n his hand with horror, wonder.

He stepped closer to her. "I mout gin it up for you!"

"For me?"

"You know I've loved ye sence ye were that high," said he, and measured
with his hand a very little way up the side of the old stump. "Many a
time I've listened hyar to your evenin' hymn, an' thought I'd rather
hear you singin' in my home than hear th' angels singin' in th' courts
o' Heaven. Say th' word, Madge--say you'll be my little wife!"

The girl was woe fully affected. Her eyes filled and her bosom heaved
with feeling. It cut her to the soul to have to hurt this playmate of
her babyhood, defender of her youth, companion of her budding womanhood;
their lives had been linked, too, by the great tragedy which, years ago,
had orphaned both of them. But, of late, she had felt sure that she
could never marry him. She would not admit, even to herself, just why
this was; but it was so. "No, no, Joe; it can never be," she said.

He knew! "And why?" said he, his face blackening with bitter feeling,
his brows contracting fiercely. "Because that furriner from the blue
grass has come atween us!"

Madge, surprised that he should guess the secret which she had scarcely
admitted, even to herself, was, for a second, frightened by his
keenness. Had she shown her feelings with such freedom? But she quickly
regained self-control and answered with a clever counterfeit of
lightness. "Him? Oh, sho! He'd never think o' me that way!"

"Mebbe so," said Joe, "but I know you think more o' th' books he teaches
you from than o' my company. From th' thickets borderin' th' clearin'
where you've studied, I've watched you settin' thar with him, wen I'd
give th' world to be thar in his place. Why, I'd ennymost gin up my life
for one kiss, Madge!" He looked at her with pitiful love and longing in
his eyes; but this soon changed to a sort of mad determination. "I'll
have it, too!" he cried, advancing toward her.

She was amazed, not in the least dismayed. Indeed the episode took from
the moment some of its emotional strain. That he should try to do this
utterly unwarrantable thing took a portion of the weight of guilty
feeling from her heart. It had been pressing heavily there. "You
shan't!" she cried. "Careful, Joe Lorey!"

She eluded him with ease and ran across her little bridge. He paused, a
second, in astonishment, and, as he paused, she grasped the rope and
pulled the little draw up after her.

"Look out, Joe; it air a hundred feet, str