Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-01-21
CHAPTER v.

upfung shafts OF light, but here in the
hills OF Appalachia even the sun comes
stealing with surreptitious caution and
veiled face. as II fearful OF ambuscade.
When Juanita opened her eyes, to
find the tumbled beds empty save for
herself, she told herself with a dismal
heart that a day OF rain and sodden
skies lay ahead Of her.
The dim room reeked with wet
mists, and an inQuisitive young zoos
ter stalked jauntily over the puncheon
floor. where his footballs sounded in
tiny clicks. 1t vas a few minutes
after Ave o'clock. and Juanita shivered
a little with the clammy chill as she
went over to the door and looked out.
Bending over q gushing spring at
scious grace Of perfect naturalness,
her sleeves rolled back and her dark
hair tumbling. knelt the girl Dawn.
Juanita crossed the yard, and as she
came near the younger girl raised a
face still glistening with the cold wa
ter into which 1t had been plunged and
glowing with shyness.
The older woman nodded with a
smile that had captiyated less simple
subjects than Dawn and said; Good
morning. | think you and | are going
to be great friends. | know w are II
you will try to like me as much as |
do you"
Then tho girl from Philadelphia
plunged her face, too, into the cold.
living water, and raised 1t again. smil-
ing through wet lashes.
What makes ye like me-" Dawn
suddenly demanded In a half. challeng-
ing voice.
you make me like you.' laughed
Juanita,
The mountain girl held her eyes still
In the %unwaverlng steadiness OF her
race, then she said In q voice that car
ried an undertone OF defiance:
, "Ye hain't nuver seen me afore.
an" she broke of. then doggedly.
AN besides, | don't know nuthin'."
Il mean to see you often after this
announced the woman from down be.
low, and the things you don't know
can be learned"
A sudden eagerness came to the
younger face and a sudden torrent Of
questioning seemed to hover on her
lips, but 1t did not find utterance. She
only turned and led the way silently
back toward the house. When they
were almost at the door Dawn hest.
tated, and Juanita halted with an en-
couraging smile. 1t was clear that
the mountain girl found whatever she
meant to say difficult, for she stood
indecisive and her cheeks were holly
! suffused with color, so that at last
Juanita smilingly prompted: What
| is 1t, dear?"
aye said" began Dawn hastily and
awkwardly. "ye said suthin' bout me
|. a tryin' ter like ye. IL don't halter
try does hit" Then. having made
q confession as difficult to her shy tacl.
turnity as a callow boys first declara-
ton Of love, she fed abruptly around
; the corner Of the house.
Juanita stood looking after her with
a puzzled brow. This hard mountain
reserve which Is 80 strong that friends
rarely shake hands, that fathers sell
dom embrace their children. and that
the kiss is known only to courtship'
was new to her.
n AT breakfast she did not see Dawn
the dryad had vanished
During tho meal no allusion was
T. made to the happenings OF last night
- but the girl noticed that inside the
door leaned the householder's rife
T. gun" and under young jobs armpii
bulged the masked shape OF q pistol
ID butt.
y Young jobs face yesterday had
ID been that OF a boy. this morning 1t was
N the sullen face OF a man confronting
grim realities. Had Juanita beer
10 more familiar with the contemporary
u affairs OF the community, she might
have known that on man faces along
Tribulation that morning brooded the
I'd same scowl from the same cause. The
ia McBriar yell had been raised last
10 night In the heart OF the Havey coun
"a try, and this morning brought tht
M shame Of a land invaded and dlshon
10 ored.
10 Dawn did not reappear until Juanitt
"a had mounted and turned her mule
head forward. Then. as she was pass
ing the dllapidated barn, the slim. cal
an ico-clad figure slipped from its doc
IN and intercepted her In the road. hold
n, ing up q handful OF Queer.shape'
roots.
i, Il lowed ye mought need thes.
hyar," said the girl d%ifidently.
~ Juanita smiled as she bent in he
-, saddle to take the gift.
Thank you, dear; what are they?
Hits ginseng" Dawn assured hel
% Hit grows back thar in Their wood
-. an hits got a powerful heap Of vii
NC tue. Hit frisks Their speret an drive
" away torment. Ell yer starts te
swoon agin, Jest chaw hit"
81 Juanita repressed her amusement.
"You see, dear" she declare,
er there's one very wonderful thin
RS you know that | didn't know. An
De- don't forget. when we meet again "
a are old friends"
ne Then. when she had mounted h,