
mountains, he had watched with eyes
that could gaze u~nblinking into the
sun all men who came and went
through the highlands where his aerie
perched. Those whom he hated, un
less they, too, were Of the eagle breed
fierce and resourceful and strong o.
talon, could not remain there.
This slender young woman, astridt
a mule, was coming as the avowet
outrider Of a new order. She mean
to make war on the whole fabric o
illiteracy and squalid ignorance whicl
lay ~intrenched here. Consequently he
arrival would interest Bad Anse Ha
vey.
Once, when they had stopped by
wayside mill to let their mules pant a
the water trough, she had caught
scrap Of conversation that was nc
meant for her ears; a scrap |laughingl
tossed from bearded lip to bearde
lip among the hickory-shirted loitel
ers at the mill door.
Reckon tibet thar's the fotched-i
woman what aims ter start a schot
over on the head Of Tribulation
drawled one native. 81 heard tell
her t'other day"
With a somewhat derisive laugh a.
other had contributed:
'Mebby she hain't talked tibet pr
jock over with Bad Anse yit. H
mought be a right good idee fer tn,
gal ter go on back down below, viii
she b1ongs at"
The girl was thinking Of all tn
now as she rode In the wake of h
silent escort.
In a moment OF almost cringing d
spair she wished indeed that she we
black thar down below whar 81
b1onged at"
Then, almost fiercely, drawing ba'
her aching shoulders, she cast h
eyes about on the darkening see
and raised her voice in anxious
quiry: How much farther do we ha
to go?"
The man riding ahead did not tn
his face, but flung his answer al
thetically backward over his shouldt
I'VE got to keep right on till we con
ter a dwellin'.house. I'm amin
old man Fletch McNash's cabin
leetle Their rise of a mile frum ny
/ Tow mebby he mought shelter
till mornin'."
And II he doesn't"
"Ef he doesn't, we've got ter r
on a spell further"
The girl closed her eyes for a !
ment and pressed her lip between
teeth.
AT last q sudden turn in the RI
brought to view a wretched patch
bare clay, circled by a d%ilapidated
ing fence. within which gloomec
HOW GREAT INDUSTRY BEG