"No, honey, I ain't goin' to take you away. I want ye to stay
right where ye air. Be a good girl now and do whatever Jack Hale
tells ye and tell that boy with all that hair to come over and see
me." June grew almost tearful with gratitude, for never had he
called her "honey" before that she could remember, and never had
he talked so much to her, nor with so much kindness.
"Air ye comin' over soon?"
"Mighty soon, dad."
"Well, take keer o' yourself."
"I will, dad," she said, and tenderly she watched his great figure
slouch out of sight.
An hour after dark, as old Judd sat on the porch of the cabin in
Lonesome Cove, young Dave Tolliver rode up to the gate on a
strange horse. He was in a surly mood.
"He lemme go at the head of the valley and give me this hoss to
git here," the boy grudgingly explained. "I'm goin' over to git
mine termorrer."
"Seems like you'd better keep away from that Gap," said the old
man dryly, and Dave reddened angrily.
"Yes, and fust thing you know he'll be over hyeh atter YOU." The
old man turned on him sternly
"Jack Hale knows that liquer was mine. He knows I've got a still
over hyeh as well as you do--an' he's never axed a question nor
peeped an eye.
Pages:
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173