Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1896-08-13

of being explicit. told him he ought
10 give his readers credit for at least
half n grain of penetration"
"Nhat did he say To that?"
"llc covered his retreat with a well.
turned compliment about all readers
not being 81 discriminating as-as soms
Others"
Mrs. Ludlow smiled: 81 believe he is
quite popular"
"Oh, | don't doubt that in the least.
I'm only speaking for myself I like a
story with n good strong motive and
plenty of life in it; can 90 to church
when want to hear sermons"
Hester, you are actually shrcwish
this morning. One would think, to
hear YOU talk. that Mr.. Ringbrand had
MORALLY offended you"
"llc has, in way; he has spoiled all
my pretty fancics about authors. /
thought they were "A superior race, and
here the very first one | meet is sim
| ply a wcll-nrcd gentleman, who re-
minds you Of all the correct qualities
of his characters. think it's too bad"
at certainly is too bad when YOU can
find nothing worse than that TO say
! against him." replied Mrs. Ludlow. Il
Was in hopes YOU would like him."
81 do like him. but I'd adore him if
| he wasn't quite 50 correct" rejoincd
! Hester. miSchicvouSly. Just think
how delightful il would he il he would
only do something drcadfully wicked
or ahsnrd-just the very thing one of
his handsome heroes wouldn't do
You're quite too incorrigiblc, Hes
ter. I'm not going to say another word.
Here comes Mr.. Rmghrand with Tom,
now. and / shall let him fight his own
| battles"
At the dinncr-table the conversation
turned upon Ringhrand's stroll on the
mountain.
where did you go, Mr.. Ringbrand?"
asked Hester.
I'm hardly familiar enough with To-
caliticS around here To know, but !
think went as far as McNabb's Cove"
Then YOU saw the home of our
hereditary enemies" she said. Did
YOU notice log house in the bottom of
/ the cove
81 did"
"Tvc been telling Hugh the history of
the frud," said Ludlow; ''he threatens
10 write it up"
why, Ludlow! you know never
! limited at such thing. Miss Hester, |
hope You won't believe anything that
he says"
I'm not at all afraid of your put
ting the feud into a story" replied Hes
| ter. with an air of conviction.
Ringbrand could not let well enough
alone, and he asked: why"
because the characters are all too
drcadfully impulsivc and natural Yol
| couldn't possibly tone them down into
correctness, il you were to try ever so
hard"
Ludlow laughed uproariously: "Yor
don't know how much good that does
Inc, Hester. I've been telling Hugh all
along that he didn't know the first prin-
cipl"s Of story-writing."
I'm sure | don't know why You
should Jay that" responded the girl.
changing front with an easy facility
that made Mrs. Ludlow catch her
breath. II think Mr.. Ringbrand's
stories are perfectly delightful. | only
meant that he wouldn't care to use such
rough materials"
Rnghrand glanced up gratefully and
saw Mrs. Ludlow trying TO look re-
proachfully at Hester; then the uncon-
ycntiona1ity of il all appealed TO him
like the turning of a new leaf in the
book of experience, and he laughed
pleasantly. DO you know it's quite
/ charming to hear ones self discussed
/ in open meetirg?" he said. "In all my
! life I've never heard so much frank
] criticism as Miss Iatimer and Tom
| have given me in the last few weeks
It's decidedly refreshing, after half a
lifetime of meaningless praise on one
| hand, set or by AN equal amount of
spiteful abuse on the other. I'll give
| fair warning now, though, that ! mean
to turn the tables some fine day, and
you'll hear me telling Ludlow how to
run an iron-furnace, and"
"And Miss Latimcr how TO hold her
tongue" interrupted Hester, mali
ciously.
Indeed. wasn't going TO say any
such ungallant thing" protested Ring
brand.
You might as well say it as to think
it, ''rcjoined Hester. meel,ly. 81 know
| shall catch myself looking for an i'm
pertinent young woman in all your fu.
tune stories"
After that the talk drifted back to
the feud, and Hester related the Incl
dent of the evening before. II suppose
il must have been one of the Bynums,
she concluded; though | can't imag
inc what his object could have been"
Perhaps it was Uncle Ephraim
after a chicken" suggested Mrs. Lud-
low.
Uncle Eph wouldn't come around
the front of the house when there were
four of MS sitting on the veranda," re.
piled Hester.
May | ask TO he introduced to Uncle
Ephraim?" inquired Ringbrand.
you've met him." said Ludlow:
"'Ies, sab, please. sab, tank yo', sah.' -"
'Oh! the old fellow who carried my
valise up from the train. Why, I've
seen n good deal of him, and he seems
10 be quite above chicken-stealing.
believe I'd trust him with my pocket,
book"
You could do that safely enough;
he'd bring it back; but that isn't saying
he wouldn't borrow a fat chicken il
Providence threw one in his way. Tn.
Gle Eph is as honest as the day is long
hut he'll bear watching after dark" re.
| piled Ludlow. However, | agree with
Hester; the intruder wasn't a vagrant
or a chicken thief"
NO" said Hester; 81 suppose it was
one of the Bynum boys; and wanted
to ask you, Mr.. Ludlow, if there had
been any new developments lately;
can't get anything out of father OF
Henry"
Nothing that l know of, except
well, yes; we've decided to begin WORK
again on the McNabb vein, but 1 don't
see how that could account for youI
visitor; that's distinctly company af
| fair. now"
"Hou may be sure they won't consid
CT it so. I'm afraid it will mean a re
turn of the old days of cut clotheslines
| and broken fences and border varfar.