Show 1 v A es i will willa i a ms M r r SYNOPSIS Jim listens to the th history of II neighboring Hostile Valley Vattey with gossip of or the th mysterious enticing Huldy wito or of t Will Ferrin Inter Ir- ested he h drives drive to the tho th Valley alley for 11 days day's though d to himself his hili hl chief desire Is to tee e the tho th reputedly glamorous clamorous Huldy 1 Old Old alarm Irm Pierce and her h r nineteen nineteen- old n granddaughter Jenny live year old In the tho th Valley Since little tittle more mor thana than a child Jenny J has hils at Dt first nr t admired admire and nd then deeply loved young Will Ferrin neighboring farmer older old than she sh and who regards her still till as merely a child Will talc takes em- em employment em employment In nearby Augusta Jenny Is disconsolate Dart Carey some some- something something thing of ot a 11 neer ne'er n er do Is attracted by Jenny but the th girl eirl repulses him Learning that Will Is coming home Jenny exulting sets lIets his empty long house u to to rights and has hns dinner ready for tor him lie die comes bringing comes his wife Huldy The Tho Th girls girl's world collapses Huldy becomes become the tho sub sub sub- subject subject ot of f unfavorable gossip In the Valley Entering his hi home unlooked for tor Will finds seemingly damning evidence of ot his wife's wife's unfaithfulness as a man who ho he knows Is Seth Humphreys breaks from Cram the tho th house hous Will Will overtakes him and chokes choke him to death cath though Humphrey Humphreys shat- shat shatters hat his leg lee with a bullet At house hour the th leg lee Is amputated t CHAPTER IV Continued IV Continued 7 With the first stroke of knife she was stunned ns as thou though h by n a head had blow had thereafter no sense or strict consciousness of what went forward here h re nt at nil all This still form formon formon on the table ceased to be the man she he lon loved d she helped like an nn nil nu her cheek chek white ns as stone tier her hands precise and stron strong while williI flesh and blood and bone of goodWill good goodWill Will Perrin were reduced to car car rion rlou The overpowering physical cx- cx ex experience perlen e a would lea leave e Its traces on her thereafter In lasting ways nays yet et she he was for the moment spared c f e r n at nt last she was no lon longer i er she went weakly Into the I oC y cho c tb wash her hands and cl clean an r ne e It she returned to h her r r noil OD to change e Into her other gear lIme Time had flown down dusk dUk was purple In the Valley When she reo re returned returned turned to the dining room Will hurl somehow been moved so that he lay Iny breathing In long gasping Inhalations on the couch and Jenn Jenny found the doctor dotor gone and finel only farm Marm Pierce and Luke 11 ilia re here The cid Id woman looked ot Jenny In the lamps lemps I mp pale light and saw saty aw the girls girl's exhaustion and bhe he came to say r to her softly Jenny Jenns theres there's non nought ht to do hert her for tor a n It will be Ion long enough till he tie t us or knows anything You get et rut cut ut of doors get et wm some nir breathe life Ufe back Into you child Youre You're pale pate as ns a n gone one tiling thing your yourself self ulf this thia Ill I'll tend all nil here And Jenn Jenny moving with n a curlon passivity t hed the old woman a athe she Bhe was vas used to obey and wont went out into lato the thickening darkness Tills This was n a still cold ral night ht wit threat of ot another frost before dawn The stars prickling overhead o stoop Jog IDt low peered brightly down Ilk the eyes of curious children The girl heard the lie rumble of a n somewhere toward U this steam mill lOlli and saw a n sweeping rn ra- ra ra-of ra ot of light above the trees as ns thon thong a car were turning there Us its 8 head headlights lights III like hike a n searchlights searchlight's beam They would be he taking Seth lint body away she ahe thou thought ht and she ale thought thou ht Will had kills him and thought of ot the law V and what hat the low law would have hn to say t this and she thought loyally tit h nODe Done could blame Will Blame Hul dy It might ml ht bo be but hilt not Will And slow anger began to wake In Irh b her r to supplant the terrible e en grief beC n part of Will VIII wm war g me ne and the he sweet flesh she lovci lo was liS M now reduced r to a rI nl so thing that must mu t be disposed of ot EP Sf wetly and swiftly An Anger er woke II It lihr tr hr at nt Seth Keth eth Humphreys for his nr no the part and at nt Huldy for her Sl se pet passive role Seth th was dead beyond reach of J Jennys Jenny's nos wrath hut but Huldy lived l lAnd I And Jt Jenny found herself going ol ll fit strides like a 8 swift avenger tf ward the brook along the wood I Irth th toward Wills Will's where when farm y now would he be Jenny went In wrath but her lied herd d ep p abiding n anger ner was bound In n f tiers not tint easily fn lIy to he broken for tor HUldy was WIlS Wilts Wills wife and the girl I had wit enough deep sense enough SOli Sound nIl wisdom enough to under under- understand stand that this was no seemly hour for tor M II womans woman's brawl To would he tit to shame Will Vill and nn with Ith sudden clear perception pen Jenny Jenn knew that this she Rhe would not tin di r So b by the time she Rhe hAd crossed till the th 4 brook climbed cn Ih b ell the steep troll II and none come up through h the orchard to th the house she was waa steady again bent and nd bound and find t nho e nil all nel nelv else el v 0 o protect t Will from ugly uI tongue tongues 1 L She came through the barn baru Into the farmyard and through h the on- on un shaded window of ot the kitchen she sn s iw Huldy within And sl sight ht of checked cheked the girl for Will Wills Will's wife was dressed In nn an tamed fashion In a n skirt and con coat of some dark stuff Also Jenny saw 81 that Hart trey Carey stood beside her herh h bending down to her speaking Intently In Intently and she saw Huldy's slow mocking smile as she looked at nt the titan her head hend tilted backward the smooth line of her throat thront sweeping deep Into her lier bosom Tills much Jenny saw v not parr Intent on Hart Bart but startled by the fashion of Huldy's dress and she site went quickly to knock upon the kitchen kithen door called Come In So Jenny entered The two faced her from beyond the table the lamplight was stron them tI Huldy sat with her head n a little on one side her dark eyes ees shadowed her lips curled In that deep smile na Dart Bart rt bc beside her stood half erect one hand still upon the arm arID of her chair as ng though hI he lead been heen bending over o her In some stern tern or ardent urgency And Jenny said salt slowly this Mis lIs I Mess you dont don't know It It or you'd oud been there butWill's hilt but Wills Will's hurt over to Grannys Granny's house The doctor cut doctor cut octor-cut cut his Ills leg 11 off on You'll have to come on over I Hurt tart straightened up his face hot what Ive I've been heln telling herIn her he sold yet et not convincingly ly and anel eyes ces turned toward him with n a sardonic upward twist or of her brow Hell He'll be coming to soon Jenny ur urged ell When the chloroform wears off And hell he'll want you there thre Bart Insisted Yes II Huldy hell lIelI want you youl ou You'd o l ought ht to go o along Jenny 1 Huldy sat st at nt case ease one knee crossed over the lie other one foot font moving slightly In a 8 tight littlE rhythm Jenny saw that the ether ther womans woman's hat bat lay on the table by thE lamp You Sou were wre getting s ready to come she hazarded I 1 SUCKS guess Bart told you about It It I thou thought ht you ml mightn't know Huldy did not speak at all nil and Jenny asked Dart Bart How did you OU know know They Thy telephoned from m my house he reminded her I 1 war wn fishing down brook with a man that's been staying staving ln at my place Amy Amp told me when I got horne home n a while ago ngo I come right up here Quick as ns a n tomcat said with a mocking glance ce nt at him anti he said hotly virtuously It looked to me you'd need ned some someone someone someone one You'd have hn the chores to todo todo do Jenny remembered something for forgotten She he cried rlee Oh Bart Will VIII sn says s 's his teams team's up Ull on the lie ridge e road rond lie lost a nut nit off orr the wagon wa on You'd better etler go eo fetch them back to the hn barn rn Bart hesitated but Huldy said watching him cruelly Go hart Bart You can cnn make up to a n horse lIIa maybe he I 1 Jenny perceived without under understanding understanding stancil standing II n baffled an anger cr In Bart she thought ht hOe lie he was as provoked hy by h Huldy's h and she e his arm Go Go on Hart Bart she urged el Go fetch the team hack back anti unhitch them and give Ive them some som f feed Ill I'll ll take Huldy over home There Thre was sweat on Harts Barts brow he looked from Jenny to and nd his dark eyes fixed on Wills Will's wife You stay here till I 1 come cone back he muttered I want to talk tall to yott ou Ive I heard all youve you've got to say Huldy told him Get away ny from fromme fromme me and stay There was no heat hent In her lier tones no trace ot of o singer anger rather a it slow maddening scorn Hart Bart ana snatched at his hat t Ill conic ome back he Insisted almost threateningly and theta then was gone So these two women omen were left let alone and nd Huldy looked nt at the girl gir Irl with narrowed eyes ees and she saId sali tonelessly to 1 guess you yon feel bad about abou viii Yes Yes Jenny assented Yes I 1 Ido do shifted her position spoke In casual Inquiry Is s be he hurt real had bad Jenny watched her r that this woman was Vas the source from which catastrophe en n hail had curling and Huldy waved a 8 careless hand Will Will hes he's always 8 one to look hook for tor trouble she lie Ill Ome comae e trumping Into Inlo the house and Clew lIew tie v otT olT the handle at nothing and und went t nut out again a n That's all 1 I know tier Her lips 1118 twitched with amusement You 1011 can nn go 10 on and tell me she slie urged Jenny explained Will JU and Seth Sell they lacy lit fit It the tile mill will Seth had bad hada r n a pun gun n I That That was Barts Bart's gun lIn Interrupted Seth borrowed It claimed he wanted to shoot a n wild hull bull She laughed softly As If Will was will or n hull bull either mat matter ter of that bath I Jut Cut Seth always would II lie e Seth shot Will Jenny persisted her tones ones shaken n The Indict bullet hit Wills Will's 1 leg and broke the lie hones bones nil to pieces It went smashing down Into hl his font foot and they fetched hIm to the house and the doctor cut doctor his Il leg off orr Seth ought to been heen ashamed said Huldy chidingly Id give Ive him hima n a piece of my mind shooting my Will that way If It Will hadn't al nl already ready tended to him plenty And she he asked with wide Innocent e eyes s Did you see sec them cut his I leg off orr I helped the doctor Jenny an nn answered steered Huldy was all nil surface e sympathy That was hard on yon with you with you loving 01 my Will so i Her last word hit and stung And Jenny Tenny breathed deeply one and was stron strong I 1 do love him sh she assented gravely yore not nol likely to know what that m means She Rhe added In Insistently Cant you OU come ome to him now Huldy smiled and shook her head hend I aint coming coating she site said calmly You can an have hn him Tell TIll him I d said saidI I never could be satisfied with half balf halfa balfa a man mani I The world s shattered Into frag fragments ments meats as ns a n mirror shatters under tinder the Impact of n a thrown hall ball Tenny rocked to and fro as ns though she hail been heen struck and her lips were dry The dry The lamp was smoking a thin thread of smoke like n a black line rose from the th chimney top to low Into a n faint plume In the rising nil air current above the lame Th The girl leaned forward to turn the lamp down n a little Wick VIck needs trimming she site mut muttered muttered take care of ot nil all such things for him Huldy predicted i I 11 J Jl JI JI I P Pi Pi i i l I I Long as Im I'm Here This Is My Kitchen Yore such a housekeeper But But- tending But tending a cripple would wear weary me Im I'm m going away awnI l Y oud nu not go when hes he's hurt anti and needs you Jenny whispered almost nl al almost most pleadingly ly Id rather ruttier be wanted titan needed Huldy retorted But Hut that's n a riddle to you ou Yore bound to go eo Jenn Jenny asked still Incredulous I am nm going n 1 In n a little now Where There An old friend of mine said lI lightly lies Hes been heen down at Harts Hart's Soon's SOlin's he tie gets Jets hIs clothes changed hes he's coming to fetch me Jenny suddenly was almost hap happy flY It will hurt Will awful at nt the first she decided speaking her thoughts aloud lint hell he'll conic come to thank you ou With you gone gooe maybe maYbl he tie cnn can be happy again 1 I Huldy's brows knotted and her lips Iles moved as though to sll speak 1 k hut but she smiled then suddenly anti h shi rose ruse Well Nell anyway Im I'm going Now get out she said her tone rasping Go hack back on to that tint one leg legged ed man Long Lon as Im I'm here this Is s my kitchen and Ill I'll not have hn you In It Go along with you ou Jenny turned without a word to the door Her lieI very passivity seemed to drive the Hie oilier woman Into fur fury Huldy came carne to call some sOllie black bInd word nt ot the girl Irl departing but fenny did not even en turn her lier heath hemlIn headIn In the lie barn she paused ring lie he hind her lier on the lie road rond down n front the ridge the lie heat beat of the feet of horses That would h he heBurt Burt riding back to the Ile lie farm furm In lit haste lie He must have hare let left lert the he wagon where It was And as ns she emerged Into the orchard she saw the lie headlights f of a n car laboring h ut III the he hill hili and guessed this Ibis was the car which would 11 1 Huldy away l he he stars were clear the Ilse wood dark darl and comforting Jenny came home In pr ce Slip She thought the lie Valley alley would he be brighter with Huldy gone June thought there wits rainbow promise e In the starlit Ilk sky tine he hind had no Ie least Irist prevision pre thi ha though Huldy might fur for a 8 while deI de run hurt I t yet et she Ehe he would presently rp re return turn CHAPTER V TT T WAS 1 In n October r that Will III war w IT I 1 Ihu hu hurt rt and ami th el l l l um I threes 8 cant nm to his end encl and w went nt D avay Y Will H HI at t Mirin turn Earn till hi his hia Ic leg was hl l and iud Jean I was happy bullY In attending him hint Sh h gave him Huldy's ml message j e and ht he received It uncomplainingly Natural for her to feel so hr decided No one one legged le Jed ged lean dan is III l good Hoot enough for her tier There was ns no bitterness In hl his tone tone but he saw SoW Jennys Jenny's loyal nn an anger anger ger and he said one line that takes n a lot 0 of stock In the way folks look Jenny She was like a cat ctt always alwo's cleaning Took look ook as ns much pleasure ii h herself as an nn old or 81 skinflint tines does In his money And she lived to have hn everyone every one around her the same harm folk like us were we're apt to kind of forget forJet If I come conic Into the house hous with barn harn on my boots It alwn's bothered her And he added I T can cnn see sec how shed she'd take this tills Anybody with two le legs s Is kind of ot bound to feel that lint fI a fIman aman man with only one le leg Is ts no good I Its It's Just like you'll shoot a 8 holS hol'S horse that breaks Its le leg or get rid of ot u a crippled cat or dog do Jenny faced foed by his bis stubborn 10 loyally loy loyalty ally alty to this women who despite the fact that she had wron wronged ed and |