The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-06-10
CHAPTER VII

Though Rosy McAfee said the
words under his breath, Hannah,
hurrying along the path through
the starlight, had not heard or seen
him. She must have known Rosy
was coming home for visit, and
had arranged to follow almost inn
mediately. 1t was egotistical to think
this, but surely she went to all the
trouble because she hoped to re-
vive their love by returning to the
scene where 1t had grown into be-
ing.
Then she caught sight Of his
dark shape by the fence, missed a
step, and stifled cry. Rosy"
she cried, knowing him almost in
stantly.
"How come you're hereP" he
demanded, and in spite Of himself
he was rough with her.
She came up and faced him
sNone OF your businessl But II
you think I followed you, you're
of your kazip!"
"That don't leave much Of any
body but Cousin Steve"
She was defiant. We'll, s'pose 1t
was Steve? What would you try
to do about that?"
Nothing" he replied.
"You wouldn't think Of nav
and paw and my folks, would
your" A trace OF bitterness came
into her voice. I'm not like you
blood for me IS thicker tina
water!"
What do you mean by that
crack?" he wanted to know.
you're one of these here coll
leRe students that when they look
at a-b-c's they've got to have
teacher say, 'Thems a-b-c's. So
I'll play teacher and tell you. I
came home because ! knew you'd
be seeing Steve Hogg and he
would be telling you about DR..
Tollivar and how your pappy was
killed that time. And I knew
you'd not believe 1t, because In no
time at all they had you wrapped
around their little fingers down
there at the school.
"Ah. know - haven't been
watching you, but I've seen, Just
the same. So you would tell Steve
he was a liar, and you'd go back
and lap up what they fed you, and
that would be the end Of a second
hand Job OF doing the right thing.
Well, all I got to say to you,
Rosy, Is now you know. I hope
you're satisfied
For o moment Rosy sbreathed
heavily, saying nothing.
II told Steve he was a liar, all
right. Well, haven't heard any
thing yet to make me change my
mind about him."
II reckon you wouldn't believe
airy word said"
"You must say 1t and let me
see II it's word that my judg-
ment told me could be believed"
That made her mad, convinced
Rosy that she had really followed
him lest he and Steve have trou-
BILE.
"All rightp she cried. "Then
here's the word. What Steve was
telling you about the Tollivers
having a meeting one night just
before that Fourth Of July game
was so. They had such meet
ing, and Sock Tolliyer-Dr. Tolli-
var to you was there, and they
drawed lots, and Sock got the call
to kill your pappy. You see, 1t was
Steve himself that seen 1t and
overheard the whole thing!"
"Steve!" Rosy said in dull
voice, too dazed for a moment to
believe the girl who was telling
him.
She knew she had him going,
and her laugh was q sound of
triumph. "All right, now I reckon
you'll call us all liarsp
But how do you know 1t was
steve?"
well, since you called him
liar, reckon you won't believe
me when I only tell you what he
told me. I'm going back on my
word never to tell 1t. But maybe
the Lord will forgive me. It's in
a good cause, If there ever was
one.
That night Steve was follering
one Of the Tollivers. He had
gun and he aimed to kill him
man. His first man. But instead
of annbusing him, he Just fol-
Tered, and came to the house
where where they were all meet
ing, and he got in the chimney
corner and listened through a hole
in the chinking. He seen 1t all,
every bit; and heard the whole
plan.
Sock looked like a ghost, Steve
said. He hadn't been in the
mountains since boy. He didn't
know much about our ways. He
didn't seem to know what to do.
Knowing Sock was to pitch that
game, they told him to bean your
.pappy and make it seem like ar
accident. And that was what he
done, and that was the way of it,"
Rosy sank down on a stump
close by, and Hannah leaned
against tree, laughing harshly.
"WelI, ! reckon thatll make a
good boy out OF you'll Now what
you aim to do about it?"
@Looks like I've got to kill me
G man.
In her temper she was painting.
III there's q speck of manhood in
you, that's about al that's left!'
For 9 moment they stood there
with 9 sense Of embarrassment
Rosy wanted to escape and did
not know how 10 manage 1t. He
realized that she, too, wanted TO
get away and was waiting some
kind OF consent from him. II
daWned upon him al at once that
she was not really on her way to
Wait him-thelr meeting here hac
been as much surprise % ucr as
to him: the one she was really
hunting was Cousin EIeEe Ho4f.
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