Tombstone epitaph., 1917-03-11

nesned . enoot of hiD rare and boyfsh smile. I'm past mendin' now. came because-Tm dyin'-an' wanted to die in your arms!"
 You shan't die." she breathed fiercely between her teeth. My arms shall always be around you"
 But he shook his head and his fig ure sagged a little against her knees.
 T know-when I'm done" he said slowly. Its all right now-Tve done got here. That's enough-l loves ye." For . time she wondered whether he had lost consciousness. and she laid him down slowly and brought cushions with which to soften his po- sition. It was almost daybreak now.
 She sat there beside him. and as her heart beat close to him he seemed to draw from it some of its abundant vi tality. for he revived a little. and though his eyes were closed and she had to bend down to catch his words. his voice grew somewhat stronger. .. T aint never felt lonesome-before But out there-dyin' by myself-the last of my family-I had to come. Dyin' ain't like livin'-I couldn't die without ye."
 You aren't dying" she argued des- pcrately. You sha'n't die"
 Tt ain't that" His breath came with great difficulty They'll come back here. They'll get me yet-an' I'd ruther die first
 She laid his head very gently on the pillows and rose to her feet. In the instant she stood transfgured. Deep in her violet eyes blazed such a blue fire as that which burns at the hot test heart of flame. Around her lips came the grim set of fight and blood. | lust
 The crushed flower on her bosom rose and fell under a violent tempest Of passion. The skirt of her evening gown had been torn in her effort to carry him Somehow one silk stock ing was snagged above her slipper His blood reddened her white arms and bosom. She drew a deep breath and clenched her hands. The dis ciple of peace was gone, and there stood there in its stead the hot breathed incarnation of some valkyr lowering over the din of battle and urging on the fight.
 Yet her voice was colder and stead fer than he had ever heard 1t. She pointed to the door.
 Get you!" she exclaimed scorn- fully. No man but Havey crosses that threshold while live. I'm a Ha- yey now and we live or die together. Get you!" Her voice broke with wild laugh. "Let them come!"
 No bitterly bred daughter of the hills was ever so completely the mountain woman as this transformed and reborn girl of the cultured East She moved about the place with steady. indomitable energy. With strength borrowed of the need, she upset the great oaken table and bar. ricaded the door, laughing as she heard the chatter of pedagogic vol. umes on the floor. Fox's Book of Martyrs" fell at her feet, and she kicked 1t viciously to one side.
 She went and stood before her rack
  caught up a heavy-calibered repeater with all the fierce desire of drunkard for his drink. She stood there loading rifles and setting them in an orderly line against the wall. She devastated her altar of peace with the untamed joy of barbarian sacking temple.
 Then she turned and saw in the mans eyes a wild glow of admiration that burned above his fever. and she said to him once more. Now let 'em come" He shook his head. but strangely enough her love and awakened feroc- ity had strengthened and quickened him like brandy, and he pleaded: Drag me over where I can get just one shot"
 Then Juanita blew out the lamp and stood silent in the hush that comes before dawn. She did not have to wait long, for soon she heard hoof just at the turn.
 Hello, stranger!" she shouted, and it took all her strength to command her voice. Halt where you are"
 There was an instant's silence in the first misty gray that was bringing the yelled sunrise.
 A stified murmur of voices came 1 from the road. and she caught the l words, He's in thar all right" A | moment later someone called out sul- | lenly from the shadows:
 We gives ye three. minutes ter leave thet house. We're a-comin' in. | an we'd rather not ter harm ye. Git | out quick"
 "Ye can't save me. dearest. It's too late. For Gods sake. go out" pleaded Anse Havey tensely
 Her answer was to cry out into the | dawn in a voice that could not be mis- | understood. "Anse Havey's in here. Come and get him." and for added em- phasis she crouched behind the over turned table and fired a random shot | out toward the voice that had offered | her amnesty.
 From the earlier happenings of the evening the men out there knew that the school property was empty save for the man and the girl, and they knew that the man was terribly wound ed.
 Their peering eyes. in the dim gray, could just make out an empty door. |