Owingsville outlook., 1896-08-27


Of dependency come into his eyes
again; ''and that isn't the worst Of 1t;
I'm going TO do something that will
make IL infinitely harder" -.
"Are you going to sec Hester?'
"Ycs."
"Jlow can that make Il harder?"
Il can't explain without telling you
all about IL, and l haven't the courage 10
do that now."
Tell mc one thing, at least. Has
ySur trouble anything 10 do with Hes
ter's money!"
Tie shook his head. "I wish it were
nothing worse than that. / haven't
anything, rs you know, but I think
could earn n living for both of u.s."
And you won't tell me what ii is?"
"I cannot"
"Then tell her; Hugh. II believe
she has a right 10 know"
lie looked up quickly. "You mean
that she cares for me?"
Il have no right TO say it-she has
told me moi hing but can't help think
ing that she does She seemed anxious
and disappointed when you didn't come
home last night"
Ringbrand hurried from the house,
resolving 10 break his engagement with
the colonel at all hazards. but that gen
tlcmnn calmly waived his stammcring
excuses aside and made room for him
on the seat of the carriage. after I've
done spoiled your day. a-draggin' you
over the country afoot. the very least
You can do is TO let me cyar' you home
with me, and the mo- especially as you
cyan't make us n visit"
Ringhrand gave up again, for the sim
pie reason that he had no valid OBJ
lection To offer, and half an hour later
he Was sitting on the vcranda of THE
l.aurcls," deep In the discussion of the
race problem with the colonel-a dis
cuSSion in whirh the northern point of
view Jared mdifTerently because the
mind of its advocate was too busy with
questions suggested by the pres
cnce of Hester Latimcr. All through
the argument he was studying her face,
searching therein for the proof or the
contradiction of Mrs. Ludlow's asser-
tion, and tormenting himself by trying
10 imagine what Hester would say if he
should tell her of his intended depart
ure and the reason for il.
After an carly tea the colonel excused
himself. riding off with Henry 10 the
west farm, portion of the estate lying
twomilcs farther back on the mountain.
When they were left alone together,
Ringbrand made a commcndable effort
TO keep the stream of conversation flow
ing in trivial channels; but his
thoughts set so pcrsistently toward the
feud, and It's hearing upon both their
lives, that he had spoken of il almost
before he knew what he was saying.
81 should think il would be constant
source of anxiety TO you,' he said, ir-
relevantly.
perhaps it would, if knew what il
was" she answered, dcmurely.
Pardon me I must have been think
ing aloud. meant the feud."
She smiled at his prcoccupation. 81
supposed that was what you were
thinking of. No, can't say that il is
exactly a source Of anxiety, although,
of course, / should be glad enough if
the Bynums would leave the country.
1t isn't pleasant to have the enmity of
such people"
"But your father and brother-don't
you sometimes feel anxious on their &c
count?"
She shook her head. "That would be
disloyal; il would imply a doubt Of
their ability TO take care Of them
selves"
-Rir I------'---t thought. Or a mo
menr..sn, t dread rui
state of affairs, II J
should think it wound be a perfect
nightmare to you."
at seems terrible to you, no doubt,
but you must remember that we are
used TO it-or, anyway, as nearly as one
can be used 10 such things. i should
feel quite lost without the feud."
81 envy you your courage"
"That's odd. didn't suppose man
ever envied a woman the possession of
such an ordinary virtue as courage"
"Perhaps it isn't so commonplace as
you imagine"
"Oh, / meant with gentlemen: of
course, it says itself that women are
towards, but that is only another way
OF saying that men are brave" .r4
I'm not quite sure that follow your
logic. Would you mind giving me your
definition of courage?"
Perhaps will-after you've told me
yours"
Ringbrand reflected a moment before
answering. Possibly my definition is
not quite sincere. / have always
thought that the truest courage con-
sisted in doing right when it is easier
and safer to do wrong-in other words,
that it requires higher kind of cour-
age to suffer injury than t. resent it.
I'm beginning TO suspect. however, that
this test can be applied only 10 martyrs
and to cowards-to the latter, because
they use it as plea for norrc 'istance."
81 think that is n little beyond my
depth" replied Hester, SHIPPING o rose
from the clambering bush that covered
the end of the veranGa and beginning
to trim the petals into dahlia-like pre-
cision with her scissors. Il have al
ways thought of a brave man as one
who was simply not afraid of anything;
one OF whom it could be said that he did
not know what fear was.''
THAT always seemed TO me like du-
bious praise. If one doesn't know the
sensation of fear, there can be little yir-
tue Ia being brave. To my mind, The
man who realizes the danger and yet
compels himself to face it, though 1t
may be with pallid face and Shaking
knees, deserves the greater credit"
ST suppose that's true; only Eever
got that far into the subject before. j
don't often reason aboat snch things,
because-I suppose you would say be-
cause a woman doesn't reason about
anything; but it doesn't seem neces-
sary; life isn't SO much a question of
motives as of deeds: It isn't SO much
what one thinks as what one does. And
father says one does what his ancestors
did"
"In that case / ought to be brave