The Ely miner., 1926-01-01
CHAPTER II-Continued

dSIS ShS ielt luelu III the hdiuS VI
boy of seventeen, very much after
her own type, but who walked with a
hopeless halt, and went on to the
cabin.
Hello, Nanny" she said, smiling
and if she had been beautiful before
she was exquisite when she smiled.
for the red lips curled up at the cor
ners and the blue eyes narrowed to
drowsy Sits of sweetness.
But there was no answering smile on
the gaunt face of the big woman who
met her at the door with work-hard-
ened hands laid anxiously on her young
shoulders.
Nance, GIRL" she said straightly. az
heard a shot this afternoon-I reckon
it whistled some out there in tn field?"
'It did," said Nance honestly, $50
close it made Dan squat"
In spite of her courage the woman
paled bit.
my Lord A'mighty!" she said dis
tressedly, ~ do wish your pappy had
stayed in Missouri! l make no doubt
he'd been livin' today-and I'd not be
eating my heart out with longin' for
him, sorrow over Bud, an fear for
you every time you're out of my sight.
And tn land amt worth it."
But Nance Allison laid her hand
over her mothers and turned in the
doorway TO look once again at the red
and purple wells of dusk-haZe falling
down the mountains face, to listen to
the song of Nameless river, hurrying
down from the mysterious canyons of
the Deep Heart hills, and a sort of
adoring awe irradiated her features.
Worth it?" she repeated slowly.
"No-not papp's death-not Buds
lameness-but worth every lick of
work / ever can do, worth every glori-
Gus hour 1 spend on 1t, worth every
bluff / call, every sneak-thief enemy
defy-and some day it will be worth
a mint of gold when the cattle grow to
herds And in the meantime it's-why,
Nanny, it's the anteroom of heaven,
the fringes of paradise, right here in
Nameless valley.
The mother sighed.
You love it lot, don't your she
asked plaintively.
81 think it's more than love-" said
the big girl slowly as she rolled her
faded sleeves higher along her golden
arms preparatory to washing at the
well in the yard, 81 think it's principle
"a proving of myself think it's a
fropt limo ip tho ha ttJa ~ Iffa-opd T
believe I'm a mighty fighter"
II know you are" said the woman
with conviction, family tinged with
pride, ''but-there'll be few cattle left
for herds If things go on the way they
have gone. Perhaps there1l be neither
herds nor herders-"
But her daughter interrupted.
"There'll be a fight, at any rate"
she said as she plunged her face. man
fashion, into the basin filled with wa
ter from the bucket which she had
lifted, hand over hand-"there'll be a
fight to the finish when 1 start-and
some day I'm afraid I'll start"
She looked at her mother with a
shade of trouble on her frank face.
"For two years." she added, "Pve
been turning the other cheek to my
enemies. l haven't passed that stage,
yet. I'm still patient-but l feel stir
rings"
"God forbid" !" said the older woman
solemnly, sit sounds like feudI"
"Will be-" returned the girl shortly,
oO rin IA
day"
The boy Bud came up from the
stable along the path, and Nance stood
watching him. There was but one
thing in Nameless valley that could
harden her sweet mouth, could break
up the habitual calm of her eyes. This
was her brother, Bud.
When she regarded him, as she did
now, there was always flash Of flame
In her face, wimple of anguish pass
ing on her features, an explosion, as II
were, of some deep and surging pas
sion, covered in, hidden, like molten
lava in some half-dead crater, it's dull
surface cracking here and there with
seams of awful light which drew to-
gether swiftly. Now for the moment
the little play went on in her face.
Then she smiled, for he was near.
"Hello. kid" she said, shows all?"
The boy smiled back and he was
like her as two peas are like each
other-the same golden skin, the same
mouth, the same blue eyes crinkling at
the corners.
But there the likeness ended, for
where Nance was delight to the eye
in her physical perfection. the boy
hung lopsided, his left shoulder droop-
ing, his left leg grotesquely banded.
But the joy of lfe was In him as 1t
was in Nance, despite his misfortune.
"Whewl" he said, fits gettin' warm
Already. Pretty near melted working
in tn garden today. Got three beds
ready. Earth works up fine as sand"
$50 II does in the field" said Nance
as she followed the mother into the
cabin, "it's like mold and ashes and all
the good things of the land worked In
together. Each time work it, II
seems wilder and sweeter-old lady
earth sending out her alluring prom
ise.''
"Land sakes, girl" said Mrs. ALL
son. 'where do you get such fancies II
Where do you suppose? said
Nance, "out Of the earth herself. She
tells me a-many things here on Name
less-such as the value Of patience, an
how to be strong in adversely. I've
never had the schools, not since those
long-back days in Missouri. but I've
got my Bible and I've got the land.
And I've got the sky and the hills and
the river, too. If body can't learn
from them he's poor stuff inside.