The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1898-02-11
career in the west had terminated in

mother, to whose gentle influence the
fireside gossips of Tregarthen ascribe
the cessation of feudal strife during her
short life at "The Laurels," died while
Hester and Henry were children; and
the boy had early learned the lesson
of vindictiveness from the lips of over
loyal servants. Uniting with a hasty
and imperious temper a contempt of
restraint curious in descendant of the
conservative cid Nirginian, his rashness
became constant menace to the pre-
carious truce existing between the two
families; and as Henry grew to man
hood, the colonel was often reluctant
ly compelled to take the side of peace
for the sake of setting an example be-
fore his son.
In the case of the daughter, educa-
tion in boarding-school, where she
had spent the greater portion of her
girlhood, and, later, association with
the Ludlows, had done much to modify
her childish ideas of feudal vengeance;
but she was still enough of partisan
TO be very warm in her defense of the
Latimer rights, and, in common with
her brother, she could never believe
that anything but vindictive malice
actuated the doings of the family in
McNabb's Cove.
Don't you think you are little in
clined to judge them harshly, my dear?"
Mrs. Ludlow had once ventured to ask,
when Hester had been expressing her
contempt for the Bynums and every
thing connected with them.
mo, ma'am, I'm not. If you knew
them as well as we do, you wouldn't
ask such a question"
81 don't know them at all, but from
what you tell me gather that they are
poor and ignorant, and that they have
had much the worst of the fight all
along. Can't you be generous en-
emy?"
''They never give one q chance to be
generous. You've no idea how mean
they are. I've heard old Aunt Betty
tell how mamma tried to make peace
when old Mrs. Bynum was sick. Mann
ma sent basket of jellies and dainties
down to the cove, and the next morn
ing the basket and everything in it was
found on our doorstep, smashed into
bits"
THAT was certainly vindictive-and
childish. Still think you might for
give even that"
"It isn't a question of forgiveness.
You don't understand, because you've
never been brought in contact with
such people. And as to their having
had the worst of it, there is question
about that. They made poor Grand
father Latimer's life miserable, and 1
shall always believe that John Bynum
killed him at last. Besides that, they've
always been annoying and worrying US
in ways that forbid retaliation because
we couldn't demean ourselves to pay
them back in their own coin. No,
don't think they've had the worst of it,"
When Mrs. Ludlow reported this con-
versation to her husband he smiled and
said: 81 wouldn't meddle with that
quarrel, if were you; it's pretty deep
ly ingrained on both sides, and shall
be surprised if it doesn't come to
pitched battle some day. If the
colonel had n suspicion of what found
out about the trouble in the McNabb
tunnel, l wouldn't care to answer for
the consequences; and as for Henry,
it'll be miracle if he doesn't get him
self killed in the row. He has the cour-
age of a veteran, joined to the rashness
OF headstrong boy; and he's as good
u hater as any of the Pynums."
TITS great pity" rejoined peaceable
Mrs. Ludlow. "It gives one an uncom-
Portable feeling of living over volcano
that may burst out at any moment.
Isn't there any way to put stop to it?"
"Only one that can think of, and
that's been tried. 1t occurred to me
some time ago that the family in the
cove might be peaceably deported if
the Bynum farm could be purchased,
and I suggested it to some of our peo-
pie in New York, with the caution that
the colQnel mustn't be told of it until
the purchase was fact accomplished.
They put the matter In the hands of
our attorneys and told them not to hag-
gle about the price. don't know how
the negotiations were conducted, but
imagine the Bynums found out that
the company was in the deal and they
refused point-blank to sell at any price.
That settled it, and it means that they
propose to stay and fight it out.
There'll be fight, too, when we try to
open the McNabb vein; and hope we
can keep the Latimers out of it."
But you mustn't get into it your
self. Tom," interposed Mrs. Ludlow.
Ludlow smiled grimly. "You think
I wouldn't cut much of figure as a
fire eater, don't you? Well. now, you
just wait and see. When the time
comes I'll not go out of my way to pick
quarrel or to avoid one; but if those
fellows interfere with the work they'll
have to stand from under. And they'll
find that they haven't whole-souled,
irascible. generous southerner to deal
with, either"
1t was during the summer of Ring
brands visit to Tregarthen that the
question of resuming work in the aban-
doned tunnel came up again. jeff
Bynum heard the news in the store in
the village, and he told his brother Jed
when they were driving back to the
cove in the evening (
"Does you-all aim to low hit ?" asked
the younger Bypum, /
"Not muchl-they-all done beat us
out o the coal mine, but it amt gwine
do them no good"
"What dye low for to do. Jeff?"
"Nev' you mind; you=pll jest wait an