The Washington times., 1894-12-09
THE WASHINGTON TIMES SUNDAY, DECEMBER g. 1894.

you were always little bit of a snob, and a
prig, too! And Mrs. Peyton was-bess my
souli-a Benham, and planters daughter,
and Twas only picked-up orphanl That's
where Jim is better than you. Oh, / know
what you're always thinking-vou're think
ing we're both exaggerated and theatrical
amt you? Don't you think it's heap better
to be exaggerated and theatrical about things
that are just sentimental and romantic than
to be so awfullY possessed and overcome
about things that are only reall There, you
needn't stare at me so. It's true! You've had
your fill of grandeur and propriety, and
here you arei And" she added with little
chuckle 'there's me!
"You see, Clarence" she went on, "you
ought never TO have let me go-neVeri You
ought to have kept me here, or run away
with me- And you oughtn't to have tried to
make me proper. And you oughtn't to have
driven me to fiirt with that horrid Spaniard,
and you ougntn't to have been so horribly
cold and severe when did. And you oughtn't
to have made me take up with Jim, who was
the only one who thought me his equal. I
might have been very silly and capricious;
might have been very vain. but my vanity
| isn't a bit worse than your pride-my love of
praise and applause in the theater isn't bit
more horrid than your fears of what people
might think OF you or me. That's gospel
truth, isn't it, Clarence? Tell me! Don't
look that way and this-look at mel Isn't it
| true?"
81 was thinking of you just now wnen I fel
asleep, Susy," he said. He did not know why
| he said it; he had not intended to tell her-he
had only meant to avoid direct answer to
| her question, yet even now he went On.
And 1 thought OF you when 1 was out there
| in the rose garden waiting to come in here"
''You did?" she said, drawing in her breath.
! wave of delicate pink color came up to her
very eyes-it seemed to him as quickly and as
innocently as whom she was girl. "And
what did you think, Klarus''-she half-whis-
| pered-''teil me!'
He did not speak.
The dawn was breaking as Clarence and
! Jim Hooker emerged together from the gate
| of the Casa. Mr.. Hooker looked sleepy. He
had found, after his return from Fair Plains,
that his host had an early engagement at
| Santa Inez and he had insisted upon riding
to see him off. 1t was with difficulty, indeed.
that Clarence could prevent his accompany
| ing him. Clarence had not revealed to Susy
the night before the real object of his jour
ney, nor did Hooker evidently suspect it,
yet when he had mounted his horse he hesi-
| tated for an iRstant-but without extending
| his hand.
If should happen to be detained" " he bel
| gan with half smile.
But Jim was struggling with a yawn
That's all rgh'-dont mind u.s. he said,
| stretching his arms. Clarenee's hesitating
hand dropped to his side, and with light.
reckless laugh and half sense of providen-
| tial relief he galloped away.
! What happened Immediately thereafter. dur
| ing his solitary ride to Santa Inez, looking
| back upon it in after years. seemed but q con-
| fused recollection. more like a dream. The
| long stretches of vague distance gradually
! opening clearer with the rising sun in an un-
| clouded sky. the meeting with few earlv or
| tray wall
| ance of them, as If they might know of his
| object, the black shadows of foreshortened
cattle rising before him on the plain and
arousing the same uneasy sensation of their
! being waylaylng men; the wondering recog-
milton OF houses and landmarks he had long
been familiar with, his purposeless attempts
to recall the circumstances in which he had
| known them-all these were like dream
So, too. were the recollections of the nign
| before, the episode with Susy already
mingled and blended with the memory OF
their previous past his futile attempts TO look
| forward to the future. always, however abau-
| doned with relief at the thought that the next
few hours might make them unnecessary. SO
| also was the sudden realization that Santa
! Inez was before him. when he had thought he
was not YET half way there. and as he dis
mounted before the courthouse his singular
feeling followed, however, by no fear of dis
| tress-that he had come so early 10 the rem
for it,
This same sense of unreality pervaded his
| meeting with the deputy sheriff. the news
that the Federal judge had, as was expected.
dismissed the prisoners on their own
| recognizance. and that Capt. Pinckney was
at the hotel at breakfast. In the lke-ab-
stracted manner he replied to the one or two
questions of the deputy, exhibited the pistols
| he had brought with him, and finally accom-
| panied him to little meadow hidden by trees
below the hotel, where the other principal
and his seconds were awaiting them. And
here he clear-eyed, keen, forceful,
| and intense!
80 stimulated were his faculties that his
sense OF hearing in its acuteness took in every
| word OF the conversation between the Sec
onds, few PAGES distant He heard his ad-
versary's second say carelessly to the deputy
sheriff, II presume this Is a case whore there
| Will be no apology or mediation and the
| deputys reply, Il reckon my man means
business, but he seems a little queer" He
heard the other second laugh and say lightly,
| They re apt TO be so when it's their firsttime
! out. followed by the more anxious aside of
the other second as the deputy turned away"
Yes, but don't like his looks His sense of
sight was also so acute that having lost the
| choice OF position when the coin was tossed,
and being turned with his face to the sun,
even through its glare he saw with unerring
dis,inc;ness OF outline the back-coated figure
OF his opponent move into range. saw the per-
feet outline OF his features and how the easy,
| supercilious smile rs he threw away his cigar
appeared to drop out of his face with kind
OF vacant awe as he faced him.
He felt his nerves become as steel as
the counting began, and at the word three
knew he had fred by the recoil OF! the pistol
in his leyeed hand simultaneous ly with its
utterance. And at the same moment, still
standing like rock, he saw his adversary
miserably collapse. his legs grotesquely cury-
ing inward under him without even the dig
nifty of death in his fall and so sink help
lessly like felied bull to the ground. Still
erect, and lowering only the muzzle of his
pistol, as thin feather OF smoke curled I'D
its shining side. he saw the doctor and sec
onds run quickly TO the heap. try to lift its
limp impotence into shape. and let it drop
again with the words, Right through the
forehead'
You've done for him. said the deputy y,
turning to Clarence with a singular look OF
curiosity land reckon you'd better get out
OF this mighty quick! They didn't expect it
they're just ragin', they may round on you
and, he added more slowly, ''they seem to
have just found out who you arei''
Even while he was speaking Clarence with
his quickened ears heard the words, zone of
Hamilton Brants pups Just like his
father, from the group around the dead
man. He did not hesitate, but walked coolly
toward them. Yet a certain fierce pride
which he had never known before
stirred in his veins, as their voices
hushed and they half recoiled before him.
Am | understand from my second. gen.
tlemen." he said, looking around the group,