Show I 1 IN THE WRONG STATE story of Moon shiners and love in the kent kentucky u tennessee mountains by HAROLD CARTER john vincent federal revenue boffl acting in kentucky pulled in his mare and coolly surveyed the heights in front of him on every side arose precipitous mountains clothed with their perennial garb of spruce and pine the trail which wound slug through the defile disappeared into the heart of the forest to reappear a sinuous winding ribbon along the flank of the crest rest there was no sign of human habitation in that rug ged and abandoned land yet somewhere on bear mountain was the cabin of the norman men moon shiners and outlaws and tor for the arrest of jim norman the young est vincent held a warrant he had bet forth to bring him into others had held warrants too but vincent newly appointed to his post was more reckless than they and he had dared to ride alone into the heart of the norman stronghold he reined in suddenly for his quick eyes had caught a glimmering flash from tha peak deak in front of him it might have been the sun glancing en some hidden pool but it looked more like light reflected from a rifle barrel after a moments moment a hesitation he urged his mare into a canter and plunged into the undergrowth for the next halt half mile he was safe until he emerged upon the mountain slopes and when at last he came into the sunlight again he tethered his beast to a sapling and drawing his revolver began to ascend the peak cautiously keeping out cut of I 1 the range of I 1 the hid ild den marksman of whose existence he was tolerably sure he crouched beside the trail plunged e plunged into the scrub pine eberg lag ing lost again until at length he saw the bare acclivity of bear dear mountain in front of him and near the sum mit was a small log cabin set in the midst of a tiny patch of garden ground this was the place of which he was in search his weapon in his hand vincent leaped forward scaled the boulders on the summit and appeared before w 1 i ll 11 I 1 reckon its jim you re after the door upon the thresh threshold old a rifle in his hands stood a young man his ills dack was turned and he was attempt ing to eject a stuck cartridge hands apy up yelled vincent the man started stared at him for an instant and then with a sudden dash leaped across the cabin gained the rear entrance andaas and was away and running like a deere deer vincent follow ed him he ile was certain that thia this was jim norman whose appearance bad had been particularly impressed upon him by his superior officer when he start ed on his mission looks like his sister he said you ve seen that norman girl down at the store her image dont dent go arresting the girl instead of him he laughed jim norman had only recently re turned from parts unknown to re sume his operations which had been broken up by the au two years before the rest at f the gang was hiding somewhere across the tennessee boundary jim alone had ventured back to the cab in n on bear mountain his revolver in his hand the young officer followed the fugitive but hough bough in the pink of condition he not lessen the distance between himself and the young mountaineer his hope however was in his superior staying powers but dut juat where the crest dipped lown into the valley below the fugl tive flung himself panting upon the ground and as vincent ran forward held up a hand and called stop you cant come nearest nearer vincent did stop from sheer sur prise pries for this voice was a distinct md clear woman a voice and as he booked he saw a strand of long silken lark hair floating freely from below jie he old slouch hat miss lily he gasped the girl sat up and laughed yes I 1 rn m miss lily she said I 1 reckon its jim you re after whre Is jima he demanded sav abely standing over her lie ile had u oft en seen her in Kemp kempville vIlle I 1 this lit a daik diflo haired and blueeyes blue eyed mountain gir girla r of that perfection of type which flourishes as in its native 6 0 M in the kentucky hills the sight oi her flushed with her race her eyes alight with triumph set his heart ali fi piously beating and mingled with this new emotion was one ol 01 ange angea 1 and shame at having been out outwitted witteL jim she drawled oh jim waa was in the woodshed when you came up I 1 reckon you won t find him now though jim jima s a swift runner I 1 reck reek on jim jims a swifter than me and you couldn coulden t catch me she mocked then then 1 he stammered now mr vincent said the girl soothingly if it hadn haan t been for me loud ou d never have reached gear bear moun tain jim had a bead on you all along alona the trail you youve ve got me to thant for saving your life by this here change of parts well I 1 ve got you anyway said vincent sullenly I 1 reckon not she drawled why not because sho she answered this ll 11 tennessee Tennee see and I 1 reckon your terri torys tory a kentucky vincent was dumbfounded lie ile had forgotten the warning carefully conveyed that the norman cabin waa was da dot sign edly perched upon the border lin line and that therefore he must take his captive within the cabin itself you stop right where you are said lily it you lay a finger on me tell the governor of tennessee A light of amusement flickered in vincents eyes deliberately be he stretched out his hand found the cool slender fingers of the girl and held them I 1 guess the law doesn t say any thing against amicable visiting bo be tween the states does it he asked well she admitted it you come that way I 1 I 1 guess it 11 doesn doean t 1 l vincent stepped forward and planted both feet firmly upon tenne see soil nor about this he be asked and placing his arm round her b drew her to him and kissed her upon he the lips lily he said this ten ign t love at firof sight for ive I 1 ve loved you since 1 4 first saw you in Kemp kempville ville but dut it omes comes mighty near and it if I 1 can t gel lm why I 1 reckon I 1 im in going to ge ou some day copyright 1912 by W 0 chapman |