cker.

"See! my baby, Marg. She is lil' Ann."

"Ann--what?" whispered Marg.

"Just lil' Ann for--Miss Lois Ann."

"Nella-Rose" (and now Marg fell on her knees beside her sister), "tell
me where he is. Tell me and as sure as God lives I'll bring him back!
I'll make him own you and--and the baby or he'll--he'll--"

And then Nella-Rose laughed the laugh that drove Lois Ann to
distraction.

"Send Marg away, Miss Lois Ann," Nella-Rose turned to her only friend,
"she makes me so--so tired and--I do not want any one but you."

Marg got upon her feet, all the tenderness and compassion gone.

"You are--" she began, but Lois Ann was between her and Nella-Rose.

"Go!" she commanded with terrible scorn. "Go! You are not fit to touch
them. Go! Dying or mad--the girl belongs to me and not to such as has
viper blood in their veins. Go!" And Marg went with the sound of
Nella-Rose's crooning to her child ringing in her ears.

Things happened dramatically after that in the deep woods. Marg kept the
secret of the Hollow cabin in her seething heart. She was frightened,
fearing her father or Jed might discover Nella-Rose. But she was, at
times, filled with a strange longing to see her sister and touch that
wonderful thing that lay on the guilty mother-breast.

Was Nella-Rose forever to have the glory even in her shame, while she,
Marg, with all the rights of womanhood, could hold no hope of maternity?

For one reason or another Marg often stole to the woods as near the
Hollow as she dared to go. She hoped for news but none came; and it was
late August when, one sunny noon, she confronted Burke Lawson!

Lawson's face was strange and awful to look on. Marg drew away from him
in fear. She could not know but Burke had had a terrific experience that
day and he was on the path for revenge and any one in his way must
suffer. Freed at last from his captivity, he had travelled across the
range and straight to Jim White. And the sheriff, ready for the
recreant, greeted him without mercy, judging him guilty until he proved
himself otherwise.

"What you done with Nella-Rose?" he asked, standing before Burke with
slow fire in his deep eyes.

Lawson could never have been the man he was if he were not capable of
holding his own council and warding off attack.

"What makes you think I've done anything with her?" he asked.

"None o' that, Burke Lawson," Jim warned. "I've been yo' friend, but I
swear I'll toss yo' ter the dogs, as is afte