The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1916-01-29

to die in your arms"
you shan't die she breathed
fercely between her teeth My arms
shall always be around you"
But he shook his head and his fig
ure sagged a little against her knees
4 knoW-When I'm DONE" he saio
slowly. It's all right now-Tve done
got here. That's enough loves ye-"
For a time she wondered whether
he had lost consciousness. and she
laid him down slowly and brought
cushions with which to soften his po-
sition. 1t was almost daybreak now.
She sat there beside him, and as her
heart beat close to him he seemed to
draw from it some OF its abundant vi
tally, for he revived little. and
though his eyes were closed and she
had to bend down to catch his words.
his voice grew somewhat stronger.
Il amt never felt lonesome before.
But out there-dyin' by myself-the
last of my family had to come.
Dyin' amt like hvin'-I couldn't die
without ye."
You aren't dying" she argued des-
perately. You sha'n't die"
1T amt that" His breath came
with great difficulty. They'll come
back here. They'll get me yet-an' I'd
ruther die first
She laid his head very gently on the
pillows and rose to her feet. In the
instant she stood TRANSPORTED. Deep
in her violet eyes blazed such blue
fire as that which burns at the hot
test heart of fame. Around her lips
came the grim set of fight and blood
lust.
The crushed flower on her bosom
rose and fell under a violent tempest
Of passion. The skirt of her evening
gown had been torn in her effort to
carry him. Somehow one silk stock
ing was snagged above her slipper
His blood REDEEMED her white arms
and bosom. She drew a deep breath
and clenched her hands. The dis
ciple of peace was gone, and there
stood there in its stead the hot
breathed incarnation of some valkyr
lowering over the din OF battle and
urging on the fight
Yet her voice was colder and stead
Ter than he had ever heard it. She
pointed to the door,
Get you'll" she exclaimed scorn-
fully NO man but a Havey crosses
that threshold while l live. I'm Ha-
vey now and we live or die together.
Get yOul" Her voice broke with
wild laugh. Let them comet"
: No bitterly bred daughter of the
hills was ever so completely the
mountain woman as this transformed
and reborn girl of the cultured East.
She moved about the place with a
steady, indomitable energy. With
strength borrowed of the need, she
upset the great oaken table and bar
ricaded the door. laughing as she
heard the clatter of pedagogic vol
umes on the floor Fox's Book OF
Martyrs" fell at her feet, and she
kicked it viciOusly to one side.
She went and stood before her rack
of guns, and her lips curled as she
caught up heayy-calibered repeater
with all the fierce desire of a drunkard
for his drink. She stood there loading
rifles and setting them in an orderly
line against the wall. She devastated
her altar of peace with the untamed
joy of a barbarian sacking a temple
Then she turned and saw in the
mans eyes wild glow of admiration
that burned above his fever, and she
said to him once more, Now let 'em
come"
He shook his head, but strangely
enough her love and awakened feroc-
ity had strengthened and quickened
H.
Drag me over where I can get just
one shot"
Then Juanita blew out the lamp and
stood silent in the hush that comes
before dawn. She did not have to
wait long, for soon she heard hoof
beats in the road, and they stopped
just at the turn
Hello, strangert" she shouted. and
1T took all her strength to command
her voice. Halt where you are
There was an instant's silence in
the first misty gray that was bringing
the yelled sunrise
A stffed m1Fmur Of voices came
from the road. and she caught the
words, Hes in thar all right A
moment later someone called out sui
lenly from the shadows:
I'VE gives ye three minutes ter
leave thet house. We're a-comin' in.
an we'd rather not ter harm We. Git
cut quick"
"Ye can't save me. dearest It's
too late For Gods sake, go OUT
pleaded Anse Havey tensely.
Her answer was to cry out into the
dawn in a voice that could not be mis-
understood. ''Anss Havey's in here.
Come and get him." and for added en-
phaSH she eroaehed behind the over
turned table and fired a random shot
out toward the voice that had offered
her amnesty.
From the earlier happenings of the
evening the men out there knew that
the school property was empty save
for the man and the girl, and they
knew that the man was terribly wound
ed
Their peeTfRg eyes. in the dim gray.
could Just make out an empty door
Back of it was one woman, and they
we're FIVE men. Ordinarily they WDuId