The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-05-27

Dc Ill olCl a JuIIlOlS uSht SOiAOSpSN
your fare to Kingville, an I've got too
much OF your money"
"Hang your fare! don't want it,
Let me get off,"
"All right, cap'n; jest as you say" y.
replied the over-zealous conductor,
swinging Ringbrand's valise to the
platform. "There you are, right side
up with care"
AS he had feared, the slight delay lost
him his opportunity; when his glance
searched the small platform, his travel
ing companion had disappeared, and he'
was not the man to make hap-hazard
inquiries about her of the struggling
loungers at the station. When the train
had departed, he saw the glare Of an
iron furnace short distance farther
up the track, and the twinkling lights
of town on the hillside above the sta
ton. While he was wondering if there
was hotel, decrepit old negro hob
bled up to him, hat in hand.
"Cyar' yo' baggage up to de hotel
sab? Yes, sab; tank yo', sab. Right
long dish yere way, sah."
"Got good hotel here, uncle ?" In
quired Ringbrand3 as they toiled up the
steep hillside.
Fright sma't good hotel, sab; yes,
snh; tank yo', sab. Hits de one what
Gin'ral Jackson yoosted to stop atwhen
he's gwine to Washin'ton, fo' de wah."
Ringbrand had not been long enough
in east Tennessee to know that every
hostelry within 100 miles of the
crossing of the Clinch river made a
similar claim, but the conceit struck
him as being quaint one, and it oc-
CURED to him that the ancient negro
was probably an old resident and there
fore acquainted with most of the fami-
lies in the neighborhood.
"Did you see Observation-Disclosures
get off the train just now, uncle9" he
inquired, nonchalantly, hazarding a
guess at the name in the hope that his
guide would correct him.
"Who, me? No, sab; thank yo', sab.
I doesn't know any lady O. dat name,
sab. Didn't see no lady git off de train;
no, sah."
That graphing hook having come mp
empty, Ringbrand was compelled to
await further developments; and as he
smoked his after-supper cigar in the
dingy little Office of the hotel, he tried
to convince himself that the present ad-
venture was only another example of
the persistent obstinacy with which he
had pursued other quests In the study
of his art. The effort may have been
wholly successful, but the conclusion
did not enable him to Danish the pic
ture of the girls face, which haunted
him even after he had gone to sleep
amid the dismal furnishings of Gen.
Jackson's room.
The following morning he was fortu-
nate enough to stumble upon Ludlow
who was an old friend and one of his
college classmates. The meeting af-
forded the plainest possible solution OF
the authors problem, but he seemed
somehow quite unable to frame the
simple inquiries which would have
solved it. He reasoned that Ludlow
would misunderstood his motives; that
he would be accused of falling in love
with a pretty face; that If it would be
indelicate to question strangers about
the girls identity, it would be imperti-
nence to ask his friend. Soft happened
that two days slipped by without bring
ing him any nearer to the object of his
visit to Tregarthen, and he was be-
ginning to hold himself in derision
when lucky chance brought him the
opportunity for which he was waiting
1t was on the day following his install
lation at Ludlow's, and he was return
ing from visit to the furnace with
his host. They stepped aside at mar
row place in the hill side road to let q
buggy pass. Rmgbrand lifted his hat
in Difference to his friends salutation
! to the occupants of the vehicle, and
nearly let it fall when he realized that
he was face to face with the object ol
his search.
"Who are they?" he asked, as soon
as they had driven on.
"That's Col. Latimer and his daugh
ter Hester" replied Ludlow. by the
way, If you want to make character
studies, there's good chance for you
The colonel's an old-time southern gen.
tleman of the school that you authors
ore always attempting to portray and
can't. Here's the opportunity of your
life to get picture that'll be as good
as photograph"
81 should be delighted to improve 1t,
responded Ringbrand; "can you sug'
gest the means?"
Nothing easier; though fancy it'll
be to our detriment. The colonel's one
of our directors, and he was the orig
inal owner of the Tregarthen coal lands;
his hospitality is as wide as the heav
ems. If introduce you he'll be carry
ing you off to The Laurels,' and wei
| lose you"
Don't be too sure of that; I'm pretty
comfortable where am. But should
like to make the colonels acquaint
ance. Where is The Laurels?"
"It's up on the mountain, just wherc
you see that clear space beyond the
mine-opening. It's an old-fashioned
Tennessee home-wide verandas, big
rooms, immense fireplaces, and all that
You could get lot of good materia
out of the place-not to mention the
colonel and his son and Miss Hester
"Yes, suppose could; but, Ludlow
be good fellow, now, and drop the