The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-04-16

When the packing was finished he sat
down TO write a letter to Hester; be-
ginning half a dozen and ending by
tearing them NIL up. THAT would be
acting only half the man. lie said. 81
can write her a line from New York.
thanking her for her hospitality and re-
GREETING that l could not see her again.
l have no reason to suppose that she
cares, yet, and she need never know
what it costs me to leave her"
Having completed his preparations,
he was anxious to be gone; but, as there
was no train until noon of the next day.
he was obliged to wait with what pa
thence he could summon, and he went
TO sleep thinking that he would spend
the forenoon with Ludlow, telling hira
of his intended departure and giving
him the facts of his discoveries in the
abandoned mine. VT
AN UNPREMEDITATED DEPARTURE.
Those who ought to know most about
such matters point out the mutability of
things terrestrial by showing that the
change in position of single grain OF
sand may determine the course of a
mighty river, or that chance raiiidrop
trucking down the face of cliff may
mark the line of erosion which shall
eventually cut the mountain in twain.
If these illustrations prove the subjec-
tion of the elements to the universal
rule of change, examples are not want
ing to show that the same law governs
with equal authority in the domain of
human affairs.
Ringbrand went downstairs the next
morning fully determined to carry out
his programme Of the previous evening,
and he told Ludlow at the breakfast
table that he would spend the forenoon
at the furnace with linn. As they were
leaving the house together the colonel
overlook them in his buggy and invited
Ringbrand to go with him on drive
across the valley to look at horse
which was for sale, promising to get
him back to the company's Office before
noon. There was no good reason for re-
fusing, and the colonel was Hospitality
insistent; Ludlow added his word, and
the upshot of the matter was that the
superintendent went to his Office alone.
while his guest departed upon an ex-
cursion which was to demonstrate anew
the futility of human plans and pur.
poses.
Making due allowance for the fact
that Ringbrand was upon the eve of
taking step which involved the renun-
citation of the woman he loved, he was
less uncompanionable than he might
have been. Their route took them over
wooded knollsin the main valley, and
each rise in the road brought out new
beauties of the landscape. At the top
of the highest of the hills the colonel
stopped and pointed out the winding
couis of the Harmony river, its bends
and reaches etched among the fields in
& sinuous pathway of silver mist, ruffled
by the sun into leecy waves of translll-
cent pearl In the middle distance, and
about halfway from Tregathen to the
river, a group of Lombardy poplars
crowned one of the knobs overlooking
the valley 10 the southwark, and the
colonel indicated the small hill with n
comprehensive gesture which included
( the cultivated fields surrounding it.
That's the Manor farm" he said, "and
the old square house stood in than
among the poplah's. My father raised
it in the second yeah after he moved
down from Virginia, and it was q
mighty comfortable old mansion
mighty comic table, sch. If you've
been in any of the old Virginia planta-
ton homes, you'll know about what
sort o place it was"
| 81 have passed through Virginia.
replied Ringbrand, land think know
the type. They certainly look comfort
able from the outside. and they give
one an idea of stability With is de-
cdcdly refreshing in this age of archi'
tectural shams."
"Ycs, sch. they do that; strong and
solid. like man was buildin for his
child'en and grandchildren. The old
Manor house was built hathaway;
beams and timbers of solid oak, dressed
down with the broadax. II was u long
time Albumin"
II don't wonder your father didn't
1 rebuild it., said Ringbrand, reiiectiveIy
1.-The associations would always have
been painful"
The colonel looked surprised: =
hope you don't allow that he, went VI
OH the mountain for that reason! No
sch, he hada better one. Old Doe Rains
fo'd talked right encouragin'about tn,
mountain air for my mother-she wa: