The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1896-06-12

ing about It's perfectly ridiculous;
and told him so the other evening"
'Why, Hester, that was almost vindic-
tive!"
mo, it wasn't; he invited it, and then
tried to defend himself on the score
of being explicit. 1 tod him he ought
to give his readers credit for at least
half a grain of penetration"
what did he say to that?"
"He covered his retreat with we'll
turned compliment about all readers
not being so discriminating as-as some
| Others"
Mrs. Ludlow smiled: II believe hesis
quite popular"
'Oh, I don't doubt that in the least.
I'm only speaking for myself. L like n
story with a good strong motive and
plenty of life in it; l can go. to church
when I want to hear sermons
Hester, you are actually shrewish
this morning. One would think, to
hear you talk, that Mr.. Ringbrand had
MORALLY offended you"
''He has, in a way; he has spoiled all
my pretty fancies about authors. I
| thought they were superior race, and
here the very first one l meet is SIM
ply a well-bred gentleman, who re-
minds you of all thecorrrect qualities
of his characters. think it's too bad"
''It certainly is too bad when you can
find nothing worse than that to say
against Him. replied Mrs. Ludlow. Il
was in hopes you would Nike him."
Il do like him, but I'd adore him if
he wasn't quite SO correct" rejoined
Hester, mischievously. Just think
how delightful it would be if he would
only do something dreadfully wicked
or absurd-just the very thing one of
his handsome heroes wouldn't do"
You're quite too incorrigible, Hes
ter. I'm not going to say another word.
Here comes Mr.. Ringbrand with Tom,
now, and 1 shall let him fight his own
battles.'
At the dinner-table the conversation
turned upon Ringbrand's stroll on the
mountain.
"Where did you go, Mr.. Ringbrand:"
asked Hester.
I'm hardly familiar enough with To-
caGties around here to know, but I
think went as far as McNabb's Cove"
"Thens you saw the home of our
hereditary enemies" she said. did
you notice n log house in the bottom of
the cove?"
81 did"
"I've been telling Hugh the history of
the feud," said Ludlow; 'he threatens
TO write it up
"Why, Ludlow! you know never
limited at such a thing. Miss Hester,
hope you won't believe anything that
he says"
I'm not at all afraid of your put
ting the feud into a story" replied Hes
ter, with an air of conviction.
Ringbrand could not let we'll enough
alone, and he asked: Why"
Because the characters are all too
dreadfully impulsive ard natural. Yo,i
couldn't possibly tone them down into
correctness, if you were to try ever so
hard''
Ludlow laughed uproariously: t'You
don't know how much good that does
Inc, Hester. I've been telling Hugh all
along that he didn't know the first prin-
ciples of story-writing."
I'm sure 1 don't know why you
should say that" responded the girl
changing front with an easy facility
that made Mrs. Ludlow catch her
breath. II think Mr.. Ringbrand's
stories are perfectly delightful. Ionly
meant that he wouldn' care to use such
rough materials"
Rngbrand glanced up gratefully and
saw Mrs. Ludlow trying to look re-
pr'oachfully at Hester; then the uncon-
ventionality of it all appealed to him
like the turning of newsleaf in the
book of. experience, and he laughed
pleasantly. do you know it's quite
charming to hear ones self discussed
in open meeting?" he said. I'm ell my
life I've never heard SO much frank
criticism as Miss Latimer and Tom
| IT'S decidedly refreshing, after half
| lifetime of meaningless praise on one
hand, set off by an equal amount of
| spiteful abuse on the other. I'll give
| fair warning now, though, that ] mean
to turn the tables some fine day, and
| you'll hear me telling Ludlow how to
run an iron-furnace, and"
"And Miss Latimer how to hold her
tongue" interrupted Hester, mali
ciously. Co
Indeed, wasn't going to say any
suchsungallant thing" protested Ring
brand.
you might as well say it as to think
it. 'rejoined Hester, mee1Sly. ~ know
1 shall catch myself looking for an i'm
pertinenteyoung woman In all your flu.
tures stoyies."
after that the talk drifted back to
the ferd, and Hester related the incl
dent of the evening before. II suppose
it must have been one of the Bynums,"
she concluded; Though 1 can't imag-
inc what his object could have been"
Perhaps it was Uncle Ephraim
after chicken suggested Mrs. Lud-
Row. u
"Uncle Eph wouldn't come around
che front of the house when there were
four of us sitting Oh the veranda, "lre-
piled ,Hester 9
May ask to be introduced to Uncle
Ephraim?" inquired Ringbfand. 0
you've met him." said Ludlow:
YES, sab, please, sab. tank yo', zah'"
"Oh! the old fellow who carried my
valise up from the train. Why, I've |
seen good deal of him. and he seems
RI l,a U0ife above oh ii