The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-10-23
CHAPTER V.

| already disappearing among the tomoS IN
the direction of the hollow.
CHAPTER V.
The house occupied by the manager Of
| the Drummond syndicate in Redlands-the
| former residence of a local lawyer and
! Justice of the Peace-waS not large. but
| had an imposing porticO of wooden DOrie
| columns, which extended 10 the roof and
| fronted the main street. The all-pervading
! creeper closely covered it; the sidewalk
| before it was shaded by row of broad
eaved ailantus. The front room. with
| French windows opening in the porticO.
was used by Colonel CORTLAND as general
| Office; beyond this a Sittlng-ro0m and din
inc room overlooked the old-fashioned
garden with its detached kitchen and
| Inevitable negro cabin. 1t was close
evening; there were dark clouds coming up
! in the direction of the turnpike road, but
the leaves of the ailantns hung heavy and
! motiOnless in the hush of the impending
| storm. The sparks of laZily floating fire.
| flies softly expanded and went out IN the
| gloom of the black foliage, or in the dark
| recesses OF the office. whose windows were
| widely open, and whose lights CORTLAND
had extinguished when he brought his arm
chair to tile portico for GOODNESS. One of
these sparks beyond the fence. although
alternately glowing and paling, was still so
persistent and stationary that CORTLAND
| leaned forward to watch it more closely.
At which it disappeared and a voice from
! the street said;
as that you. Courtland?"
Yes. Come in. wont you?"
The voice was Champney's and the light
was from his cigar. As he opened the
| gate and came slowly up the steps of the
| pOrtico the usual hesitation of his manner
seemed TO have increased. A long sigh
| trilled the limp leaves Of the aliantus and
| as quickly subsidized. A fsw heavy perpen-
|
| through the foliage like molten lead.
| You've just escaped the shower" said
! CORTLAND, pleasantly. He had net seen
! Champney since they parted in the ceme-
| terry, six weeks before.
"Yesi II thought I'd like TO have a lit
! tie talk with you. CORTLAND" said Champ
| nsy Ee hesitated moment before the
| preferred chair, and then added with eau
| tious glance toward the street, Hadn't we
| better go inside?"
| hot. We're quite alone here; there's no.
body In the house and this shower will
drive any l0ungeTs from the Streets" He
was quite frank. although their relations to
each other in regard TO Miss Sally were still
so underlined as TO scarcely invite his conf
dence.
Howbet Champney took the proffered
chair and the glass Of julep which Court
land brought him.
You remember my speaking to you OF
Dumont?" he said, hesitatingly. Miss
Dows' French cousin, YOU know? Well
he's coming here. Hes got property here
those three houses opposite the courthouse.
From what | hear he's come over with lot
Of new tangled French ideas On the niger
QuestiOn-Tot about equality and fraternity,
don't you know, and the highest education
and highest offices for them. gu know
what the feeling is here already. GU know
what happened at the last election at Cool
ideevile-h0w the whites wouldn't let the
niggers go to the polls, and the jolly row
thai was kicked up over it. Well, il looks
as if that sort of thing might happen here.
don't you know, if Miss BOWS takes up these
ideas"
But, I've reason to SUPPOSE mean"
| said CORTLAND, correcting himself with
some deliDeTaton-"that any one who
| knows Miss DOWs' opinion knows that
these are not her views. Why should she
! take them up?'
Because she takes him up" returned
| Champney, hurriedly. land even If she
| didn't believe in them herself she'd have 10
| share the responsibility with him in the
| eyes OF every unreconStructed roSdY Ike
Tom Higbee and the rest OF them. They'd
| make short work Of her niggers all the
same"
But l don't see why she should be made
responsible for the opinions OF her cousin,
nor do | exactly know what taking him
up MEANS" returned CORTLAND, quietly.
Champney moistened his dry lips with the
iulep and uttered nervous laugh. Sup
pose we say her husband. for that's what his
coming back here means. Every body knows
that-yOu would, too, if you ever talked
with her about anything but business"
A bright fash of lightning that lit up tho
faces of the two men would have revealed
Champney's flushed features and Court
lands lack of color had they been looking
at each other. But they were not, and the
long reverberating crash of thunder which
in 80 tod oaFy " fra
CORTLAND and covered his agitation.
For, without fully accepting Champney's
| conclusions, he was cruelty shocked at the
young mans utterance OF them. lie had
serupuously respected the wishes Of Miss
Sally and had faithfuly-aithOugh never
his own love since their conversation in the
cemetery. But while his native truthful
ness and sense Of honor had over
| looked the seeming insincerity OF her
attitude toward Champney, he had never
| JUSTIFIED his own taclt participation
| in it, and the coneeaiment of his
own pretensions before his possible rival.
| 1t was true that she had forbidden MIN to
! openly enter the lists with her admirers,
| but Champney's innocent assumption of
! his indifference to her and his consequent
| half condolences added pognancy to his
| story. There seemed TO be only one way TO
| extTeate himself and that was by quar-
| rel. Whether be did or did not believe
| Champney's story, whether IL was only the
| Jealous eXaggeration OF rival or Miss
| Sally was actually deceiving them both, his
| position had become lntolerable.
| 81 must remind you, ChampDey," he said
with freezing deliberatiOn, that Miss Mi
/ randa Bows and her niece now represent
| the Drummond Company equally with N.Y.
| self. and that you cannot expect me TO listen
to any reflections upon the way they choose
| to administer their part of its affairs. either
now or TO come. Still less do i care to dis
| cuss the idle gossip which can affect only
| the private interests of these ladies-with
which neither you nor have any right TO
interfere"
But the naivete of the young Englishman
was as inyincible as Miss Saliy's own and
! as fatal to Courtland's attitude. "0f course
l haven't any right. yon know" he said,
calmly ignoring the preambls OF bis COM
panioD's speech, but say ?-hang it all
even if fellow has no chance himself be
don't ike to see girl throw herself and
her property away on man like that"
zone moment, Champney," said Court
| land, under the infection OF his guesps SIM
| plicity, abandoning his former superior ut
titude. you may say you have no chance.
| Do you wish me TO understand that you are
| regularly a suitor Of Miss Dows%
"Y-e-e-s," said the young fellow, but
| with the hesitation OF conscientiousuess
rather than evasion. THAT is-you know
4 / was. But, don't you see, it couldn't be.
| 1t wouldn't do, you know. Ii those clan
nish neighbors of hers-that Southern set
suspected that Miss Sally was courted by
an Engishman. don't you know-a poacher
on the preserves-it would be all uD with
| her position on the property and her infiu-
/ ence over them. don't mind telling you
| that's one reason why left the company
and took that other plantation. But even
that didn't work: they had their suspi-
cions excited already"
"Dld Miss Dows give that as reason for
declining your suit?" asked CORTLAND
/ slowly.
Yes; you know what a straightforward
| girl she is. She didn't come no rot abont
not expecting anything of the kind or
about being sister to me- and all that,
| Tor. by Joye! she's always more like fell
lows sister, don't you know, than his girl.
OF course, il was hard lines for me. but /
4 ncllo hon Il -