Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-03-03
CHAPTER XVl-Continued.

Inc girl from Philadelphia had FOR
some days been watching the road
which led in ~tortuous 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 AN
o Of a 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 a 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 Aunyry for love. She
had written to him. sternly f~orbidding
his coming, and II he obeyed that man
date he would, Of course. prove himself
weak and lacking in initiative. So she
was waiting with a ~fluttering 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 n~oiselessly up to
the larger house. Two feminine fig
ures sat sewing in the hall as he silent.
1y opened the unlatched door and lei
himself in. One of them was a figure
he knew even with its back turned-a
figure which, because of something
d~istinctively subtle and wondrous
could belong to no one else. The Other
was a mountain girl of undeniable
beauty, but, to him, of no interest.
1t was Dawn who saw him first and
with a glance that brought a resentfu
flash to her eyes, she rose silently ant
slipped out through a side door. Then
as Juanita came to her feet with
little gasp and held out both hands
the mans heart began to hammer wild
ly, and he knew that the fingers h
held were trembling.
He would have taken her at once II
his arms, but she held him of ant
shook her head.
81 told you not to come" she re
buked him in a voice that lacked cor
yiction.
"And l flagrantly ~disobeyed you'll
answered. AS | mean henceforth I
d,sobey you. Once l lost you becaus
played a weak game. You want
cohqueror, and ! have always been
suppliant. Now l have changed m
method"
"Oh!" said Juanita family. For jus
an instant she felt a leap at her hear
Perhaps, after all, he had grown t
her standard. That was how she mus
be won, if ever won. and she wante
to be won.
She saw him draw out of his pockt
a small box which she had once give
back to him and take from it a ring st
had once worn, but again she shoe
her head. p
"Not yet, DEAR" she said very softl
"You haven't proved yourself a CO
uueror yet, you know. You've 1u
called yourself one."
Then her heart misgave her, fc
after gazing into her eyes with a hu
look. the man masked his d~isappoir
ment behind a smile of Difference al
replied: Very we'll, ! can wait, b
that's how 1t must be in the end"
In the end! Juanita knew that, aft
all, he had no. changed.
He was still tae man of brave
tents and words-still the man W
stood hesitant at the moment for
blow.
It was while Malcolm was Juani;'