in his own manner an amateur of life, he
set to work to analyze her motives, and guessed obliquely at them.

The sight of his broad, retreating back evidently spurred Judith to fresh
effort. "Uncle Jep!" she screamed, cupping her hands about her red lips
to make the sound carry. "Ef you see Creed Bonbright tell him--howdy--for
me!"

The sound may not have carried to the old man's ears, but it reached a
younger pair. Blatch Turrentine was just crossing through the grassy yard
toward the "big road," and Broyles's mill over on Clear Fork, where his
load of corn would be ground to meal with which to feed that blockaded
still on the old Turrentine place which sometimes flung a delicate trail
of smoke out over the flank of the slope across the gulch. As he heard
Judith's bantering cry, Blatch pulled up his team with a muttered curse.
He looked down at her through narrowed eyes, jerking his mules savagely
and swearing at them in an undertone. He was a well-made fellow with a
certain slouching grace about him as he sat on his load of corn; but
there were evil promising bumps on either side of his jaws that spoke of
obstinacy, even of ferocity; and there was something menacing in his
surly passivity of attitude. He looked at the girl and his lip lifted
with a peculiar sidelong sneer.

"Holler a little louder an' Bonbright hisself'll hear ye," he commented
as he started up his team and rattled away down the steep, stony road.

Sunday brought its usual train of visitors. The Turrentine place was
within long walking distance of Brush Arbor church, and whenever there
was preaching they could count on a considerable overflow from that
direction. The Sunday after Creed Bonbright put in an appearance at Nancy
Card's, there was preaching at Brush Arbor, but Judith, nourishing what
secret hopes may be conjectured, refused to make any preparation for
attending service.

"An' ye think ye won't go to meeting this fine sunshiny Sabbath mornin',
Sister Barrier?" Elder Drane put the query, standing anxious and
carefully attired in his best before Judith on the doorstep of her home.

She shook her dark head, and looked past the Elder toward the distant
ranges.

"I jest p'intedly cain't git away this morning," she said carelessly.

The Elder combed his sandy whiskers with a thoughtful forefinger. Not
thus had Judith been wont to reply to him. Always before, if there had
been denial, there were too, reasons adduced, shy looks from the cor