Motion Picture Classic (Jan-Dec 1916)

MOTION PICTURE THE REVENUE OFFICER DISCOVERS THE COUNTERFEITING PLANT “Maw know yo’ around?” “You bet she does,” said Paul; “I’m the new boarder.” Jack passed into the house and presently came out with his Winchester in the fold of his arm. Presently a candle flared from inside, and he went in and sat down with the others to a meal of cornbread and potatoes. “We’re lucky jest gettin’ some cawn-fiour,” said Jack. “If that’s a luxury,” thought Paul, “a potato is a rank dissipation.” After the meal the girl sat down by the hearth and stretched her bare legs frankly out to the fire, which danced and played in shine and shadow across them. “What’s your name?” asked Paul, suddenly. ‘ ‘ Car ’line — Car ’line Tolliver. ’ ’ Her voice was nasal, but not so harsh as her brother’s. “Well — tomorrow,” said Paul, stifling a yawn, “you can show me all over fhe mountain and back again.” Caroline showed him over the mountain many times, until the day came when he knew all the short-cuts down to the valley and Magnolia Hall. Once or twice he met mountaineers, always clasping a Winchester, and he wondered why he never heard a shot if game was so plentiful. One day toward dusk, as he was toiling up the trail, three men passed him by, and he noticed that one was very stoop-shouldered, with almost colorless eyes. Between him and a mountaineer was a chap with a stubby beard, who was singing a hymn in crazy fashion, bis arms sprawled about the others’ necks. “Great Scott!” said Paul. “It’s my friend and chaperon of the Big Sandy. He talked like a tank the night he met me.” Caroline began to keep more and more to herself, and one moonlit night Paul noticed that her eyes were luminous and so hollow that they scared him. “Poor thing,” he thought, “I guess she needs something to spruce her up a bit.” The next day he walked down to the crossroads store in the valley and smuggled a big paper parcel up the mountain in his arms. And that night he came upon Caroline just within the shadow of the sentinel trees of the clearing and handed her his prize. She clawed the string off, nervously, and a length of the best dress material for twenty miles around unrolled at her feet. The poor thing gave a little moan, then took his hand and fell to kissing it, but he would have none of her humble gratitude and gently shook her off. ‘‘Yo’ know!” she cried, over and over again — “yo’ know!” But not for the life of him did he guess what the girl was driving at, and the following night he went to the shadow’s edge, expecting to meet her again. Two long arms, tense like wagontires, flung themselves around him and lifted his bulk from the ground. “Caroline, you little tease!” he cried. A knotted hand slipped up under his throat and clutched, vise-like, at his windpipe. Then, for the first time, the stars whirled like silver dust above him, and he sensed that he was in the grip of a man. It was years since he had used the lumps of his muscle in anger, but the man back of him was slowly choking him to death. The mad fury of a bull coursed thru his wavering brain. He lashed out in the dark, with giant strokes, at nothing. Then his thumb caught in a leather belt, and with this one finger he slowly drew his assailant around in front of him. The fisted bones of his free hand beat savagely against bones — jaw, nose and cheek — until the face held mistily before him was a welter of pulpy flesh. Suddenly a bone snapped like the cracking of a nut, and the man let go his strangle-hold and sank to the ground. His two hands cupped his jaw in agony. “You dirty backbiter!” roared Paul, with a sudden rush of breath. “I’ve a good mind to throw you clean over the mountain!” The man, with a scream of fright, sprang up and ran thru the woods. The spears of moonlight, stabbing thru the trees, showed a fleeting glimpse of his ramshackle, fleshless shape. (Twentyfour)