lers, the wily Jews and
the vagrant women that fringe the incoming tide of a new
prosperity--gone--all gone!

Beyond the post-office he turned toward the red-brick house that sat
above the mill-pond. Eagerly he looked for the old mill, and he stopped
in physical pain. The dam had been torn away, the old wheel was gone and
a caved-in roof and supporting walls, drunkenly aslant, were the only
remnants left. A red-haired child stood at the gate before the red-brick
house and Hale asked her a question. The little girl had never heard of
the Widow Crane. Then he walked toward his old office and bedroom. There
was a voice inside his old office when he approached, a tall figure
filled the doorway, a pair of great goggles beamed on him like beacon
lights in a storm, and the Hon. Sam Budd's hand and his were clasped
over the gate.

"It's all over, Sam."

"Don't you worry--come on in."

The two sat on the porch. Below it the dimpled river shone through
the rhododendrons and with his eyes fixed on it, the Hon. Sam slowly
approached the thought of each.

"The old cabin in Lonesome Cove is just as the Tollivers left it."

"None of them ever come back?" Budd shook his head.

"No, but one's comin'--Dave."

"Dave!"

"Yes, an' you know what for."

"I suppose so," said Hale carelessly. "Did you send old Judd the deed?"

"Sure--along with that fool condition of yours that June shouldn't know
until he was dead or she married. I've never heard a word."

"Do you suppose he'll stick to the condition?"

"He has stuck," said the Hon. Sam shortly; "otherwise you would have
heard from June."

"I'm not going to be here long," said Hale.

"Where you goin'?"

"I don't know." Budd puffed his pipe.

"Well, while you are here, you want to keep your eye peeled for Dave
Tolliver. I told you that the mountaineer hates as long as he remembers,
and that he never forgets. Do you know that Dave sent his horse back to
the stable here to be hired out for his keep, and told it right and left
that when you came back he was comin', too, and he was goin' to straddle
that horse until he found you, and then one of you had to die? How he
found out you were comin' about this time I don't know, but he has sent
word that he'll be here. Looks like he hasn't made much headway with
June."

"I'm not worried."

"Well, you better be," said Budd sharply.

"Did Uncle Billy plant the garden?"

"Flowers and all, just as June always had 'em. He's always