The Re-Creation of Brian Kent

e to a spot just above the point where the high bluf

ront of the house, a footpath leads down the bank of the river to the cliff, and, climbing stairlike up the face of the steep bluff, zigzags down the easier slope of the down-river side, to come again into the road below. The road itself, below Elbow Rock, is forced by the steep side of the mountain-spur and the precipitous bluff to t

better for him to follow his desire and stay with Auntie Sue for a few weeks or months, or whether he should not, in spite of th

issues. He could not have told why, and yet he felt a certainty that, for him, two widely separated futures were dependent upon his choice. Nor could he, by thinking, discover what those futures held for him, nor which h

ile-how like the life to which he would go was to the rapids at Elbow Rock; and, yet, he reflected, the waters could never reach the sea withou

eddy at the foot of Auntie Sue's garden, the currents of life had mysteriously brought him to the saving influence of Auntie Sue herself. Should he push out again into the stream to face the danger he knew beset such a course? or should he wait for a season in the secure calm of the harbor she offered until he were str

imbing the

g words came back to him: "God-A'mighty and my drunken pap made me like I am. But you,-damn you!-you made yourself wh

for him; but some impulse checked him and he remained silently watching her. Climbing hurriedly a little higher up the path Judy again stopped to look carefully around, as if searching the vicinity

when something happened on top of the bluf

as if in sudden fear. Then she whirled about to run. Before she could gain the point where the path starts down from the top, the man caught her a

vered the remaining distance to the top in a breath. From among the bushes, a little way d

udy was crouching on the ground, begging the brute, who

of the mountaineer; dirty and unkempt, with evil, close-set eyes,

the latter's sudden appearance to move; then he went down, fell

Brian, as he lifted the girl to

put in," returned the poor girl, trembling with fear. "I know,

er!" excla

reamed: "Look out! H

gorous, well-directed kick, delivered in the nick of time, sent the gun

" comman

tood nursing his damaged wrist

this girl

are sure goin' to find that you can't come between a man an' his lawf

ence, even if she is your daughter,-in these mountains or anywhere

back home with me,

se for her like a man, instead of j

burned business as I can s

usiness, just the sa

ittle behind him. "Judy," he said, kindly, "I

esh 'cause he dassn't come to the hous

ar to come to the ho

ne give me te

ie Sue?" repeated

ed with, "I didn't s

snapped Brian.

ere helpin' weuns; an' Tom Warden an' some other folks they was there, too; an' they done fixed hit so that I was ter go an'

otone broke, and her twist

sure ain't a-goin' ter. I 'lows as how she'll just go home an' work for me, like she ort, 'stea

Brian, and begged piteously: "Don't let him tec

him as he faced the fathe

taineer

d if you ever show your dirty face in this vicinity again

lue eyes that caused him to start off down th

turned, and, shaking his uninjured fist at Brian, delivered a volley of curses, with: "I'll sure git you-all for this! Jap Taylor ain

rd him, and Jap Taylor

ntain-side. "I'll not let him touch you. Come, let us sit down and talk a little until you are yourself again. Aun

obs. "I sure ain't a-wantin' ter make no trouble,-not

he river, Judy gradually ceased crying, and presently said, in her normal, querul

child. He is not going to har

then, be you? I'm sure powe

tor had suddenly been in

ay," continued Judy. "Hit was that I was a-huntin'

u going to te

ow'd I'd said anythin' ter you, but she's a-needin' somebody like you ter help he

ntie Sue's private affairs; you must not tell any one. Anything she wants me to

n't tell nobody nothin'. But 'tain't a-goin' ter hurt

think I ought

he did ter the Sheriff an' that there deteckertive man," returned Judy stoutly; "an' 'cause she's so old an' is a-needin' you-all ter hel

f his own consideration of his problem so clearly that he was stunned. Why had he not, in

verybody just like she tuck me, an' just like she tuck you-all, besides a heap of other ways; an' now she's so old and mighty nigh plumb wore out, hit sure

ry glad. You see, I was not thin

mightn't. Seems like

Judy. Come on, now; let's go to the house, and tell her. But we won't say anything about your father, Judy;-that would onl

just naturally got ter stay an' take care of

t naturally got to s

e by the river to announce Brian's decision to Auntie Sue. They found th

cross-currents and crooked spots and sand-bars and rocks and lots of places where it SEEMS to us to be wrong. But, just the same, it all goes on, all the time, toward the sea for w