Argosy All-Story Weekly, June 27, 1925 — page 75: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

FLIGHT TO pleasurable excitement out of any prospect of martial conflict, closed his message with a prophecy. This editorial comment was evidently reflected from some words that he had heard fall from the lips of his el- ders. ‘‘’Pears right sensibly like ’—he squinted his eyes sagely—‘ thar’s a new war on; not betwixt ther Murrells an’ Skidmores this time, but betwixt ther Mur- rells an’ ther Smalls.” Murrell Coates was standing, and as he had. listened his grave face ,had given no open manifestation of excitement. Now he asked: “ Did ye say this hyar business come ter pass at ther schoolhouse? Hit must hev been some boyish prank thet went too fur. Or else ”—he turned his eyes to the woman and shodk his head—“ or else,” he added, ““some folks must feel mouty convinced thet ther woman hain’t nowise decent. I hain’t nuver knowed no v’ilence showed no women—save only..witches an’ trollops.” He paused, then suddenly his eyes blazed. “ Hit come ter pass at ther schoolhouse!” he exclaimed. ‘ Thet’s ther character of schools we've got over hyar, ma’am— schools whar they rocks women folks, an’ starts a hell-broth a-bilin’ in ther kittle- pot. Thet’s ther character of schools we've got ter send our young uns ter! Thet’s what our teacher-folks ‘lars ’em!” But Anne Purviance had risen. “Will you get me my horse, Mr. Coates?” she said in a voice of unusual quietness. ‘‘ I guess I’m needed over there at Wade Murrell’s. I guess the girl needs me.” “T ought to. go away,” wailed Cynthia Meade from the big four-poster bed in which, propped up with pillows, she was almost lost under bright colored quilts. “ I ought to go away. I’ve no right to bring trouble and danger on your heads. But why should they all get such hates on me— and where in God’s name can I go?” The girl had emerged light-headedly from her touch of delirium to find herself a mass of aching bruises. She was lying in that bed with the big body of Aunt Erie loaming over her like a beneficent giantess. Her i senses, wakening slowly to a realization of her whereabouts, had caught a sense of haven and security. Her eyes had wan dered from the brightly green oak branches framed by the window to the spot of burn- ing color against a dark wall, where a shaft of sunlight fell on 4 drying string of red peppers bright as holly. As she had Jain there gathering up and patching together the broken and frayed strands of remembrance, her fears had came flutteringly back—and yet there in the big bed she felt strangely comfortable—and safe. In spite of Wade’s first fear that she had been hopelessly broken and mangled, she seemed to have almost miraculously escaped major damages. Even her face was not dis- figured beyond cuts and abrasions that would soon heal, and though ber slim body was blackened with many contusions, it was her nerves that had suffered most. They had been shaken and unstrung by this un- warned taste of a mob’s ferocious instinct to batter down and kill. Between the walls of the room hung the Strong and pungent odor of herb-brewed simples and liniments. In the eyes of Aunt Erie gleamed a strange blending of protec- tiveness for her and ferocity for her assail- ants. “Go away?” echoed the highland wom- an, and a short laugh of defiance punctuated the question. “ Yistiddy ye mout hev lit out an’ gone ef so be ye seed fit—but now ye hain’t goin’ nowhars without ye defies both Wade an’ me. We'd done vouched fer ye—an’ folks hes a license ter know we don’t vouch fer no lewd women.” She paused and drew a long breath. “Hit's too tardy now,” she made grim summary, “ter make airy differ betwixt afirontin’ you an’ affrontin’ us.) Wade's done been looked to ter stand in his daddy’s shoes, an’ his daddy, he headed ther Mur- rells in war time an’ peace time. These hyar folks thet flew mad at ye, they was all Murrells—an’ they've done flung de- fiance at Wade. Hit’s got ter be seed now what comes ter pass. Wade, he hain’ givin’ back none.” “ But I brought this all on. I'm the cause of it.” The girl’s eyes were full of suffering COMmica@oo SS Co