Alarmed at the girl's manner, Betty Jo thought to calm her by saying,
gently: "Why, Judy, dear, you are all excited and not a bit like
yourself. Tell me what troubles you. I came back because I love to be
here with Auntie Sue, of course. Why shouldn't I some if Auntie Sue
likes to have me?"

"You-all are a-lyin'," returned Judy viciously. "But you-all sure can't
fool me. You-all come back 'cause he's here."

A warm blush colored Betty Jo's face.

Judy's voice raised shrilly as she saw the effect of her words.

"You-all knows dad burned well that's what you come back for. But hit
ain't a-goin' ter do you no good; hit sure ain't. I done told him. I
sure warned him what'd happen if he let you come back. I heard you-all
a-talkin' yesterday evenin' all 'bout his book an' what a great man that
there publisher-feller back East 'lows he's goin' ter be. An' I kin see,
now, that you-all has knowed hit from the start, an' that's why you-all
been a-fixin' ter git him away from me. I done studied hit all out last
night; but I sure ain't a-goin' ter let you do hit."

As she finished, the mountain girl, who had worked herself into a frenzy
of rage, moved stealthily toward Betty Jo, and her face, with those
blazing black eyes, and its frame of black unkempt hair, and its
expression of insane fury, was the face of a fiend.

Betty Jo drew back, frightened at the poor creature's wild and
threatening appearance.