The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1900-03-30

others with genuine rcgrct-ho would
have been grateful for tho information,
instead of rrsrntful, as, with most men,
would be the case nincty-ninc times out
of Il hundred. But he knew nothing of
,his, and had too little experience to sus-
pcct the comments in circulation Shc
was most intcrcstinG-up to the day be-
fore yesterday; he loved to ride or dance
with her; hp enjoyed chat with her
more than he could tell a most SYM
pathetic and attentive listener was Mrs
l}elinap, and her voice was low and
sweet and full of subtly carcssing tones
Shc had made him talk to her by the
hour of his home, his hopes and ambi-
tons, his profession and his prospects,
and had hc!l him in Il silkcn bondage
that he Ead no desire to escape
And yet, az he rode out on tho breezy
plain this brilliant day, he found all
thought Of her distaStcful, and his eyes,
far from searching for the fluttcr of her
trim habit in the distant riding party,
would go a-roaming over the Intervening
shades and shadows down i'm the Monco
valley and seek the bare, brown walls Of
Nlnravrn far across the stream. 1t was
odd indeed that he should have sought
this, the longest way round, on his ride
in quest Of his companions from tho
fort
Once again he looked at tho isolated
clump Of buildings from his post Of OBJ
scrvaton on the bluff; once again ho
saw across the stream and through tho
trees the bar3r1 barrier that had caused
both him and his men such laccration of
iiesh and temper; once again ho saw the
shallow valley winding away to tho
southeast, deckcd with its scrubby
fringe work of cottonwood and willow;
but this time, three miles away, its uc-
customcd solitude WAS broken by groups
Of riders and darting black spccks of
dogs, all moving nOrthward onco more
and already brcastiny the slopes IIo
should have turned away eastward and
ridden across country 80 join them, but
down here in tho valley, only short
distance away. absorbed In Watching
the hunting party, sat Mr.. Even on q
paving and excited bay Whatever
coolness his rider might feel at this dis
coN-ry, it was not shared by Nolan; ho
pricked up his ears and hailed his fel-
low quadrupcd with cordial anl unaf-
rectcd pleasure, Il neigh that the English
bred horse was SO utterly uninsular rs to
whirl about and answer with CORE
spending warmth. Even caught at his
heavy Derby and jcrkcd it off his bullet
head with an air of mingled cmbarrass-
ment and civility, replacing it with
similarly spasmodic haste. Perry coolly,
but with a certain easy grace, raised his
forage cap in response to the salutation,
and then, seeing the manager still look
ing at him us though he wanted to say
something and did not know how to be-
sin, gave Nolan his head and rode down
to short hailing distance.
ave meet on neutral ground out here,
Mr.. Even. | suppose your exclusive
employer over yondcr can hardly pro-
hibit your answering civil inquiries after
his hcalth?" And, though ho meant to
be distant, Perry found himself smiling
at tho oddity Of the situation.
"Do you know, was just thinking
about you, answered Even, land Won
dcring whether you wcro with that party
down yondcr? Tho old gentleman is
better, tha nks. He had two pretty bad
nights, but is coming around slowly"
"And Miss Maitland-how is she?'
"Rather sccdy Sho has had a good
deal Of care and vcXation of late, fancy
and this is no place for young girl,
anyhow"
swell, you have some appreciation of
the true character Of Dunraven as n resi-
dencc, after allr' answc@y Perry. "Now,
if you can give me any good reason why
she should live in this utterly out-of-the-
way place, you will lift weight from
my mind."
"oh, they don't live here, you know"
spoke Even, hurricdly. "Sho comes
here only when her father does. 1t is
her own doing. She goes will. him
everywhere, and will not leave him.
Shes all he has, don't you know"
81 don't know anything about it.
You Dunraven people seem avcrse to
any expression Of interest or courtesy
from your fcllowmen, but I'm FREQ to
say should like to know what on earth
there is in American cavalrymen to
make chem such objects Of aversion to
your master; and would be glad to
know how it is such a girl as that is
dragged into such holo as yondcr."
E"cn Bat III SllcllCO moment, study
ing the young fellows face.
"You deserve better welcome there"
he presently answered. land | don't
know that can do better than to tell
you the truth-what know of it, And
let mo tell you that if tho old man knew
Of my speaking of it to any one, Id lose
tl1e most lucrative but least attractive
place ever had. Do you scc2"
"rhcn perhaps you had better not tell
mo. do not care to pry into secrets"
"Oh, this is no secret. 1t was that that
drove him here; everybody knew it in
England. You wero mighty shabbily
treated at the ranch. and you requited it.
by preventing what would have been
bloody row, and by lending us helping
hand. Even tho old man recognizes
that; and think he'd bo glad to say 80
to you. and see you. if you were not just
what you area cavalry officer"
"Why, what on earth can we have
done? II any of our cloth have wr0necd