Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-06-04
No.. 3

| I'm blest if you don't break the record,
Hugh! thought it struck me pretty
suddenly, but pshaw! my case wasn't
| circumstance to this. I've heard of
love at first sight, but this is the ii.
stantaneous photography kind. Why,
you couldn't have got more than i
| glimpse of her as they passed u.s."
'I-we-that is to say-I've seen her
BEFORE" stammered Ringbrand.
"Oho! now I begin to understand;
that's what brought you to Tregarthen.
thought Helen's prophetic soul didn't
mislead her. Well, tell me the rest of
it; I've got your fate in my hands, and
you might as well make an ally of me at
| the start"
Ringbrand told his small story frank
ly, concluding with plea for secrecy.
I'D rather you wouldn't tell even Mrs.
Ludlow" he added. "It's such piece
of ridiculous absurdity in it's preseHt
stage, you know"
'I'll promise not to tell her of my
own accord" assented Ludlow, "bGt
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 presentablc
shape as soon as possible; then you
won't mind"
"Presentable shape!" groaned Rihg-
brand, land I haven't even had an in
| troduction! Ludlow; I believe left
my wits behind me when 1 came away
| from New York: Haven't been wholly
| accountable since l CROSSED the Ohio
river
ooh, I don't know about that" re-
joined Ludlow, refectively. "You
might have gone farther and Jared
| good deal worse; Hester Latimer's
well worth any mans winning-only
III tell you beforehand that she has
all of her fathers prejudices, mag1ii-
fed by the emotional nature of ON i'm.
| pulsive young woman"
"What sort of prejudices?"
Southern, mostly; pride of race and
loyalty to section, with lingering
trace of bitterness as a result of the
war. But there are compensatihg 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 man for what he ap-
pears to be until he proves himself uu-
worthy"
They walked along in silence for
awhile. and then Ringbrand said: 81
don't know but 1 overstated it a mo.
ment ago, after all. My first impulse
when saw Miss Latimer was merely
q strong desire to study the type; it's
unusual, and she is uncommonly beau
tiful. Just where the artistic sense
merged into the erotic, l can't tell;
don't know enough of the symptoms
to be able to diagnose my own case"
Ludlow laughed heartily: "That's
damaging admission for story-writer.
Why. you fellows are supposed to be
able to analyze the tender passion in all
its stages, from start to finish, and hero
you can't apply the first tests of your
urt to your own case! / shouldn't
write any more love tales, if I were
YOU"
II fancy it's another case of the sick
doctor, Tom. You know 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 know Of" replied
Ludlow, dropping into veranda chair
and burying himself, ostrich-like, 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;
nace"
Mrs. Ludlow rocked gently in hef
chair. watching the figure of Ring
brand appear and disappearin 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: II don't know; perhaps he's
going up to see il 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 ab6ut it. Iwant
to know whom he's going to see." :,
Ludlow dropped the paper and looked
up in ludicrous alarm. Whom he's
going to see ?-what did I say just
| now"
She repeated his answer word for
word.
"Oh, Lord! I've let the cat out of the
bag after all. and l promised him I
wouldn't" he exclaimed. "But then
told him youd get it out of me. Pull
up your chair, and I'll tell you oil
| LnoIu mioht ma we'll df5 il first 8S
last"