The Place Beyond the Winds

youth spared Priscilla from a full understanding of her father's words, but she caught the drift of his thought. She was convinced that he feared greatly for her here on earth, and had grave

d the scene; "a man she says she had never laid eyes on before! A daughter of Satan she seemed, w

e a total stranger. In all the conversation the name of the stranger was not mentioned, and oddly enough Priscilla did not even then connect her friend of the music and laughter with the boy of the Hill Place. How could she, when

bare, unlovely kitchen of the farmhouse, with her troubled parents confronting her, a great wave of realization overpowered the girl.

now feeling-the Hornbys, all the boys and men who left Kenmore. Somethin

lla la

ngered Nathaniel

you! Why do

d back in her h

s got me!"

e-l

he lure and find your true place. Some people are

hild too far, been too hard upon her, and the impulse to fly from th

. "You're always trying to-to hold me back from-from-my life! I want to go away somewhere! I want"-a half-sob shook the f

g her arms over her head, while she eja

hild! The knowledge was like a stroke that left her paralyzed. What could she hope to do with, and for, this new, strange creature in whose you

to cry. She could no more cope with this situation than a baby. She had never risen above or beyond the dead level of

rom him-not her colourless mother-the desire for excitement through the senses, he would have flung the thought madly from him. Men were men; women were women! Even if temptation came to a girl, only a bad, an evil-natured girl would recognize it and succum

that never had occurred. He believed she had often met the young

t make a prisoner of her; we cannot watch her

l would not have mourned her, he woul

she has become a curse to us. It lies with us to turn the

reappeared before her parents with a cloudless face and a willingness to make such amends as could be brought about without too much self-abnegation. In the

by way of propitiation. "It's one by the clock now. Given an hour to go, another to

aid of me. Hadn't you better tie a string to my foot?" But all the time the girl was thinking. "An

mother, for he read me wrong and would not believe

he girl; "and, Priscilla, what did you mean by saying you wanted to be-be doshed? That

bled over with laught

anted to be doshed, mother, when you were youn

confirm her terror Priscilla sprang toward her with

pon her mother's retreating form, "it

shoulders and was seeking to kis

e. An unknown element was here. It was as if, having been discovered, Priscilla

uched in the girl and merely the madness of youth and the legitimate yearning fo

ouse at four!" she cried; "at

eart; she feared the girl would turn toward the woods; she was prepared for that, but inste

she had created. It appealed to her dramatic sense and animal enjoyment. In some subtle fashion she realized she had balked and defeated her father-she was rather sorry about her mother-but that could be remedied lat

scilla from investigating. She longed to go to the jail and see if the people had

nace of taking Mrs. McAdams' license from her was man's talk just then, and Mrs. McAdam was so splendid when her rights were threatened. On the village Green she annually defended her position like a born orator. Priscilla had heard her once and had never got over her admir

amatic taste that she with difficulty restra

e needed for the home run set aside, so to the little cabin, built beside the s

do so by her god, he had had an almost supernatural influence upon her thought. For her, he was endowed with mys

r him, seemed to travel back from a far place before he saw her. Farwell was an old-young man; he cultivated the appearance of age, but only the very yout

round-shouldered. When he looked you fully in the face, which he rarely did,

t matters drop. To the children, to all helpless animals, he was an enduring solace and

a Glenn. Bad child! It's many a day since we had a le

om the hearth. Priscilla, in a chair, sat upright and rather breathlessly wondered how

her first question and the words brought hi

id you come from-I me

to spring forward to lock the door and ba

to ask that?

never thought before about you, Mr. Farwell, we're so used to you, but now it's

l sat limply down in the c

go away; not just now, but some time. I'm going out through the Secret Portage. I'm going away, away to find my real place. I'm going to do something-out where th

elt no antagonism. It was an amazing, an interesting thing. The girl had suddenly developed: that was all. She was eager to t

wn pleasure as her advantage he had taught her as he had some of the other village children, erraticall

n, dark face grew rigid and stern. But too well the man knew the folly of setting up active opposition to any young thing st

e States?" The tense

do you wish

o the

as baf

nt to the States, got the worst of it, and came

f you do come home and die! You never have a chance in Kenmore; and I don't mean to be like my mother-like the other women. You see

ently Nathaniel had borne too hard upon her, borne to the snapping point, and she had, in her wild f

ned forward and gazed into the s

dance? Do you want to?" She

Lord!

me-play on-on a fiddle, I could dance all d

la Glenn had introduced into the bare, cleanly room an atmos

d slowly; "but where in heaven

ation again and, while Anton Farwell was not affected

y thing I can do but dance now; of course I can learn. Don't you remember the nice story about the old

ughing more at Farwell's perplexity than at her own glibness. She must so

destined for-living! Hers was one of those natures that flash now and then upon a commonpla

hispered Farwell, and

im go to her fa

of the experience in the woods. "Father saw only evil w

wider stretch

promise to help you get ready, will you pro

her new emotion, but intuitively she had sought Farwell because he had

d, the dogs, behind the building, fought silently and ferociously. Farwell had fed one before he left home and a bitter jealousy lay between the animals. It was almost more than

to a normal one. Priscilla is like a wild thing of the woods. You may tame her, if you go about it right; you'll never be able to force her. She's kind

her will!" m

you do-w

of them. Once I get her on the right track, she'll go str

thing if she was cowed." Cont

as so angry that he became brutal.

ob?" Farwel

ke to it naturally they're all the better off; i

nd his thin face flushed, while in his hea

ying surlily, "and never let the limb learn of yo

fitted than I she would have done great credit to

rgy with which he applied the brush to his

and let her run herself out-she may settle happily afte

el, safe from the horse's

here is no sex li

I'd have her back and well c

rwell playe

the whip hand while Priscilla is in your clutch, but with a wit like hers, if she slipped across the border she could lose

e was, he was not devoid of affection of a clammy sort, and for an instant Priscilla as a helples

ou suggest?" he

nd bring a little diversion into her life. What she wants is what all young things want-freedo

eafter to go, when she chose, to Kenmore and learn of Farwell what Farwell chose to give her,

appier, less restless, and her adm

what restored. He did not play as Travers did-he had only his ear to depend upon; he had never been well taught-but hi

es; "and have a brood of half-breeds-no quarter-breeds-and all this joy a