Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-01-13

" nat IS It bIeck? u plumb VIII
IN ID listen to your counsel"
Then III talk outspoken. Ter try ter
convict these men in cote means to
take desperate chance. Ye can't
hardly succeed, an if We fails we've
losC yore hold on the Haveys-yere
plumb, eternally done for"
L don't aim to fail"
No; but ye mought. Anse, no man
hain't never questioned yore loyalty
till now. I mought as well tell We
straight what talkin's goin' round"
Anse stiffened What is it," he
demanded.
Some folks low that Their Haveys
don't mean as much ter We now as theT
Turin schoolteacher does. Them
folks'll be pretty apt ter think We amt
tryin' ter please them so much as her
If yer attempts this"
Anse stood for long minute silent
and his bronzed features grew taut
At last he inquired eooIly:
What do you think, Breck?"
I'D trust We till hell froze"
"All right. Then do as l tells We, an
If | fails l reckons you'll be head OF
the Haveys in my place"
Down at the school there was going
to be a Christmas tree that year
Never before had the children of the
'branch-water folks" heard of a Christ
mas tree. The season Of Christ's birth
had always been celebrated with moon
shine jug and revolver. 1t was dread
ed in advance and mourned over In
retrospect
Now in many childish hearts large
dreams were brewing. Eager antici
pations awaited the marvels. The hon
ored young fir tree which was to bear
a fruitage of gifts and lights had been
singled out and marked to the ak. Anse
Havey and Juanita had explored the
woods together, bent on it's selection
Perhaps Juanita aud Dawn were as
much excited as tno children, but to
Dawn it meant moro ,han to anyone
else. She was to accompany Juanita
to Lexington to buy gifts and decora
tons and would have her first won
drous glimpse of the lights and crowds
Of a city.
Milt was there at college and would
be returning about the same time, sc
the mountain girl secretly wrote him
of her coming. And even facing sc
grave crisis, Anse Havey thought OF
that tree and hoped that Luke would
not come back before Christmas.
That night, while he was sitting
with Juanita and the fire was flashing
on her cheeks, he said modify: I'm
afraid yen have to start despisin' me
all over again"
She looked up in establishment.
'Why?" she asked.
I've got to kill man"
She rose from her chair, her face
pallid.
xiii MANI" she echoed.
God knows ! hate to do it." He
rose, too, and stood before the hearth
But / reckon it had better be me than
Jeb"
do you mean" she broke Off and
finished brokenly, that Fletch's muir
derer is back?"
Hes comm He's comm to kill
somebody else. Most likely me. It's
question Of settlin' scores with mur,
derer that kilt F1etch for a ticket
West and hundred dollars-or lettin
young Jeb McNash go crazy an start
in the feud ali over again. I reckon
ye sees that I amt no choice"
She came nearer and stood confront
ing him so close that he felt her breath
on his face. She broke out in low.
tense voice: Suppose he kills your
He'll have his chance" said Anse
Havey shortly. 81 amt 'lowin' to shoot
him down from ambush.
The girl leaned forward and clutched
his hands in both her own. Under the
tight pressure of her fingers he felt
every nerve in his body Jingle and LEAP
into a hot ecstasy of emotion, while
his face became white and drawn.
Don't risk your life,'' she pleaded
"Your people can't spare you; 1 can't
spare you. Not now, Anse; need you
too much"
The mans voice came In a hoarse
whisper.
eye needs me?"
eyes, yes" she swept on, and for an
instant he was on the verge of with.
drawing his hands and crushing her tc
him, but something in his face had
warned her. She dropped the hands
she had been holding and said in an
altered tone: Its not just me; it's
bigger than that. It's my work. We've
come to be such good friends that
couldn't go on without you. My work
would fall
For while he was silent, then he
said very slowly and very bitterly:
ooh, it's just your work that needs
me?"
But, Anse," she argued, my work
is all that's biggest and best in me
You understand. don't your"
For a moment his voice got away
from him and he rose fercely:
Il don't give damn for your work.
he bIazed out. tits you I'm interested
in That's the sort of friend I am
She looked up at his cleaning eyes
q little amazed, and he went on, quiet
~ enough now:
IF fails to hang Luke Thixton I'll
De right now what We prophesied for
me twenty years hence-the leader Of
the Wolf-pack that goes down an gets
Tod on. | amt never put no such
strain on nv inf1uanco &c this ts coin