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Show The young man laughed, wearily. "I know that verv well. I went around in a circle for a while kept coming back to the same big poplar. pop-lar. Rhododendron over my head-no head-no light, no path " "My boys," said Virgie, "found a man over toward Huggin's, once, east of Chimneys. He'd been dead for three months. Just a photographer photogra-pher chap from up north. He had a map. Put the coffee down here, Lossie, and fetch some hot milk and some bread and some of that cold veal. He can have the milk first-better first-better not go too fast if he's been hungry for a while. You didn't tell me your name, son." "I'm Branford Wills of Washington." Washing-ton." "And from Georgia or some place before that, by your talk. Kick those shoes off I think I can find you a dry pair. My husband had small feet he was a slight man but maybe may-be you can squeeze them on. Here comes Lossie with the milk. Now don't gulp take it easy. Hold the cup, Lossie his' hand is unsteady." Young Mr. Branford Wills sipped 1 the steaming milk, sighed, smiled. He' was, so Virgie discerned, a very engaging person "when he smiled. "I grew up in Alabama," he said. "I think I- can manage it now, thank you. May I .drink' all this?". "Slowly," Virgie said. ".Where did . you stay last night, for goodness' sake? It was cold as charity and that sleety rain falling." . "I walked, , I didn't, dare fo stop. I sighted, a star and kept moving. The, absurd part of it is that, I'm supposed to know better. Smi a, government cartographer."' "That's a map-maker," supplied Virgie, as Lossie looked perplexed. "So you knew enough to stick to a" star, did you? The trouble was that the star Sidn't seem to stick to "you. -Where did you start from?" "South of the- gap six miles or so." , ' "In' a straight line from here that's twenty miles. But the :way you came " "Half around the world, I'd say. May I have the coffee now? I'm all right, really. I'm pretty rugged. I've lived out for a number , of years." ... - ; .' "Nobody . would believe that, try your clothes." , ; "Oh, we were heading , into tpwn, you, see. We were through We we're up there' checking the cohtrac- we're up there' checking the contractor's contrac-tor's bids. My "woods clothes have gone on back to Washington without me unless the other fellows waited. When I didn't show up at that filling station they may have been worried and uneasy-they may be up there yet." ; ? ' " VWe.ean telephone; But you-' d bet- ? ter. eat first." 3 : : ' "You're a generous person." He took the hot cup. of coffee, eagerly. "Not many, ,peopje would, take in a tramp ,Uke me and believe his story. sto-ry. You, didn't tell me your pame.", "I'm Mrs. Dayid . Morgan. If you've been' with 'the government ' ..'.la' hparrl aiout me." VU- gie's lips drew a little straight. Her motherly gray eyes emptied and withdrew a trifle. . "Oh yes." He was slightly embarrassed, em-barrassed, "you belong to thewulp pefcple." .''- ' J I -' - "I'm the Morgan pulp business." A thin edge w,as on her. tone. "When-ev'er "When-ev'er government meri( want to lay 'any sin' in these mountains on any one, they )ick 6n me.. . "Oh biit I'm sure " "Oh, I'm used to it. I don't mind," she went on. , , r "In Jthe mealtime I'm- .going to give yu a warm bed for the night, ,and thin we'll sefid.a message to your folks " "Plekse don't bother about me." Little Spots of color had come into his fae, his- eyes looked anxious. "I canjgo on-now. I'll get down to town-ihere is a town,: isn't there? ,Of course -there ... must be your 'mill-j --' ,. "Six miles," Virgin said, , and fou're not going any farther tonight J-not in this storm and cold. I'm 8 ; .mountain woman first and a robbei baroness afterwards. Mountain peo ole never turn away strangers." (TO BE CONTINUED) " ' ' |