The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-05-28

Hester looked mystiaed and hurt. !
"Why, Helen, do you mean that we
ought to have tried harder to keep
him?"
81 think you wouldn't have had to try
very hard, if you'd cared anything at all
about him."
Hester blushed painfully. and hest
tated. 1T would be foolish to seem not |
to understand you, Helen, but--but it
isn'tatall as you think; indeed, it isn't"
And her voice quavered little at the
end. {tali aS bHE Sftttf etA aht
5 1t was Mrs. Ludlow's turn to be aston
ished, and she gave little gasp of sur
prise. "DoH YOU mean that you didn't
send him away last night, after all 2"
Hester's embarrassment was pitiful,
but she made brave effort at frank
ness Not in the way that you mean;
IL couldn't, very we'll, when he didn't
give me the chance"
There were tears in her eyes, and Mrs.
Ludlow crossed over to the sofa and put
her arms around herr. "Tell me about
it, DEAR. she said, ,stroling the bowed
head tenderly.
"There isn't anything to tell, sobbed
| the girl; hes just been good and kind
and gentle-as he is to ev--evcrybody;
and last night he told me good-by as if
| I'd been the m-merest acquaintance"
told you good-by? Did he say he
was going away?"y
mo; father and Henry came up just
then, and he didn't get a. chance to. say
anything else"
II think he menat to, Hester, DEAR"
I I'll almost know he did; he said he
wanted to tell me something about him
self; and then he said it wasof no conse-
quence." W
Mrs. Ludlow thought hard for a mo-
ment and then asked: Wasn't there
the least little bit of quarrel about
something, dear?" ft'i
Hester sat up and shook her head
vehemently. Indeed, there wasn't
not the smallest word. We had been
talking about the feud, and from that
we drifted into an argument about
courage; 1 remember I'VE didn't quite
agree, but there wasn't anything like a
quarrel" iiiVH u glifNst1
Mrs. Ludlow's mind reverted instant
ly to what her husband had said about
the feud being a possible obstacle to
Ringbrand's love-makingg land before
replying to Hester she made a mental
note pointing to further inquiries.
Then, if you haven't quaiTeled, it's all
right, dear" she said, soothingly; "he'll
come back; and happen to know that
he doesn't regard you. as. 9. mere ac-
quaintance-not by a great DEAL But
what in the world do you suppose has
become of ,him?" .,rA ,.,..agtr,;
II can't imagine, only I'm just
weighed down by a dreadful fear that
something awful has happened.
know it's foolish, but l can't help it,
"Have you said anything to your ia
Their about it?"
Not yet, but I'm going back right
now to ask him to go to Squire era.
!. ven's; his is the first house beyond ours
you know. Then Ill get Henry to ride
, down to Dunbar to ask there"
That's sensible. If you'll do that
I'll stir Tom up when he comes to din
ner, and if we can't find out anything
to-day, we'll just make them get up 9
: search party tomorrow"
r When Hester had ridden away on hel
!, Grand, Mrs. Ludlow began to watch
Tor the home coming of her husband
and that much-tired individual saw the
. light of inquiry in her eyes before she
had said word upon the subject o.
. Ringbrand's disappearance. While
Ludlow was quite sure that he held the
: key to the mystery, he could not rit
himself of a certain indefinite response
= bility for his friends safety. During
the preceding day he had found com
fort in the belief that he would sooI
: get telegram from the missing man
!, directing the disposition of his effects
: and when the second morning did no
:, bring this he had quietly telegraphet
to Dunbar and McNairville to ascertain
if Ringbrand had taken the train a
! either of these places. The NEGATIVE
answers came promptly, and on his wa,
. home from the furnace Ludlow met tn,
down train for the purpose of asking
the same question of the conductor
q The man remembered Ringbrand pei
- fectly, and was quite sure that he ha
!. not had him asa passenger since tn
!, day when he had ridden to Tregarthe
!. on fare paid to Kingville. In view O
! these unsuccessful investigations, Lud
:. lows well-simulated indifference t
! his wife'ssanxiety. was worthy of a
- praise.
- Don't you worry about Hugh,' h
h said; ''he'll turn up all right when h
,e gets good and ready. l suppose he an
d Hester had some little tiff and he's gon
" off to sullk." sfe
s. ut isn't anything of the kind sh
h insisted. "Hester's been here thi
s morning, and she told me all about i
le They parted good friends, and she
p. sure something dreadful has happcne
lie to him. Don't you know any of h
l. friends in New York to whom you coul
,e telegraph
b. mo; and if Ibid, they wouldn't know
Do He hasn't had time to get to New Yorl
ID unless he went in balloon" rs
~ II don't care, think it's perfect
Of heartless of you to be so indifferel
IN about him; one would think you'd cal
is little bit about what became of him
4, Ludlow put his arm around her ar