a leetle ground around it. Our folks is tired o' fightin' and I
couldn't live on t'other side of the mountain, after they air gone, an'
keep as healthy as on this side--so I thought I'd see if I couldn't buy
back June's old home, mebbe, an' live thar."

Hale watched him keenly, wondering what his game was--and he went on:
"I know the house an' land ain't wuth much to your company, an' as the
coal-vein has petered out, I reckon they might not axe much fer it." It
was all out now, and he stopped without looking at Hale. "I ain't axin'
any favours, leastwise not o' you, an' I thought my share o' Mam's farm
mought be enough to git me the house an' some o' the land."

"You mean to live there, yourself?"

"Yes."

"Alone?" Dave frowned.

"I reckon that's my business."

"So it is--excuse me." Hale lighted his pipe and the mountaineer
waited--he was a little sullen now.

"Well, the company has parted with the land." Dave started.

"Sold it?"

"In a way--yes."

"Well, would you mind tellin' me who bought it--maybe I can git it from
him."

"It's mine now," said Hale quietly.

"YOURN!" The mountaineer looked incredulous and then he let loose a
scornful laugh.

"YOU goin' to live thar?"

"Maybe."

"Alone?"

"That's my business." The mountaineer's face darkened and his fingers
began to twitch.

"Well, if you're talkin' 'bout June, hit's MY business. Hit always has
been and hit always will be."

"Well, if I was talking about June, I wouldn't consult you."

"No, but I'd consult you like hell."

"I wish you had the chance," said Hale coolly; "but I wasn't talking
about June." Again Dave laughed harshly, and for a moment his angry eyes
rested on the quiet mill-pond. He went backward suddenly.

"You went over thar in Lonesome with your high notions an' your slick
tongue, an' you took June away from me. But she wusn't good enough fer
you THEN--so you filled her up with yo' fool notions an' sent her away
to git her po' little head filled with furrin' ways, so she could be
fitten to marry you. You took her away from her daddy, her family, her
kinfolks and her home, an' you took her away from me; an' now she's been
over thar eatin' her heart out just as she et it out over here when she
fust left home. An' in the end she got so highfalutin that SHE wouldn't
marry YOU." He laughed again and Hale winced under the laugh and the
lashing words. "An' I know you air eatin' yo' heart out, too, because
you can't git June,