In Happy Valley | Page 3

an oath and a yell. And there she left him,
swearing horribly and frankly at her.
Jay Dawn did not go back to logging that week. Report was that he had
gone to "courtin' an' throwin' rocks at woodpeckers." Both statements
were true, but Jay was courting at long range. He hung about her house
a great deal. Going to mill, looking for her cow, to and fro from the
mission, Allaphair never failed to see Jay Dawn. He always spoke and
he never got answer. He always grinned, but his eye was threatening.
To the school-teacher he soon began to give special notice, for that was
what Allaphair seemed to be doing herself. He saw them sitting in the
porch together alone, going out to milk or to the woodpile. Passing her
gate one flower-scented dusk, he heard the drone of their voices behind
the morning-glory vines and heard her laugh quite humanly. He snorted
his disgust, but once when he saw the girl walking home with the
teacher from school he seethed with rage and bided his time for both.
He did spend much time throwing at woodpeckers, ostensibly, but he
was not practising for a rock duel with Allaphair. He had picked out the
level stretch of sandy road not far from Allaphair's house, which was
densely lined with rhododendron and laurel, and was carefully
denuding it of stones. When any one came along he was playing David
with the birds; a moment later he was "a-workin' the public road," but
not to make the going easier for the none too dainty feet of Allaphair.
Indeed, the girl twice saw him at his peculiar diversion, but all
suspicion was submerged in scorn.

The following Sunday things happened. On the way from church the
girl had come to the level stretch of sand. Beyond the vine-clad bluff
and "a whoop and a holler" further on was home. Midway of the stretch
Jay Dawn stepped from the bushes and blocked her way, and with him
were his grin and his threatening eye.
"I'm goin' to kiss ye," he said. Right, left, and behind she looked for a
stone, and he laughed.
"Thar hain't a rock between that poplar back thar and that poplar thar at
the bluff; the woodpeckers done got 'em all." There was no use to
run--the girl knew she was trapped and her breast began to heave.
Slowly he neared her, with one hand outstretched, as though he were
going to halter a wild horse, but she did not give ground. When she
slapped at his hand he caught her by one wrist, and then with lightning
quickness by the other. Quickly she bent her head, caught one of his
wrists with her teeth, and bit it to the bone, so that with an open cry of
pain he threw her loose. Then she came at him with her fists like a man,
and she fought like a man. Blow after blow she rained on him, and one
on the chin made him stagger. He could not hit back, so he closed in,
and then it was cavewoman and caveman. He expected her to bite again
and scratch, but she did neither--nor did she cry for help. She kept on
like a man, and after one blow in his stomach which made him sick she
grappled like a wrestler, which she was, and but for his own quickness
would have thrown him over her left knee. Each was in the straining
embrace of the other now and her heaving breast was crushed against
his, and for a moment he stood still.
"This suits me exactly," he cackled, and that made her furious and
turned her woman again. To keep her now from biting him he thrust his
right forearm under her chin and bent her slowly backward. Her right
fist beat his muscular back harmlessly--she caught him by the hair, but
unmindful he bent her slowly on.
"I'll have ye killed," she said savagely--"I'll have ye killed"; and then
suddenly he felt her collapse, submissive, and his lips caught hers.
"Thar now," he said, letting her loose; "you need a leetle tamin', you

do," and he turned and walked slowly away. The girl dropped to the
ground, weeping. But there was an exultant look in her eyes before she
reached home.
The teacher was sitting in the porch.
"He never would 'a' done it," she muttered, and she hardly spoke to
him.
A message from Jay Dawn reached the school-teacher the morning
after the "running of a set" at the settlement school. Jay had infuriated
Allaphair by his attentions to Polly Stidham from Quicksand. Allaphair
had flirted outrageously with Ira Combs the teacher, and in turn Jay got
angry, not at her but at the man. So he