Other Main-Travelled Roads | Page 5

the objection to me?"
"Objection? Hell! What's the inducement? My hired man, an' not three
shirts to yer back!"
"That's another; I've got four. Say, old man, did you ever work out for a
living?"

"That's none o' your business," growled Bacon a little taken down. "I've
worked an' scraped, an' got t'gether a little prop'ty here, an' they ain't no
sucker like you goun' to come 'long here, an' live off me, an' spend my
prop'ty after I'm dead. You can jest bet high on that."
"Who's goin' t' live on ye?"
"You're aimun' to."
"I ain't, neither."
"Yes, y'are. You've loafed on me ever since I hired ye."
"That's a--" Lime checked himself for Marietta's sake, and the enraged
father went on:--
"I hired ye t' cut wood, an' you've gone an' fooled my daughter away
from me. Now you just figger up what I owe ye, and git out o' here. Ye
can't go too soon t' suit me."
Bacon was renowned as the hardest man to handle in Cedar County,
and though he was getting old, he was still a terror to his neighbors
when roused. He was honest, temperate, and a good neighbor until
something carried him off his balance; then he became as cruel as a
panther and as savage as a grisly. All this Lime knew, but it did not
keep his anger down so much as did the thought of Marietta. His
silence infuriated Bacon, who yelled hoarsely:--
"Git out o' this!"
"Don't be in a rush, ol' man--"
Bacon hurled himself upon Lime, who threw out one hand and stopped
him, while he said in a low voice:--
"Stay right where you are, ol' man. I'm dangerous. It's for Merry's
sake--"
The infuriated old man struck at him. Lime warded off the blow, and

with a sudden wrench and twist threw him to the ground with frightful
force. Before Bacon could rise, Marietta, who had witnessed the scene,
came flying from the house.
"Lime! Father! What are you doing?"
"I--couldn't help it, Merry. It was him 'r me," said Lime, almost sadly.
"Dad, ain't you got no sense? What 're you thinking of? You jest stop
right now. I won't have it."
He rose while she clung to him; he seemed a little dazed. It was the first
time he had ever been thrown, and he could not but feel a certain
respect for his opponent, but he could not give way.
"Pack up yer duds," he snarled, "an' git off'n my land. I'll have the
money fer ye when ye come back. I'll give ye jest five minutes to git
clear o' here. Merry, you stay here."
The young man saw it was useless to remain, as it would only excite
the old man; and so, with a look of apology, not without humor, at
Marietta, he went to the house to get his valise. The girl wept silently
while the father raged up and down. His mood frightened her.
"I thought ye had more sense than t' take up with such a dirty houn'."
"He ain't a houn'," she blazed forth, "and he's just as good and clean as
you are."
"Shut up! Don't let me hear another word out o' your head. I'm boss
here yet, I reckon."
Lime came out with his valise in his hand.
"Good-by, Merry," he said cheerily. She started to go to him, but her
father's rough grasp held her.
"Set down, an' stay there."

Lime was going out of the gate.
"Here! Come and get y'r money," yelled the old man, extending some
bills. "Here's twenty--"
"Go to thunder with your money," retorted Lime. "I've had my pay for
my month's work." As he said that, he thought of the sunny kitchen and
the merry girl, and his throat choked. Good-by to the sweet girl whose
smile was so much to him, and to the happy noons and nights her eyes
had made for him. He waved his hat at her as he stood in the open gate,
and the sun lighted his handsome head into a sort of glory in her eyes.
Then he turned and walked rapidly off down the road, not looking
back.
The girl, when she could no longer see him, dashed away, and, sobbing
violently, entered the house.
II
There was just a suspicion of light in the east, a mere hint of a glow,
when Lyman walked cautiously around the corner of the house and
tapped at Marietta's window. She was sleeping soundly and did not
hear, for she had been restless during the first part of the night. He
tapped again, and the girl woke without knowing what woke her.
Lyman put the blade of his pocket-knife under the window and raised it
a little, and then placed