The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-01-24

inc creature have ScOrned and de
spised, and / discover that have sis
ter SO beautiful that, not knowing her
at all, my eyes are dazzled and my
heart goes to humping like any silly
schoolboy's- Aye, it's a very sorry
pass. Were it not so demned upset
ting. 1t would be amusing. Fate never.
played a wilder prank. What, no,
Zachariah Where are we now? Whose
farm Is that upon the ridge7"
Zachariah. urging his horse forward,
consulted his memory. Striker had
mentioned the farms they were to pass
En- route. and the features by which
they were to be identified.
well, Marse Kenneth, Of hit aim de
Sherry place hit shorely am de SherI.
dan place. an ef hit amt nuther one
o dem hit mus belong to Marse Dim
NIT er-Is yo' gwine to stop dere,
Marse Kennethr
mo. / shall ride out from town
some day soon to look the place over"
said his master, with a pardonable
loneliness Of mien, becoming to land
ed gentleman. Our affairs at present
lie In the town, for there is much to be
|
tells me the man who IL farming the
place is an able, honest fellow. I
shall not disturb him. From what he
says, my property Is more desirable In
every way than the land that fell to my
fathers widow. Her farm lies of to
our left, 1t seems. and reaches almost
to the bottomlands Of the river. We,
Zachariah, are out here in the fertile
prairie land. Our west line extends
along the full length Of her property.
So. you see. the only thing that sepa-
rates the two farms is an imaginary
line no wider than your little finger,
drawn by a surveyor and established
by law"
They passed log cabins and here and
there pretentious frame houses stand.
Ing back from the road in the shelter
OF oak and locust groves Their passing
was watched by curious women and
children in dooryards and porches
while from the fields men waved greet
ing and farewell with the single sweep
OF hat. On every barn door the pelts
OF foxes and raccoons were stretched
and nailed.
Presently they drew near to a lane
reaching Off to the west. and apparent.
ly ending in wooded knoll, a quarter
Of a mile away.
| There" said Kenneth. with a wave
Of his hand. lis where shall some day
erect mansion, Zachariah, that will be
the wonder and the envy Of all the
people In the country. For unless l am
mistaken, that is the grove of oaks that
Striker mentioned Behold, Zachariah
all that Is mine. Four hundred acres
| OF as fine farm land as there Is in all
the world. and timber unparalleled.
| Yes, ! am right. There is the house
that Striker described, the place where
my father lived when he first came to
the Wea. Egad, It's not regal palace.
is IT. Zachariah? The most imposing
thing about 1t is the chimney"
They were gazing at cabin that
squatted meekly over against the wall
OF oaks. 1t was, In truth, the most
primitive and Insignificant house they
had seen that day
He was one of the FIRST TO build in
this virgin waste" mused the young
man aloud. "Rough and parlous were
the days when he came to this land.
Zachariah. There was no town of La
fayette. no neighbors save the rude.
uncultured trappers. Now see how the
times have changed. And, mark my
guess, Zachariah. there will be still
greater changes before we are laid
away. There will be cities and Ha
Look, Zachariah. to the right Of the
grove. II is all as Striker said. There
Is the other hosse-two miles or more
to the westward. That 10 her house,
He drew rein and gazed at the dis
tant house. His face clouded. his jaw
was set. and his eyes were hard.
| .Yes. that would be Rachel Carter's
house." he continued. harshly. 'Her
land and my land lying side by side.
with only a fence between. Her grain
and my grain growing out Of the same
soil. What an unholy trick for fate to
play. Perhaps she is over there, even
now. She and Viola. It Is not likely
that they would have started for town
at an earlier hour than this. And to
think of the damnable situation shall
find In town"
And SO they rode again, at times
breaking into a smart canter where
the road was solid, but for the most
part proceeding with irksome slowness
through the evil slough. Ahead lay the
dense wood they were to traverse be-
fore coming to the town.
| Suddenly Zachariah called his mas
ter's attention to horseman who rode
swiftly. even recklessly, across the
i fields to their left and well ahead Of
them. They watched the rider with in
terest, struck by the furious pace he
was holding, regardless Of conse-
Quences either to himself or his steed.
Mus be somebody pow'ful sick,
Marse Kenneth, TO dat man to be ridin'
10 fas'," remarked Zachariah.