Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-04-27
CHAPTER XVIII.
FACING tho Music.

ing TO read what further he could
among the rocks. II was little, but 1t
spelled a meeting of two people--Nan
and another-and he was stimulated to
keep his eyes and ears open for fur
Their discoveries. Moreover, continu-
Ing ease In seeing each other, unde-
tected by hostile eyes, gradually rem
dered the lovers less cautious in their
arrangements.
De Spain, naturally reckless, had
won In Nan girl hardly more con-
cerned. Self-reliant, both OF them,
and instlnctively vigilant, they spent
so much time together that Scott and
Lefever, who, before fortnight had
passed after Dukes return home, sur
missed that De Spain must be carry
Ing on some sort Of clandestine af-
fair limiting toward the gap, only Ques-
toned how long 1t would be before
something happened, and only hoped
Ii would not be, In their own word
unpleasant. 1t was not theirs In any
case to admonlsh De Spain, nor to
dog the movements of so capable a
friend, even when his safety was con-
cerned, so long as he preferred to keep
his own counsel-there are limits
within which no man welcomes unin-
vited assistance. And De Spain, In
his long and frequent rides, his pro-
tracted absences, Indifference to the
details of business and careless humor
had evidently passed within these
limits
What was stage traffic to him COM
pared TO the sunshine on Mans hair .
what attraction had schedules to offer
against a moment Of her eyes, what
pleasing connection could there be be-
tween bad-order wheels and her low
laugh?
The two felt they must meet to dis
cuss their constant perplexities and
the problems of their difficult situa.
ton; but when they reached their
irysting places, there was more Of gay
city than gravity, more
than concern, more Of ,.u.. p.
each others hearts than lookir., int
the troublesome future. And there
was hardly an inviting spot within
miles of Music mountain that one or
the other of the two had not waited
near.
There were, Of course, dlsappoint.
ments, but there were only a few fail
ures In their arrangements. The diff
cultles of these fell chiefly on Nan.
Flow she overcame them was source
of surprise to De Spain. who maryeled
at her innocent resource In escaping
the demands at home and making her
way, despite an array of obstacles, to
his distant lmpatience.
Midway between Music mountain
and Sleepy Cat u loW-lying wall OF
lava rock, In part sand covered and In
part exposed, parallels aud sometimes
crosses the principal trail. This undu-
lating ridge was a favorite with De
Spain and Nan, because they could
ride in and out of hiding places with
out more than just leaving the trail
itself. To the west Of this ridge, and
commanding II, rose rather more than
a mile away the cone called Black Cap.
Suppose" said Nan one afternoon,
looking from De SPANS side toward
the mountains, someone should be
spying on US from Black CapT She
pointed 10 the solitary rock.
'If anyone has been, Nan, with a
good glass he must have seen eI-
changes of confidence that would make
him gnash his teeth know II ever
saw anything Ike It I'd 20 hang. But
the country around there IS too rough
for horse. Nobody even hides around
Black Cap, except some tramp hold-up
man that's crowded In his getaway.
Bob Scott says there are dozens OF
mountain lions over there
But Sassoon had the unpleasant pa
thence of mountain lion and its dog
ged persistence and, hiding himself on
Black Cap, he made certain one day
Ol Wlldl Hc lluu LuIS bNSh Nbh'ihSNh
that Nan was meeting De Spain.
The day after she had mentioned
Black Cap TO her lover Nan rode over
to Calabasas to get bride mended.
Galloping back. she encountered Sas-
soon just inside the gap. Nan so
detested him that she never spoke
when she could avoid II. On his part,
he pretended not to see her as she
passed. When she reached home she
found her Uncle Duke and Gale stand.
Ing In front Of the fireplace In the llv-
ing room. The two appeared from
their manner to have been In heated
discussion, one that had stopped sud-
denly on her appearance. Both looked
at Nan. The expression on their faces
forewarned her. She threw her quirt
on the table, drew off her riding
gloves, and began to unpin her hat;
but she knew storm was impending.
Gale had been made for long time
to know that he was an unwelcome
visitor, and Mans greeting Of him was
the merest contemptuous nod. "Well,
uncle" she said, glancing at Duke,
"Tm late again. Have you had sup
perT
Duke always spoke curtly; tonight
his heavy voice was as sharp as an
ak. Been late a good deal lately"
Nan laid her hat on the table, and,
glancing composedly from one suspi-
eious face to the other, put her hands
up to arrange her hair. "Tm going to
try to do better. I'll go and get my
supper If you've had yours She
started toward the dining room.
Hold onW Nan paused at her I'M
cle's ferocious command. She looked