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Show tCorytlEhl. i9J. b- J J Urplncott Co "Dor oil-nil nlra to'lowhlt?"nketl tlio outifjor Jtynuin, "Not niiichl they-nll done bent us nut o' tlie conl mine, but It nln't gv, Ino ilo them no (food." "Ulint d'ye 'low for to do, JciT?" "Not' j on mind; jon-nll JcHt wultnn' hoc. Yc cnnboplnmtlioroo'onotlilntr, thousli; they-nll nln't no' gTlnotnkp no tonl out o' Hint cin." "Don't o reckon ol' T.n timer's put 'em up to do hit?" "I liiinno nn' I don't keer; but I jest tell jo tlintthurcnmduponthemoun-ilnf' tlintthurcnmduponthemoun-ilnf' ifwlno to lt on llko tliey henrd otncthln' drnpj vc-nll 'vo kep' quiet for n pretty tol'nble spell, now, un' 1 rrckon Latimer 'lows c done forjrot. "I l-eckon .lulo wouldn't let nobodj TorRltj slio do"n hnto the I.atlmen right; but then she'd ought to nht whk blp enoufjh to rlc'lcct when dadd was killed." .Ted lijniim wni tlic lOimgcst of the three brother, nnd lit. lied nover tpilte slmrcil the bitter nni-inorltj nni-inorltj of tlio others. "I enn rle'leet on my own account, I reckon," rejoined Jeff, sullenly, ndul! (lush reddening his callow cheeks. "J iin'l likely to lorrrlt the tiny when I st-mcr st-mcr put the cowhide on to ine, nn' I "low lie remembers 'bout tlio broken mil, too. I nc' could tcllwhnt innde mj linn shnke thnt thnr time. I didn't aim to bicnk id nrui." "I n'pect hit's i.ort o' lucky jo didn't nini no bettor," l eplied Jed. "1 linr v, an n hctip o' tnlk nbout gettlu' je forwhnt yo did do." Tlio tnlk was interrupted by their nrriini nt thu fnrinhouse in the cove, but it wns resumed again nt tlio supper tnlile when Julo nnd Ibid wcio told of the threatened resumption of work in the Me.Vnlib tunn:i. "1 hnt't some moro o' Lntlmer'a do-In's, do-In's, jo can jest chalk that up on the do'!" exclaimed tlio woman, ilmllvttic-ly. ilmllvttic-ly. "Thar'll net' ba no pence for we-nil we-nil ' lonjj us thnr'sarj one of 'cm left!" "Tliar's like to be one mote of 'em 'fore thej's nnj less, I reckon," khIiI Jell, nuking n harpoon of Ida fork and 4pcatliir nnother com ponu from the Huh on the other bide of the tnblc. "How d'je make that out?" Inquired Ilud. "I done sow a jounp feller n-rldln' round with the colonel tills urcnin', nn' when I smkul Jim nobles 'bout him he f-nid lie was mighty thick with the Lntiinprs 'lowtd inn j be he's a slilnlu' up to the gnl." "1 didn't see him," sold Jed. "What for hind o' looklu' filler wns he?" "Sort o higgltj'-lookln', llko he mought 'e jest got out of n bnu'-box; has n rniddlln' lie;uj' uiutstnclie, nn' wears his In art! whittled dawn to n p'int. Tliat'b nbout nil I not Ice', 'eept in' tluit lieluoksut jc mighty Imid, sorto' like it cntflsli. Seem like I done met up with him roinew liars nforc, but 1 cnyn't riu'lett when 'r whnr." "( itj filler, I reckon," said Jed, with contempt In his tone. "Oil, sun; don't belief e hecierdidii liek o' woik in ids life; don't look us It ho ever did, nohow." "I don't Rio what n gnl like Hester I.ntimcr 'lows to 11ml In a fellei o thnt soi t," said Jed, passing his cup for more coffee. "What do j ou-nll know 'bout Hester I.atlii'.u'a likes nn' dislikes?" demand-il demand-il h't sister, p.uislng with the cup nnd ..olfce-pot sinpondcd, "A food di nl 1cm 'n notiiln', I s'potc; tint l'ogot ojes, an' I icckou I can use 'cm same's nnj body." "Well, don't j ego nn'forglt tint tliey iln't i.o sheep's ej es," rctoi ted J ide, nu-;iilj". nu-;iilj". "Vou nln't got no call to be tli'ow u' 'cm round ut nnj body that's kin to the Lntlnier tribe." A rntcnoufi sllcnic followed tills re-innrk, re-innrk, und when Hud left tlio table hn .iald to Jeff: "Want to seo jo blmc-by; oino outside when jo got th'oo." Jeff lighted his pipe n moment later i ml followed bis j oungcrbrothrf to the onru. "What wns ju wuntiu', liuddj ?" ic nsked " 'IJout Hint thnr city feller don't ,e ttihnu wc-nll could glto lilmnsoit of n nun1 tliut M run him back w liar hu eoiue from?" "1 dunno. Wlij ?" "Oh, I Jest reckoned hlt'd be better. if wo-nll cer do what je wns tslklu' 'bout n spoil hack, liit'll bo borne easier if tlipj-nlji't so miinj of 'cm." "You're plum light nbout that; but thru tharnln't notliLn'shoro'boiit what Jim Dohlcs wnsa-snj'ln, heoniy 'lowed in.ijbe Hint's what wasn colli' on," "Thut don't niBke no dlfferenie, no-inw," no-inw," nipu tl llud. "If ho's got nny ighl in lilin, hu'll stnnd up for ids frieii's, nn' it we enn run him out'foro-'ion' out'foro-'ion' wo'io Jest that lmieli nhend. Yeu'ro plum shore lie nln't n revenuer?" "lih, I revl.on not, from what I could iiigk upiloun nt thcsettleincnt, 'ioweil he's 'some feller Hint Tom l.udlnw d knowed linek In the uoitli; ho'su-stop-pill' nt l.uillow's now, Tnlkiu' about eteiiiiem, tlionjjli, hit moughtn't lie nlch n Ixid tdoe to let on lik thobojs douo took lilin for one; lilt M sort o' make tlie senro comu moio nnlchel ike," Tlio brothers smoked In silence for n fVw moments, and then begnn to tils- um n plan suggested by thu jounger. Vhllo they miked the stnrs enme out mo by one nnd 1 in shadows deeponrd n Die eofe until tliey lay 1 luck nnd iroodii'tf ot r tlio thlekots on tho sides f Hih niountiitn. Willi the dinwinpr ,! tho itirtnln of dnrkness the noises .f the night Liffiin -the drone of the r tly pusHing with the failing light ilo Hie chirping of the erliki t nnd the ultl wontr 'f ''' tree-toads Thiend- n ; the ii u piilnr voices of imtuie with In hi iMind pulse of liiinnn illoit, hi i h ' i if ( the lllr un, HI lutit , i i ii gin Hun fiiinn nI mtid u '' xllll ulr; nnd nt i t uls ii ilu lf i I'lnte rip-pent Ing aio ho hhuultlrr of the uiountnln nn- iioimcetl I lie fettling time of the lleij IB. Hl ' "I I . I ' I II ! monster u' tlio .t.It-y. The brothels tnlketl on In low tones, (musing only once, when n shadow pruned the door-yurdaudglldid townrd the forest. "Who's that?" queried Jeff, peering Intently Into the darkness. "Hit's only Jed, 1 rrckon," wns the reply. "Wlinr's lie gon' nt this time o' night?" "1 dunno; goln' to font: his hnid In thocieek. nisjlio, t more'nlinlf belief e, sometimes, thst lie's gettiu' foolish 'bout the Lhtimcr gal; he ncv' did hae much sense, nohow. Jlut, ns 1 wns n-snyin' " And the talk dropped back Into the ehnnutl from which Jed's ttppenrnnec hud diverted It. The two men siit on u lug behind the bnrn, facing the cliff nt the held of tho cofc. Unit thej been gifted with tiro lsunl lowers if the owl which hooted dismally from the top of a blasted onl. standing in the ndj-teent corn-Held tliey might lint e discerned, half nn hour Intel, n black spook zigmggltig up tin bnoo of the apparent!) lnueressihli cllir. It wns Jed, nnd tvlit n he lenchit1 the summit jnit unOir tho slmdow or His true Hint jenrs In fore lmd born sucli ghastly fiull, he turned his fnco southward and walked inpidly townrl "The I nurels." "Do j-ou know, Jlr. ltingbrnud, thnt l'to nlnnj-shnd a persistent nnd htuiit ing impression thnt we'ic met some-whero some-whero beforo," litngbrand wns spending tlie evening even-ing nt the Lntimersun usual, nnd thej-were thej-were all sitting In the starlight on tlie la of "Tnc Ijtuiflf." ' ion menn lieforp I eunio to Tregai-then. Tregai-then. Miss Hester?" "Ycm, It might have been ages ngo." Itingbrnnd smiletl under coter o' the tlnrknCKS. "l'erlinps It wns. Do jou bcllofo in tinnsriti'rntlon?" "I think not," she answered doubt fully "I In bete In the cretd," "May I ask what icd?" "I'd think jou'd be nshnincd to, when there is only one or, at most, two." "I stnnd corrected. Would it bo heresy her-esy If I naked where I might And tlie one or two?" "Of course not; they're in the jirajcr book; I hiippoM-d cterjone knew that." "doing bnik to jour Impression ngnin, do jou know that I hattsuncx-nctlj' hattsuncx-nctlj' similar one? I am nlmoit positive posi-tive thut jou are right. C'nii'tjou help me solve tho mjsterj?" "What's Hint J ou-nll nro tnlking nbout'.'" Inquired the colonel, knocking the nshes from ids long-stemmed pipe and crushing n dry tolucco lent in the pnlm of his hand for n fresh ilinrge. "Miss Hester wns just snjing she thought we'd seen ench other some-w some-w hero beforo I lame to Tregnrthen, and I'm almost sure she's right. We were trjlng to locate tho time nnd plnco." "Oh, I reckon It's Just iinngiiintlon," repltid the colonel, packing the tobacco dust Into tho bow 1 of his pipe. "1 lint is, without jou'vo been vUltln' the j'oung Indies' schools in Vi'jjlnli." "No, I haven't bet ii doing that," said Kingbrsud, laughing, "though Itwould doubtless be n delightful ejpcricnce," "Jhat would depend entirely upon jouV ii rand," Interrupted Hester. "I think most of tlie visittns used to lenvo Miss I'eltoii's with tingling cars; tliey should have, If there's uuj truth In the old saj Ing." As Itlngbrand was nbout to rcplj', he f nv rt shadow mnv tug In tho bushes n icvv jards distant. "Wlint's that down tliero by the hiurcls?" he usked, rising to get abetter flew, Atthcquestlonllnrry Lntlinersprang from ids clmir nnd rim into tlie hou-e, nppenring n moment later with his rille p he enme out, the shadow darted from tlie bushes nnd glided ninong Hie trees on the lawn Henry snvv It, nnd woul 1 have tired If his father had not w tested tho gun from ids hands, "Seems like vou got less sense every day, Henrj', ' .msped the colonel brcnthlesBij "How do jou know who jou were going to shoot nt?" "1 know well enough, and no do j ou," replied tho young man, nnnthalnntlf nulR boik to his el air nnd relighting Ills olgar. "They-nll will get jou some dnv , if j ou don't get them fltst," 4 V A VAMSIIItO POINT OF VIEW. When llliijrbianil left tho hospitable mansion on the mount, .in and n gun liir tvtu-mlle walk to Tiernrtlicti, he wai disUucted bv iuoio tlitlirent kinds of ,terpittt tl in ii"-inll full to tlio lot if ,i man of lm ti inpi rnicnt. 1 1n fllemlly fiiotlut' ii'sm wlm 'i ho wns tutablishetl ut "I ho 1 iiurils"gnvc Inn opportunites foi ruiihtnnt nssoeintion with llcsltr wliich hud swept awnj nil his onrllei doubtns to the depth nnd rt-nlily rt-nlily of lilMuttaihiiiiut forlhegiil; but, itbiumtng t hut lis t otild w In her nnd hi wns by no mtans sure thnt it wns so w rllten In thu book of possibilities she wns different enoiirili from his Ideal to deiiinm! n ciy d.stupe i tlnjf rendjust mont of Hie l.nos uion t.luth he lmd foriiud bis Miiiewlmt u dellnite pin lit forn t'oinestie fulu 1 it o most other Ii.-.., lie liiid I'tittd f i his lift n possible pos-sible un ilnmnid 1 i'o' nni!id, but In this p'eliiip the tuliirs littn iniitl 01 linllonlh vvli'illn ii.Mitrnl llnlsof liH own studious 1 1. In. h 'I hi te wnu to lie u quiet liomc, witli bool' und wnrl s of art, and nn iitmospViere of thoughtful leflni'iiiFitt w hiisB peaeeful e ilin sliould bo rufllt-dln no rtiebliiKto "f passion tn homo wli'th sliotild be n ttimil elty of ttfuge fmm tbiMllnaud tiiuimd tif ih" HtrtiiiiotiH hull ! lor ti tinee 'I he et i U ' i ' ii" in tins i I i I ii 1 1 eul had in ,i ii ijl to eltuil tk linn' but s i u I , i Mi Ii. I 1 ' ml i ml nl m, i k mmi uthv ml she V to ,, In i.tnsl's nl f the othor mtll v hie i Hsould till Ine . w Hi i tlve Intuition tho sulitlle throud'of gonhis In his woi It. A hasty j , i , t tl iQ.nl nt his nenii'tlnt- nnee wIHi Heeler Latimer brouglil out with alnnnlng distinctness tho fact Hint iiicposscsscdiionpof thenttrihutes of tills Ideal, cave that, perhaps, her charming Individuality made It lm-(sisslble lm-(sisslble to nny thnt she wns not intellectual. intel-lectual. She was positive nnd Innocently Inno-cently sclf-nsijcrtHei nnd sin had nl ' rendyglvcnhlninshockby nvcry frank tmd Ingcnpolis criticism of one of his stories which hnd nppenrcd In n recent number of one of tho magazines. She was esscnt (ally of her ow n tiny and gr n-crnlloiit n-crnlloiit nnd she apparently knew little nnd cared less about the subtler tlis-tliic,tlons tlis-tliic,tlons of motives nnd of character wWOti so torment nnd perplex tlie stydc'nt of his kind. Without In tho Icatf suspecting It t and being, on Hi" cdntrary( quite fully resolved to keep In touch with bristling activity of tuodcVrt life, Hugh Itlngbrand wni nlreadyUeglnhlng to acquire the Intn snectlq habit of acjosct-u'ui' nt pciec and quietness', nnd n well-selected II-lirary,' II-lirary,' seemed to comprehcud the conditions con-ditions most necessary to ids well-being; nnd such an environment with the bricty personality o.f Hester Latimer for tho central figure appeared almost laughably Incongruous. To do lilin full justice, Itlngbinnd tried very earnestly to reason hlswn) out of tho emotional tanglo in which lie found himself the moro Inslstenllv, perhaps, becntiRo ho felt his powers of reslstnuco slipping nwny from him lit n iloser acquaintance with Hester. The experience of those few necks wan entirely en-tirely without precedent in his well ordered life. He had said to himself. In certain sclf-congrntulatory moods Hint ho had successfully passed tlie ngi when passion usurps the placo of lm pnrtlnl judgment; thnt nn urtlit n.usi be ro far removed from the emotional sldu of life In his owu experience na t ha ublo to look Upon It with the cool and illsp.tsa'onntc cje of n critical rtudeut. and up to thnt uniuckj moment when he hnd seen Hester Latimer trip across tho platform ntChllw mice Junction lit found little illfltculty in conforming to the nrtistlo requirement. Now, hot ever, tho point of flew Fcemed tohnv veered so suddi nlj' thnt It left him gi o Ing In u mist of unccrtnlutits, in w lm I lie wns sure of nothing but on. oicr vhelmlng deslro to possrsa Ikstci, i iloilio which 'contemptuously pushttl nslde the nrgumeuts of ltnson us of m wciglit nnd qulto unworthy of tlu smnllcst consideration. Ami then tho incident of the evening the indistinct shadow' In the bushes WwimM-M lis sppssrtd s momsnt Ittsr with Uls rlfls. Henry's hasty nnd vindictive intention tho colonel's Interference, and lleslei sitting unmoved through It nil. Whn wast he mcanlngof this warlike episode Were such things of so little inomiii In the dally life of the soutli that the) could be passed over without comment It would appear so, since his hosts hue Immediately Ignored tho Incident n though It had never been. Hvcnllerte had been able to tako up tho thread c tnconeequent conversation again will no visible sign of perturbation or rtn barrassment. What was tlio reason lo Henry's oudden and savage wrath. Could the intruder have been a commoi mnraudcr of chicken-coops, or wnt it a sneak thief hoping to find the houi unoccupied because there were nr lights? The sinister meaning In Henry's care less rcplj- answered these questions be fore they had taken shape Could Ii be (tosslble that tho Latiiiicrs wcio m volvcd In ono of tho cruel vendetta about which he had heard and icud'' wns that w hat Hester meant when shi iald her own family hnd not escaped And following closely upon tho heel of the latter question came another' Ii' ho should enter the family, would In lie e,pcctcd to bear n pai t In nny such iriegulur wnrfure? No, Hint was not quite the way to stato it, tny, rnthrr louU he reasonably hope to hold the it snect nnd nlTectloti of his wifo unnii um other condition? The. night wns cool, nnd tho light nlr sweeping up the side of, the mountniii wns grateful and lefreshliig nfter the heat of tlie dny, nnd jet ltlnKbrai d grew uncomforlnblj warm na the In-evltnblti In-evltnblti conclusion placid llelf liken gigantic etclnmntlon point nt Hip ond ut his theories. Tlie possession of phj slcal courage lu his ow n proper person per-son In not a necistary qualification for the writer of stories, It Is true that lu must recognlro its oxlbtcuce, and lie must bo upon sufllelcutlj 'ntlmato terms with Its outward presentments to bo nble to ImbtiQ his heroes with n proper degree of contempt for their personal safetj', lcj ond tlilB, the exlgouuios of tho urt dciniind nothing, nnd tho artist hlimclf may bo tho moat humble volar) of tho goddosa of common mmisb. Point such tliought.ns this camo to liingbrnml lis ha Hindu his wtij down tho mountalu Tho sueresslvpiiceiHsof h i "'til life i in wed In revt. lil . of li ictiospculw p i toruu w ,it lio thought of It, he saw that all of IiIh lines of conduit hiul been drnvvn well upon tho hither sldo of personal antagonism thut he hod alwnj's bcon averse to anything appioiichlngtin arbitrament ar-bitrament of force. With well-minn-ing bophistry, he hnd argued himself Into the belief Hint n contempt for mere physical courugo wns ti purt of the thoughtful man's protest itgnlust hru tnllty ami tint unconvincing login of appeals tq phjsiciil bupcrloiitj ; but ho remembered, with n hharp little sting ot mortification, thnt theso fine-spuu thsorUs had lie en swept aside like cob- lil :'" ' iv . webs on Hie few oecnsfons vvhrn lin hnd been brought face tofaccwlthiersotiBl danger. It was not neeessnrj' to go fir fotniieamplc; n Hush of shame glow etl In ids fneo when lie recnlled the small 1' t of tenor that had seized him but nn ( hour before, when ho lmd stood help, ltssly watching Henry trying to get ( tlie dodging shadow w I thin the range of Ids rille. ' After tint, liln thoughts kept him but Indifferent company for the rest of his ' walk, and he reached Trtgnrthcn, and his loom nt the bullions', without hnv-lit) hnv-lit) nrrlutl nt nny more definite conclusion conclu-sion than a determination to nsk his filcr.d for nn cxplnuntion of the Incident Inci-dent nt "The Ijiurels," nnd to get therewith there-with to much of the Latimer history ns Ludlow might be nblc to recite. The lntter enlightened lilm, cheerfully, cheerful-ly, on their way to the furnace the next morning. "That wns probably one of the Iljntims," lie said; "though why ho Bhotild risk tils skin ut such close quarters quar-ters I can't imagine. 1 hey're a bad lof, though equal to almost nnj thing, I'm afraid." "Who nro tlie Ilynuins, nnd why Hut don't make me pull It out of you by littles; tell me tho wholortory." "Nit possible tli.it J on've been In Tregnrthen Tre-gnrthen nil this time nml haven't yet beard of the I.itlmer-Iljii"cfeud?" "It's more than possible, It'sn fact." "Well, it's a long storj-, but I'll condense con-dense it for j on. Old Squire Latimer, the colonel's father, wns Instrumental in bringing one of a former gencrntlon of tho lljnumn to jtistleo for the murder mur-der of n rmcuuc officer. Since that time there's been n running fight between the two fninllics; the squire hnd his ho isp but ntd, und subsequcntlj' lost his I lie, pteiumnbly ntthe hnndsof the father fa-ther of Hio present fnmllj' of H ntlras. I quality beenuso tlieie scorn to be a lit tie doubt about the murder putt, how, nltlioup-h the rquiro's neighbors wcio well enough (-ntisflpil to hang John llj-i llj-i um by tlio suiumnrj process of lynch law. Of eoursp the row couldn't be, t fpeetcd to end with n tingle ljnchlng, und when Hip bojs grew up thej-began on tlie colonel. I believe he horsewhipped horse-whipped one of them nml got it broken nrin for ids pains; thnt w ns n good while ngo, but tlie feud hns lout none of'lts bitterness with age. U'b been htlrTcd up In mj- tlmo bj nlawaultnvcrUiaMc-Nabb nlawaultnvcrUiaMc-Nabb conl vein, which is shunted on. a part of tho colonel's estate, but was claimed by tlie family lu the cove. Of course tho colonel or rather tho com-pnnj, com-pnnj, in this Instance won the lawsuit, law-suit, nnd that didn't help mattris any. We tried to open tho coal vein affkr' wards, but lt3 mj prlvnto opinion tint tlie Itjnuiu bojHtltstmjcd the working us fnst na w c tlcv eloped It." "Miat a frightful story of lawlessness!" lawless-ness!" i- "It Is rather savage, when jou come to think of It, Isn't It? And we haven't been Hie end of It jet by several lives, I'm nfiaid." "But won't Hie law protect the colonel In tho defense of his rights?" "It or public Indignation would avenge his death vcrj- prompHy, but in legird to the other, jou'll remember Hint you must first cntch jour bare; these fellows don't go around wiHi.n 'brass bund announcing their iuten. tlons." "Still, I si onld think It would be easy nottgli to get evidence against them." "Ho jou? then supposo jou try it. That's n bright Idea, Hugh; jod are Interested In-terested In the family fortunes, and ou haven't nnj thing else on j our mind., lust turn in und get evidence enough to lung these three Iljnum bojs, and I'll guarantee the colonel will give you Hester Hes-ter out of hand." "17 (iod forbid!" replied Itlngbrand, timing pale. "My gifts don't lie In that direction." . Continued next week. |