The Barnwell people. (Barnwell, S.C.) 1884-1925, January 22, 1925, Image 2

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. I PAGE TWO THE BARNWELL PEOPLE, BARNWELL SOUTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, JANUARY 29, 1925. CHAPTER XV—Continued - —17- Hut still 8h«» ran, snmmnnlnK all, of the reserve of strength nnd will-power which was hers to command. The sky 'sas brightening to the climbing moon. Fhe must round many a sweeping curve of the river, pass under many u sheltering, shadowing tree before ■he dared slow her steps. When she felt that she was over taxing herself, she dropped from the wild pnde she had set herself into a little Jogging trot. When her whole body cried out at the effort demanded of it, she slowed down to a brisk walk. She was shot through with jpain, her throat ached, she was grow ing dizzy. Hut on she went stub bornly. Itjiwas a full hour after the last sound of pursuit had died out after her tKbt she thing herself down at the water’s edge to drink and hatho her arms and face In the cold stream. And, even then, she chose a spot where the shadow of a great pine lay like ink over the bank. The moon was high in the sky, the World bright with it, when Judith left the valley Into which the canyon had widened and mnde her way slowly up ward along a timbered ridge to the west. Of Cjulnnlon and Mad Ituth she now had no fear. Their chance of corning upon her was less than neg ligible. She could creep Into a clump of thick-standing young trees and, eren if they should come, could watch them go past. Hut as they had dropped out of her world, another matter had entered it. The mountains had befriended ber; .they had opened their anus to her and that was all that she had asked If them. They had mothered her. drawing her Into hiding against their hosom. Hut It was a barren, barren breast. And already she was hungry, daring to eat hut sparingly of her handful of bread and meat. From this ridge, ‘finding an open erest, she stood looking out over the world. Mile after mile of mountain and canyon and cliff fell away on every side. She sought eajerly for n landmark: to see yonder in the dis tance Old Haldy or Copper mountain or Three Fools' peak, any one of the mountains or ridges known to her. And in tin* end she could only shake her head and sigh wearily and slip down where she was to fall asleep, thanking Cod that she - was free, ask ing Cod to lead her aright In the na>rning. The stars winched over her. a pule, wornout girl bleeping alone in the heart of the wilderness; the night breezes sang through the century-old tree-tops; and Judith, having striven to the uttermost, slept in heavy dreamlessness. With the cool dawn she awoke shivering and hungry. Her hair had tumbled about her face, and sitting up she braided it with numb, sore fingers. She looked at her hands; they were stained with blood—fguiu—many cuts. Her skirt was torn and soiled; her stockings were in strips; her knees were bruised. Hut as she rose to he.r feet and once more" searched tlie riddle of a crag broken world, her heart was light with thankfulness. Last night the one friend she had with her was the North star. Today she would seek to push on toward the west. In that direction she believed the Mine Fake ranch lay, though a^t best it was u guess. Hut goingf jyest- ward sbe could follow the course of the bigger streams, and soon or late,! If her strength held, she would come to some open valley where men ran stock. Now. she would go down Into the little meadow lying a mile away yonder and seek to find something to eat. If she could but dig a few wild onions, wild potatoes, they would keep fier nTtVP.~ IVesr she would go. if for no other reason than because thus she Would be setting her back sipuirely upon the cavern where (Juinmon and Kuth w>-re. J The s,jn rolled into a clear sky and wrrtned her. She made her way down the h ng flank of the mountain and info the tiny meadow. For up ward of two hours she remained there,, nit ’ding at roofs which she dug up with a broken stick, keeking edible growths which she knew, finding lit tle hut enough to keep the life ill her, ~~TtTP"tie7:H Wfo"'ll lli hi T ' f !'C ; : <t. Then she went on. over a ridge again, down into a canyon and along the stream which rose,, here and (lowed westward. Uy noon she a as faint and sick and had to stop often to rest, tier legs shaking-under her. Again she made it scant meal. She had stumbled on a tiny field of wild potatoes and ate what she could of them,.thinking long ingly of a match f< r a lire. The match which Ituth had dropped she still had, but she carefully reserved it now. tbit king bow perhaps .-a trout, caught In a pool, might save her life. 1 In her already ,half-starvcdi condi • tion and with the demands constantly put on her strength, she would grow - weaker and weaker if help did not soon eotne. Hut idle was still filled with the glory of freedom. It was a heart-weary, trembling .! • dith who Into that afternoon nyade her way upward along another ridge, seeking' anxiously^ to tind from this lookout some landmark, which she. had sought in vain hist night. In her hl6nse were the few roots she had brought with her from fhe field d'.s covered at noon. Lying in a. little patch of dry grass, resting, she watched the day go down and the night drift into the mountain*, tilling the ravines, creeping up the slopes. By JACKSON GREGORY Copyright by Chirleo Bcrlbner'a Sons she had climbed, seeping Into her soul. Never had the passing of the day seemed to her so majestic a thing, truly filled with awe. Never un til now had the solitudes seemed so vast, so utterly, stupendously big. Never until now, as she lay staring up Into the limitless sky, having given up the world about her as unknown, had she drunk to the lees of the cup of loneliness. So great was the weariness of her tired body that as she lay still, watch ing the stars come out one by one, she was half-resigned to lie so and let death Come to tlnd her. It seemed to her that here In the rude arms of Mother Flirth a human life was a (patter of no greater consequence than the down upon a moth’s wing. Hut she rested a little ami this mood, foreign to her Intrepid heart, passed, and site sat up, again resolute, again ready to mtlke her fight as long as life heat through her blood. At last she took the one match from her pocket. She scarcely dared breathe when, with dry grass and twigs piled against a rock, her dress shielding them from the wind, she nibbed the match softly against her hoot.' A sputtering flame, makiitlg the blue light of burning sul phur, *dled down, creating panic in her breast, then flared, crackled, licked at the grass. She had a fire and site knew how to use It! When a log was blazing, assuring her that her fire was safe, she rose swiftly and went- In search of the tree she meant to burn. She found n giant pine, pitch-oozing, standing In a rocky open space where there was little danger of the fin* spreading. Fagged out and eager as she was. she had not come to the point of forget ting what a great forest fire meant. She went hack to her burning log, for a blazing dry branch which she carried swiftly to the free. Then she piled dry grass and dead twigs. logs as heavy ns she could carry, hits of brush. The flames licked at the tree, ran up it. seemed to fall away, sprang tit If again, hungering. Now and then a long tongue of tire went crackling high up along the side of the tree. Judith went hack to a spot where. In •a ring of boulders, there was another grassy plot, threw herself down and lay staring tit the tongues of .tire which were climbing higher and high er. Some one would see Iter beacon. A forest ranger, perhaps, whose duty it was to ride fast and far to battle with the first spark threatening the wooded solitudes; perhaps some crew In ’ a logging-camp, than whom none knew better the danger of spreading fires; perhaps some cowboy, even one of her own men—perhaps F-hdiinion and Ituth? Site then would hide among the rocks until they had eotne and gone. Even now, against the sleep falling upon her, she drew farther hack through the tumbled boulders, Perhaps, Hud Fee. . . . Sbe went to sleep beyond the circle of bright light, tired and hungry and striving against a returning hopeless- to a difficult Journey on foot after he must leave his horse. He turned promptly from the work in hand, ran trf his horse, swung up and sped hack to his cabin, to telephone to the near est station, passing the word. Then with ax and shovel, he began his slow way toward the beacon. Hud Fee. from the mountain-top where he and Hurkitt had taken Hampton, saw It. Lee Judged rough; ly that It was separated from him by four or five miles of broken country, impassable to a man on horseback, to be covered laboriously on foot in a matter of weary hours. Fee and Green approached the sig nal smoke from different quarters, Fee from the west. Green from the north east. They fought their way on to ward it u'ifh far different emotions in their breasts. Greene with the de sire to do a day’s work and kill a forest lire in its beginning, Fee with the passionate hope of finding Judith. Fee reached his journey's end first. As he came pantingly up the last climb, he discharged his rifle again and again, to te’ll her that he was coming, to put hope into her. And, because he was a lover and a lover must he filled with dread when she Is out of his sight, he felt a growing anxiety. She had lighted the fire last night; what might have happened to her since then? Had she been wan dering, lost all these days? If noth ing else, then had she waited here half the night and in the end had she gone on plunging deep into some can yon hidden to him? Would he find her well? Would he find her at all? Suddenly he called out, shouting mightily, and began running, though the way was steep. He had seen Ju dith, he had found her. She was standing among the scattered boulders, her hack to a great rock. She was waving to him. Her Ups were mov ing. though he could not see that yet, could not- hear her tremulous; “Oh, thank God, "thank God !” "Judith," he called, “Judith!” Now, near enough to see her dis tinctly, he saw* that her face was white, that the hand she held out was ShakinjL that her clothes were torn, that she looked pitifully In need of him. Hut at last, when he stood at her side, one of the old rare smiles came Into Judith's tired eyes, her lips curved, and she said quietly: "Good morning, Hud Fee. You were very good—-to come to me.” “Oh, Judith,” he cried sharply. Hut no other word canie to his lips then. The brave little smile had gone, the whiteness of her face smote him to the heart. And now she was shaking from head to foot, and he knew* why she had not stepped out to meet him, why she had kept her hack to the rock. He thought that site was go ing to fall, he saw two big tears start from the suddenly closed e^velid«. and with a little inarticulate cry he took her Into his arms. "If you had not come. Hud I^e,” she whispered faintly, “I should have died. I think.” Very tenderly he gathered her up so that her little boots were swung clear of the flinty gyound and she lay He stood a mo- looking with eyes alternately hard and tender Into her face. He wanted to hold her thus always, to watch the £lad color come back into her cheeks, to carry her, like a baby, back across the weary miles and home. And. oddly, per haps, tlm thought came back to him and hurt him as it had never hurt him ■before, that he had once been brutal with her, rhnt he had crushed her in litsi arms and-forced upon,lip,s liih kiss. He had been brutal with Judith, when now he could kill a man for lay ing a little finger on her. "I - have been a brute with^you. a i rute.” he muttered to himself. Hfit Judith heard him. her ey7*s fluttered "pen ami into them came again her g'lnrloii'- smi!e.| "He.-itnso yoti kis>t*d me that night. Hit. I "I clear of the flinty gyount quiet in his armST He ment holding h^r thus, at himself all the, way up that he had not brought a cup. He put his arm about her while she drank; kept his arm about her, kneeling at her side, while he gave her a little, crisp slice of bacon, held his arm there when she had finished, watching her solicit ously. “The two nicest things In the world, Mr. Man,” she said, with a second at tempt at tiie old Judith brightness, "are half-burnt bacon nnd Bud L‘ee!" Then, because, though he had been slow* to believe, he was not a fool, and now did believe, he kissed her. And Judith’s lips met his lingeringly. Judith’s two arms rose, slipped about his neck, holding him tight to her. The faintest of flushes had come tit last Into her cheeks, He saw It and grew* glad as he held her so that he could look into her face. Hut now she laid a hand against his breast, holding him back from her. “That’s all now," she told him, her eyes soft upon him. “Just one kiss for each slice of bacon, Mr. Fee. Hut —I’m so hungry !” For a little there was nothing to do but for Judith to Test nnd get some of her strength back. Fee made of his coat and, vest a seat -foir hex against a rock, sat at her. side, his arm about her, made her lean against him and just he happy. Not yet would he let her tell him of the hor rors through which she had gone. And lie saw* no need of telling her any thing Immediately of conditions as he had left them at the ranch. Time enough for that when she was stronger, when they were near Hint,* lake. Greene, the forester, came at last up the mountain. He noted the iso lated tree, nodded at It approvingly, made a brief tour around the charred circle, extinguishing a burning brand here and there. “What sort of n fool would want to climb way up here to start a fire, anyway?’’ he grumbled. Then, unexpectedly, he came upon the happiest-looking man he Tiad ever seen, with his arms about an amaz-, ingly pretty girl. Not just the sort of thing a lone forest ranger counts upon stumbling upon on the top of a mountain. Greene stared in bewild erment, Hud Fee turning a flaming red. Judith smiled, “Good mornirjg, stranger,” said Fee. "Fine day. isn't It?” Judith laughed. Greene continued to stare. Fee went a trifle redder. "If you two folks just started that fire for fun,” grunted Greene finally, “why, then, all I've got to say is you've got a blamed queer idea of fun. Here I’ve been busting myself wide open to get to it." "Haven't got a flask of brandy on you, have you?" asked Fee.' "Yes, I have. And what’s more I'm going to take a shot at it right now. If nobody asks you, I need it!" Now, LeC heard for the first time something of Judith's adventure. For, recognizing the ranger in Greene, stie told him swiftly why she had started the fire, of her trouble with Quinnion, of the cave where Quinnion had at tacked her nnd of Mad Ruth. Greene's eyes lighted with Interest. He swept off his hat and came forward, sud denly apologetic and very human, proffering Ws brandy, insisting with Fee upon her taking a sip of it. Yes. he. knew Mad Ruth, he knew* where her cabin was. He could find the cave from Judith’s description. Also, he knew of Quinnion and would he delighted to break a record get ting hack to his station and to White Rock, White Rock was in the next county, hut so, for that matier, was the cave. He’d get the sheriff and would lose no time cornering Quinnion if the„iniui had not already slipnyd anger which bud grown overnight. H« came on stiffly, chafing his wrists. “These two fools.” he snapped to Judith, "have made an awful mess of things. They’ve queered the deal with Doan, Rockwell & Haight, 'they V® made themselves liable to prosecution for holding me against my will, they’ve—” "Walt a minute, Pollock,” said Ju dith quietly. “It’s you who have made a mistake.” Briefly, she told him what had hap pened. As word after word of her account fell upon Hampton’s ears, his eyes widened, the stiffness of his bear ing fell away, the glint of anger went out of his eyes, a look of wonder came into them. And when she had fin ished. Hampton did not hesitate. He turned quickly and put out his two hands, one to Lee. one to Hurkitt. "I was a chump, same as usual," be grunted. “Forget it if you can. I can’t" They *vMit s»n more swiftly now, the four of them together, Judith In sisting that that last sip of brandy had put new life into her. In a little while, seeing that Judith did in fact i Wa A LETTER "l have _ twed ••■Pe-ru-nm in my family for over 25 year* for cough*, cold* »nd throat trouble. I would not h»re contin ued *11 thia time had I not found it gilt edged end at recommended. Geo. C*»*idjr, Standiah, Mich. Pe-ru-na ha* been in constant use in th. Amer> >/•»»« family for more then Fifty year*. Scjd Evwywhen* Tablet, or Liquid PALE, NERVOUS 4 A Throughout the Night the Tree Blazed Unseen. > .ness her voting body—curled up in the nest site hud found, a cheek cuddled | against her arm. wondering vagueh it some one would see her lire and rome—if that some one might I A* Hud Fee. IT . /'J| 11 ■. CHAPTER XVI Bacon, Kisses and a Con fession Throughout the night the tree blazed unseen. Judith's eyes were closed in the heavy sleep of exhaustion. The llauie^ roared and leaped high sky ward, burning branches fell erashing- ly. to lie smouldering on the rocky soil, the upstanding trunk glowed, vivid against the sky-line. In the early morning at least two pairs of eyes found thb plume of smoke above the stil! burning giant pine. A man named Greene, one of the government inrest rangers, blaz- ing 'a new trail o\er Devil's ridge, came out upon a height, saw It and watched it frowitingly across the mile*. a w ay. ■ “I don't know you two- real well,” said Greene, with a quick smile at the end, "hut If you don’t mind, pardner,” and he put out his hand to Fee, "I'd like to congratulate, you! I don't kbow jt injin rJLat's^ite as lucky this hi'i < rhlt Fg j is \]tV f Vr e f 1 ’ - “Thank you.? laughed Judith. She s.!u' its’ * (i him. rose and shook hands too. .".We’re at t !" he era ! s| ; ply. ‘‘I >1 n't 1 tq F:ik( ■ ranch for the present. < 'oim* -laemfier it. lit(i.’h and us." A A you know !i-t 11 e of a gir!. ..... hen voifn* Miss sauford?" siiid \ (*11 < j. * w ! v “ f ■ • . Lil t !.*• lle'T7r r TlTed ** U-. i- lii-rfi rd id K Fat a man can so v e;isi|\ -- (ini! you mon • than on e. Greene's my s with his unless—tmieV'- .she iniim \ . ' — ' ; ' to he kiss CllV “F ee's mine," iffored Fee. riging slowlj to the peak to which } It calkU him u a hard ride, almost douhtod Jijs^/irs ; he could hardly believe that he had <,•» n what he. -had seen- in Judith's eyes. They were closed now, slip lay quiet in his arms, it seemed that she had fainted, or was asleep, so very white and still was she.. He had forgotten jthat he must carrv her to where he touhl lay hef* down and bring water to her, give her something to eat. He just stood motionless, holding her to him. staring hungrily down at her. "Are you going to play—I’m your baby—all day. Hud Lee?" she asked softly. He carried her swiftly away from the ring of boulders and to a little grassy, level spot where he put her down wltlu lingering tenderness. Ju dith had not been angry with him all ‘ ' r these months! Judith had let him kiss her because she wanted to he kissed— bjr him! He raked some coals out of the ashes, hastily set some'sHces of bacon to fry, cursed himself for not having brought Coffee and milk and sugar and a stehk and a flask of whisky and (nnugh other articles to load a mule. He ran dowifWitn the canyon nnd hruufiUt ’water la Ils hat, aweary j “Hud Fee, eh? (Hi. you two will do! So long, friends. I'm off to look up Quinnion.” . -v'”' And, swinging Ins ax blithely. Greene took his departure, ’’rhere art* other things^in the world besides Just clifl's t"- stare at,” said Judith. "And I would like a bath and a change of clothes and a chance to brush my hair., And the baton doesn't taste so gboti ns it did and 1 want an apple and- a glass of milk.” So at last they left the mountain- top and made their slow way down. As they went Fee told her some thing of what had happened at the ranch', how (’arson would hold off the buyers, how Tommy Hurkitt was as suming charge of Pollock Hampton. And when they came near enough to Burkin's and Hampton’s hiding-place. Fee fired a rifle several times to get Burkin’s attention. Finally they saw the hoy. standing against the sky upon a big rock, waving to them. From Fee’s shouts, from his gestures, chiefly from ^ie fact that .Judith was there. Hurkitt understood and freed Hamp ton. the two of th*W coming swiftly down to Judith and fj-f » ^ < liU^ U .1 t/. yj. u v/. Presently Carson Came Riding «.» Meet Him. have herse'.f in hand, Hud Lee, with a hidden pressure of her hand, left them, hurrying on ahead, trying to rca- h Carson nr some of the men In Pocket valley and to get horses. As he drew nearer the ranch Fee saw smoke rising from ^lie north ridge. Again he could turn ids thoughts a little to what lay in front of him, wondering what luck Carson had had in his double task of fighting fire and holding off the buyers. At any rate, the Blue Lake stock hat] not been driven off. The bawling of the f>ig herds told him that before he saw the countless tossing horns. Then, dropping down into Pocket val ley from above, he found Ids own string of horses feeding quietly. Be yond. the cattle,. At first he thought that the animals had been left to their own devices. He saw no rider anywhere. Hurrying on, he shoyted loudly. After he had called repeat edly, there floated to him from some where down on the lower flat an an swering yell. And presently (’arsou himself came riding to meet him. Carson's face was smeared with blood; one bruised, battered, discol ored eye was swelling shut, hut in his uninjured eye there was triumphant gladness. “We got the sons-o’-guns on the run, ( Hud," he announced from afar ( "Killed their pesky fires out before they got a good start, (Tippled a couple of ’em. counting Jenny, the | cook, in on the deal, chased their | deputy sheriff off with a flea in his ear, an' set tight, holding our own.” ".VUuTu'.d ...you get the eye, Carson.?" West Virginia Lady Says That She Was in a Serious Condi* tion, But Is Stronger After Taking Cardui. Huntington, W. Va.—“I was In a very weak and run-down condition —In fact, was In a serious condi tion,” says Mrs. Fannie C. Bloss, of 1964 Madison Avenue, this city. “In my left side the pain was very severe. It would start in my back and sides. Part of the time I ^ was in t?ed_ and w’hen up I didn’t v feel like doing anything or going anywhere. “Life wasn’t any pleasure. I was very pale. I was nervous and thin, and so tired all the time. "My druggist told me that Cardui was a good tonic for women and I bought a couple of bottles. I took two bottles, then I noticed an im provement. I kept on and ftflind it was helping me. I have taken nine bottles. I'm stronger now than I have been in a long time.” Cardui is made from mild-acting medicinal herbs with a gentle, tonic, strengthening effect upon certain female organa and upon the system in general. Sold everywhere. NC-163 V. :■) y —■ , THE WCjHAMJ TONIC Three generations of Resinol Soap users in this family demanded Fee. Carson grinned broadly, an evil grin M of a distorted, battered face. “You want to take a good look at nl’ Poker Face," be chuckled. "He j won't cheat no more games of crib j for a coon's age. 1 jus' nacherully | heat him all to h—1, Bud.” “.Where r,re the rest of the men?” j Fee asked. "Watching the *’fires an’ seeing no more don't get started." (TO HI-: CONTINUED.) Long Beach, Cal., June 23:—"I wonder if you would care for this unsolicited testimonial. I began using Resinol Soap many years ago with my first baby. He and his wife are now using it for my two- year-old grandchild. I have also two married daughters using it and one more daughter at home with the heaviest curly bobbed hair I ever saw. All my life people have asked what I used to make the children’s hair so beautiful and to give them such clear, healthy com plexions. I have had only two rules: Resinol Soap and good plain food, j . You have one good booster here . ^ in the west not only for California , but for the Resinol products.’* ** (Signed) Annie L. Brown, 1042 E. Ifith St. CHERRY-GLYCERINE COMPOUND COUGHS. COLDS BRONCHITIS AND THROAT AFFEdTlONS - FOR SALE* BY ALL DEALERS T . BT, J-'-. JAMES BA4L.V & SON & * BAUTiMORt,- Mb<*> T *... Venetian Venice has long led the world in the manufacture of beautiful glassware. Glass works wore early established In that city andF.tlie taking of Constantji- nople in 1204 gave the Venetians the opportunity of acquiring additional knowledge of the art. During the Fourteenth century heads, false stones, and imitations of jewels, rath er than cups and the like, seem to have been the chief productions of the Venice workman. Venetian glass is usually of extreme thinness, being nearly always blown, and there Is an endless variety to be found in the shapes and in the application of color. Glass-blowing, like throwing clay on the potter's Wheel, induces beautiful curved forms and strength of substance. TV . >*»*i 4*0 l 4U4 Uifc Kisses The safest tiniei to kiss Is midnight. The most dangerous time is early in the morning, germs having accumu lated during the flight. As the hours roll by germs are gradually eliminated frortf* their favorite nest—mouth and lips. Even at four in the afternoor kissing still Is risky. This important information is sup plied bv tin ajflicial of * life Insurunc* Introduced Flower Language Lady. Mary WortU-y Montagu whose husband was for a time Brltls!* ambijssador to Turkey, is “said t< have learned the language) of flower* among the Turks and to have intro duced it into western Europe. Sure Relief FOR INDIGESTION INDIGESTION/ 6 Bell-ans Hot water Sure Relief p-)' r\( ELL-ANSo 25<t AND 75t PACKAGES EVERYWHERE " Money back without queatio* It HUNT’S HALVE fatls^n th* tr-'-atmrnt of I*CH, ECZEMA S .XC.WORM.TETTERorothe It .'bins *kln dU^as^s. Prlc* *f»C at 3n?(ri*ta. or direct fro« ~*.5!t!ir4i HU'clni SIwim* T « X ■ ' . V * . Mk . . . i l . MU, .1,' .! 'Ve ^ — ■ J . V, vM - - • "*