The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-05-15
L-CONTINUED.
copyright. ,ses. BY J. B. Lippineou COL

Ludlow" he added. Its such piece |
of ridiculous absurdity in it's present |
stage, you know"
I'll promise not to tell her of my |
own accord" assented Ludlow, "but |
that isn't saying much. It's only fair
to warn you that she'll get it out of me |
sooner or later. Best thing you can do
Is to get the affair into presentable
shape as soon as possible; then you
won't mind"
"Presentable SHAPED" groaned Ring
brand, land haven't even had an in
PRODUCTION! Ludlow, believe I left
my wits behind me when 1 came away
from New York. haven't been wholly
accountable since crossed the Ohio
river
ooh, I don't know about that" re-
joined Ludlow, ref1ectively. 'You
might have gone farther and Jared
good deal worse; Hester Latimer's
we'll worth any mans winning-only
I'll tell you beforehand that she has
all of her fathers prejudices, magni-
fed by the emotional nature of an i'm
pulsive young woman"
what sort of prejudices?"
Southern, mostly; pride of race and
loyalty to section, with a lingering
trace of bitterness as a result of the
war. But there are compromising vir
tues that will warm the very cookies
of your heart; such open-handed hos
pitality as you never dreamed of; a
loyalty to kith and kin and friends that
takes you right back to the days of chiv-
airy; and another pleasant thing about
them is that they reverse our social
rule, and take u man for what he ap-
pears to be until he proves himself un-
worthy" :.
They walked along in silence for
awhile, and then Ringbrand said: II
don't know but 1 overstated it mo-
ment ago, after all. My first impulse
when 1 saw Miss Latimer was merely
& strong desire to study the type; it's
unusual, and she is uncommonly beau
tifuI. Just where the artistic sense
merged into the erotic, 1 can't tell;
i don't know enough of the symptoms
to be able to diagnose my own case"
Ludlow laughed heartily: That's a
damaging admission for story-writer.
. Why. you fellows are supposed to be
able to analyze the tender passion in oil
it's stages, from start to finish, and here
you can't apply the first tests of your
art to your own case! I shouldn't
write any more love-tales, if were
you"
II fancy it's another case of the sick
doctor, Tom. You know a physician
never trusts himself to treat his own
malady."
Ringbrand was decidedly preoccu-
pied at the supper table that evening,
and Mrs. Ludlow did not fail to rally
him numerically. So many of the
sharp thrusts found the joints in his
armor that he pleaded the need of eXer-
else when they left the table, and went
out for an evening stroll. When he.
was out of earshot. Mrs. Ludlow prompt
ly attacked her husband.
"What is the matter with Mr.. Ring
brand this EVENING"" she inquired.
Nothing that 1 know Of" replied
Ludlow; dropping into veranda chair
and burying himself, ostrich-lille, in
the newspaper.
But 1 know there is" insisted the
lady. He is distract and embarrassed,
and he seems to be afraid I'll find out
something. Where have you been to-.
day."
Nowhere, except down to the fur
mace"
Mrs. Ludlow rocked gently in her
chair, watching the figure of Ring
brand appear and disappear in the wind
ings of the road leading to the summit
of the mountain. She was silent so
long that her husband had time to re-
lax his vigilance in the interest of the
newspaper, and her next question
caught him off his guard.
What do you suppose he's going
away up on the mountain for at this
time of day." she asked.
Ludlow heard the question with his
outward ears and answered it mechan-
ically: Il don't know; perhaps he's
going up to see if he can get sight of
her"
There was another interval of silence.
and then Mrs. Ludlow rose and stood
before her husband. Tom" she said,
impressively, please put that paper
down and tell me all about it. I want
to know whom he's going to see."
Ludlow dropped the paper and looked
up in ludicrous alarm. Whom he's
. going to see?-whst did I say just
now?"
She repeated his answer word for
word. ..E, eN
"Oh. Lord! I've let the cat out of the
bag after all, and promised him I
Wouldn't" he exclaimed. But then
told him you'd get it out of me. Pull
up your chair. and I'll tell you all /
know. might us well do it first as
last"
Mrs. Ludlow listened eagerly while
her husband recounted the meager facts
of Ringbrand's sudden infatuation.
the color coming and going in her
cheeks and her eyes sparkling with the
lleenest appreciation. When he had
finished, she clasped her hands over his
knee and looked up at him in rapt
ecstasy. ''Oh, Tom! isn't that perfect
ly splendid? Just to think of it!-and
after I've been shut up in this dead lit
tile village without breath of excite
ment for four years. OF course.
there'H be difficulties; they're just as
different as they can be; and what
would they do without some one to plan
for them?"
Helen Ludlow had been the pretty
girl of her set, and she had thrown
AWAY the chances of matrimonial pre-