Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-09-22

In this agreement, Folger promised to
return to me-the only living heir of
the Rosses-the lands acquired by the
deed. In reality, he was only holding
them in trust for me, and was to re-
turn them when l was twenty-one.
In case of my fathers death, Folger
was to be my guardian until that time.
"Fo' yer knew the risk Re ran, but
he was brave man and he did not
care. Besides, he was my fathers
friend-and friendship goes far in the
mountains. And my father was shot
down before week was past
1.-THE clan had acted quick, you see.
When Folger heard Of it, before the
dawn, he came to my fathers house
and carried me away. Before another
night was done he was killed too"
The perspiration leaped out on
Bruce's forehead. The red glow of
the fire was in his eyes.
"He fell almost where this fire lie
built, with a thirty-thirty bullet in his
brain. Which one Of the clan killed
him | do not knOw-but in all prob
ability it was Simon himself-at that
tme only eighteen years of age. And
Folger's little bOy-sOmething past
four years old-wandered out in the
moonlight, to find his fathers body"
The girl was speaking slowly now,
evidently watching the effect of her
words on her listener. He was bent
forward, and his breath came in queer,
whispering gusts. go on!" he or
dered savagely. Tell me the rest.
Why do you keep me waiting?"
The girl smiled agaln-like sor-
ceress. 'Folger's wife was from the
plains country" she told him slowly
IF she had been Of the mountains she
might have remained to do some kill
ing on her own account. Like old Ell
mira herself remained to dO-killing
on her own account But she was
from cities, just as you are, but she
unlike you-had no mountain blood In
her. She wasn't used to death, and
perhaps she didn't know how to hate
She only knew how to be afraid.
"They say that she went almost in
sane at the sight of that strong, brave
man Of hers lying still in the pine
needles She hadn't even known he
was out Of the house He had gone
out on some secret business-late at
night She had only one thing left
her baby boy and her little foster
daughter-litt1e Linda Ross, who Is
before you now. Her only thought
was to get those children out Of that
dreadful land Of bloodshed and to
hide them so that they could never
come back And she didn't even want
them to know their true parentage
She seemed to realize that If they had
known, both Of them would return
some time-to collect their debts.
Sooner or later, that boy with the Fol-
ger blood in him and that girl with
the Ross blood would return, to at
tempt to regain their ancient holdings,
and to make the clan pay!
"All that was left were a few old
women with hate In their hearts and
a strange tradition to take the place
of hope They said that some time, If
death spared them, they would see
Folgers son come back again, and
assert his rights. They said that
new champion would arise and right
their wrongs But mostly death didn't
spare them. Only old Elmira is left.
what became of the secret agree
ment I do not know. I haven't any
hope that you do, either. The deed
was carried down to the courts by
Sharp, one Of the witnesses who man.
aged to get past the guard, and put
on file soon after 1t was written. The
rest is short Simon and his clan took
up the land, swearing that Matthew
Folger had decided it to them the day
he had procured it. They had deed
to show for it-a forgery. And the
one thing that they feared, the one
weak chain, was that this secret
agreement between Folger and my
father would be found.
"You see what that would mean. 1t
would show that he had no right to
deed away the land, as he was simply
holding it in trust for me- Old Elmira
explained the mdttcT " mc-ll get
mixed up on the legal end of 1t, ex-
cuse 1t. If that document could be
found, their forged deed would be OBJ
viously invalid. And 1t angered them
that they could not find it.
"Of course they never filed their
forged deed-afraid that the forgery
would be discovered-but they kept
1t to show to any one that was in
terested. But they wanted to make
themselves still safer.
"There had been two witnesses to
the agreement. One Of them, man
named Sharp, died-or was killed
shortly after. The other an old trap
per named Hudson, was Indifferent to
the whole matter-he was just pass
ing through and was at Folger's house
for dinner the night Ross came. He is
still living in these mountains, and he
might be Of value to us yet.
"Of course the clan did not feel at
all secure They suspected the secret
agreement had been mailed to some