The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1896-02-22

B. LippincOtt Il Co.
life without Hester wouldn't be worth
living, and the other was that I'd rather
die than have her find me out for what
lam"
''That's putting it rather harshly;
you haven't any good reason for think
! ing that you are"
"a coward-say it, Tom; I ought to
be able to bear the truth. and that is
the truth. / know it; I've known it
all along, only I've been trying to make
myself believe it wasn't so. That's
what was at the bottom Of all those
little things you remember in the uni
versity days; you don't know how I
despise myself when think of it all"
"No, I don't remember anything but
what 1 said IL moment ago-that you
were always peacea bic sort of fellow"
''That isn't it; it's one thing to be
peaceable front principle, and quite an
other to be restrained by wholesome
fear of consequences. It's always been
the latter with me. I can look back
over my life and see how I've been con-
tinually lodging. When I was little
fellow, the fear of whipping was the
strongest incentive to good behavior,
and the same argument has held good
ever since. You know that, Tom, if
you'd only admit it,
'No, j don't know anything Of
the kind" protested Ludlow.
"Well, it's true. You remember that
affair with Turnbull in the last year
when he went out of his way to insult
me. You took occasion to praise my
self-control, but want to tell you now
that it was the 1nerest sham; I was
afraid TO resent it, and that's the
truth
-"Nonsense!" retorted Ludlow; "you
did just right not to de1nean yourself
by fighting with q cub Of an under
graduate"
'I'm not arguing about that---it's the
motive; it was cowardice, pure and
simple; there's no other name for it.
What are you laughing at?"
cts amusing to hear you vilify your
self. But seriously, Hugh, this is a
crisis that's got to be met. Itake your
word for it that you're properly in love
with Hester Latimer; if she does you
the honor to return your Affection
which, take it, is not yet foregone
: conclusion-why, you're lucky fell
low, and you should be thankful enough
to fight her battles. and those of her
father and brother if need be-. 1t may
not require such a phenomenal degree
of physical courage, but it'll ask for
some of the moral variety; and there's
always wide possibility that it'll de-
mand both in heroic proportions. If
I were in your place should fight the
battle beforehand; then, if you find
you're not going to be up to it, the hon
orable thing is to pull out while the
girl is yet fancy free. That's pretty
straight talk; but you know me Of old,
and you have invited frankness'' .,
They were nearing the furnace yard,
and Ringbrand did not reply until they
reached the gate; then he grasped Lud~
lows hand and pressed. it warmly.
""You're a good friend. Tom. I'll think
1T over and try to do as you advise.
Only if / can't bring myself up to the
mark, you mustn't be surprised if I
should drop out unexpectedly. Idon't
believe could face you or Mrs. Ludlow
after that"
thinking it over" asked for solitude
and quiet surroundings; and after
leaving Ludlow, Ringbrand walked on
up the valley, skirting the base. of the
mountain until he came to rough
cart road leading toward the summit.
He took it because it ;plunged into the
forest and offered shade; and after that
he paid little attention to direction or
distance until he found himself before
what appeared to be an abandoned
mine. The mouth of the opening was
choked up with broken timbers and
masses of rock, and on board nailed
to a tree growing out of crevice just
above the tunnel arch he read: "Mc-
Nabb Tunnel, r. C. 81. Co." The name
brought back Ludlow's, story of the
feud and the lawsuit, and he examined
the place with awakening interest.
From the small cleared space in front
of the working he could see the extent
Va VIC SVSC VIII iSo oAClNAuS5 S1uCS RAISh-
ing down toward the. yellow fields in
the center; and, as there was but one
house in sight in the bowllike depres-
sion, he concluded at once that it was
the home of the Bynums. Turning
again to the tunnel, he found that by
scrambling over the, pile of debris in
the entrance he could reach a place
where the height of the excavation
permitted him to stand upright; and
when his eyes became accustomed to
the dim half-light. he looked about him
with the observant curiosity of one
who sees latent possibilities for the
collecting of literary material from the
most commonplace surroundings. /
There was little to be seen save the
ragged walls of coal and few rusty
mining tools; the heading stopped alb
ruptly about 80 feet from the entrance,
and the excavation was a mere irreg /
plar gap in the edge of the thick seam
Of coal While he was examining a
miners lamp which he found sticking
in q creyice,, he felt breath of cold |
air which seemed to come from above, |
and. looking up, he saw a narrow rift
in the sandstone roof of the tunnel |
from which the draught appeared to
issue. Lighting the lamp apd thrust
ing it up into the aperture on the end
of a stick, he could see that the rift
widened above the opening and that it
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