FOUR
Jenny assented without reservation
; but when she told Marm
Pierce, days later, this word of
Will's, the old woman said irascibly:
"That's just like a man! Once
you get an idee into the critter's
heads, there's no knocking it out
again. A man's worse than a broody
hca! Only sure way to break her
is to cut her head off. A woman
like Huldy, all she deserves la a
knock on the head. 'Stead of that,
you and him will go on eating
your hearts out, and she'll gad around
with this one and that one. . . .
n like to lay a hand on her once.
Td trim her comb!"
Tet the girl was content, and
when winter broke and the feeble
pulse of spring began to flutter,
Jenny had come to a certain happiness.
She was happy in serving
Will, going almost dally to clean up
the kitchen and cook a batch of
doughnuts, or make biscuits, or cona
nle. To see him. to be alone
with him was for the time bliss
enough for her.
But when the frost was out of the
ground and plowing to be done,
the handicap under which Will must
labor began more fully to appear.
Be was able to do the barn chores;
but field work presented problems
hard to solve. Bart and others
helped him when they could; but
Will's restless seal sought an outlet
In great works about the farm,
and the neighbor folk had their own
tasks to do.
For this problem which Will
faced, chance brought what seemed
a fortunate solution. Toward the
foot of the Valley there was a farm
long owned by old Fred Dace, whose
father and grandfather had dwelt
there before him, and who lived
there with his son, Nate. But Nate
had died a year or two before; and
this spring the old man likewise
sickened and came to his quick end.
He had no kin about, but there was
a son who four or five years before
had gone west, and this son now
came home.
Zeke Dace was a lean, wiry man
In his middle twenties, who wore a
wide-brimmed hat of a western pattern,
and rode plow horses with ?
stock saddle, and rolled cigarettes
with one hand, and had a laughing,
ready tongue. He had come home,
he said, to stay. The cow business
was busted. Jobs on the range were
hard to find.
But the Dace farm promised no
great return from even a vigorous
cultivation; and Will Ferrln sent
for Zeke and hired him as a hand.
Jenny approved the arrangement.
She liked the newcomer; and he
and Will were from the first a congenial
pair.
There were others who liked
Zeke, too. Amy, Bart's sister, was
one of them. She was older than
Jenny, bnt not yet old enough to
tegln to fade In that quick, relentless
fashion which hard farm work
may Impose upon a woman. Since
Hnldy's departure, whether by accident
or not. Bart had fewer boarders;
and Seth Humphreys' steam
mill was shut down, abandoned and
deserted now. So Bart and Amy
were much alone, and Bart went
often for a word with Will, and
Zeke as often came down the hill
to stand In the door of Amy's kitchen
and talk with her a while. He
bad a teasing, laughing tongue that
conld whip colot to her cheeks; bnt
rfie liked It, and she sometimes
nursed happy dreams.
? I
Bo this early Rummer In the Valley
passed serenely; and Jenny was
a part of this serenity. She had
oo least warning of what was to
come.
It was mid-July when Huldy returned.
Zeke and Will were busy
with the harvest Will could drive
the mowing machine, or the rake;
and when It caine to load the hay
cart, or to put the hay In the mow,
he nailed a hoard across the foot of
tilt peg leg to make a sort of snowaboe
which enabled him to stand
ecurely. Jenny had gone this day
early to the farm; had helped for
a while In the fields, pitching hay
?p on the cart with Zeke while Will
towed It there.
Bnt later she went to the house
to get dinner ready for them; and
at a convenient time they came
tamping Into the kitchen, washed
jthemeelves at the sink and so sat
down. Jenny served them, set the
heaping dishes on the table, then
aeated herself to eat with them; and
the three were langhlng together at
some word Zeke had said, when a
car drove into the yard.
A car with a man at the wheel
and Huldy by his side.
They saw her through the open
door; saw ber, and sat still and
frozen while she descended and
came toward them. The man stayed
In the car.
...Jenny thought that Huldy was
! herself on her feet, facing the door. '
J Will half turned in his chair as j
j though to rise; but that board nailed
j across the end of his peg cramped j
| under a rung of the chair, and prevented.
Zeke looked questlonlngly .
at Will, and then at Huldy; and ,
i Huldy stood smiling, in the door- J
I way.
| Then she laughed. "I see you ain't .
: lonely. Will?" she said. He tried
j again to get up. "Where's your s
crutch?" she inquired derisively,
j "Want me to fetch It for you?" t
Jenny asked: "What have yon j
j come for?" Her tone was steady, ^
I her heart still. f
"Don't worry," Huldy told her. ]
I "I don't aim to stay. I left some j
I clothes here; come to fetch them,
j Unless you've been wearing them 1" f
"They're in a box in the attic," is
I Jenny said, ignoring the taunt "I j I
! put them away."
"Moved in, have you?" Huldy com- ! t
mented. "Seems like you was in ! 1
j quite a hurry. I waited till he mar- 11
j ried me, anyway!" 11
Jenny's cheek was white; yet she S
j curbed her tongue, and Hnldy 8
turned to Zeke. "I don't know you," !8
! she said amiably. "But you look c
| like you had sense enowRti to real- j8
i Ise three's a crowd!" I'
Zeke grinned, deriding her. "From [
what I hear, three wouldn't crowd l*
you none," he retorted. _
Her brows lifted. "So you been *
, hearing about me, have you?" Then v
I she smiled, flatteringly. "But you'd 1
I find that one's enough for me, If 1
he's a whole man," she said. ?
Will wrenched the board off the ^
end of his leg, with a squeak of |g
drawn nails, freeing his foot He ?
stood up to face her. "Huldy," he
said huskily, "you mind your
tongue. Come in if you want Yo're J c
always welcome here. But mind
your tongue." t
Huldy was for the moment 81- !c
lenced; but Zeke spoke to Jenny, i
"Where's this box?" he asked scorn- jj
fully. "I'll fetch It down for her."
"In the attic, the far end," Jenny
said. "By the window." t
Zeke turned toward the attic L
stairs, behind the stove; but Huldy [f
spoke to him. "Yo're In an awful j
hurry to get rid of me," she pro- d
I tested. (
l Zeke hesitated, looked at Will, f
i "1*11 pack her back In the car out h
"I Might Decide to 8tay," the 8aid !
8oftly.
?
| there If you say, Will," he offered, 1
' his cheek hot
| Huldy whispered mockingly: "I guess
you don't like me at all!"
"Not a bit lady," Zeke assured 1
her. "Nor any of your kind."
"How do you know my kind?" 1
she challenged. (
"I've seen enough of 'em, in gutters
and around," he said mercl- 1
lessly. |
But Will turned upon him. "Zeke, ,
you hush up," he said. Then to hla
wife: "Huldy, hell fetch your
things 1"
Huldy stood, leaning Indolently
against tha Jamb of the door, smll>
tng at them alL "He don't hare to
hurry. I might decide to stay," she
said softly.
confessed. "I can cure some hurts,
this here Is too much for me."
And later she said: "You put a
pillow under his head, and a blanket
oter him, to keep him warm."
But when these things were done
they could only keep vigil, till after
a long hour the doctor did arrive.
When that which had now to be
done was done, Jenny was left
drained and empty, her muscles
limp, her heart sick. Throughout,
she and Marm Pierce had helped
the doctor; the old woman administering
chloroform drop by drop
i under strict direction, Jenny holding
THE STATE PORT P
this and that as she was bidden.
With the first stroke of knife, she 1
was stunned as though by a head j
blow; bad thereafter no sense or j
strict consciousness of what went j
forward here at alL This still form ]
on the table ceased to be the man j
she loved; she helped like an au- j
tomaton, her cheek white as stone, I
her hands precise and strong, while j
flesh and blood and bone of good i
Will Ferrln were reduced to carrion.
The overpowering physical ex- :
perience would leave Its traces on
her thereafter in lasting ways; yet
she was for the moment spared
emotion.
When at last she was no longer j
needed, she went weakly into the I
kitchen to wash her hands and clean j
her garments; she returned to her |
nwn room to change Into her other j
;ear. Time had flown; dusk was [
Durple in the Valley. When she re- |
:urned to the dining room, Will had
somehow been moved so that he lay,
sreathing in long gasping lnhala:ions,
on the couch; and Jenny
found the doctor gone, and only
Harm Pierce and Luke Hills renainlng
here.
The old woman looked at Jenny
n the lamp's pale light, and saw the
;irl's exhaustion; and she came to |
lay to her softly:
"Jenny, there's nought to do here j
'or a while. It will be long enough '
ill he knows us, or knows anything. I
fou get out of doors, get some air, j
>reathe life back Into you, child. I
fou're pale as a gone thing your- j
ielf, this minute. I'll tend all here." ]
And Jenny, moving with a curious |
lasslvlty, obeyed the old woman as
the was used to obey, and went out j
nto the thickening darkness.
This was a still, cold night, with
hreat of another frost before dawn.
The stars prickling overhead, stoopng
low, peered brightly down like
he eyes of curious children. The
;lrl heard the rumble of a distant
lutomobile, somewhere toward the
iteam mill, and saw a sweeping ray
>f light above the trees as though
i car were turning there, its headights
like a searchlight's beam.
They would be taking Seth Htimibreys'
body away, she thought;
md she thought Will had killed
dm, and thought of the law and
vhat the law would have to say to
his; and she thought loyally thn*
lone could blame Will Blame Hully,
It might be; but not Will.
And slow anger began to wake In
ipr, to supplant the terrible strick
n irrief because a Dart of Will was
one, and the sweet flesh she loved
ras now reduced to a noisome
hlng that must be disposed of seretly
and swiftly. Anger woke In
ler; at Seth Humphreys for his acIve
part, and at Huldy for her seret.
passive role.
Seth was dead, beyond reach of
Penny's wrath; but"Huldy lived 1
And Jenny found herself going at
ong strides, lll^e a Swift avenger,
oward the brook, along the wood
iath, toward Will's farm?where
luldy now would be.
Jenny went In wrath; but her 1
leep, abiding anger was bound In 1
etters not easily to be broken, for
luldy was Will's wife, and the girl '
ad wit enough, deep sense enongh,
ound wisdom enough to under- j
tand that this was no seemly hour
or a woman's brawl. To shame
luldy would be to shame Will; and
rlth sudden clear perception Jenny
;new that this she would not do.
io by the time she had crossed the
irook and climbed the steep trail
ind come up through the orchard \
o the house, she was steady again,
?nt and bound first and above all
ilse to protect Will from ugly
onguea
She came through the barn Into
he farmyard; and through the unihaded
window of the kitchen she
taw Huldy within. And sight of
luldy checked the girl; for Will's
vlfe was dressed In an unaccusomed
fashion, in a skirt and coat
if some dark stuff. Also Jenny saw
hat Bart Carey stood beside her,
lending down to her, speaking inently;
and she saw Huldy's slow,
nocking smile as she looked at the
nan, her head tilted backward, the
imooth line of her throat sweeping
leep Into her bosom.
This much Jenny saw, not par:lcularly
intent on Bart, but startled
jy the fashion of Huldy's dress;
?d she went quickly to knock upon
:he kitchen door.
Huldy called: "Come In!" So
renny entered.
HPVn* tnTA fooQ/l Kdp frnm hornnH !
X lie m W IUVVU uv? ? wvj
the table; the lamplight was strong
upon them. Huldy sat with her
iiead a little on one side, her dark
eyes shadowed, her Hps curled in
that deep smile; Bart, beside her,
stood half-erect, one hand still upon
the arm of her chair, as though he
had been bending over her hi some
stern or ardent urgency.
And Jenny said slowly:
"Mis' Ferrin, I guess you don't
know It, or you'd been there; but
Will's hurt over to Granny's house.
Tbe doctor?cut his leg off. You'll
hare to come on overt'*
Bart straightened up, his face hot
"That's what I've been telling her,"
he said, vet not convincingly; and
Etaldy's eyes turned toward him,
with a sardonic upward twist of
her brow.
"He'll be coming to, soon," Jenny
urged. "When the chloroform wear*
off. And he'll want you there."
Bart Insisted: "Yes, Huldy! He'll
want you! You'd ought to go along
with Jenny!"
Huldy sat at ease, one knee
crossed over the other, one foot
moving slightly in a tight little
rhythm. Jenny saw that the other
woman's hat lay on the table by the
lamp.
."You were getting ready to come?"
1LOT, SOUTHPORT, NORT1
she hazarded. "I guess Bart told
you about it I thought you
mightn't know." Huldy did not
speak at all; and Jenny asked Bart:
"How did you know?"
"They telephoned from my I
house," he reminded her. "I was j
fishing, down brook, with a man |
that's been staying at my place, j
Amy told me, when I got home,
a while ago. I come right up
here . .
"Quick as a tomcat" said Huldy,
with a mocking glance at him; and
he said hotly, virtuously:
"It looked to me you'd need some
one. You'd have the chores to
do . .
Jenny remembered something forgotten.
She cried: "Oh, Bart! Will
says his team's up on the ridge road.
He lost a nut off the wagon. You'd
better go fetch them back to the
barn."
Bart hesitated; but Huldy said,
watching him cruelly: "Go along,
Bart. You can make up to a horse,
maybe!"
Jenny perceived, without understanding,
a baffled anger in Bart;
she thought he was provoked by
Huldy's heartlessness, and she
touched his arm. "Go on, Bart," she
urged. "Go fetch the team back and
unhitch them and give them some
feed. . . . Til take Huldy over
home."
There was sweat on Bart's brow;
he looked from Jenny to Huldy and
his dark eyes fixed on Will's wife.
"You stay here till I come back,"
he muttered. "I want to talk to
you."
"I've heard all you've got to say,"
Hnldy told him. "Get away from
me, and stay away!" There was
no heat In her tones; no trace of
anger; rather a slow, maddening
scorn.
Bart snatched at his hat "I'll
come back," be insisted, almost
threateningly, and then was gone.
So these two women were left
alone, and Huldy looked at the girl
with narrowed eyes, and she said
tonele8sl.v:
"I guess you feel bad about
Will."
"Yes," Jenny assented. "Yea, I
do!"
Huldy shifted her position, spoke
in casual inquiry. "Is he hurt real
bad?"
Jenny watched her, remembering
that this woman was the source
from which catastrophe had sprung;
and Huldy waved a careless hand.
"Will, he's always one to look for
trouble," she reflected. "He come
tramping in% the house, and flew
off the handle at nothing, and went
out again a-runnlng. That's all I
know." Her lips twitched with
amusement "You can go on and
tell me," she jirged.
Jenny explained: "Will and Seth,
they fit down't? the tntlL Seth had
a gun. ..." *
"That wag Barfs gun," Hnldy
Interrupted. "Seth borrowed It
claimed he wanted to shoot a wild
bull." She laughed softly. "As If
Will was wild, or a bull either, matter
of that 1 But Seth always would
lie."
"Seth shot Will," Jenny persisted,
her tones shaken. "The bullet hit
Will's leg and broke the bones all
to pieces. It went smashing down
Into his foot; and they fetched him
to the house, and the doctor?cut
his leg ofT."
"Seth ought to been ashamed," j
said Huldy chldlngly. 'Td give him j
a piece of my mind, shooting my j
Will that way, If Will hadn't already
'tended to him plenty." And
she asked with wide Innocent eyes:
"Did you see them cut his leg off?" j
"I helped the doctor," Jenny an- |
swered.
Huldy was all surface sympathy.
"That was hard on you?with you J
loving my Will so!" Her last word |
bit and stung.
And Jenny breathed deeply, and j
was strong. "I do love him," she I
assented gravely. "But yo're not |
likely to know what that means." |
She added Insistently: "Can't you j
come to him now?"
Huldy smiled and shook her head.
"I ain't coming," she said calmly.
"You can have him. Tell him I said
I never could be satisfied with half
a man!"
The world shattered Into fragments,
as a mirror shatters under
the Impact of a thrown ball. Jenny
rocked to and fro as though she had
been struck; and her lips were dry.
The lamp was smoking; a thin
thread of smoke like a black line
rose from the chimney top, to billow
Into a faint plume In the rising
air current above the flame. The
girl leaned forward to turn the
lamp down a little.
"Wick needs trimming." she muttered.
"You'll take care of all such
things for him,", Huldy predicted.
"Yo're such a housekeeper 1 But?
tending a cripple would weary me.
Fm going away 1"
"You'd not go when he's hurt, and
needs you?" Jenny whispered almost
pleadingly.
"I'd rather be wanted than
needed," Huldy retorted. "But that's
a riddle to yon."
"Yo're bound to go?" Jenny
asked, still Incredulous.
"I am going. In a little now."
"Where?"
"An old friend of mine," said
Huldy lightly. "He'a been fishing
down at Bart's. Soon's he gets his
clothes changed, he's coming to
fetch me."
(Continued next week)
H CAROLINA WEDNESDAV^r^B
j notice!
1 ^ TO ^ I
J COURT WEEK I
j VISITORS I
I Someone will be in Tbe State Port Pilot I
I office every day next week to receive payment
on subscriptions. Arrange now to keep
The Pilot coming to you every week throughout
the coming year.
Many of our readers visit Southport only
once or twice each year. Keep posted on what
is going on in your county by reading your
home newspaper.
I The State Port Pilot
(Office in The Ruark Building)
SOUTHPORT, N. C.