The Elk Mountain pilot., 1924-06-05

"She would be very happy tonight,
Kenneth, If 1t were not for one thing"
said Rachel. II still stand in the way.
She cannot give herself to you except
at cost to me. There can be nothing
between you until I stand before the
world and say there is no reason why
you should not be married to each
other. Do you wonder that she does
not know her own hearth
"And I would not deserve her love
and trust if were to ask you to pay
that price, Rachel Carter" said he
steadily.
"Good-by, Kenneth" she said, after
a moment. She held out her hand.
"Will you take my hand-just this
once, boyT
He did not hesitate. He grasped the
hard, toil-worn hand firmly in his.
1--WE can never be friends, Rachel
Carter-out. as God is my witness, /
am no longer your enemy" he said,
with feeling. "Good-by."
He was halfway down to the gate
when she called to him:
"Wait, Kenneth. Moll has some
thing for you"
He turned back and met Moll Hawk
as she came swiftly toward him.
Here's somethin' fer you to carry
In your pocket, Mr.. Gwynne," said the
| girl in her hoarse, low-pitched voice.
mo harm en- ever come to you as long
as you got this with you-in your
pocket er anywheres. Hits charm
an old Injin chief give my pap when
| he wuz with the tribe. long before I
|
he wuz tooken up by the sheriff, er
else he never would ha' had setch bad
luck. I found it day before yesterday
when wuz down to the cabin, seein'
about movin' our hogs an chickens an
hosses over to Mis- Gwyn's barn. The
only reason the Injun give it to pap
| wuz beca'se he wuz over hundred
| years old an didn't want to warn Off
death no longer. Hits just a little
round stone with somethin' fer all the
world like eyes an nose an mouth on
one side of it-jest as If hit had been
carved out, only hit wuzn't. Hits jest
natural. Hit keeps off sickness an
death an bad luck Mr.. Gwynne. Pap
| knowed he wuz goin' to ketch the devil
the minute he found out he lost it.
|
have it with you while you wuz off
fightin' the Injuns, an she said she'd
| love me TO her dyin' day if l would give
you the loan of it. Mebby you don't
believe in charms an signs an all
setch stuff, but it can't hurt you to
carry it an'-an' hits best to be on the
safe side. Please keep it, Mr.. Gwynne"
1t was round object no bigger
than a hickory nut. He had taken il
from her hand and was running his
thumb over its surface while she was
speaking. He could feel the tiny nose
and the little indentations that pro
duced the effect of eyes.
"Thank you, Moll," he said, sincerely
touched. ITS mighty good of you. ]
will bring it back to you, never fear
and 1 hope that after 1t has served me
faithfully for little while it may do
the same for you till you, too, have
seen hundred and don't want to live
any longer. What was it Miss Viola
said to your
II guess l hadn't ought to said that ~
she mumbled. Anyhow, 1 amt goin
to say it over again. Good-by, Mr.
Gwynne-and take good keer O. your
self"
With that she hurried back to the
house, and he, after glance up at
the second-story window which he
knew to be viola's, bent his steps
homeward.
His saddlebags were already packed,
his pistols cleaned and oiled; the long
barreled rifle he had borrowed from
the tavern keeper was in prime order
for the expedition. Zachariah had
gotten out his Oldest clothes, his thick
riding boots, linsy shirt and the
rough but serviceable buckskin cap
that old Mr.. Price had hobbled over
to the Office to give him after the first
day of drill with the sententious re-
mark that plug hat was perty
thing to perade around in but it wasn't
very handy sort of 4 hat to be
buried in"
Kenneth's lamp burned far into the
night Not once but many times he
took up from the table a short, legal
looking document and re-read its con-
tents, which were entirely in his own
cramped, scholastic hand save for the
names of two witnesses at the end. 1t
was his last will and testament, drawn
up that very day. Minda Carter was
named therein as his sole legatee-
"Afinda Carter, at present known as
Viola Gwyn, the daughter of Owen
and Rachel Carter" His father had.
to all intents and purposes, cut her off
without n penny, an injustice which
would be righted in case of his own
death.
1t was near midnight when he blew
out the light and threw himself fully
dressed upon the bed. Sleep would
mot come. At last, in desperation, he
got up and stole guiltily self-con-
sciously out into the yard. Presently
lhe was standing at the fence separat-