o' punishin' me fer the sin o havin' murder in my mind, 'n' I fell on
my knees right thar a-prayin' fer fergiveness: 'n' since that night I
hev stayed away from ye till the Lord give me power to stand ag'in
the temptation o' harmin' ye. He hev showed me another way, 'n'
now I hev come to ye as he hev tol' me. I hevn't tol' ye this fer
nothin'. Y'u in see now whut I think o' Easter, ef I was tempted to
take the life o' the man who tuk her from me, 'n' I reckon ye will
say I've got the right to ax ye whut I'm a-goin' to. I hev knowed the
gal sence she was a baby. We was children together, and thar
hain't no use hidin' that I never keered a straw fer anuther woman.
She used to be mighty wilful 'n' contrary, but as soon as you come I
seed at oncet that a change was comm' over her. I mistrusted ye,
'n' I warned her ag'in' ye. But when I l'arned that ye was a-teachin'
her, and a-doin' whut I had tried my best to do 'n' failed, I let things
run along, thinkin' that mebbe ever'thing would come out right,
after all. Mebbe hit air all right, but I come to ye now, 'n' I ax ye in
the name of the livin' God, who is a-watchin' you a-guidin' me, air
ye goin' to leave the po' gal to die sorrowin' fer ye, or do ye aim to
come back 'n' marry her?

Raines had stopped now in the centre of the cabin, and the
shadows flickering slowly over him gave an unearthly aspect to his
tall, gaunt figure, as he stood with uplifted arm, pale face, glowing
eyes, and disordered hair.

"The gal hasn't got no protecter-her dad, as you know, is a-hidin'
from jestice in the mount'ins-and I'm a-standin' in his place, 'n' I ax
ye to do only whut you know ye ought."

There was nothing threatening in the mountaineer 's attitude, nor