New-York tribune., 1896-12-06
MOUNTAIN LAUREL.
BY LEriH GORDON GILTNEf'

cruder. she would have told you. .Aora
Though she would not have aoll,a'u nne ve;n OF
was in Helen's composition stio6 eos
s,netbinp akin to romance. which hau peeN I've
tered during her earlier years py 'ne hirhI,.
and eager perusal of literature OF niS'o ,,, =
wrouebt and perfervid character; ana ""ivn q
,a,ar assimilation Of authors of the modern
school realists. senstists. pessimis,s,he n,pl
pessjmistic the better-had been whoh! iS uliaoiS
10 eradicate Though Helen thought OF nersci ,..
as decidedly advanced" ard jeered p'ilessS p,saS
at emotions of tender nature 'ne!c L. u IN
deep down in her nmost heart secre' pTne, , IN
the potency Of love- the intense uhuHns, "sas 49,
dramatic affection celebrated by the old-iaSh
toned Doets and novclists: and II was TINS peict
that had led her TO dignity the little aha'S VI
her gillhood to rather an absurd degree. ,.,
Tn eoch Of the many little frtations in whlch
ike other young and pretty Sirs she hau en-
gagged she had hoped to find the redilHa'%ion ION " -,
her dreams-the incarnation OF an iuea' % nrne re-
means paltry: and. in each instance. had at once %
proceeded to invest the other party 10 the aiia'i
usually some crude and commonplace Hou.ii
with all the attributes of hero NaturaaIH ''ii,
was rather Il strain upon the meulociN! VI
Holen's Youthful admirers. and the hlShIy u,d
matte situations Helen had peculiar iacuits
for bringing about, together win lrasic lras'', iii
sives frequent auarrels and tender reconciii-
atoms to which she treated them usually nau
the effect OF reducing them to state OF Col'p.
bewilderment. BY the time. however. tha' litis
consummation had been reached, HeieI "ouiu
have discovered tnat the youth in question was
not "the only man she could ever rove .i!e
little comedy would have been piayed OUT j.,
of characters wholly new. and another equaly
worthy-or unworthy-Object would have peen
elevated to the pedestal that was lneVitaDly ana
Invariably one of Helen'S stage properties.
II was not however, till she met Carroii-
hardly a fit subject for apotheosis-that she had
been sufficiently interested to lose sisht OF the
dramatic possibilities Of the situation-so far as
in her Iay-and to give herself up wholly to what
would have been very sweet ana tender at
tachment in a nature less impersohailv inter
ested in its own workings
hon Il
ago that Helen, quite worn out by the rush 81
her first winter in society, went TO see scnoo
I, lend who had married the superintendent or
a large coal l-mining interest in little mountain
town in Southern Kentucky. The denizens OF
HiIlsborough-rather to Helen's disappointment
were not the uncOuth. unettered creations OF
John Fox and Charles Egbert Craddock. They
differed in slight degree from the lnhabitants
of other small towns remote from tne larger
cities; but to Helen whose whole life mad been
spent in cities and whose idea of the country
was derived chiefly from the ornate suburban
residences Of her fathers friends village lie
(and perhaps the village characteristics were
trihe pronounced and exaggerated IN HIS
borough) was a decided novelty.
The young girls of the town. overcoming the
awe inspired by Helens Redfern toilets. lost no
time in calling on her: and. on the Sunday after
noon following her arrival, bevy OF galiants-a
trifie sunbrowned and rather Ill at ease as 10 the
disposition Of their hands and feet. yet other
wise differing little from the men she met IN
town-came to do her honor.
That evening, by preconcerted arrangement
with her hostess, Dick Carroll. the manager OF
the mine in which Mrs. Parkhursts husband
was interested came to take her TO church
Helen rejoiced in Carroll as a type-a type of
which she had read in the stories of Mary Hal
lock Foote and Wolcott Baestier. she told her
self He certainly a strong. picturesque
figure, even in the unobtrusve business suit he
wore. and Helen's fancy at once clothed him in
the traditional blouse. top boots and broad felt
hat which she regarded as the abitual accom-
paniments Of men connected with mines and
mining.
rrlo ,f ir, llc
manner and Helen observed with feeling
amounting to gratitude that he offered her his
arm. inst ea1 of srasping her own between the
wrist and elbow. after the manner of the village
druggist, who had taken her for a stroll the day
before. But in spite of the romantic interest
with which she invested him. she not
wholly blind to an occasional lapse in grammar,
and when at church he joined Justify in the
singing Qed by wailing reed organ and con-
Quoted by an earnest and perspiring brother
who occasionally missed the pitch), Helen was
conscious OF a slight feei. Of annoyance. For
moment the memory Of the beautiful impress
eive service of her own beloved Calvary" at
home crossed her mind; but Helen was deter
mined not to mar the pleasure Of her visit by
invidious comparisons and suppressed the
thought as in some degree disloyal to her friend.
She interested herself in the sermon. vigorous
II crude; in the people. who, in kindly fashion.
came up to greet her after service and in Dick s
rather labored conversation on the way home.
though she conscious Of a wish that he
would tell her something Of the strange. wild
life In the mines. instead Of indulging in nar-
tiles about the weather and perfunctoriiy inqulr-
ing what she thought Of Hillsborough.
However, she felt her patience in some degree
rewarded when. later, Carroll said suddenly.
'You have never been in coal mine. suppose.
Miss Burnett" Then, turning TO Helen's friend
who sat with them on the shadOwy porch. Why
couldn't YOU bring Miss Burnett over to the
mine tomorrow. Mrs Parkhurst? We won't be
busy / guess and I'll be glad to show you
round.
Well" answered Mrs. Parkhurst tentatively
'if you think viii wouldn't mind
"Oh. Parkhurst won't care" said Carroll read
lily. and when Helen added an eager. oh, Lcttie.
do let's gJ!' Mrs. Parkhurst. who really had no
valid reason for refusing. consented.
The following afternoon Helen came down
dressed for her ride. looking trim and stylish in
her dark. cose-iitting nabit. her irreproachable
collar and "four-in hand" tied with truly mas
cullne skill. her severe high hat and entirely
correct riding boots and gloves The Conven-
tional ridng-dress in Hlsborough was flow
ing dark skirt. an anomalous waist. and any
sort or condition of hat. varying according 10
the whim disposition of the rider. from a
yacht cap to a dress bonnet. Lotties outfit was
a sort Of compromise the silk hat being replaced
by soft felt travelling cap Of her husbands.
which looked trifle incCngruOus with her
tadr-rnadc habit
When they reached the mouth of the mine
where Carroll was waiting for them. Helen could
hardly repress a cry OF delight in his appear
arce. Nothing could have been more perfect.
she told herself There were the dark blue blouse.
slightly open at the throat. the fustian trousers,
half hidden in the high topboots and the souch
hat he doffed as he came to help her dismount
was the one thing needed to give the finishing
touch to his costume: She felt like applauding.
ps she might have done the entrance OF some
fayorite actor in particularly successful make
up: and her dramatic nature revelled In the
strong. picturesque figure with its thoroughly
harmonious setiing-the high. steep hills in the
background the open shaft yawning beside him.
a~d the grimy miners swarming about him like
the chorus In an opera.
II Helen was pleased with -Carrols appear
ance. 1t was certain that he was equally charmed
with her own-though il could hardly have been
on the ground Of it's harmony with her surround
ings for in spite of the strict suitability Of her
attire Helen's blond fairness was much out
OF place in that rugged scene as would have
been a rare bit of cut glass amid the coarse fur
nishings Of kitchen table.
Lottie. with amiable self-abnegation proceeded
10 efface herself leaving Dick free to devote