Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1917-05-03

| "You Coward" She Cried.
de Spain faced this big coward and
| protected me from him with an empty
| revolver! What business of yours is
| it whom I meet, or where go" she
! demanded, raining her words with
| flaming eyes on her belligerent cousin.
Il will never marry you to save you
| from the hangman. Now leave this
house" She stamped her foot. leave
| this house, and never come into it
again!"
Gale, beside himself with rage, stood
| his ground. He poured all that he
! safely could of abuse on Mans own
head. She had appeased her wrath
and made no attempt to retOrt, only
! looking at him with white face and
| burning eyes as she breathed defiance.
| Duke interfered. Get outr' he said
to Gale harshly. "Tll talk to her. Go
! home"
Not ceasing to mutter oaths, Gale
picked up his hat and stamped out Of
| the house, Summing 1ne uOOTS. Duke,
exhausted by the quarrel, sat down,
eying his niece. "Now what does this
mean?" he demanded hoarsely.
She tried to tell him honestly and
! frankly all that her acquaintance with
! De Spain did mean-dwelling no more
than was necessary on its beginning,
F! but cOncealing nothing of it's develop
! ment and consequences, nothing of her
love for De Spain, nor of his for her
! But no part of what she could say on
any point she urged softened her
uncle's face. His square, hard jaw
from beginning to end looked like
stone.
$50 he's your lOver?" he said harsh
| ly when she had done.
''He wants to he your friend" re-
turned Nan, determined not to give up.
| Duke looked at her uncOmprOmising-
| ly. THAT man can't ever be any
/ friend of mine-understand that! He
can't ever marry you. If he ever tries
/ to- so help me God, I'll kill him if
| hang for it. | know his game. [
| know what he wants. He doesn't care
! Il pinch of snuff for you. He thinks he
can hit me blow by getting you away
/ from me"
Nothing could be further from the
| truth" exclaimed Nan hopelessly.
! Duke struck the table a smashing
blow with his fist. "rIl show Mr.. de
| Spain and his friends where they get
| off"
"Uncle Duke, if you won't listen to
reason, you must listen to sense. Think
! of what position you put me in. I
| love you for all your care of me. I
love him for his affection for me and
consideration of me - because he
knows how to treat a woman. [ know
he wouldn't harm hair on your head
for my sake, yet you talk now Of
bloodshed between you two. l know
what your words mean-that one of
you, or both of you, are to be killed
| for Senseless feud. He will not stand
up and let any man shoot him down
without resistance. If you lay your
| blood on his head, you know it would
| put q stain between him and me that
never could be washed out as long as
we lived. If you kill him l could never
| stay here with you. His blood would
cry out every day and night against
| you"
| Dukes violent finger shot out at her.
| And you're the gal l took from your
nanny and promised I'd bring up
| decent woman. You've got none o. her
blood in yOu-nOt a drop. You're the
brat of that mtncing brother of mine,
| that was always riding horseback and
showing off in town while I was weed
| ing the tobacco beds"
! Nan clasped her hands. "DOn't
blame me because I'm your brothers
child. Blame me because I'm a wOm-
an, because / have a heart, because
! l want to live and see you live, and
| to see suspicion, distrust, feuds,
alarms, and worse. I'm not migrate
full, as you plainly say 1 am. I want
| you to get out of what you are in
here--I want to be out of it. I'd rather
be dead now than to live and die in it.
And what is this anger all for? Moth
ing. He offers you his friendship"
| She could speak no further. Her uncle,
with curse, left her alone. When she
arose in the early morning he had
already gone away.