ed
quietly and unemotionally enough.

"She hain't no man's wife ... yit. Old Caleb's her grandpap."

"I've done seed some powerful comely gals in my day an' time," mused
Maggard, abstractedly, "but I hain't nuver seed ther like of _her_
afore."

Bas thoughtfully fingered his pipe, and when he spoke his words came
soberly.

"Seein' es how ye're a stranger hyarabouts," he suggested, "I reckon hit
hain't no more then plain charity ter forewarn ye. She's got a lavish of
lovers an' thar's some several amongst 'em that's pizen mean--mean
enough ter prove up vi'lent and murderous ter any new man thet comes
trespassin'."

"Oh, pshaw, thet's always liable ter happen. Anyhow, I reckon I don't
have ter worrit myself 'bout thet yit."

"Suit yoreself." This time the native spoke dryly. "But what ye says
sounds unthoughted ter me. Ef a man's mean enough ter foller murderin'
somebody over a gal, he's more like ter do hit afore ther feller gits
his holt on her then a'tterwards. When did ye see ther gal?"

Maggard shook himself like a dog roused from contented sleep and sat up
straight.

"I hain't nuver seed her but jest one time, an' I hain't nuver passed no
word of speech with her," he replied. "When I come by ther house an'
tarried ter make my manners with ther old man, she was a-standin' in an
upstairs winder lookin' out an' I seed her thar through ther branches of
that big old walnuck tree. She hed on a dress thet made me think of a
red-bird, an' her checks minded me right shrewdly of ivy blooms."

"Does ye aim ter name hit ter her thet she puts ye in mind of--them
things?"

"I kinderly hed hit in head ter tell her." Suddenly Maggard's frank
laugh broke out disconcertingly as he added an inquiry so direct that it
caused the other to flush.

"Rowlett, be ye one of these hyar lavish of lovers ye jest told me
erbout?"

The mountaineer is, by nature, secretive to furtiveness, and under so
outright a questioning the visitor stiffened with affront. But at once
his expression cleared of displeasure and he met frankness with a show
of equal candour.

"I'm one of ther fellers thet's seekin' ter wed with her, ef thet's what
ye means, albeit hit's my own business, I reckon," he said, evenly. "But
I hain't one of them I warned ye erginst on account of meanness. Myself
I believes in every person havin' a fair chanst an' ther best man
winnin'."

The other nodded gravely.

"I didn't aim at no offense," he hastened to declare