Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1922-09-21

A4oi III . SIoIc- over ulLe6u miles
from here. And some one member of
certain family that. lives near here
goes down everyHweek to get the mail
for the entire district.
"At first-and that was before I
really UNDERSTOOD wrote you many
letters and gave them to one OF this
family to mail for me. I was Just a
child then, you must know, and I
lived In the same house with these
people. They were just baby let.
tiers from-from Linda linda to Bwov-
aboo-letters about the deer and the
berries and the squirrels all the
wild things that lived up here"
Berries" Bruce cried. II had some
on the way up" His tone wavered,
and he seemed to be speaking far,
away. II had some once-long ago."
eyes. You will understand, soon.
! didn't understand why you didn't
answer my letters. I understand now,
though. You never got them"
mo. I never got them. But there
are several Duncans In my city. They
Auknt n0Ve gone aSCfay.
"They went astray-but 1t was oe-
fore they ever reached the post office.
They were never mailed, Bruce. I
was to know why, later. Even then
It was part Of the plan that 1 should
never get in communication with you
agatn-that you would be lost to me
forever
"When got older, I tried other
tacks. I wrote to the asylum. enclos.
Ing letter to you. But those letters
were not mailed, either.
"Now we can skip a long time. I
grew up. knew everything at last
and no longer lived with the family
I mentioned before. came here, to
this old house-and made 1t decent
to live in. I cut my own wood for my
fuel except when one Of the men
tried to please me BY cutting it for
me. I wouldn't use it at first. oh,
Bruce wouldn't touch it,"
Her face was no longer lovely. It
was drawn with terrible passions,
But she quieted at once.
"At last I saw plainly that I was a
little fool-that all they would do for
me, the better of was. At first, I
almost starved to death because I
wouldn't use the food that they sent
me. I tried to grub it out Of the hills.
But came to 1t at last. But, Bruce,
there were many things didn't come
to. Since learned the truth, I!have
never given one Of them q. smile ex-
cept in scorn, not a word that wasn't
a word Of hate.
"You are city man, Bruce. You
don't know what hate means. It
doesn't live in the cities. But it lives
UP here. Believe me, If you ever be-
lieved anything-that it lives up here.
The most bitter and the blacklist hate
from birth until death! 1t burns
out the heart, Bruce. But I don't
know that can make you under
stand"
She paused, and Bruce looked away
into the pine forest. He believed the
girl. He knew that this grim land
was the home of direct and primitive
emotions. Such things as mercy and
remorse were out Of place In the
game trails where the. wolf pack
hunted the deer.
"When they knew how Il hated
them," she went on, "they began to
watch me. And once they knew that
I had fully understood the situation,
I was no longer allowed to leave this
little valley. There are only two
trails, Bruce. One, goes to Elmira's
cabin on the way to the store. The.
other encircles the mountain. With
all their numbers, 1t was easy to keep
watch of those trails. And they told
me what they would do IL they found
me trying to 60 past. /" :.
"YOu don't mean-they threatened
you?"
She threw back her head and
laughed, but the sound had no JOY in
it. Threatened! II you think
threats are common up here, you are
a greener tenderfoot than ever I. took
you for. Bruce, the law up here ID
the law Of force. The strongest wins.
The weakest dies. Walt till you. see
Simon. You'll understand then-and
you'll shake in your shoes"
The words grated upon him, yet, he
didn't resent them. 'I've seen 81
mon," he told her. ss sss
She glanced toward him quickly,
and 1t was entirely plain that the
quiet tone in his voice had surprised
81 ~ ~ 80 -,
her. Perhaps the faintest flicker Of
admiration came into her eyes.
'He tried to stop you, did he? OF
course he would. And you came. any
way. May heaven bless YOU for it,
Bruce!" She leaned toward him, ap.
pealing. And forgive me what
said" II y
Bruce stared at her In amazement.
L He could hardly realize that this was
the same voice that had been SO torn
With passion q moment before. In an
Il + instant ail her hardness was gone
40 ~ y; desnsss sot 4 sweet and