--about
manners, Mr. Henderson," she confessed and the man hastily assured her:

"I 'lowed that you were splendidly loyal--to somebody."

As he spoke he saw Bear Cat at his elbow, his eyes fixed on the girl
with a wordless appeal of contrition and devotion, and he thought he
understood.

"Howdy, Blossom," murmured Turner, and the girl's chin came up. Her
voice seemed to excommunicate him as she replied briefly: "Howdy,
Turner."

This was a lover's quarrel, surmised Henderson and discreetly he turned
again to the host, but, even so, he saw Turner step swiftly forward and
raise his hands. His lips were parted and his eyes full of
supplication, but he did not speak. He only let his arms fall and
turned away with a face of stricken misery.

Blossom knew about last night, reflected Bear Cat. He was, as he
deserved to be, in disgrace.

Then as the girl stood looking off into the gathering darkness her own
face filled wistfully with pain and the boy, dropping to a seat on the
floor of the porch, watched her covertly with sidewise glances.

"Blossom met me down ther road," observed the minister, "an' named ter
me thet she hed----" He paused, casting a dubious glance at the
stranger, and Lone Stacy interrupted: "She named ter ye thet she stood
guard at ther still an' warned Mr. Henderson off?"

Brother Fulkerson nodded gravely. "I was a little mite troubled in my
mind lest she'd put herself in jeopardy of the law. Thet's why I
lighted down an' hitched hyar: ter hev speech with ye."

"Ye needn't worrit yoreself none, Brother Fulkerson," reassured the
host. "Mr. Henderson comes vouched fer by Uncle Israel."

The preacher sat for a space silent and when he next spoke it was still
with a remnant of misgiving in his tone.

"I don't aim to go about crossin' good men and a-cavilin' with thar
opinions," he began apologetically. "Like as not heaps of 'em air
godlier men than me, but I holds it to be my duty to speak out free."
Again he paused and cast a questioning glance at his host as though in
deference to the hospitality of the roof, and the tall mountaineer,
standing beside the post of his porch, nodded assent with equal
gravity.

"Talk right fer yoreself, Brother Fulkerson. I don't never aim ter
muzzle no man's speech."

"Waal, this day I've rid some twenty miles acrost high ridges and down
inter shadowy valleys, I've done traversed some places thet war
powerful wild an' laurely. Wharsoever God's work calls me, I'm