The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-03-04

the change in him, and detained him to
ask if his trouble had disappeared.
No." he replied, and she saw the look
of despondency come into his eyes
again; land that isn't the worst of it;
I'm going to do something that will
make it infinitely harder"
"Are you going to see Hester?'
Eyes"
"How can that make it harder?"
"I can't explain without telling you
all about it, and haven't the courage to
do that now
"Tell me one thing, at least. Has
your trouble anything to do with Hes
ter's money!"
He shook his head. 81 wish it were
nothing worse than that. / haven't
anything, as you know, but think I
could earn living for both of us"
"And you won't tell me what it is?"
II cannot"
"Then tell her; Hugh, II believe
she has right to know"
He looked up quickly. "You mean
that she cares for me?"
81 have no right to say it-she has
told me nothing-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 to break his engagement with
the colonel at all hazards. but that gen.
tleman calmly waived his stammering
excuses aside and made room for him
on the seat o: 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 cvar' you home
with ME, and the mo- especially as you
! cyan't make us visit"
:::T.; .Is.i.,. :. @.socve up again, for the SIM
pie reason that he had no valid 81
| lection to offer, and half IN hour later
! ne was sitting on the veranda of THE
Laurels," deep in the discussion of the
race problem with the colonel-a dis
eussion in which the northern point OF
view Jared indifferently because. the
mind Of its advocate was too busy with
questions suggested by the pres
I ence of Hester Latimer. All through
the argument he was studying her face,
searching therein for the proof or the
contradiction of Mrs. Ludlow's asser-
| ton, and tormenting himself by trying
to imagine what Hester would say if he
should tell her of his intended depart
lre and the reason for it.
After an carly tea the colonel excused
himself, riding off with Henry to the
west farm, a portion of the estate lying
two miles farther back on the mountain.
! When they were left alone together,
Ringbrand made a commendable effort
to keep the stream of conversation flow
ing in trivial channels; but his
thoughts set so persistently toward the
feud, and it's bearing upon both their
| lives, that he had spoken of it almost
before he knew what he was saying.
Il should think it would be a constant
source of anxiety to you," he said. ir-
relevantly.
perhaps it would, if knew what it
was," she answered, demurely.
Pardon mel must have been think.
ing aloud. Imeant the feud."
She smiled at his preoccupation. "I
supposed that was what you were
thinking of. No. l can't say that it is
exactly source of anxiety, although,
of course, l should be glad enough if
the Bynums would leave the country.
j 1t isn't pleasant to have the enmty of
such people,"
But your father and brother-don't
you sometimes feel anxious on their ac-
count?"
She shook her head "That would be
disloyal; it would imply a doubt of
their ability to take care of them
Selves"
Ringbrand was thoughtful for mo-
nent, and then he said: Its dreadful
state of affairs, though, Miss Hester;
should think it would be perfect
nightmare to you"
| "It 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 to such things. l should
feel quite lost without the feud."
Il envy you your courage"
"That's odd. l 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"
1 "Oh, 1 meant with gentlemen; of
course, it says itself that women are
towards. but that is only another way
OF saying that men are brave"
| I'm not quite sure that follow your
logic. Would you mind giving me your
definition of courage?"
Perhaps I will-after you've told me
yours"
! Ringbrand reflected 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 to resent it.
I'm beginning to suspect. however, that
this test can be applied only to martyrs
and to cowards-to the latter, because
they use it as plea for nonresistance."
81 think that is little beyond my
depth" replied Hester. shipping a rose
from the clambering bush that covered
the end of the veranda and beginning
to trim the petals into dahlia-like pre-
cision with her scissors. IL have al
ways thought of 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