====================
DISCLAIMER:  Catherine Marshall's beautiful story of Christy is owned by
the LeSourd family.  We are in no way seeking profit or credit for her
story.  We are continuing the story of Christy for our own amusement
only.  Any additions in story line and characters were invented by the
writers.
====================
Title: The Heart of a Man
Auther: D.J. DeJong

(Based on Characters created by Catherine Marshall)

Part 1

      The morning sun peeked through the eyelet curtains making patterns of light on the
wall, on the bed and on the unruly auburn hair of Neil MacNeill.  His bride watched the
unconscious and uncharacteristically peaceful face of her sleeping husband.  She traced
the shape of his mouth, his nose and the lines at the edges of his eyes.  It was a good
face, though weathered and careworn.  At times it could be hard, or proud or stubborn, but
she knew the heart of the man, and that was all-important.
     Christy MacNeill stretched as much as she dared without waking her husband.  In her
mind, she ran over the events of the days and weeks before.  She had been on the verge of
marrying another man, David Grantland, a missionary preacher with whom she had worked for
over a year, and whom she greatly admired.  She had, however, after much soul-searching
come to realize that she did not love him.  David had shared his beliefs and his faith
with her.  She in turn had shared her spirit and idealism with him, but she had always
felt that he wanted more of her than she could give.  Neil, on the other hand, had given
her his heart, his passion, and his challenge.  Neil's was the greater gift.  When faced
with the final irrevocable decision, she had chosen the deep, mature, abiding love of Neil
over the flattering admiration of David.
     The wedding had been a grand affair by Cutter Gap standards.  The ceremony had
already been planned, only the groom had changed.  Her parents already admired Neil since
his treatment of her father following a stroke the previous Thanksgiving.  They certainly
had no objection to her choice.  Their friends from the Cove had been more than pleased by
the match.  Christy smiled sadly, thinking back a year to a spring afternoon when
Fairlight Spencer had quizzed her into the revelation that she was in love with Neil
MacNeill.  Fairlight was gone now, a victim of the autumn's typhoid epidemic, but her
insights had proven true and here was Christy married to Neil.
     There had been doubts.  Shortly after her discussion with Fairlight that day so long
ago, Neil's estranged wife, Margaret, had returned, seemingly to make a new start.  No one
but Neil knew that she was dying from the tuberculosis that she had thought in remission.
There had been time enough for Margaret to make her peace with Neil and Miss Alice, her
mother.  Christy had come to understand Margaret and to admire Neil's honoring of his
vows, in spite of the pain he had been put through.  Margaret had finally died in her
mother's arms with Neil at her side.  They had buried her up on the wild hillside above
Neil's cabin, one of the few places in the Cove that she had loved.
     After Margaret's death, perhaps because of their shared burden, Neil and Miss Alice
had grown closer.  As a result, Neil spent more time at the mission than ever before,
causing Christy to vacillate in her feelings for both Neil and David.  It had taken Neil's
courage in revealing his true feelings for her, and a terrible feverish night in the
middle of the worst of mountain storms for her to understand how deeply she cared for him.
She saw his love for her move him to lay aside his cynical, scientific self and open up to
the possibilities of faith and God.  Not that she now expected him to be a saint.  She
knew that he would be as stubborn and as questioning as ever, but wouldn't his newfound
faith be stronger for the questioning?
     These thoughts ran through Christy's mind as she contemplated the slumbering man at
her side.  A gentle smile crossed her features as she recalled some of the more recent
life lessons taught to her by her new husband.  Practice would make the new experiences
less uncomfortable, less clumsy on her part.  Neil was a gentle and patient teacher, and
very knowledgable on the subject.  She laughed softly.
     Neil stirred, his eyes blinking open slowly.  he grinned sleepily as he focused on
his wife.
     "Now, what's put you into such a good mood, Mrs. MacNeill?" he asked in his deep
Scottish brogue.
     "You, Mr. MacNeill,"  she replied playfully.
     Neil Frowned slightly.
     "That's Doctor MacNeill, thank you," he said with exaggerated dignity.
     "Excuse me, Doctor MacNeill," Christy corrected herself.  "I wonder what people will
call me?"
     Neil gazed at her lovingly and reached out a hand to play with her long, thick braid.
     "I'd call you beautiful."  He leaned over and kissed her with gentle passion.
     Christy blushed.  She wondered if she would ever get used to Neil's tender advances
without blushing.
     Neil continued, "I suppose they'll call you Mrs. MacNeill, or maybe you'd prefer Mrs.
Doc?  The people who know you well, like Tom and Opal, will call you whatever you ask them
to."
     Christy sighed.  Getting married, even to a wondeful man like Neil, meant lots of
changes.  How was she ever going to get used to them?
     "In any case," said Neil apologetically, "Nobody will be calling you anything unless
we get back home.  I'm sorry we could only spend a week for our honeymoon,but I've been
away from Cutter Gap long enough as it is."
     "That's all right, Neil," returned Christy, already rising to get dressed.  "I don't
mind spending the rest of it at home.  Our home."
     "Right," said Neil, rolling out of bed himself.  "You have all of my things to move
out into the barn."  He shook his head ruefully.
     Christy fired her pillow at him.
     "Not all, she laughed.  "I'll let you keep your pipe."
     She was not surprised to feel the pillow hit her own backside.
     Two hours later, the MacNeills had dressed, broken their fast, paid their bill and
ridden in the hote's motorcar to the station.  As they stood on the platform awaiting the
train that would take them to El Pano, Christy considered.  What would this new life in
familiar surroundings be like?

Ruby Mae Morrison and Zady Spencer cleaned Doc McNeill's cabin with 
  more zeal than precision.  They were expecting the Doc and their beloved teacher 
  home that evening.  Doc had left the cabin tolerably clean.  He was a man though, 
  and menfolk weren't any real good at women's work.  So, Ruby Mae and Zady 
  dusted and swept, scrubbed and polished.  Zady lovingly spread the quilt her 
  mother, Fairlight, had made, on the bed upstairs.  Finally they decorated the cabin 
  with wildflowers picked fresh for the purpose.  When they were done, they sat 
  down and admired their work.
       Ruby Mae spoke first, "Reckon Miss Christy'll look any different?"
       Zady considered, "I don't see why she should.  She's only been gone a week.
       "Yeah, but she's MARRIED now,"  giggled Ruby Mae.
       Zady rolled her eyes.  "My cousin Ginny Allen got married and she looked just 
  the same."
       Ruby Mae screwwed up her freckled face.  "Even after... you know."
       Zady nodded.  "I didn't see no difference."
       "Hmmmm," Ruby Mae considered.  "We'll see,"  she said.
       "I reckon so," said Zady.  "I better get on home.  I've got chores get done.  
  Aunt Opal's going to teach me how to make possum pie."
       "Hope you're a better cook than I am.  I'm better than I used to be, but I could 
  still give a bear a belly ache," laughed Ruby Mae.
       Zady giggled.  "Tell you what, once Aunt Opal shows me how, I'll teach you."
       "That sounds like a sealed bargain to me," agreed Ruby Mae.  "I'd better get 
  back to the mission before Miss Alice figures a bear ate me!"
       The girls shut the cabin door behind them and parted ways at the river's edge, 
  one going upstream, the other down.  Neither girl saw the figure of a man lurking in 
  the brush near the back of the cabin.
  

Alice Henderson  watched the tall thin figure of David Grantland as he 
unsaddled Prince.  David had immersed himself in reparations up and down the 
Cove in the wake of the devastating storm the previous month.  The work was 
necessary.  David's single-minded doggedness was of his own making.  He was, 
she knew, attempting to work Christy out of hie system.  She also knew he 
wouldn't succeed.
     "David," she called from the porch.
     David looked up.  "Miss Alice?"  
     Miss Alice stepped down and walked over to horse and master.  She patted 
Prince's dark neck.
     "I would have an opportunity with thee David, "  She began.
     David sighed.  He had wondered when this would come.  He wasn't at all 
ready to discuss his wounded feelings with anyone just yet.
     "Please, Miss Alice, If it's about Christy and MacNeill, I really don't 
want to talk about it,"  he implored.
     "I am aware of that David,"  Miss Alice picked her words carefully.  
"But will thee listen to a friend?  Then just think about what is said?  Thee 
do not have to reply."
     David nodded silently.
     "I have watched thy relationship with Miss Huddleston this past year.  
It has grown and blossomed and changed over time.  Thee have admired Christy 
and I believe she has admired thee in return.  But, I believe thy admiration 
has been somewhat self-serving."
     David opened his mouth to protest.
     Miss Alice held up her hand.''Please hear me out."
     David closed his mouth, his features darkening with anger.
     Miss Alice contintued.  "Thee were quick to see what Christy could do 
for thee and thy work.  In that respect you would have been well-matched.  
But, David, how were thee good for Christy?  How much of thyself were you 
willing to give to her for her own sake?  Neil was prepared to give her all 
of himself.  Were thee making the same kind of commitment when thee thought 
of marring her? Or were thee looking only at what she could give to thee?"  
     These were harsh words, she knew, but they needed to be said.  She put 
off her Quaker gentleness.  "You must give yourself honest answers to these 
questions before you will be able to acept Christy and Neil.   Were you 
really in love with Christ Huddleston?  Or were you just in love with what 
she represented?"  She looked pointedly at  the young man, appraising his 
response.
     He was shocked, wounded.  He felt ill.  Of all people, he had thought 
Alice Henderson to be on his side.  Christy had jilted him.  She had given 
him back his ring, not once, but three times, breaking his heart each time.  
Surely he was the injured party here.  Yet here was Miss Alice pointing out 
his own blame?
     David said nothing.  He lifted the saddle back into place on Prince's 
broad back.  He tightended the cinch and mounted.  Without a word, he kicked 
the horse's ribs a little harder than was his wont, and Prince broke into a 
startled trot.
     Miss Alice watched David ride off into the woods, wondering if, after 
all, she had said too much.

 Ruby Mae was half-way to the mission when she missed something.  After a 
few seconds inventory, she discovered she had left her shawl back at the 
MacNeill cabin.  
     "Oh botheration,"  she chided herself and turned back.
     She back-tracked through the woods.  She didn't know exactly when the 
MacNeills were due home, but she wanted Zady's and her housecleaning to be a 
surprise, so she hurried.  As she neared the cabin, she stopped short.  
Ducking behind a tree, she observed someone, a man, tying something to one of 
the porch posts.  As he turned to go, Ruby Mae caught her breath.  She 
glimpsed the hard features and fierce eyes of Birdseye Taylor.  He looked 
stealthily around the yard, then walked quickly and silently up the hill away 
from her.
     She waited until she was sure he was gone before she crept out of her 
hiding place.  What in the world was Birdseye doing here?
     Ruby Mae was sure his visit meant trouble.  Birdseye was known to be a 
hard man.  Her trepidation turned to wonder, therefore, when she saw, hanging 
from a bit of old rope, two plump rabbits, fresh-killed, ready for skinning 
and cooking.
     She couldn't believe her eyes.  Never in her life had she ever heard of 
Birdseye giving anyone a gift.  But, she reflected, Birdseye hadn't been the 
same since his son, Lundy's, death.  He hadn't been seen much in the Cove 
recently and when he had, he hadn't been his usual surly self.
     Ruby Mae wondered if this was his way of thanking the Doc for trting to 
save Lundy, or perhaps, incredibly, a wedding present?  In either case, 
Birdseye obviously didn't want it known who had sent the rabbits.  He was, 
she knew, too proud to be thanked for what he might see as a debt to be paid 
rather than a gesture of goodwill.  Well, she wouldn't tell, but she wouldn't 
forget either.  Perhaps, she thought, there was more to Birdseye than anyone 
knew.
     Quickly, Ruby Mae stole into the cabin and found her shawl.  She made 
her way back to the mission delighting in her newfound secret.

Part 5 



 The train ride to El Pano was uneventful and both Neil and Christy drank in the 
  beauty of the mountains in springtime.  Everything was blooming along with their 
  newlywed romance.
       "El Pano!"  sang out the conductor, "El Pano, next stop!  El Pano!"
       Christy was transported back to the first time she had heard that call.  Her first 
  day in these mountains.  There had been no one to meet her, a stranger in a 
  strange land.  She had hiked the seven wet muddy miles to Cutter Gap with Mr. 
  Pentland and the mail bag and found that there had been an accident.  The man 
  sent to meet her had been struck by a tree.  She had met Fairlight that day.  She 
  had met Neil that day.
       This was a second homecoming.  Like the first time, she was unsure of what life 
  held in store for her here.  Even though this world was now home to her, her place 
  in it had changed.  The thought at once excited and frightened her.
       "Christy," Neil's voice interrupted her reverie.  "Come back from wherever you 
  are.  We're here."  He was collecting their bags.  The train was coming to a stop.  
  Christy took up her handbag and followed Neil to the door.  The conductor 
  helped her down to the platform.
       This time there was someone to greet them.  As the train pulled away, Jeb 
  Spencer came over to them and shook Neil's hand heartily.  He shook hands more 
  gently with Christy and took two of the bags that were piled next to her.
       Christy was pleased to see Jeb's old familiar grin, shadowed though it was, by 
  a hint of sadness in his eyes.  Fairlight's death had sent him into a deep 
  depression.  His grief would never go away, but he had begun to learn to live with 
  his loss.
       "Good of you to come and fetch us," said Neil.
       "No trouble 'tall, Doc.  Here, let's get you up in the wagon Miss Christy, um..."  
  Jeb stopped, momentarily confused, "Mrs. MacNeill, I mean..."
       Christy smiled, "I think we've known each other long enough for front names, 
  Jeb."
       Jeb grinned back.
       "All right then, Christy."  He helped her into the bed of the wagon.  As soon as 
  bags and trunk were loaded, Neil and Jeb seated themselves and they began the 
  final leg of the journey home.


Part 6 

 David was hurt, angry and confused, but at least he was feeling something.  In 
  the days following Christy's refusal of him in favor of MacNeill, he had walked 
  around in a cocoon of numbness.  He felt nothing even as he set about helping the 
  people of Cutter Gap clean up and rebuild following the storm and flooding.  The 
  work had been strenuous, allowing him to completely wear himself out so that at 
  the end of the day all he could do was fall into bed exhausted, with no time spent 
  on thinking.
       He hadn't been able to bring himself to attend the wedding.  He had watched 
  the preparations from afar, and had taken a long, long ride for the duration of the 
  ceremony and the party, returning only when all was said and done and the 
  newlyweds on their way.
       Now, however, with Miss Alice's words ringing in his ears, he was angry.  He 
  was angry with Miss Alice for her hints about the nature of his relationship with 
  Christy.  He was angry with Christy and her fickleness.  He was also angry with 
  himself.  Deep down he knew that there was some truth to what Miss Alice had 
  said.  Could he really blame Christy for doing what was right for her?
       He rode fast and hard.  He rode out his anger.  When he calmed himself, he 
  allowed Prince to slow to a walk and gave his mind over to Miss Alice's words.  
  As he thought, he stopped paying ayttention to where he was going.  He didn't 
  realize the path he was on connected with the El Pano road until, with a shock, he 
  felt Prince shy to avoid the oncoming wagon.  Only as it passed did he realize that 
  it was Jeb Spencer's wagon, and that Jeb was accompanied by MacNeill and 
  Christy.  Suddenly embarassed by the unexpected encounter, David turned Prince 
  in the opposite direction down the road and rode away quickly, unsure of how to 
  react to his reeling emotions.



Part 7 coming