The Ordway new era., 1917-02-09

to herself whom he dumbly "or-
shipped.
Look around you. Anse." she com
manded. DO you see any dirt or dust
anywhere? No; We are teaching
cleanliness and sanitation, but there
is Just one place here where the spiders
are welcome to come and spin their
webs unmolested. It's that rack Of
guns. Did you ever hear of the shrine
at Lourdes?"
Il reckon not" he confessed uneas-
lily. OF late he had become a little
ashamed OF the things he did not
know.
We'll. this is going TO be like 1t.
Anse II is told that when the lame
and halt and blind came to Lourdes to
pray they went away straight and
strong and clear of vision. There
hang at the shrine there numberless
crutches and canes, discarded because
the men who were carried there went
away needing them no more. Some
day your old order of crippled things
here in the mountains is going to be-
come straight and strong, and these
guns will be the discarded crutches.
He looked at her, and II no response
was ELECTED to her prophecy, at least
he could not contemplate without
stirring of enthusiasm the flushed face
and glowing eye with which she spoke.
1t was all worth while II 1t could bring
that sparkle of delight to her counte-
nance
It's right pretty, but it won't hardly
work" he said. These men will leave
them guns Just so long as they don't
need 'em. I'm glad to see ye pleased
but | don't want to see ye disap-
pointed"
A little before Christmas old Milt
McBriar went to Lexington, and there
he met a heavily bearded man in rough
clothes who had arrived that morning
from the West They conferred in
| cheap eating house which bears rag
ged and unwholesome appearance and
| is kept by an exile from the noun
tains.
Now tell me. Milt," suggested Luke
Thixton briefly. what air this thing ye
wants me ter do. I'm done with these
hyar old fiat lands thet they talks SO
much erbout."
But Milt McBriar's eyes had been
vacantly watching the door. 1t was a
glass door, with its lower portion paint.
ed red and bearing in black letters the
name of the proprietor,
Damn" he exclaimed violently, but
under his breath.
What's bitin' ye?" asked his com
panion, as he bolted his food.
| Il Jest seed Breck Havey pass by
that door" explained the chief. But
l reckon he couldn't hardly recognize
you this fur back. ! don't want no
word OF yore comm ter go ahead of
ye."
What is it I'm a-goin back ter do?"
insisted the exile doggedly.
oh" commented Milt McBriar.
we've got ter talk thet over at some
length. Ye're a-goin' back ter git Anse
Havey. but ye hain't a-goin jist yit."
One morning as he sat over his
breakfast at the kitchen table. Anse's
cousin. Breck Havey. rode up in hot
haste to rouse him out of apathy and
remind him that he must not shirk his
role as leader of the clan
The Havey from Peril came quickly
to the point while the Hayey of the
backwoods listened.
II was down ter LeXin'ton yesterday,
an as l was passin' Jim Freeman's
deadfall happened ter look in. Thar
war old Milt McBriar an Luke Thix-
ton, thar heads as close tergether as a
pair of thieves. Luke hes come back
from the West, an | reckon ye kin fig
ger out what thet means"
Anse grew suddenly rigid and his
face blackened. So his destiny was
crowding him!
| What air ye goin' ter do?" demand
ed Breck with a tone of anxious and
impotent pleading. Anse shook his
head.
| 81 don't know-quite yet" he said
Lets see, is the high cote in ses-
sion?"
Breck Havey nodded his head in per-
| picked assent. He wondered what the
court had to do with this exigency.
"All right. Tell Sidering to have
the grand jury indict Luke for the Nc
Nash murder an Milt McBriar as ac-
cessory-"
Good God, Anse!" burst out the
other Havey. Does ye realize what
hell ye turns loose when ye tries ter
| drag Old Milt ter cote in Peril?"
"Yes, l know that" The answer was
calm. I'll give ye list of witnesses.
Tell Sidering to keep these true bills
/ secret. I'll ride over and testify my
self, an I'll tend to keepin' the wit
nesses quiet. don't know whether
we'll ever try these cases. but It's Just
as well to be ready along every line"
Breck Havey stood gazing down at
| the hearth with a troubled fece. At
last he hazarded a remonstrance.