Roanoke Rapids herald. [volume] (Roanoke Rapids, N.C.) 1914-192?, 1917-06-08
G NAN Of 9
MUSIC MOUNTAIN
Nfr dnkH SpedrmdN
Author q Whispering Smith,
Author q whispering Smith

"Old Bunny, the Mex. PardalOe
goes out to the bunkhouse; I sits down
to my supper. alone. with Bunny al
the stove. All Of sudden who comes
a.trippin' In from the front Of the
house but Nan. I jumps up as
strong as I could, but I was too cold
and stiff to jump up real strong. She
seen me, but didn't pay no attention
I dropped my spoon on the floor. II
didn't do no good, neither, so ! pushed
n hot plate Of ham and gravy of the
table. It hit the dog m he Jumped
like kingdom come. Old Bunny sails
into me. Nan a-watchin', and while
Mex was plckln' up and cleanin' up
l sneaks over to the stove and wlnks
at Nan. Say, you oughter see her
look mad at me. She was hot, but
kept a-winkln', and l says to her kind
Of huskyllke: Got any letters for
Calabasas tonightY Say, she looked
ut me as II she'd bore holes into me,
but l stood right up and glared back
at the little girl. Come from there
this mornin,' says I, going back to-
night. Someone waiting there for
news
by jing, Just as ! got the words
out O my mouth, who comes a-stalk.
Ing In but Gale Morgan. The minute
he seen .ne, he lit on me to beat. the
band-called me everything he could
lny his tongue to. l let on ! was
drunk, but that didn't help. Tie %
dered me of the premises. N the
worst OF II was, Nan chimed right 10
and began to scOld Bunny for lettin'
me inland leaves the room, quick.
like. Bunny put It on Pardaloe, and
she and Gale had II. an b. jing Gale
put me out-sald he'd pepper me. But
wait till I tell y how she fooled him.
1t was ralnin' like nj, n 1t looked
as II l was booked or a ride through
1t and hadn't half drunk my second
cup Of coffee at that. I starts for the
burn, when someone In the dark on
the porch grabs my arm. spins me
around like top. throws flasher up
Into my face, and there was Nan.
Bull. she says, I'm sorry. ! don't
want to see you ride out In this with
nothing to eat; come this way quick.
"She took me down cellar from the
outside, under the kitchen. When
Gale goes out again she filings up the
trapdoor, speaks to Mex. pulls all the
kitchen shades down. locks the doors,
and sets down on the trapdoor steps
n eats q plpin' hot supper; sayi
Well, reckon l drank couple o
quarts Of coffee. Bull she says. I
never done you no harm, did IT
Never says I, and I never done you
none, neither. did II And what's
more. never will do you none Then
! up and told her. Tell him., says
she. 4 can't get hold Of horse. nor
pen. nor a piece Of paper-I cant
leave the house but what I am
watched every minute. They keep
track Of me day and night. Tell him,
she says, 4 can protect myself; they
think they'll break me-make me do
what they want me to-mary-but
they cant break me, AMI I'll never do
it-tell him that
"'But,' says I, that amt the whole
case, Miss Nan. What he'll ask me,
when he's borln' through me with his
eyes like the way you're borin' me
through with yours, Is: When will you
see him-when will he see your
"She looked worrit for a mint.
Then she looks around, grabs up the
cover Of an empty 'bacco box and a
fork and begins a.writing inside" Bull
with as much Of q smile as he could
call into life from his broken nerves,
opened up his blanket, drew carefully
from an inside coat pocket an oilskin
package, unwrapped from It the fat.
square top Of tin tobacco box, on
which Nan had scratched a message,
and handed It trlumphantly to De
Spain.
He read her words eagerly:
swat; don't have trouble. I can
stand anything better than bloodshed,
Henry. Be patient"
While De Spain, standing close to
the lantern, declphered the brief note,
Bull, wrapping his blanket about him
with the air Of one whose responsible.
ity Is we'll ended, held out his hands
toward the blazing stove. De Spain
went over the words one by one, and
the letters again and again. 1t was,
utter all their months of ardent meet.
ings, the first written message he had
ever had from Nan. He famed an.
grlly at the news that she was prls.
oner IN her own home. But there was
much to weigh In her etched words,
much to think about concerning her
feelings-not alone concerning his
own.
He dropped into his chair and, OBJ
livlous for moment Of his c0mpan-
IONS presence, stared into the fire,
When he started from his revery Bull
was asleep. De Spain picked him up,
carried him In his blanket over to q
cot, cut the wet rags off him, and,
rolling him In second blanket,
walked out into the barn and ordered
up a team and light wagon for Sleepy
Cat. The rain fell all night.
CHAPTER XXI.