Mountain advocate., 1916-01-28

his palms and he smothered low
oath between his clenched teeth. but
Juanita Holland only looked at the
cross.examner with a cleareyed and
serene glance Of scorn under which he
seemed to shrivel. she replied with
the dignity of young queen who can
afford to ignore insults from the gut.
ter.
None whatever"
The defendant sat back in his chair
and the smile left his lips as though
he had been struck by thunderbolt
He knew that his case was won, and
yet as lie saw her leave the witness
stand and the courtroom, he felt sickcr
at heart than he had felt since he
could remember lie would almost
have preferred condemnation with the
hope against hope left somewhere
deep in his heart that there slept !u
hers an echo TO his unuttered love.
The question he had never dared e.
ask she had nswered-answered un-
der oath, and liberty seemed now
very barren gift
When he had been acquitted and
was going out he saw a figure in con.
sultation with the proseCutor-a figure
which had not been inside the doors
during the trial II was Mr.. Trevor OF
Louisville and he was testify saying:
"Oh, we'll, there are more ways of
killing a cat than by choking 1t with
butter"
Anse Havey did not require the in
depreciation of an oracle for that
cryptic comment He knew that the
effort to dispose of him would not
end with his acquittal.
Juanita was going away to enlist
her staff of teachers and arrange for
the equipment of the little hospital,
and Anse did not tell her of his inse-
curity.
You'll promise to be very careful.
while I'm gone, won't your" she de-
manded. as they sat together the night
before she left.
"lll try to last till you get bac..,' he
smiled. He was sitting with pipe in
his hand-a pipe which had gone out
and been forgotten.
In the darkness of the porch every
thing was vague but herself. She
seemed to him to be luminous by some
light of her own. She was a very
wonderful and desirable star shining
far out of reach of his world.
Suddenly she laughed, AID he
asked:
What is it,"
81 was just thinking what a fool [
was when | came here" she answered
Did you know that brought a piano
with me as far as Peril? It's been
there over a year"
"A piano" he echoed, then they
both laughed.
81 might as we'll have tried to bring
along the Philadelphia city hail. she
admitted. Just the same, there have
been times when Il "5aIl have meant
lot to me, an awful lot, if | could
have had that piano. | don't know
whether music means so much to you
hut to me-"
Il know" he broke in. Il some
times low that life amt much else GX-
cept the summin' up OF the things
-Cller dreams. Music is like dreams
1T makes dreams. Yes, know some
hin about that"
She Went away and, though she was
not long gone, her absence seemed in.
terminable to Anse Havey. He met
her at the train on her return with a
starved idolatry in his eyes, and to-
sether they rode back across the
ridge.
But when she entered the building
which had been the first schoolhouse
the man drew back a step or two and
watched as surreptitiously as Il boy
who has in due secrecy planned a sur.
prise.
She Went in and then suddenly halt.
ed and stood near the threshold in
ama2ement. Her eyes began to dance
ard she gave a little gasp OF delight.
There against one wall stood her
piano.
She turned to find Anse Havey wait
ing in the door as awkwardly as a
green boy. Just how difficult a task il
had been 10 bring that great weight
across those roads unframed she
could only guess. lie must. in effect
have built the roads before him :.
Napoleon built them for his armies.
She turned to him, deeply moved,
and after the first flush OF delight her
eyes were misty.
Il wonder how | am ever going &c
thank you-for everything" she said
softly
But Bad Anse Havey only answered
in an embarrassed voice: Il reckon il
might be a little jingly, so had a fel.
Ter come up from Lexington and tune
it up"
She went over and struck a chord.
then she came back and laid hand
ON his coat sleeve.
I'm not going to try to thank you
at all-now." she said. But you &c
home and come back this evening and
Wen have a little party. just you and
with music