Tombstone epitaph., 1917-01-28

-0o on in thar. of ye sees nt. 1 haint got no license ter stop ye." he said curtly; but don't aim ter leave thout seein' me. too."
 Several shaggy retainers were loung- ing on the front porch. but as Good Anse Talbot and Juanita turned in at the gate these henchmen disappeared inside They would all be there to wit ness her humbling. thought the girl. It would please him to receive her with his iackal pack yelping derisively about him.
 Then she saw another figure emerge from the dark door to stand at the threshold. and the flush in her cheeks grew deeper. Bad Anse Havey stood and waited. and when they reached the steps of the porch he came slowly for ward and said gravely, Come inside He led the way. and they followed in silence.
 Juanita found herself in the largest room she had yet seen in the noun tains-a room dark at its corners de- spite a shaft of sun that slanted through a window and fell on a heavy table in a single band of light. On the table lay litter of pipes. loose to- bacco, cartridges and several books. Down the stripe of sunlight the dust notes fioated in pulverized gold, and the radiance fell upon a book which lay open, throwing it into relief. so that as the girl stood uncertainty near the table she read at the top of a page the caption, "Plutarch's Lives"
 But she caught her breath in relief. for the retainers had disappeared.
 Bad Anse stood just at the edge of the sun-shaft, with one side of his face lighted and the other dark.
 But if to the girl the whole picture was one of somber composition and color, it presented different aspect to Bad Anse himself as the young mountaineer stood facing the door.
 We've done come ter hev speech with ye, Anse," Talbott began. T reckon ye know what hits erbout"
 The Havey leader only nodded. and his steady eyes and straight mouth line did not alter their sternness of ex- pression.
 He saw the sti1ed little gasp with which the girl read the ultimatum of his set face and the sudden mist of tears which, in spite of herself. blurred her eyes. He pushed forward a chair and grayely inquired: Hadn't ye better set down. ma'am?" She shook her head and raised one hand, which trembled little. to brush the hair out Of her eyes.
 Palpably she was trying to speak. and could not for the moment com mand her voice. But at last she got herself under control. and her words came slowly and carefully.
 'Mr Havey. have very little reason ts expect consideration from you. Eren now. if it were a question of pleading for myself, l would die first, but it isn't that" She paused and | shook her head. You told me that must fail unless came to you. We'll. I've conceive come to humiliate my self. I guess I've come to surrender. |" | His face did not change and he did not answer. Evidently. thought the
 
 sSased herself. After a moment she went on in a very tired. yet a very eager voice.
 You are a man of action, Mir Ha- vey. l make my appeal to your man. | hood. l suppose you've never had a | Cream that has come to mean every | thing to you--but that's the sort of ! ,tlA cfr rt no wants a chance Her little brother wants a chance. I've humbled myself to come and plead for them If you SAke them away from me you will smash my school l don't underesti' mate your power now. Children are | just beginning to come to me. and if you order these to leave, the others will leave, too. and they won't come back. It will kill my school. If that's your purpose, guess it's no use even to plead. I know you can do it-and yet you told me you weren't making war on me-"
 'I reckon" interrupted Brother Tal' bolt slowly. rye needn't have no fear of thet, ma'am. Anse wouldn't do thet"
 But if you aren't doing that" went on Juanita, T want to make my plea just for the sake of these children of your own people. I'm ready to accept your terms. I'm ready to abase and humble my own pride, only, for Gods sake. give them a chance to grow clean and straight and break the shackles of illiteracy."
 She waited for the man to reply, but he neither spoke nor changed expres sion. so with an effort she went on unconsciously bending little forward in her eas.Tness:
 If you could see the way Dawn has unfolded like a flower, the thirsty in telligence with which she has druni up what I have taught her; the way 1t has opened new worlds to her; don't think you could be willing tt plunge her back into drudgery and ig norance. She is a woman. or soor will be. Mir. Havey. You don't neet women in your feuds."
 Again came the cautioning voice o the preacher in his effort to keep hel away from antagonizing lines.
 They haint been called away fer nc
 reason like thet, ma'am." But Juanit;
 continued. ignoring the warning: The other boy is too young for yo'
 to use yet Let him at least chocs' for himself I,et him reach the az,