The Ordway new era., 1917-01-26

other men. waiting at their separated
posts. were equally invisible and noise
less. but some intangible premoniaon
had come to the shadow which had
lost itself In the impenetrable black
ness and began its retreat with its Cd
1 ject unaccomplished.
Young MI, went back TO his house
in the cold mists Of dawn, No shot mao
been fred. no face recognized. but the
Havey and the McBria- both kne"
that the school had been saved By
their Joint vigilance.
Some days later the news OF that
night watch leaked through to Jer'!
| Everson. who bore the tidings TO Juan
| ita. and she wrote a note to Anse ma
vey asking him to come owe! and lei
her express her thanks in person
The mail rider brought her orlet
| reply penned In q hand Of coPybook
care.
! don't take any credit only did what
| any other man would do. and young M!.t
| AcBr!R- did as much as ! c!c. LHAnk
| him II you want TO. Ii would only De
| awkward for ne to come over there
Respectfully. ASSE HAVEY.
Old Milt McBriar heard OF his sons
part in the watching OF the schoo! and
] brooded blackly as he guawet at the
stem OF his pipe, but he said nothing.
The boy had been sent away 10 college
| and had had every advantage. Now
he had unwittingly but none the less
| surely, turned his rife on one Of his
fathers hireIings bent or his fathers
work. for the oil-soaked ki1dling had
been laid at Old Milt's command
The thing did not tend 10 make the
leader OF the McBriars partial to the
| innovations from down below.
One day, when Juanita went down to
the post Office. which nestled unob-
trusively behind the single counter OF
the shack store at the gap. she found
a letter directed in hand which set
her heart beating and revived many
oid memories.
She climbed to the crest, sat down
under the poplar. and began to read
tie letter from the man she had sent
away
He said that he had made sincere
effort to reconcile himself TO her deci-
sion which eIiled him. The effort had
failed. He had been to the Mediter-
ranean and the East. His letter con-
! cluded:
| Can you not find It IN your heart TO be
! touehed by my devotion Not only happI-
| mesa. but peace dwelIs where you are.
and am coming to you.
Do not forbid me. for ! an coming any
way. l am coming because must; be-
caIss> love you.
she sat for long time gazing of at
.S -; 1s.-T ,,,|
. 'ES bite OF the raw air. Then she |
looked up and saw a figure at her side. |
It WAS Bad Anse Havey.
He bowed and stripped of his coat.
| which, without asking permission, he |
threw around her shiyering shoulders. |
Il didn't aim to intrude on ye." he |
said slowly. Il didn't know ye was up |
here. Do ye come often?"
Very often" she answered. folding |
the letter and putting it back into its |
envelope. When | first came to the |
Widow Eversons l discovered this |
tree, and 1t seemed to beckon to me TO I
como up. Look" She rose and point |
ed OF with a gauntleted hand. Il can |
stand here and see the Notifications OF I
ny two enemies. There is your place |
| and there is Milt McBriar's.
She smiled with unconscious arch |
| ness. But I'm not going to let you be |
my enemy any more" she went on. |
I've decided that you have got to be |
my friend. whether you want to be or |
not-and what decide upon must be-" |
Bad Anse Havey stood looking into |
her eyes with the disconcerting steadi- |
ness OF gaze that she always found It |
difficult TO sustain, but his only re-
sponse was sober I'm obleeged TO .
ye."
Perhaps that letter. with it's old re-
minders had brought back a little OF |
the old selfs innocent coquetry. She |
stood with her gloved hands in the |
deep pockets OF her sweater jacket |
with his coat hanging from her shoul. |
ders. About her deep-violet eyes and .
sensitive lips lurked a subtle appeal |
for friendship-perhaps, though she .
did not know it-for love.
Il have behaved abominably to you.
Mr.. Havey." she confessed. It's nat. |
ural that you should refuse me forgive |
ness" For moment her eyes danced |
and she looked up challengingly. into |
his face But its natural, too. that | /
should refuse to let you refuse We .
are going to be friends. am going to |
smash your old feud to splinters and |
I'm going to beat you. and just the
same we are going to be friends"
Again his reply was brief.
I'm obleeged to ye''
You have been very good to me-" !
she went on, and the note of banter
left her voice; "and you refused to let |
me thank you"
For moment he was silent, then he |
replied awkwardly: Il reckon it's pret. |
ty easy TO be good to you" After that
she heard him CARING In a rn... ..f. |