The Adair County news. [volume] (Columbia, Ky.) 1897-1987, 1918-02-27
CHAPTER XVIII.
4 New Way of Leaving a House.

The surge of disgust with which
Sheba had broken her engagement to
marry Macdonald ebbed away as the
weeks passed. 1t was impossible for
her to wait upon him in his illness and
hold any repugnance toward this big,
elemental man The thing he had done
might be wrong, but the very open
ness and frankness of his relation to
Meteetse redeemed it from shame. He
was neither a profligate nor a squaw-
man.
This was DANES point Of view, and
in time it became to a certain extent
that of Sheba. One takes on the color
Of ones environment, and the girl from
Drogheda knew in her heart that Me-
teetse and Colmac were no longer the
real barriers that stood between her
and the Alaskan. She had been dis
nluSioned, saw him more clearly; and
! though she still recognized the quality
of bignesS that set him apart, her spirit
did not now do such complete homage
to it. More and more her thoughts
| contrasted him with another man.
Macdonald did not need to be told
that he had lost ground, but with the
| logged determination that had carried
him to success he refused to accept
the verdict. She was a woman, there
fore to be won. The habit of victory
was so strong in him that he could see
no alternative.
The mOtOr-car picnic to the Willow
Greek camp was a case in point. Sheba
did not want to go, but she went. The
picnic was a success. Macdonald was
an outdoor man rather than a parlor
| one. He took charge of the luncheon,
lit the fire, and cooked the coffee with
out the least waste of effort. In his
shirt sleeves, the neck open at the
throat, he looked the embodiment of
masculine vigOr. Diane could not
help mentioning it to her cousin.
isn't he q splendid human animal?'
Sheba nodded. "He's wonderful"
eff 1 were a little Irish colleen and
he had done me the honor to care for
me, I'd have fallen fathoms deep in
love with him."
The Irish colleen's eyes grew reflec-
tive. ''Not if you had seen Peter first,
Di. There's nothing reasonable about
a girl, 1 do believe. She loves-or else
she just doesn't"
| Diane fired a question at her point
blank. "Have you met your Peter? Is
| that why you hang back?"
The color famed into Sheba's face.
"Of course not. You do say the most
outrageous things, Di."
They had driven to Willow Creek
over the river road. They returned
| by way of the hills. Macdonald drew
up in front of cabin to fill the radi-
ator.
He stood listening beside the car,
the water bucket in his hand. Some
thing unusual was going on inside the
house. There came the sound of a
thud, of a groan, and then the crash
of breaking glass. The whole window
frame seemed to leap from the side
of the house. The head and shoulders
of man projected through the broken
glass.
The man swept himself free of the
debris and started to -un. Instantly
he pulled up in his stride, as amazed
to see those in the car as they were to
see him.
Gordon cried Diane.
Out of the house poured rush of
men. They too pulled up abruptly at
sight of Macdonald and his guests.
A sardonic mirth cleaned in the
eyes of the Scotsman. "Do you al
ways come out of house through the
wall, Mr.. Elliott" he asked.
"Only when I'm In hurry" Cor