Mountain advocate., 1916-01-28
CHAPTER XXI.

OLE dDpNetl w tiit Sct'u'i
AT first her college had been a kin
dergartcn in cdcct hut now as Juani
Ia stood on the porch at recess she
wondered il any other schoolmistrcss
mad ever drawn about her such a
strange assortment of pupils. There
were little tots in bright calico glory.
ing i'm big bows of cotton hair.ribbon
but submitting grudgingly to the
combing of the hair they sought to
adorn. There were larger boys and
girls, too, and even a half-dozen men
just now pitching horeeshoes and
smoking pipes-and they also were
learning to read and write
In the afternoons women rode in on
mules and horses or came on foot. and
Juanita taught them not only letters
and figures, but lessons looking to
cleaner and more healthful cabins.
May came with smiles and songs in
the sky from sunrise to sunset, and in
the woods, where the moisture rose
and tender greens were sending out
their hopeful shoots, the wild flowers
unfolded themselves. Then Juanita
Holland and Anse Havey would go to.
gether up to the ridge and watch the
great awakening across the brown and
gray humps of the hills. and under
their feet was a carpet of glowing
petals.
Anse Havey had never had such a
companionship, and hidden things be-
gan to wakcn in him.
So when she stood there, with the
spring breeze caressing the curling
tendrils at her temples, and blowing
her Bingham skirt about her slim
ankles. and pointed off. smiling. to his
house, he dropped his head in mock
shame.
"'Only the castle moodily gloomed
to itself apart" she quoted in accu-
sation, and the man laughed boyishly.
II reckon we haven't seen the castle
lately" he said. aye wouldn't hardly
know it. It's gettin all cleaned up an
made civilized. The eagles nest is
turnin' into 4 sure-enougb bird cage"
Who's changing now?" she ban
tered. Am i civilzing you or"--her
eyes dancedswith badinage-"are you
preparing to get married."
His face flushed and then became
almost surly.
Who'd marry me-" he savagely dc,
manded.
I'm sure l don't know" she leased.
Whom have you asked"
He bent a little forward and said
slowly:
"Once ye told me / was wasting my
youth. Ye lowed | ought to be captain
of my soul. If found woman that
wanted and she wouldn't have me
what ought | TO do about it?"
"There are two courses prescribed
In all the corr" 7po dence schools, and
both are perfectly simple" she an
nounced with mock gravity. One is
simply to take the lady first and ask
her afterward. The other is even
easier; get another girl"
"Oh," he said. He was hurt because
she had either not seen or had pre-
tended not to see his meaning She
had not grasped the presumptuous
dream and effrontery of his heart.
His voice for a moment became
enigmatical as he added; Sometimes
l think we've played hell in these
mountains"
That spring silent forces were at
work in the hills; as silent and less
beneficent than the stirring sap and
the brewing of showers.
Three men in the mountains were
now fully convinced that what the
world needs the world will have. and
they were trying to find a solution to
the question which might make their
own people sharers in the gain, in
stead of victims. These three were
Anse and Milt and Jeb. and their first
step was the effort to hold landowners
in check, and make them slow to sell
and guarded in their bargaining.
Jim Fletcher, a mountain man who
had for years drifted between Tribula-
ton and Winchester trading In cattle
and timber. made a journey through
the hills that spring, and was every
where received as "home folks" For
him there were no bars of distrust,
and he was able for that reason to buy
land right and left. Though he had
paid for 1t a price above the average
It was a price far below the value of
the coal ana timber 1t contained
and Jim had picked his land
Anse Havey and his associates knew
that Jim Fletcher had been subsidized;
that the money he spent so lavishly
was not his own money; and that he
came as stalking horse, but they did
not know that he had been to Louis
willie and had conferred there with Mr..
Trevor. Neither did they know at
once that he had visited the cabins OF
every malcontent among both the for.
mer factions. and that he was mis-
chiefmaker adroitly laying here In the
hills the foundations for new feud.
Jim had a bland tongue and a per-
suasive manner. and he talked to the
mountain men In their own speech.
but he was none the less the advance
agent of the new enemy from down