The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-08-12
X.-CoNTINUED.

A'-CONIlN UED.
"Where do you suppose he can be?"
asked Hester, when the conversation
had been brought around by carefully
guarded approaches to the object which
had prompted her early ride down the
mountain.
I'm sure don't know" replied Mrs.
Ludlow, trying to look properly severe.
'Perhaps he's lost on the mountain;
I'm sure Pm glad we didn't turn him
out toto get lost
Hester looked mystified and hurt.
"Why, Helen, do you mean that we
ought to have tried harder to keep
him."
II think you wouldn't have had to try
very hard, if you'd cared anything at all
about him."
Hester blushed painfully and hesi-
tated. "It would be foolish to seem not
to understand you, Helen, but-but it
isn't tall as you think; indeed, it isn't -
And her voice quavered q little at the
end.
1t was Mrs. Ludlow's turn to be aston
ished, and she gave little gasp of sur
prise. do you mean that you didn't
send him away last night, after all?"
Hester's embarrassment was pitiful,
but she made brave effort at frank
ness. "Not in the way that you mean;
FL couldn't, very well, when he didn't
give me the chance"
There were tears in her eyes, and Mrs.
Ludlow crossed over to the sofa and put
her arms around her. "Tell me about
it, DEAR" she said, stroking the bowed
head tenderly.
f'There isn't anything to tell" sobbed
the girl; hes just been good and kind
and gentle-as he is to ev-everybody;
ahd last night he told me good-by as if
I'D been the m-merest acquaintance"
"Told you good-by? Did he say he
was going away"
"No; father and Henry came up just
then, and he didn't get q chance to say
anything else."
Il think he meant to, Hester, dear"
Ill almost know he did; he said he
wanted to tell me something about him
Y self; and then he said it was of no conse-
quence."
Mrs. Ludlow thought hard for mo-
ment and then asked: Wasn't there
the least little bit of a quarrel about
something, dear?"
d Hester sat up and shook her head
yehemently. Indeed, there wasn't
not the smallest word. We had been
talking about the feud, and from that
we drifted into an argument about
courage; remember we didn't quite
agree, but there wasn't anything like 9
quarrel"
Mrs. Ludlow's mind reverted instant
ly to what her husband had said about
the feud being possible obstacle tc
Ringbrand's love-making, and before
replying to Hester she made mental
note pointing to further inquiries
aThen, if you haven't quarreled, it's al
right, DEAR" she said, soothingly; "he'l
come back; and ] happen to know that
he doesn't regard you as mere ac
quaintance-not by great deal. Bu'
what in the world do you suppose has
become of him."
3 II can't imagine, only I'm just
weighed down by dreadful fear that
something awful has happened.
know it's foolish, but / can't help it.
"Haye you said anything to your ia
+ ther about it?"
.Not yet, but I'm going back righ'
now to ask him to go to Squire era
yen's; his is the first house beyond ours
you know. Then Ill get Henry to ride
down to Dunbar to ask there"
'sThat's sensible. If you'll do that
I'll stir Tom up when he comes to din
ner, and if we can't find out anything
today, we'll just make them get up
search party tomorrow"
When Hester had ridden away on he