Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1916-02-18
CHAPTER Xll-Continued.

Dd"u tuiucu away anu WcuL SCdah'
ing along the woodland path without a
backward glance, and Milt followed at
her heels, with J~uanita, much amused,
bringing up the e The easterner
Thought that these two young folks
made a splendid pair, specimens of the
best of the mountains, as yet unbroken
by heavy harness. Then, as the
younger girl passed under a swinging
rope of wild grapevine, STOPPING low,
q tendril caught in her hair.
Without a word Young Milt bent for.
ward and was freeing it, tingling
through his pulses as his fingers
touched the heavy black mass, but as
soon as she was loose the girl sprang
away and wheeled. her eyes blazing.
"How dast We tech me?" she de-
amanded, painting with wrath. How
fdast ye?"
The boy laughed easily. II dast do
anything l wants." he told her.
For a moment they stood looking at
:. each other. then the girl dropped her
+ 'eyes. but the anger had died out of
them, and Juanita saw that. despite
her condescending air, she was not
'displeased.
Juanita, Of course, knew nothing OF
Jeb's suspicious that had led him into
the laurel, but even without that in
formation, when Young Milt met them
more often than could be attributed
to chance on their walks and fell into
the habit of strolling back with them.
strong f%orebodings began to trouble
her.
And one morning these ~forebodings
were verified in crisis for, while the
youthful McBriar lounged near the
porch Of Juanita's cabin talking with
Dawn, another shadow fell across the
sunlight: the shadow of Jeb McNash.
He had come silently. and 1t was only
as Young Milt, whose back had been
turned, shifted his position, that the
two boys recognized each other.
Juanita saw the start with which
Jeb's figure stiffened and grew taut.
She saw his hands clench themselves
and his face turn white as chalk; saw
his chest rise and fall under heavy
breathing that Kissed through clenched
teeth, and her own heart pounded with
wild anxiety.
But Milt McBriar's face. showed
nothing. His fathers masklike calm
ness of feature had come down to him,
and as he read the meaning of the
other boys attitude he merely nodded
and said casually: "Howdy, Jeb."
Jeb did not answer. He could not
answer. He was training and punish
ing every fiber cruelty simply In
standing where he was and keeping
his hands at his sides. For a time
ne remained stiff and white, breathing
systematically; then, without a word,
he turned and stalked away.
That noon a horseman brought q
note across the ridge. and as Juanita
Holland read 1t she felt that all her
dreams were crumbling-that the soul
of them was paralyzed.
It was a brief note, written in o
copybook hand, and 1t ran;
ri have to ask you to send the McNash
children over to my house. Jeb doesn'
want them to be consorting with the NC
Briars, and / can't blame him. He Is the
head of his family.
Respectfully.
ANsE HAvEY.
A stronger thing to Juanita Holland
than the personal disappointment
which had driven her to this work wa!
now her eager, fiery interest in thu
undertaking itself. In these months
she had disabused herself of man!
p~rejudices. There remained that lin
gering one against the man with whom
she had not made friends.
The thing she had set out to do wa
a h~undredfold more vital now than 1
had been when 1t stood for carryini
out a dead gr%andfather's wish. Sh'
had been with these people In child
birth and death, in sickness and want
abe had seen summer go from Its ten
der beginning to a vagabond end witt
dts tattered banners Of ripened corn
autumn had blazed and Jared int
Nsigh carnival,
+ ~ AZ young Jeb had turned on his bee