an' full of fool pride, an' faultin' ye fur yer ways;
an' I wouldn't gin ye the word I knowed ye war wantin' ter hear. But now
I kin tell the pore ghost of ye--I kin tell the pore, pore ghost!"

She buried her swollen, tear-stained face in her hands, and shook her
head to and fro with the realization of the futility of late repentance.
As she once more lifted her eyes, she was obviously surprised to see
him still standing there, and the crisis seemed to restore to him the
faculty of speech.

"Minta Elladine," he said huskily and prosaically, "I ain't dead!"

She sprang to her feet and stood gazing at him, intent and quivering.

"I be truly alive an' kicking an' ez worthless ez ever," he went on.

She said not a word, but bent and pallid, and, quaking in every muscle,
stood peering beneath her hand, which still held back her hair.

"It's all a mistake," he urged. "This ain't no grave. The top war dug a
leetle ter turn off a revenuer's suspicions o' the moonshiners. They put
that tale out."

Still, evidently on the verge of collapse, she did not speak.

"Ye needn't be afeared ez I be goin' ter take fur true all I hearn
ye say; folks air gin ter vauntin' the dead," he paused for a moment,
remembering the caustic comments over the deal of the cards, then added,
"though I reckon _I_ hev hed some cur'ous 'speriences ez a harnt."

She suddenly threw up both arms with a shrill scream, half nervous
exhaustion, half inexpressible delight. She swayed to and fro, almost
fainting, her balance failing. He caught her in his arms, and she leaned
sobbing against his breast.

"I stand ter every word of it," she cried, her voice broken and lapsed
from control. "I love ye, an' I despise all the rest!"

"I be powerful wild," he suggested contritely.

"I ain't keerin' ef ye be ez wild ez a deer."

"But I'm goin' to quit gamesome company an' playin' kyerds an' sech. I
expec' ter mend my ways now," he promised eagerly.

"Ye kin mend 'em or let 'em stay tore, jes ez ye please," she declared
recklessly. "I ain't snatched my lovyer from the jaws o' death ter want
him otherwise; ye be plumb true-hearted, _I know_."

"I mought ez well hev been buried in this grave fer the last ten year'
fer all the use I hev been," he protested solemnly; "but I hev learnt
a lesson through bein' a harnt fer a while--I hev jes kem ter life. I'm
goin' ter _live_ now. I'll make myself some use in the world, an' fust
off I be goin' ter hinder the murder