Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-11-29
CHAPTER l-continued.

didn't"
The mans eyes searched her face
for some hidden meaning in her words !;
apparently did not find it.
II amt amin t. let the big worl
out yonder swaller me up like it did
Ken. Some fiatboatmen told me yes
terd'y there's wagon train maxim
up in the city for the gold diggin's
in California. Y'u know, when bound
boys times out, the man he's bound
to mast gener'ly starts i'm off with
hors and saddle and bride. Pap
Simsn said he figr'd on givin me
Grafiock.
ii low we'll jine that wagon train
Graylock and me. And when we find
gold, we're-comin' back"
He stole shy look at her. She
dropped her eyes.
You'll f'rget the Flatwoods when
you've found-gold."
He seemed to search her words
again for some meaning that he wished
much to find. But her face was very
thoughtful and turned aside.
"F'rget the Flatwoods Where else
in the world is there sight like that?
The minute I've got money enough I'm
comm back. I'll buy the homestead
back f'om Pap Simon; finish the
house; and then"
An arm unconsciously reached to-
ward her. The movement brought the
red-roofed cottage into his line of Wis
ion-the red-roofed cottage. where lay
q paper that bound him to servitude.
He drew his arm back; crushed his
hat rim in his powerful fingers.
Down by the rivulet in the barn lot
the geese honked and clapped their
wings. The sound aroused the man
from the half bitter mood and he
glanced at his companion, to find her
eyes upon him.
Jack" she hesitated; do y'u
s'pose 1t could be the red lock that
made Ken act like e did?"
The question was SO at variance
with the mans trend of thought that
he was long time considering it.
ct amt the red lock-" he finally
answered in his slow way, tits the
drop Of blood that come along with it.
FIR that matter, though, every man
gifts bad drop r two out of the past.
But them bad drops can be overcome,
If man bucks ag'in 'em. The trouble
with Ken was 1t didn't pear like he
wanted t buck ag'in' his
"The curse of Colin,'" was the
girls musing comment. "F'r hundreds
Of years-ever sence the days Of Red
Colin the old sea pirate-it's ben
breakin' out in the family every few
generations. 1t alw'ys worried Ken
that it broke out on him. I've some
times thought it would "a ben better
II he'd never "a found out the mean
in Of that red lock-that it was the
curse of Colin"
That's it," he commented. Il low
Ken fg'r'd the curse had i'm anyhow,
and SO 1t wasn't wo'th while t buck
ag'in It,"
Mother KEEP the lock cut off, y'u
know, till Ken was big enough t notice
1t himself. After that he alw'ys kept
1t combed under SOS it didn't show.
l don't reckon anybody in the Flat
woods but you and me and father
know'd e had it,
"Yes," the woodsman interrupted,
"or Uncle Nick Whites knows. But
that's as good as sayin' it's dead and
buried. Nothin' ever gifts a-past Uncle
Nick's jaw"
He grinned pushed up the mop OF
tousled hair that fell over his brow
and pointed TO scar.
|. THAT'S where Ken struck me with
Ia whip han'le the day found out e
had it."
The girl ran her slim fingers over
the scar.
"And he cut me with the whip
Because / few at i'm when e done it."
"And then l hit i'm with a rock
because e cut you"
The girl shivered.
II thought he'd kill y'u that day."
she said. His hat fell off, his hair
was mussed, and y'u know how awful
1t made i'm look when that red lock
worked out and fell down over is
eyes-wild and savage and terrible:
like OF Red Colin must "a looked.
Ee jerked y'u up and drawed the butt
OF is whip-mercy 1t makes me
shiyer t think about it. But he only
lAughed-hard and wlld-and let y'u
60"
A smile crawled across the bold
features of the woodsman, narrowed
mis- eyes and piached out two queer
little wisps of friendly frankness.
This amt Fourth o. July, mr.
Christmas, mr. nobody's weddin'. How
come the scaneryy" He reached out