The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1896-06-17

night by caving of the roof which
filed the tunnel with broken rock.
Ludlow had its own theory about these
accidents, but he kept it to
1t was suggested by the smell
of black powder which he detected
one morning when he was examining
the debris that had fallen during the
previous night. 1t struck him as be-
ing curious, because he knew that the,
miners were using dynamite; and it led
to a series of casual inquiries among
the dwellers in Harmony Valley near
est to the entrance to McNabb's Cove.
The replies were not entirely convinc-.
ing. because the nocturnal noises heard
by the valley folk might have been:
nothing more than the concussion OF,
the falling rock; but Ludlow heard,
enough to make him believe that when
it became necessary to take coal from,
the McNabb vein night-guard at the
tunnel would possibly avert disaster,
more efficiently than the most elaborate
system of timbering.
It was during the progress OF the
lawsuit that JEFF Bynum returned to
the farm in McNabb's Cove; and the
rumor which had pointed to Texas as
the objective of his migration was con-
firmed by his own story OF his wander
ings. Not contented, however, with
this tribute to it's veracity, gossip again
busted itself with his affairs, and there
were vague hints Of q lawless sojourn
in the Lone Star state, coupled with
still more indefinite intimation that his
career in the west had terminated in
open crime.
One other element of discord had
been added by the passing years to the
Latimer side of the feud, in the person
of the colonel's son Henry. The boys
mother, to whose gentle influence the
fireside gossips of Tregarthen ascribe
the cessation of feudal strife during her
short life at "The Laurels," died while
Hester and Henry were children; and
the boy had early learned the lesson
of vindictivencss from the lips of over
loyal servants. Uniting with hasty
and imperious temper contempt OF
, restraint curious in descendant of the
conservative old Virginian, his rashness
, became constant menace to the pre-
carious truce existing between the two
| families; and as Henry grew to man
! hood, the colonel was often reluctant
> ly compelled to take the side OF peace
3 for the sake Of setting an example be
I fore his son.
t In the case Of the daughter, cduca
: ton in boarding-schod, where sh'
I had spent the greater portion of he
girlhood, and, later, association Will
o the Lutrlows, had done much to modif.
@ her childish ideas of feudal vengeance
g but she was still enough OF partisan
II 10 be very warm in her defense OF tn
l, Latimer rights, and, in common wit
d her brother, she could never beliey
e that anything but vindictive malic
o actuated the doings Of the family ]
L McNabb's Cove.
n Don't you think you are little II
10 clined to Judge them harshly, my dear
III Mrs. Ludlow had once ventured to nsl
o when Hester had been expressing hi
3 contempt for the Bynums and ever,
e thing connected with them.
~ NO, ma'am, I'm not. If you kne
IN them as we'll as we do, you wolldn
~ ask such question"
81 don't know them at all, but fro
- what you tell me gather that they a
~ ~ poor and ignorant and that they ha
W had much the worst of the fight
" along. Can't you be generous e
nc emy?"
~ "They never give one chance to
40 generous. You've no idea how me;
they are. I've heard old Aunt Bet
tell how mamma tried to make pea
when old Mrs. Bynum was sick. Nal
ma sent basket Of jellies and dainti
down to the cove, and the next NOR
ing the basket and everything in it W
found on our doorstep, smashed in
bits"
THAT was certainly vindictive-a
childish, Still I think you might IL
give even that"
"It isn't question of forgivene
You don't understand, because you
never been brought in contact WI
such people. And as to their havi
had the worst of it, there is questi
about that. They made poor Graz
father Latimer's life miserable, ant
shall always believe that John Byn'
- killed him at last. Besides that, they
\. always been annoying and worrying
q in ways that forbid retaliation beca'
we couldn't demean ourselves to
them back in their own coin. Nc
don't think they've had the worst OF
When Mrs. Ludlow reported this
versation to her husband he smiled
- said: "I wouldn't meddle with t
- quarrel, if were you; it's pretty de
- ly ingrained on both sides, and 81
be surprised if it doesn't come tc
pitched battle some day. II
70 OF colonel had suspicion of what fo'
out about the trouble in the Men
the tunnel, l wouldn't care to answer
one the consequences; and as for Hel
ters it'll be a miracle if he doesn't get b
.om- self killed in the row. He hns the CO
d on age OF a veteran, joined to the RASH
y to of headstrong boy; and he's as 6
had hater as any of the Bynums."
ner- "It's great pity" rejoined peace'
hich Mrs. Ludlow. 1T gives one an unc
Nc Portable feeling of living over volc
l the that NAV burst out at any NON