some mountain girl probably enjoyed her
smelling salts, or perfume, or whatever it was!"

Sandy could not move. He was spellbound, but Martin struggled to his
feet and stood towering over Lans Treadwell, shaking as with ague.

"I reckon I can tell you how it--turned out," he said, while his poor
old chin quivered as if the effort was almost more than he could
endure. "It war this-er-way. He came home to The Hollow, Sandy's
grandfather, an' he brought the bottle of--water! Oh! my God--and them
as opened the bottle--found out and began--to whisper! They all
whispered an' nudged ole Sandford Morley out of life an' inter his
grave. They-all hinted that he war a thief, a betrayer of his friend,
but he war that upright and clean that he war deaf to whispers an'
he--he didn't know the language of dirty slurs and off looks from them
as war once his friends! He went to his grave without knowing what had
edged him outer the respect of his neighbours. Then the lie grew an'
grew an' took the life an' souls outer us-all an' made us po'
whites--us as war as good an' better than your kin!"

A terrible fury was rising in Martin, and Sandy, unable to clarify the
situation, paused before entering the fray.

"Then Sandy here, he got his call an' rose up to save us-all. Out in
the world he found--you. You've come here--for what? for what?"

"Father!" At last Sandy was beside the old man. "Father, remember he
is our guest! He has come to clear--can you not see--he has
cleared--our name!"

Exultation and joy flooded Sandy; and his touch on his father's arm,
the thrill in his voice had power to calm the old man.

"Good God!" Treadwell exclaimed, rising and facing the two; "is it out
of such stuff, such dreams, such grudges, such shabby jokes, the life
of the hills is made?"

"Yes." Sandy whispered, "out of such stuff we come--or remain! You
can never know what you have done for us, Lans. Father will realize it
later--he's nearer the past than I am. For myself I--thank you! You
have, well, you cannot understand, but it's like you had put a broad,
wide window in our lives, letting in sunshine and sweet air where mould
and rot had once been."

He stretched his hand out frankly and tried to push his father forward
to do the same, but Martin turned away, the tears streaming from his
eyes. Sandy was looking to the future; Martin to the past; and Lansing
Treadwell stood between the two with a light laugh upon his lips an