The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-01-29
CHAPTER XVII,

When winter has come and settled
down for its long siege In the Cumber-
lantls human life shrinks and shrivels
into Q ,shivering wretchednsss. and q
spirit Of dreariness steals into the hu.
mail heart.
The house OF old Milt McBriar was
not 80 dark and cherries q hovel as
the houses Of his lesser neighbors. but
as that winter closed in his heart was
bitter and his thoughts were black.
In q roundabout way he had Aearned OF
Young Milt's Wait to the McNash cab
In. His SON was the appls Of his eye.
and now he was seeing him form en-
bryonic afiMations with the people Of
his enemy.
Young Milt had visited Dawn; he
had watched with Anse Havey. The
father had always taken q natural
pride in the honesty, that cleaned
from his sons alert eyes. and the one
person from whom he had concealed
his own. ways Of guile and deceit most
studiously. was the lad who would
some day be leader In his stead. There
were few things that this old intriguer
feared, but one there was. and now It
was tracing lines Of care and anxiety
In tho visage that had always been 80
masklike and imperturbable. II his
son should ever look past his outward
SELF and catch . glimpse Of the inner
man. the father knew that he would
not be able to sustain the scorn of
those younger eyes. SO. while the
lad, who had gone back to college in
Lexinlyton. conned his books. his faith
Or sat before the blaze Of his hearth.
his pipe tight ciamped between his
teeth. his heart fostering In his breast.
and his mind dangerously active.
The hegiunines of all- The things
which ~ IspspiSd. md meant To pun
ish. Wsnt back to the establishment OF
. school With Z ''fotcAed-oh" seacher.
Had Dawn MoNash not come there.
his boy's feet would not have gone
wandering westward over the ridge,
strayirg out OF partisan paths. The
slimness Of her body. the lure Of her
violet syss. ana the dusky meshes OF
her dark hair had led his own son 10
guard The roof that sheiter,.d. hsr
against the hand of arson the fathAr
had hired. .f t,, q,
But rn.. 1.sAnse Havey was re-
sponsibl Havsy who. had per
suaded LIS son :. make common, cause
with th's enemy. For that Anss Havey
must die. e,sk
Heretofore Old Mft had strfck only
at lesser men. fearing the retribution
Of too audacious q crime. but now his
venom was acute, and even such grave
considerations as the danger OF a holo-
catst must not halt its appeasemeat.
still the mind OF Milt McBriar. the
elder, had worked long In intrigue. and
even now It could net follow q direct
line. Bad Anse must rot be shot down
IN the road. His taking OF must be-
accomplished by. . shrewder method.
and one not directly traceable to 80
palpable . motive as his own hatred
Such Q plan his brain was working
ont. but for It's execution he needed a
hand Of craft and force-such hand
as only Luke Thixton could supply
and Luke was out West.
TWAS hot his intention to rush hast
lily into action. Some day he would 20
down to Lexington and Luke should
come East to meet him. There, q hun.
dred and thirty miles from the hills,
the two Of them would arrange mat.
ters to his own satisfaction.
Roger Malcolm had gone back. and
he had not. after all. gone back with a
conqueror's triumph. He was now dis
cussing In directors meetings plans
looking to titanic grouping of inter
ests which were to focalize on these
hills and later to bring Developments.
The girls school was gradually max.
Ing Itself felt. and each day saw small
classes at the desk and blackboard
small classes that were growing larger.
Now that Milt had laid the ground.
work OF his plans. he was making the
field fallow by q seeming of general
beneffcenee. His word had gone out
along the creeks and branches and In.
to the remote coves Of his territory
that 1t wouldn't hurt folks none ter
give their children a little rarnin'."
In response to that hint they trooped
IN from the east. wherever the roads
could be travelled. Among those who
"hitched an lighted" at the fence were
not only parents who brought their
children. but those who came impelled
by that curiosity which turks In lonely
lives. There were men In Jeans and
hickory shirts: women in gay shawl
and linsey'woolsey and calico; peoplc
from back Of beyond" and Juaait;i
felt her heart beat faster with tho hope
OF success.
i hear ye've got q right plentiful
gatherin' of young barbarians over
there At the college these days" said