Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-07-02

Office. "What is it, Hugh?" she asked,
with kindly sympathy; "is it anything
about Nester?"
mo; that is, it is nothing that she
| has said or DONE"
won't you tell me about it? Per-
haps could help you"
II can't tell you now," he replied,
rushing his chai1'back at the sound of
| Ludlow's step on the veranda. II don't
feel equal to talking tonight, and l
hope you will excuse me if go to my
room; know it's ungracious, but I'm
in deeper trouble than you imagine.
Perhaps can tell you all about it, some
day"
| She gave him permission, and stepped
before him with delicate tact to enable
him to go upstairs without meeting her
husband. When he reached his room
he dropped YEARLY into a chair and
lighted cigar; when it was burned out
he went methodically to work packing
his valises. Its the only thing there is
to d." he unused, land it's proper
sequel to the thing, anyhow. l don't
see why / couldn't have been born with
| little blood in my veins, instead of
weak tea or ditch water; but wasn't,
and l suppose that's the end of it. BY
Jove! believe I'd be willing to change
identities with the most ignorant of my
forefathers, dirt, peat smoke, bad
whisky, bare legs and all, if l could
only have n dash of the brute courage
along with the rest. Bah! it makes me
sick to think of it; and just as was be.
ginning to believe there might be a
chance for mel"
When the packing was finished he sat
down to write q letter to Hester; be-
ginning half q dozen and ending by
tearing them all up. THAT would be
acting only half the man." he said. II
can write her line from New York,
thanking her for her hospitality and re-
GREETING that / could not see her again,
have no reason to suppose that she
cares, yet, and she need never know
what 1t 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 dav,
he was obliged to wait with what pa
| UlCuCC lC Sotllu anu hC "SilG
to sleep thinking that he would spend
the forenoon with Ludlow, telling him
of his intended departure and giving
him the facts Of his discoveries in the
abandoned mine.
| vi.
| AN UNPRECEDENTED DEPARTURE.
Those who ought to know most about
| ;,,<~ ,,$ no nj hi lttv nj
things terrestrial by showing that the
change in position of single grain OF
sand may determine the course OF
mighty river, or that a chance raindrop
trickling down the face of Il cliff may
mark the line of erosion which shall
eventually cut the mountain in twain.
If these illustrations prove the subjec-
ton 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 him. AS they were
leaving the house together the colonel
overlook them in his buggy and invited
Eingbrand 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 cX-
cursion which was to demonstrate anew
the futility of human plans and pur.
poses.
Making due allowance for the fact
that Rngbrand 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
the woodedk nolls in 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
course of the Harmony river, its bends
and reaches etched among the fields in
4 sinuous pathway of silver mist, ruffled
by the sun into fleecy waves of translu-
cent pearl. In the middle distance, and
about halfway from Trcgathen to the
river, n group of Lombardy poplars
crowned one of the knobs overlooking
the valley to the southwark, and the
colonel indicated the small hill with
comprehensive gesture which included
the cultivated fields surrounding it.
That's the Manor farm he said, "ard
the old square house stood in thah
among the poplah's. My father raised
it in the second yeah after he moved
down from Virginia, and it was Il
mighty comfortable old mansion
mighty comfortable, sch. If you've
been in any of the old Virginia planta-
ton homes, you'll know about what
sort O place it was"
~ have passed through Virginia.
replied Ringbrand, "and | think know
the type. They certainly look comfort
able from the outside, and they give
one an idea of stability which is de-
cidedly refreshing in this age of archi-
tectural shams."
"Ies, 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. 1t was long
| time a-burnin."
II don't wonder your father didn't
rebuild it," said Ringbrand, retlectiveIy.