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Show THE ARKANSAS G11IL. Kot far from tin pretty Spring river In northern At ka.ii. Jutt a little way tLrotigli bramblci and ovcrn ground of broken ttone that li common In tlia Oiark toothlll-tbe Spencer llvrd TUey live there et, for all 1 know i but It li-u Uen to long tines I heard ntiy tiling cl tlitru lint 1 attune, wtrich-like, wtrich-like, that they are not Hum now. It wij bofore the rati road ran cat a corner acrot. tho northern part of Arkamat tlint I knew them a itinplo tort of people, vert llku nil tbe Ozark tmtlu, three boye and a girl, tho old folki nnd an undent aunt or to, Tbt borete common trims constantly In fear of revenue officer. TIio Fpcnrcrt tnado whtikey ct tint they made no tecret rate rontletlng fact. The lKreru watched byoP rem half the time, but no evldenco wai ter tectirvd ftffilnit them until ten yean of iiicccmfiil era.lon of the law had e .armed. '1 ho girl llcnnte Spencer una lifr name had n pn.lt face and udllony toritt and, what It i.ioro and bolter, tho did not hate the loutlitumtf Inblt of chuttlng rnull or "dipping" It, tu um n gfiiuinu Arluinwia Idiom, tier-vrul tier-vrul ot the natho tons of Izard, 8 ton and rulton countlca lad coat tlieep' rye at llennlo i nor than once, but iieurdld tliey recche any encoumgo- UiCllt. 'They needn't como 'round me," the would lay doggedly. "I wouldn't litr tho Lett tuan all re." llennlo waarniartcrlhantlionvrrago ArLauuia barktrotid girl, tu-t fthme In tho cxprctted Uctrnnlnniloti not to pet inarrinl, but In bnMnwui matter tho rvlDccd ft drcldctl aptitude. Ilcr bruth rr Intruatcd her with tho aocrcU of thrlr bunlncu. Ilcnnlo knuw trr UlUiouto within oil tho border coun tic i tho knew tho natnet of tho men operating them tho knew their rccordis thilr haunt and their plana of cludliu the rvruuuo laws of tho land. Ucnnlo kept tho cmdo account of tho Spencer Mill, by vhlcli tho Tf cnablfl In nfcvr moiiienUi tojrUo n detailed ttitenu'iit of ttm Indebted nci of an one of tho atronuf tho law tlolaUng citaUUh meiit. It una ouo of thoe chill dap that otuctlmos oomo In Jul, oven oa far Mmlb a lh Ozark. A ntlil breeze blew tdontt tho Spring rlrrr alley, vhllo cloudi mounted In tho touthwett And threatened ratn. It teouivd too chilly for that, to tho old nathve nU, but n newcomer ould on) look at lh cloudi and then look for a heavy dowu fall llennlo tipeneer vai calkin; Alone 'ho country rond mora hkon Ith than a rond whpn tho met tho newcomer. Ho wa riding ThcroMat a tlia p turn In the narrow highway, end io ttraugcr bunt Into vlow bctoro tho native girl knew of tho preaenco of anono but hcraolf. Ho tut itrulfU In hi tAJdl.i. Hlihatnuldebrhumed tluuuh, thaded hit c)ctv but did not bido n tmoothly thaven f aco, a good, clear inbuilt, n it rotuj chin and the o cry traco of deterinlnatlon ttiat marked each line ot the countenance. A Win-cheater Win-cheater wa itrnppcd acrow Ida tack. llennlo ttrppttl to one tide, not In fear, but with lomethlng of curlotlty. Bho at onc Inttlnctlrel, icrhnp thought that tho ttraufcr vraa a mo nuo oftlrer. "Good rnomln;," talutod the rider ten tveonda later. "In cote of rain, whero could I gut aheltcrP In tplto ot bor lurmlif, tiie Spencer gliIcaoartpcctful and truthful on-twtr. on-twtr. '1iy, ocr at our house, I reckon, tho tatd. M Toln't very far right o cr yandtr,' t "May I go over thcroultliyonnowt" qutrlml tho youu man, alighting. "Why, In coureo; on' on'y who are yon, anyway P "Well, my muno U Jlinpton Wooil Jltnpaou, ut fat. Uulx I llo up therit buy touio cotton eomethiKv, you know, and I was down wuth of Llttlo llock on bmincM. Thought I'd rldo Uck to Voplar Hhtff, orrr'n SlUwurl, it lu ro I'll git ft truhi bark liriino. "Oh.enld llcunle, u you llro up lnMIhOurnh,ihf A Veil, como on. How bl It ) our ton nr tho went oil "Any thlnK llku kt blff ai Mttle Itockr 'lrcr to much larger," tald Jimp ion. "It'e ft grrat big town. Why, we hafott brewery there 'moat biff at ill of Little Rock, ou kiinvr." "Oh," tald IJennlo nj-alu. Slip xtm InVrvkted hi tho newcomer. Sim didn't know jiut how, but tho felt kindly toward to-ward hhiL Ho waa the II rU tmiu that the etcraaw thuttho thought tho cuutd marry. Of counte tho thought ot all ttirMi thlngi at they w idkod through tho wood, ho leading hi hurte and chitting chit-ting a they proctedid. Olrlt think lute of thin- that they don't put In ord. "I upM)iK you jtooplo down hero think that eery mint with a gun I n reuimu otlletfr, don't yon J Jhupon naked, lookht; At llennlo with hulilii eye Torof ooiire I know," he wit n with tmllu, "that you idl make irhUky duwu here,M "How do you knowP Ilounle tukrd. "A tittle bird told mo, that' all," mid Jliujituu "A man wouldn't lo much of u man In Uiom mountain If ho didn't dlih up u little mooiuhlne, don't yon know It didn't rnlu that day When the young girl and JlHipon reached tho liotibo, n low typical log .ublu.'willi a h'. mud pluMered clilinnt-y, thtro was no ouo at homo but tho mother und tho aiichtut uunta. They did not look with favor on tho newcomer, but the ht LouUj iomiginou tulkod Uu morrJiu mtlAfle-rnoMiii. T an ,at tio iod.il tun had mtdenod Hie bp the lulii witliltifidioj v titog g )tf they all liked him llolindinld nothing About retumtn.1 hie Jifttitiey. and He.inlofcnrvd (bat tho brolhun and father could not bo ni ron lily m-ido to apprwlito the "yoni & man from UlMourah a treni tho feminine iiiembert cf tho houtehold. Hut they were. Jimpwn met tho lwy with n graceful, eniy nlr, nnl fell at one to talkm,- about the price of cotton In a way that dli armed any lutplclon that might Imo l-oncMcd thein. Ai the evening wora away Jlmpion bilked about hunting and flihlng It m good In that looab It, to good that the mnn from Ht LouU reacht-V the conclusion that ho Moull wA a week or two rambling About the hilt. "It'll bo good for you, tall I.IJo Spencer, "n we'll board you cheap " "I II itay,H aald Jlmwou, "an I If I hktlt I'll tend to Mttle Hod; for a couple of my friends to put In their a cation hro wltlime. Ho tho otitlng wm plain ir I. Hcnnlo wai pleated She hud grown to bko tho itranger In a few hours that tho had know n him It wai a queer tort of feeling the eiperlenixtL He wa tho flrtt man tho bad iwr teen v.Iio ap-pwrcl ap-pwrcl to know bow to tilk Tlino was toinethtng open and pleating In Mi f.ieo, m any way, tho thnplo Oark girl liked him. bho would have told him to If alio had n chance. Ixvet Bho didn't know what Ibu Wd turant Jimpaon wa tho only man die luid ever en tint the cared n rap for. She knew to much a that, but no mora, 1 lift fit. Louis young mi van at the Spcnrir cabin twoweekt before hocon eluded that It wai time to tend for ItLt frlciidt. "1 11 ttay two week longer, hotald. "and III tend down for How man anl Mellfiir).' In tho fortnight that ho had tpent with tho Spencert ho roamed nlwut tho hllli for n good many mile around, llennlo went with him on moat of tho etturalcnt, until ono day UobHpeneer tidd to hen "Iok here, th, rceini to mo tint you're dolu a tight o gaddlri crbuut with Jhiipwn. You don't kuow tiothlu crbout him " ''ope,,, returned tliogtrl, "but I'm purt nltfli uro Im'a all right. IK I etr kUvhe'I him tryin torot any of tho boy I'd tlioot hlui quick er'n lightning. light-ning. " Iiothlng more wai mid, for that moment mo-ment Jlmpaou and hi Uttto Ituek friend rode up. They teernod to bo nice Mlow. nHhou'i toinowhat rougher In manner an J tpfeali lliun tjio young man from tit JmU. Jtob Spencer thook his hvtd and win 1.6 J At Ucnnlo whm opportnnlty ofTcrrd, Ho dlJn t tftko Jlmioni rv tiifnrcvmenti. The gilt ha) told Jimpwn about tho Spencer tuoomhliio 0vratlin, Kim had told him tha location of ever ttlll houtclntho three counties. (Jlrli hi Arkamas Iu the natural femlnlno In-ttlnct In-ttlnct of telling thing the ought to keep to themtclve. Clliwto and cn-lroument cn-lroument canuot itop n wounii't tenjuo There ikTonen who tiKL of the fallacy of tho talkath i ihm ot worn-en, worn-en, but they aroonlhtttr day knlghtt. JImttou Imd a wonderfully -laluiblo collcctloti cf foots after hU twowcekt ttay. That Is tho reatou ho tent tor hi LHUo Itock frlvndt, Ho needed them. Tho in'Xt day after their nrrh al the two gotou thilr horcftnd nl away from tho Spenoer cabin. Ihey t.ild that thy were going to Croum'e mill to do ft llttlo thoutlng. Hennlo dldu't bellow It, Sho knew of halt n doen ttltla In (hat direction, nnd It nt oiipo Maahed ncros her mind that tho three ttrangers meant to telw them and arreat tho op rat lie. Tho ilmplw girt had tilktvl with Jlmpson tho nt(ht before. They ant ou n log out hi fruiit of thoPiM-nctr cabin, and tho St. Inul mm, like any other man would hnio donv under liko clrx'umatancet, iqucrred btr haul. This I tha girt, mind )ott. who tall that tho would not marry tho bvtt man nltvcf but women, as all tho world knows, ara not to be held acoountablo for what they do ortay. It rnulndi ouo of a woman who would not yield to tho eutrcntlcs of a man who wanted ft kUt. "1 will not klas any man, ihe told, "but If t vtcrget roady to otcu-lato otcu-lato matculliio Upi I will look you up " "That Is tho same," said tho tagey oung suitor, " It you wero to protlahu that you would iioxr fall oil n roof, but In raioyotievir concluded tuch a thing you woull ndi'ct that root oer yonder. yon-der. btich I tho lllnitratlon of (he Inability Inabil-ity of tho fcmliiluo mental purpoati. This Ozark girl had never iwu n real miu until Jliopton rnmo along, and that U why tho thought so much ot him. Tin minutes afttr tho young man and his friends rodo owny Hcnnlo went uftcr them, hho rolo by another (tatli a shorter ono through tho wood. It would t noon before they would reach tho lullt If Iho plant near that jkuo wot mlzod tho girl conjecturud that the throo men, whom tho now filt tmowero irienuo oUlctT, woull work back with thfir prUouert. taking tho other ttlll m the proceeded. Sh had n pruttgood gun with her.. It was un old fathlnued pkco, but Its carrying owtrs wero good, "If he has lied to mo," tho murmured mur-mured ai tho rodo along, "I'll make It mljriity hot for him." At noon sho reached Croom't mill. Thtro wjt Da one there. 'J ho girl JuiiijmhI from hir hurte and led tho animal ani-mal through the trees ton quiet tpot vlifra the trio of itrauirs uoull not llktlygo bho was not far wrong In her guetves ot thepurpoauaof theSu IauIs joiiugmuuV Mu Jimpwn Jed tho twotllroiigh tho break In tho woods Into the clear patch that turroundod tho ftw hoiifcei there. It did not take them long to find tho ttlllhouto. Iti door win brok u dow u and tlm trl j eu tired 'Hit natlvu girl of Arkamat II t-rvj through n patrli of umli runh behind wt (h tho wai secreted and ' watched tho ijrncciln.a ' Aiii-'T f f Tiiup tn tharwfivr 1 . hfr Lritlo- n, and perhapt hrr only ' cup, in nihi fHrfklr She lh (.lt' ther.truU ne.erbi mner wrrtch j i all tho r rid Ho had aqui ered her hand tho i.'ght btfnru and fcd.l torn-thing torn-thing about lom It teemed rut her Dim to httlo Hennle to hear him talk to to her, and now to look at him I She cried ft few womanly tear as the WAtehed tho operations of tlmo men, who tolled all Iho tittmllt and destroyed as much of Iho Iioum as they con! I. iMm dihed thiiu away u tho trt an 1-tiled 1-tiled the hcrves end prepared to mount. "Wollvotk back now, nakl Jlmpion, Jlmp-ion, "I know of mi era I plaiitt the ones I told you of 'What about tho SpenctrsT atked Drown. "If It wero not for tho little girl there, don't wi know," went on the matter of fact St fAtiMan "I would take cm this e ruing rrgardlen of anything but the law." "111 get him for that," Bobbed Hen-nle, Hen-nle, going for her bono, "I II gtt him, lure." Tho threo men ro1o ahead, tho Ar kantM girl following them at n tofo dhtanoe, Onettill after another was demolished, only the Spencer plant bw Ing untouched The men rode back toward tho Spring river, the girl coming com-ing closely after them. Tim revenue ollWr reached tho edgoof a cleared place and dltnuufed. The Speaerr plant was Jntt ncrtiM tho I atch. "Tliey nifsui to Teat tlw folk, said tho girl, "ah I'll not tot 'em.' The trio broko Into tho cleared plorn of land and ttarted across It. Tho Hearing wa n fourth of a mllowldo probably, and tho girl knew that tho could not do anything It tho pennltM the lueti to prtxil her, aj It would nut bo posttolo for her to como Into tho clearing bchtn t them until they r?ro well out ct eight In th-s wood In tho meantime they imght tetto the plant anl shofit her brothers. Sho urged Iter horo along, hoping to tklrt tho clearing anl meet the ctlleenim they left Ihupath aifl camo Into tho wooth Again. The litter wero tlow, howoier, and wImtii iho gtt to tlw other tide tliey were Jntt starting arrow. Then It wm that ft happy Idea came acrow her mind Hho woull break Into tho ekarlnj and, If tieeettary. do tome thootltig ou her own antuunt. HertlmpluOMrk mind did not gmp tho dangers of tueti n mow Agnlnut threo aniwl inu She tlipjl fmm her horae, nitt qulcktr thftu n wink broko out of tho woods. Tho men taw her nnd Mopped. Sho turned to the woods and waed tier hand, a If ex-pcctlng ex-pcctlng lielp. It (lulled aeroM Jlinv Hn' mind In mi Initaut that tho own. rrs of tho hone over iwnr Croom's mill had returned, fount their plant de ttro)dulHlAt once tet out to glvotho nl.iniu lloplctureil tho wood full of Angry, aruicil mooiithlners. "Oomo on,1 he callod to Uovimmi and Moltonry, and the tlireo ran Imck-ward Imck-ward to tho trrt-s behind them Thru fttlot rang out, tho bt Louis young man dropped hligunand yellftl with ln. "I'm thotl" ho rrlt.1. Then another report rang out. Jimjieon com pinions deserted him, AudjumpttigfbttrMo their hortoa rodo nwar. Jlmpton lay on tho ground with a charge ot thot In his leg It was n painful wound, but lie man-nged man-nged to drag hlmwlf Into ft tpct tlwt iho warm cienlng tun did not penetrate, pene-trate, At In lay there uliorsenolghcd. It vine tils own. A teeonl later another whinny sounded In otiswer. It rumo fmm tho clearing. Jlmpton turned around In lime to tee tho Arkantai gill dismount, panting nnd crying. "I done It," the cried, to get even. You'm tvrml right and you know It, 11 later Jimpwn, but I'm going to ktr fer you. If you'll tellVm nt tho bouse that Idoneltby by what dnyouaay Aeeldent ye, that'e wluit I mean "Hut I auiftroteuno officer," tall Jlmpton ltwetn groans. "What will your people ay to thatP They II niter know," ret ponded the glrL And that It how It came to pari that Jlmioii, tho St. Louis man, became tho huaband of an Oark glrL Ho retired to be a nnenuo ofUcer nnd bo 1 came ono ot the moat skillful moon-thlners moon-thlners In Arkantai. Ho ijtent tho tieoiid year of his imurlol life lathe Itcnlteittlary, litit alter that he was uewr caught, Karnes City Time. |
