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Show w"'M,,'''ll,l,'MI,'"l'l'''M,l""'l",l,MMIMMMMMI'l,,,','r ; I THAT GIRL sf JOHNSON'S I I M- " 7'j Mtra." Etc. I Entered Aceordlns lo Act of Comress to tha Year 1X) by Street A Smith, tn the Office or tha Librarian of Comreii. at Wathineton, D. C. CHAPTER VI Continued. Instinctively :ho glanced down toward the shop. The doors woro opon, but no one was thcro. Tho hens pocking around the doors were tho only vlslblo signs ot life to her anxious anx-ious oyes. Unconsciously she bogasi hulling tho strawberries with mo-chanlcal mo-chanlcal but steady Angers. "Times Is dull 'nough, 'pears to mo," tho woman proceoded. "First torn thoro want o' rain with thor gynr-din' gynr-din' a-drylp up spite o' tho caro wo gtv ct; then as though thot warn't 'nough, hyar kerns thor acc'd'nt tor thor maro o ther Jodgo's son, an' any -o us likely to bo kotched of 'twarn't I thct s'plclon rests In ono direction special." It was coming. Dolores waited with bated breath. A heavy senso of guilt foil upon her; she could not meet tho gaze of tho oyes bent upon her, and sho wont on hulling tho berries waiting In silence for what sho know must como. "TSfe -as- "" l'An' them as knows says thyar's I a great feolln' ower In ther town yan- der 'bout thor maro," tho woman's volco struck In on tho girl's thoughts, "an 'eays ct 'pears sho wero worth a deal o money, an' now hobody'd gov I a copper for her, an' they's workln' steddy to fin' out who done ther deed, an' gcttln' every ono thoya ken tor ' prove Uiar s'plclons e'rect o' a certain person." Dolores was wnltlng. It was com- l Ipg now, sho felt certain. Sho crush- ' ed some of tho berries In her huud j In a Btidden fronzy. 4 "Thoys holdln' court a'most every ' day, an' workln' as though 'tworo I "' some groat thing thet a critter's J gono lamo. But theys won't do noth- i In' with thor s'plclonod feller tell ! thnr'8 mo' ground, as thoys calls ot, fr though young Green do feel pretty eartln who Is ther guilty ono. 13111 j theys got consld'rahlo proof, an' - j thoro's ter bo a great tlmo ter-morror, ; an' they wants yer foythcr tor go tor , prov thar B'plclons c'roct." i It was out at last. Dolores scemod "T turnod to stono; sho neither moved s nor spoke; she darpd cot lift her oyes i V from tho red berries with which her m flngors wero dyed. Her head was whirl- p. - - .ln:-thero was it din In her ears as IjP' though a legion or spirits repeated and shouted In wild horror: WmJ "Thoys wants yor feyther tor go tor WJ provo thoys wants yor foyther tor C go thoy wantB yor foythcr yor foy er: thor" Hor oyes wero Hko thoso of a hunt- ""M f od animal, half hidden boneath their , long lashes; her mind waB filled with a groat longing to go to got away from the tiny room out on tho moun-f moun-f -' tain under tho quiet heavens whoro tho winds wero free from tho watch- Ing oyos. I Tho woman at tho other sldo of tho tablo aroso with an Injured air. flho had received scarcely a word of thankB for hor berries, scarcely oven a ohow of interest In hor story. "Thyars thorn aa takes an lnt'rest In Uiyar follor crlttors, an'thyars thorn Waiting In Silence, as don't," oho said, tartly; "an' thyars tnem as has thyar s'plclon o' things." . j Dolores watched tho woman's tall, J gaunt flguro go down tho worn path, hor purplo print dress brushing tho pcant grass with an Indignant sweep, tho enpo of her sunbonnot limp nnd flapping over hor nhouldors. When sho disappeared from vlow behind tho shruboery of tho road-sldo Doloroa put away tho dish of borrles and put on hor gray sunbonnet to go out. It was early afternoon. Tho rocky road, Hko a yellow thread, wound in and out .among the scrubby bushes and tall pines that murmured In tho breczo. To the ears of tho girl thoy s kept up tholr monotonous sobbing nbout her father as though thoy wero living things. Sho was listless no longer; sho walked as ono who had a purpose, as ono who had far to go. Hor eyes looked look-ed straight before hor, her lips woro set in a straight, stern lino. Sho mot no ono on her way; thoro was llttlo travel on tho mountain; tho thriving town over on tho other sldo had connection with tho world In another an-other direction. In all tho twenty years of her Ufa Dolores had never been over tho mountain; what lay boyond It Bhe did not know oxcept from tho rumors that .drifted Into them from tho men who had boon there men who had strayed in hunting, going nround to tho oppos-Ho oppos-Ho mountain and returning across tho town. Somotlmos whon tho atmosphere was heavy and tho wind In tho right direction, tho smoko from tho tall factory fac-tory chlmnoyB drifted nround to tho settlement and tangled In tho pines Hko gray specters waving tholr shadowy shad-owy banners abovo tho scattered houses down toward tho valley. Many a tlmo Dolores had watched thoso smoke wreaths, and hor mind had gone to tho placo from whonco thoy "came, and sho wove from them, fantastic fan-tastic shadows bora of dreams, and sho clothed them In garments of tho living, and they brought her many many fancies of tho Hfo pulsing Just beyond tho piny peaks. Now hor mind was filled with tho ono subject so much dlscussod; she turnod it over and over, viowlng It on all sides; now reasoning with herself as to this or that possibility, thU or that decision, but eventually returning return-ing to tho first conclusion which was to hor so convincing that It sent hor over the mountain to tho town to discover dis-cover if possible tho truth, nnd at tho court was tho placo to learn what sho wished to know if thore wero any placo to learn It ere tho whole world should know. As sho passed over tho mountain and down on tho other side tho town lay out boforo her; a thriving town; smoko arose black from tho towering chimneys, tho whir of machtnory, tho rattle of wagons and din on every-day Hfo woro borne up to her as sounds of a strango land. The knowlcdgo began be-gan to grow In her mind that tho Hfo In tho slow llttlo settlomeut boyond tho mountain was too narrow, too shut into itself, too lacking In oncrgy and growth. But this was a now , world to her and Bho shrank from it, not from any foolish fooling of inferiority; inferi-ority; such a thought could vhold no room in hor mind, but as a" wild animal ani-mal instinctively ohrlnka back to its natural world. Thon tho fooling loft hor; tho old thought drovo every fear, ovory other feeling away; Bho had como for a purpose and as yot it was not accomplished. Sho passed steadily down tho road looking neither to right nor loft. Tho court houso was at tho farthor end of tho town; Bho had heard thom say so. A long, low, whlto building with wldo steps and a boll In tho towor. At length sho camo to it; sho know she was right; a long, low, whlto building with wldo stops and a boll in tho towor. Sho walked up tho steps and turned tho handlo of the door, but could not open it. This ondlng of her Journoy had not entered her head. For a moment mo-ment sho stood In doubt whnt to do. Peoplo passing on tho street looked curiously at her. A boy who was sitting astrldo of tho fonco callod to her that tho door was lockod; but it sho wanted tho lockup It was down around tho corner. Sho did not know ho was laughing at hor; Bho walked down tho stops and spoko to him. She aBkod him where sho could find tho judgo. Sho was looking at him with hor straight, level glance, and ho was disconcerted. Tho Judgo, ho said, lived in tho houso on tho hm; if sho camo down tho main street sho must havo passod It, Not a bit of her resolution was gone as sho retraced hor Btops, but Bho walkod swiftly, for it was growing grow-ing lato. Sho found it without trouble; trou-ble; sho mounted tho stops and knocked knock-ed at tho big door. Sho did not know sho should ring tho boll. No ono camo. Sho knocked again and louder, thon again oho waited. No ono camo. If tho Judgo woro gono where Bhould sho find him? A otep Bounded on tho gravol at tho sldo of tho houso; sho turned and faced tho now-comer. "Dolores!" exclaimed young dreon, In astonlshmont. A red flush crept in hor faco. "I wnnt to seo tho Judgo," sho said, gravely, and thoro was a wist-fulnoss wist-fulnoss In tho largo, dark oyes raised to his for an instant that caused his heart to throb strnngoly while a flush also aroso in his own faco, "My father" Ho is not nt home. When tho court adjourned at throo he took the train to N If yon vrislt to see him I am sorry ' TV1II not I de Instead? Como In, Ml is Johnson; my mother would bo plmsed to moot vou " "" Sho was unused to being called "Miss Johnson," nnd scarcely heard the unfamiliar name Ho opened the door, waiting for hor to pass In ' 'PI "I won't stay," bo said "Tho Judgo io not at homo. I amo to boo tho Jdgo. Sho turned down tno steps, and ho closed tho door, tollowing her "If you will not go. Inside, may I walk with you, Miss Johnson?" Sho bowed her hoad, and they passod pass-od up tho strcot togothcr In allonce. That tho peopjo thoy passed, and whom her 'companion; greeted, turnod and looked curiously after them sho did not know; had sho known It would havo affocted hor lltloT Sho camo on an errand, and could not accomplish It; that thought was uppermost In hor mind, blended as It always was In thinking of it, with the faco and oyos of tho young man bes!do her. "Dolores," ho said at last, when thoy wero climbing tho rough road boyond tho town, unconsciously using Dolores watched the woman. tho name. "Dolores, why did you wish to see my father.to-day? It must bo something special or you would not havo como. Could not I do as well?" Somo way his kindly heart was aching for her with tho remembranco of that awlft, wistful glance of tho brown oyos Into his own, and ho-would ho-would comfort hiA' if liW5ttj Sho did not look at him; her gaze was fixed on tho pines away on tho j mountain behind which tho r-m was setting. But ho know sho wd and WOuld anBwtjr piyiaanljr. iJi."L ''I camo to seo about' thoaSffijo," sL"o said, slo'wfy, hor oyes stlll,faatohod on tho plnos upon tho holght. Thpn sud-donly, sud-donly, with a swiftness that startled him, sho added: "You know who did itr You havo known from tho first? Everybody knows who did it It will bo proved to-morrow beyond a doubt." Ho looked at her, amazed at her vehomonco. "Wo hopo to provo It to-morrow," ho said. "Wo havo had our suspicions suspic-ions from tho first, and now wo think them well founded. Wo aro depending depend-ing a good deal on your father; wa havo considerable evidence, but his will bo conclusive." Sho know nothing of law or Its terms; tho words hold a torrlblo meaning for her. "It was a dastardly deed," he went on, his faco darkonlng. "Tho follow Bhall suffer tho full ponalty of tho law for It. My beautiful maro that was almost human In Intelligence." Hor hands were clasped fiercely, hor oyes burning whon aho turned toward him to make reply, and for tho moment ho forgot all olso but her faco. "And it Is right!" Bho cried; "It Is rlghtl Whnt If his peoplo do suffer for It? That tho name will cling to them forever? It Is only right that ho should suffer. It Is Just. It was a dastardly dood. Only only don't como with mo any farthor. I bad rather go alone." Ho obeyed; but followed at a distance. dis-tance. Tho road was lonely; thoro woro no houses till Bho reached tho Bottlomont below. Tho buii had sot; In tho east abovo tho opposlto mountain, moun-tain, tho full moon rodo. A soft hazo aroso from tho valloy far boneath, floated and wavorcd nolsolossly up toward the moonlight Up on tho heights tho young man stood motionless watching tho girl passing from him In tho moonlight Th'o light was full In hla faco. It was an earnest faco and good; ono to bo trusted; iiover to provo treacherous. Ho watched until tho girl, dimly discerned dis-cerned down among tho shadows, paused a moment on tho threshold of tho baro llttlo houso, and thon ontorod. And to him as ho turned away, hla thoughts in a tumult, tho myptorlous mist and tho moonlight scomod to have swallowed her up. (To bo continued.) |