Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-02-23

shower viii drive any louagers from
the street. lie was quite frank, al
though their relations 20 each other in
regard TO Miss Sally were still so unde-
fined as 10 scarcely invite his conf
dence.
Howbeit Champney took the prof
ferred chair and the glass Of julep
which CORTLAND brought him.
You remember my speaking 10 you
Of Dumont2' he said, hesitatingly.
Miss bows French cousin, you know?
Well-he's coming here; he's got prop
erty here-those three houses opposite
the courthouse. From what ! hear
he's come over with n lot Of ncw-fangled
French ideas on the niger question
rot about equality and fraternity, don't
you know-and the highest education
and highest offices for them. You know
what the feeling is here already; you
know what happened at the last cleo
ton at Coolidgeville; how the whites
wouldn't let the niggcrs go TO the polls
and the Jolly row that was kicked up
over IL. Well, Il looks as IL that sort OF
thing might happen here, don't you
know, II Miss BOWS takes up these
ideas"
But I've reason 70 suppose mean"
said CORTLAND, correcting himself with
some deliberation, that anyone who
knows Miss Dows' opinions knows
these are not h'r views. Why should
she take them up2"
because she takes him up" returned
Champncy, hurriedly, land even II she
didn't believe In them herself, she'd
have TO share the responsibility with
him In the eyes of every unreconstruct-
ed rowdy like Tom IIigbcc and the rest
Of them. They'd make short work Of
her niggers all the same"
But don't see why she should be
made responsible for tie opinions of
her cousin, nor do ! exactly know what
taking him up means, returned Court
land, quietly.
Champney moistened his dry lips with
the julcp and uttered nervous laugh.
Suppose we say her husjaHd, for that's
what his coming back here means.
Everybody knows that-y0u would too,
II you ever talked with her about any
thing but business"
bright flash Of lightning that III up
the faces Of the two men would have
revealed Champney's flushed features
and Courtland's lack Of color. had they
been looking at each other. But they
were not, and the long reverbcrating
crash Of thunder which followed pre-
vented any audible reply from Court
land, and covered his agitation. q
For without fully accepting Champ
ncy's conclusion he was cruelty shocked
at the young mans utterancc Of them
He had scrupulously respected the
wishes Of Miss Sally and had faithfully
although never hopclcssly- back
any expression of hi, own love since
their conversation In tho cemetery
But while his native truthfulncss and
sense of honor had overlooked the
seeming insinccrity of her attitude to-
wards Champncy, he hal never justi-
fled his own tacit participation in It,
and the conccalmcnt Of his own pre-
tensions before his possible rival. II
was true that she had forbidden him to
openly enter the lists. with her admir-
ers, but Champney's innocent nssump-
ton of his Indifference 10 her and his
poignuncy TO his story. There seemed
TO be only one way to cstIicntc himself
and that was by n quarrel. Whether
he did or did not believe Chnmpney's
story. whether II was only the jealous
eXaggcratiOn OF rival or Miss Sally
was actually deseiving them both-his
position had become intolcrablc.
II must remind you, Champney," no
said, with freezing dclibcratiOn, that
Miss Miranda BOWS and her niece now
represent the Drummond Company
equally with myself, and that you can
not expect me TO listen % any reilec-
tions upon the way they choose TO i'd
minister their part Of Its aii.irs. either
now or 10 come. Still less do care to
discuss the idle gossip which can affect
only the prirdts interests Of these ladies
with which neither you nor ! have
any right TO interfere"
But the ndirct,e Of the young Eng
lishmun WIS as invinciblc Us Miss Sal
ly's own, aud as fatal 20 Courtland's at
titude. "Of course haven't any r,ght,
you know" he snid, calmly ignoring
the preamble Of his companion speech,
but J suy-hang II all-ovcn II fellow
has no chance himseJ he don't like 70
see n girl throw herself and her propoi.
" away ON man like that"
"Onc moment, Champney," said
under the infection of his
guests simplicity, abandoning his form
err superior attitude. You may say
you have no chance. DO you wish me
TO understand that you are regularly u
sutton Of Miss Dows?"
"Y-o-c-s," said the young fellow-but
with the hesitation OF conscientiousness
rather than evasion. THAT is-you
know II Hds. But don't you see It
couldn't be. II wouldn't do, you know.
II those clannish neighbors of hers
that southern set-suspccted that Miss
Sally was courted by an Englishman,
don't you know-a poacher on their
prescrves-it would be all up with her
position on the property md her innu-
encc over them. ! don't mind telling
you that's one reason why left the
company and took that other planta-
ton. But even that didn't work; they
had their suspicious excited already"
did Miss Bows give that rs u reason
for declining your suit?" asked Court
land, slowly.
Yes; you know what q straightfor-
ward girl She is, She didn't come no
rot about not expecting anything of
the kind or about being n sister TO me-
aud nll that, for, by Jovc, she's always
more Ike fellows sister, don't you
know, than his girl, OF course il was
hard lines for me- but | gnnnose sho
was about right lie stopped and