Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1896-08-13

ferent, after ALL" he said. "Tell me
what you wish me to do, and III 90 do
it, if I have to let the furnace freeze
while the men turn out to hunt for
him."
THAT is what ought to be done-to-
morrow, anyway. IIester's gone to ask
her father to ride along the mountain
to see if anyone has heard of him. and
Henry will go to Dunbar. If they can't
find out anything. think you ought to
get up search party. Now, Tom,
there's one thing more. Tell me why
you thought Hugh wouldn't have any
thing to do with the feud il he knew
about it?"
Ludlow saw he was upon the brink,
and braced himself for the plunge, but
he evasively asked: "When did say
anything like that?"
"Why, you remember-the first time
I'VE were talking about him and Hester;
you said he'd have to be very much
changed from the man you used to
know il he consented to assume any
such responsibilities"
Ibid I say that?"
"Of course you did; and I want to
know what it meant, and oil about it."
"Why. didn't mean anything in par
ticular, except that Hugh was always
peaceable fellow-a man who avoids
rows us cat picks her way around
pool Of water"
'There's more than that to it, Tom,
dear, and you might just as we'll tell me
first as last. Hasn't he been talking to
you about this-this idiosyncrasy Of
his?"
Ludlow dropped into his chair with a
groan. Il knew just how it would be"
he said; and then he told her what he
could remember of the conversation in
which Ringbrand had confessed his in
ability to face danger and the bearing
this would have upon his relations with
Hester and her family. "1Ie said he
was going to try to fight it out with
himself, and that if he failed we needn't
he surprised il he turned up missing,
because he wouldn't have the face to
say good-by. Now you know the whole
of it, and why haven't been borrowing
any trouble about his disappearance.
concluded at once that he'd made q
miss-ro of his fight and had decided
that discretion was the better part Of
valor."
Mrs. Ludlow pursed up her lips and
walked airily around to her place at the
dinner-table. "Tom," she said, smiling
serenely across the table at him, I'm
positively ashamed Cf you. Do you sup.
pose for a moment that Hugh would
have stayed here all this time making
love to Hester when he knew oil along
that he wasn't going to have the cour-
nge to stand up for her when he got
postcrous things, and I don't know
which is the more ridiculous-his alb
surdity in telling you, or yours in be-
lieving him"
Ludlow fell back in his chair in an
attitude of helpless despair. "Helen.
my dear, you'd make an angel weep;
you would, indeed! What have to do
with it? How am responsible for It?
Who made me the godfather to this
chuckled- headed infant?"
"Please don't be tragic, Tom." she
said, sweetly. ut doesn't become you.
You know you aided and abetted him in
this foolish notion, and then to think
that you'd sit down calmly in the be-
lief that he'd run away without saying
word! It's too perfectly absurd for
anything! What you should do is to
telegraph everybody you can think Of
right away, and if you don't hear any
thing by tomorrow morning you ought
to take the men and search every foot of
the mountain till you find him."
For reply he handed her the two mes
sages from McNairville and Dunbar,
adding that he had questioned the con-
ductor on his way home.
"Then you haven't been quite rs
hard-hearted as thought you were.
Can't you think OF anyone else to tele-
graph"
mo"
Have you suspected the Bypums of
having anything to do with it?"
"Id suspect them quickly enough if
there were the slightest grounds for
motive; but there isn't a shadow of rea-
son for thinking that they'd make war
on Hugh"
"Perhaps not; only thought they
might have identified him in some way
with the Latimers."
Ludlow secuted the idea; and during
the afternoon he instructed the mine
bosses to have their men gather at
THE Laurels" early the following
morning, prepared to make thorough
search for the missing man.
After supper the colonel's man came
down with q note from Hester. Moth.
ing had been heard Of Ringbrand.
either at the Cravens' house or in Dun
bar, and the writer asked il the search
party had been arranged for the next
day, adding that the colonel and
Henry wished to join it. Ludlow sent
back word that he would be ut "rhe
Laurels" at an early hour in the morn
ing with as many men as he could
gather, and Mrs. Ludlow wrote a post
script to his note, asking Hester to
spend the day with her.
The third day of Ringbrand's absence
dawned hot and clear, and when Lud-
low reached "The Laurels" with his
men he found the colonel and Henry