Year: 1871

mains Of the bad blood that came into


the West in the days of Daniel Boone.


Shall not say that these bands of


desperadees still found among the


poor Whitley, +" diTt-eater " class are


the outcroppings of the bad blood sent


from England i'm convict ships? And


ought an old country To sow the fer


tile soil of u colony with such noxious


seed?


Before Ralph was able to move, he


heard the hoOfs of another horse strik-


ing upon the hard ground i'm an easy
pace. The rider was Dr. Small. He
checked his horse in cool WAY, and
stood still a few seconds while he scru-
tinized Ralph Then he rode on in


the same easy gate IS before. Ralph


had u suptr>titiOUs horror of Henry
! Small. And, shGddering with cold he
| crept like thief over the fence, past
/ the tree, through the pasture, back to
/ Pete JOnes'S, never once thinking Of
| the eyes that looked out of the window


at Means's. Climbing the ladder, ne
/ got into bed, and sht ok as with the
ague. lie tried to reason himself out


of the foolish terror that possessed
him. hut he could not.
Half an hour later he heard latch


raised. Were the robbers breaking


into the house below? He heard a soft.
tread upon the floor. Should he rise
and give the alarm? Something re-
strained him. He reflected that a rob


ber would he sure to stumble over


some of the "brats.r so he lay still
and finally slumbeTed, only awaken
ing when the place in which he slept
WIS full of the smoke of frying grease
fr Jm the room below.
~ breakfast Pete Jones scOwled. He


was evidently angry about something.


lie treated Ralph with a rudeness not
TO be overlooked, as If he intended to


bring on a quarrel. HartsOOk kept
cool, ard wished he could drive from
his mind all memory of the past night.
Why should men on horseback have
any significance to him? He was try
ing 70 regard things in this way, and
from general desire TO keep Oh good
terms with his host he went tot
stable to offer his services in heIDing
to feed the stock.


Didn't want no saft-handed helpIp
was all he got in return for his we'll
meant offer. But just as he turned to
leave the stable he saw what made
him tremble again. There was the
same sOrrel horse with white left
forefoOt and white nose.


To shake off his nervousness, Ralph
started to school before the time. But.
plague upon plaques! Mirandy
Means, who had seen him leave Pete
JOnes's, started just in time to Join him
where he came into the big road =
Ralph was not in a good humor after
his Wakeful night, and To be thus dog
ged by Mirandy did not help the mat
ter. SO he found himself speaking
crabediy to the daughter of the Lead
ing trustee in spite of himself.


Hammers got bad cold this morn
in from bein' out last night, and she
can't come to spellin'-schOol tonight"
began Mirandy, in her most simpering
voice.


Ralph had-forgOtten that there was
to be another spelling-schOOl. 1t
seemed to him an age since the OrthO-
graphical conflict of the past night
This remark of Mirandy's fell upon
his ear like an echo from the distant
past. He had lived a lifetime since.
and was not sure that he was the same
man who was spelling for dear life
against Jim Phillips twelve hours be-
fore. But he was sorry to hear that
Hannah had a cold. 1t seemed to
him, in his depressed state, that he
was to blame for it. In fact, il SEEM
ed to him that he was to blame for
good many things. He seemed to
have been committing sin in spite of
himself Broken nerves and sleepless
nights often result in a morbid cOnsci-
ence. And what business had he to
wander over this very road at two
O'Clock in the morning, and to see
three gallOping hOrsemen, one of them
on horse with a white left fOrefoOt
and a white nose? What business had
he watching DR.. Small as he went
home from the bedside Of dying pa
tient near daylight in the morning?
And because he felt guilty he felt cross
with Mirandy, and to her remark
about Hannah he only replied that
st Hannah was a smart girl"


1" Yes" said AIirandy, Bud thinks
So"


"Does he?" said Ralph, pricking up
his ears.


q should say. What's him and
her been a-courtin' fer year eff he
didn't think she was smart? Marin
don't like it but eff Bud and her does,
and they seem to, don't see as it's
marm's lookout"


When one is wretched, there is
pleasure in being entirely wretched.
Ralph felt that he must have commit
ted some unknown crime, and that
some Nemesis was following him.
Was Hannah deceitful? At Tea {, if
she were not, he felt sure that lie could
suppIant Bud. But what right had he
to supplant Bud?


did you hear the news" cried
running out to meet him.
= The Dutchman's house was robbed
last night"


Ralph thought of the three men on
horseback, and to save his life he could
not heIpt assoCiating DIR. Small with
them. And then he remembered the
5orreI horse with the lett fOrefOOt and
muzzle white, and he recalled the
sound he had heard as Of the lifting Of
A latch. And il really seemed 20 him
that in knowing what he did he was
in some seuse guilty of the robbery.


ITO BE Continued