Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1922-09-08

Nevertheless, the tension was broken.
| Bruce turned to the merchant
II would like to have you tell me-"
he said quite clearly, "the way to
Mrs Ross cabin"
| The merchant seemed to wait long
time before replying. His eyes stole
to the giants face, found the lips
curled in smile; then he flushed.
Take the eft-hand road" he said
with trace of defiance in his tone
"Tt soon becomes a trail, but keep
right on going up it. At the fork in
the trail you'll find her cabin
How far is it, please?'
1.-TWO hours walk; you can make
it easy by four o'clock"
Thank you" His eyes glanced over
the stock of goods and he selected
few edibles to give him strength for
the walk. "Tll leave my suitcase here
if l may" he said, land will call for
| it later" He turned to go.
"Wait just a minute" a voice spoke
behind him. 1t was a commanding
tone-implying the expectations Of
obedience. Bruce half turned. "Simon
wants to talk to you" the merchant
explained
"I'll walk with you way and show
you the road" Simon continued. The
room seemed deathly quiet as the two
men went out together.
They walked side by side until
turn of the road took them out of eye
range of the store. "This is the road"
Simon said "All you have to do is
that you could mistake it. But the
main thing is-whetber or not you
want to 60"
Bruce had no misunderstanding
about the mans meaning. 1t was SIM
ply a threat, nothing more nor less.
1--WE come long way to go to that
cabin" he replied. I'm not likely to
turn off now"
There's nothing worth seeing when
you get there. Just an old hag-a
wrinkled old dame that looks like
witch"
Bruce felt a deep and little under
stood resentment at the words. Yet
since he had as yet established 10
relations with the woman, he had no
grounds for silencing the man. "l'll
have to decide that" he replied. I'm
going to see some one else, too"
"SOme one named-Linda?"
"Yes. You seem quite interested"
They were standing face to face in
the trail. For once Bruce was glad Of
his unusual height. He did not have
to raise his eyes greatly to look
squarely into Simon's. Both faces
were flushed, both set; and the eyes
of the older man frightened slowly.
II am interested" Simon replied.
you're tenderfoot. You're fresh
from cities. You're going up there to
learn things that won't be any pleas
ure to you You're going into the
real mountainS--a mans land such as
never was place for tenderfeet. A
good many things can happen up
there A good many things have hap
pened up there. | warn you-go
back !"
Bruce smiled, just the faint flicker
of a smile, but SimOn's eyes narrowed
when he saw it. The dark face lost a
little of its insolence. He knew men,
he knew that no coward could smile in
such moment as this. He was ac-
customed to implicit obedience and
was not used to seeing men smile
when he uttered threat. I've come
too far to go back" Bruce told him.
Nothing can turn me-"
Men have been turned before, on
trails like this Simon told him.
Don't misunderstood me. l advised
you to go back before and | usually
don't take time or trouble to advise
any one. Now / tell you to go back.
This is a mans land, and we don't
want any tenderfeet here"
"The trail is Open," Bruce returned.
1t was not his usual manner to speak
in quite this way. He seemed at once
to have fallen into the vernacular Of
the wilderness of which symbolic ref
erence has such part. Strange as
the scene was to him, it was in some
way familiar too 1t was as if this
meeting had been ordained long ago;
that it was part of an ineXorable des-
tiny that the two should be talking to-
gether, face to face, on this winding
mountain road MemOries-all vague,
all cogniZed-thronged through
him.
Many times, during the past years,
he had wakened from curious dreams
that In the light of day he had tried
in vain to interpret He was never
able to connect them with any remen-
bered experience. Now it was as If
one of these dreams were coming true.
There was the same silence about him,
the dark forests beyond, the ridges
stretching ever. There Wa some
great foe that might any instact over
whelm him.
II guess you heard me-" Simon
said; II told you to go back"
"And l hope you heard me too. I'm
going on. I haven't any more time to