The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-03-22
CHAPTER IV.-CoNTINUED.

CONSERVATION. "If this is in the light
of another mysterious warning, Miss
Dows, warn you that my intellect is
already tottering with them. Last
Sunday Miss Reed thrilled me for an
hour with superstition and Cassandra-
like prophecy, Don't things ever hap
pen accidentally here-and without
warningsp"
81 mean," returned the young lady,
with her usual practical directness,
''that 'Tave Reed remembers a good
many horrid things about the wah that
she ought TO forget, but don't. But"
she continued, looking at him curious
ly, "she allows she was mighty cut up
by her cousins manner to yo'."
81 am afraid that Miss Reed was
more annoyed than was" said Court
land 81 should be very sorry if she at
tached Nny Importance to it," he added,
earnestly.
"And yo' don't. continued Miss Sally.
"No. Why should ~" She noticed,
however, that he had slightly drawn
himself up little more erect, and she
smiled, as he continued: II dare say
should feel asthe does If were in his
place"
''But no wouldn't do anything under
hand" she said, quietly. AS he glanced
at her quickly, she added ,dryly: Don't
trust too much to people always acting
in yo' fashion, connie. And don't think
too much nor too little of what yo' hear
here. Yo're Just the kind Of man to
make good many silly enemies-and
as many foolish friends And don't
know which viii give yo' the most
trouble. Only don't yo underrate
either, OF hold yo' head SC, high yo' don't
see what's crawlin' around yo'. That's
why, in copperhead swamp, horse Is
bitten oftener than hog"
She smiled, yet with knitted brows
and such pretty affectation Of con-
cern for her companion that he sudden
ly took heart.
81 wish had one. friend | could call
my own" he said, boldly, looking
straight into her eyes. "I'd care little
for other friends and fear no enemies. "
"Yo'rsright, connie" she said-osten-
tatiousE slanting her parasol in n mar
velous stimulation of hiding a purely
imaginative blush on a cheek that was
perfectly infantine in its unchanged
pinl-"company talk is much pootier
than what we've been sayin'. And
meaning me-for reckon yo' wouldn't
say that of any other girl but the one
yo're walking with-what's the matter
with me?"
He could not help smiling-though he
hesitated. "Nothingl but Others have
been disappointed"
''And that bothers youp"
81 mean Ihave as yet had no right to
put your feelings TO any test, while"
"Poor Chef had, yo' were going to
sayl Well, here we are at the ceme-
teryl reckoned yo' were bound TO go
back 10 the dead again before we'd
gone far, and that's why thought we
might take the cemetery on our way.
Itmay put me in a more proper frame
of mind 10 please yo'."
As he raised his eyes he could not re-
press slight start he had not no.
ticed before that they had passed
through q small gateway on diverging
from the road, and was quite unpre-
pared 10 find himself on the edge Of a
gentle slope, leading TO beautiful val
Ley, and before him q long vista Of
tombs, white headstones and low
crosses, edged by dropping cypress and
trailing feathery vines. Some Of them
had fallen and been caught In long
loops from bough TO bough, like funeral
Rarlands, and here and there the tops
Of isolated palmettos lifted cluster Of
hearse-lilxe plumes. Yet In spite Of this
dominance Of somber but graceful
shadow, the dropping delicacy Of dark
tasselled foliage, and leafy fringes, the
waving, mourning wells Of gray, trans
lucent moss-a glorious, vivitying
southern sun smiled and glittered every.
where as through tears. The balm Of
bay, southern-wood, pine and syringa
breathed through the long alleys; the
stimulating scent Of roses moved with
every zephyr, and the heavier odors Of
jessamine, honeysuclSle and orange
flowers hung heavily in the hollows. II
seemed to CORTLAND like the mourning
Of beautiful and youthful widowhood--
seductive even In its assembling trap
| pings, provocative In the contrast oi
Its own still strong virility. Every
where the grass grew thick and Lux
uriant; the thick earth was teeminf
with REORGANIZATION OF the dead below