Waterbury Democrat., 1901-01-21
The World Against Him By WILL N. HARBEN.
 Copyright. l9o0 by
 Kellogg Newspaper Company.
CHAPTER TIT.

the pdCh Ol HIS AGCh, AIhC (uC yoke of q water-carrier. Well, I'll be dumswiveled," he said, as Ronald approached. "an' may ] make the biggest crackiin' in eternal fire, ef ever I'd a believed a brother C. min c could be seen in confidential confab : with daughter of old Hasbrooke. If I'd a-had q bottle along, I'd aswore it was a delusion, but 1 hain't fetched a drop serce ten o'clock this mornin'." Ronald hated himself for being obliged to make excuses for her. ''She simply happened along where was fishing, Dave. l hope you won't talk about it. and cause any miscon- struction to be put on it." You don't mean you an her could git acquainted like that, in sech short
 time," remarked David, as they walked along the sandy read side by side. II have met her once before-a year ; ago. She was in Regan's meadow, and
 got frightened at his bull. I drove the bull away, and she-she stopped to speak to me again to-day. That was alI.''
 But David's fancy for the novelty of the situation from his standpoint was not easily cooled. It was plain to Ron
 aid that he was still turning it over ir
 his mind by the low grunts and ex- clamations of wonder that seemed jolt
 ed from his lips by his heavy strides.
 Well, I'm shore glad of one thing"
 he said. finally, and that is that the
 colonel didn't happen along just like
 l did.'
 His brother knew what was coming
 and yet he asked: "Why, Dave?"
 Because the old codger'd "a raised
 more sand n q Texas tornado, that's all. Why, Ron, are you blamed foci,
 with no more sense than a last yeers
 bird nest? Don't you know nobody by the name O Fanshaw never stood on a
 level with them sort O folks? Ef l
 went up thar on business, or ma, or pa
 or either of the gals went to sell 'em
 eggs or socks, wouldn't we go to the
 back door, like all the rest of our sort: Why, Ron, jest now you was a. settin' 2ross-legged on the colonefs piazza a. smokin' one of his seegars like priv
 ileged character. Ha, ha, don't know
 how it knocked the wind out of lne.''
 Ronald his face dark and his brow
 lowering g, found himself reduced to say ing:
 Il hope you won III en ton 1t at home, Dave"
 His brother stared at him curiously.
 You know l can hold my tongue" he said. T wouldn't go round shootin' off my mouth about a thing like that
 for anything. The colonel would shoot the top O my head off; he's a wheel hoss, l tell you.''
 Ronald brought him to a stop in the
 center of the road.
 Dave, do you really think we are so
 degraded as that?"
 The burly fellow shrugged his shoul- ders.
 i've are as good, I reckon, as the gen
 eral run of our own sort" was his an
 swer, and he smiled so broadly that a
 brown tobacco quid showed between
 his big yellow teeth, 'but, as the fellow
 said: Dang the sort l reckon the Almighty made out O scraps when He was too tired to watch what He
 was doin'. l reckon we are some bet
 tern a cornfield nigger, but we'd jest be blind to our own imperfections ef we didn't admit that thar is folks as
 much higher'n us as i've are higher'n tadpoles.''
 That is a dangerous philosophy, David,' protested Ronald, deeply stung
 by his brothers words. If you ever ex- pect to rise in the world, you must re-
 member-keep the idea always before you-that a man is what he makes him self.''
 ''Shucks, thar hain't a word O that so," grunted David. "Col. Hasbrooke is
 our big man, an he hain't what he
 made hissef. His father owned 600 slaves, an land enough to start re- public on, an government bonds, an storehouses in Atlanta, an what not. No, the colonel is a sample O what his daddy done fur i'm; you can bet yore sweet fife on that! An as fur that mat ter, men you is jest what Jade Fan shaw has made out'n us. I tell you, blood has got q lots to do with it. Col. i Hasbrooke's father fit in the Mexican war, an the colonel stuck hisse'f up to be shot at in defense O his niggers in the civil war, but Jade FansEaw's daddy before i'm was sent up fur house. breakin, an instead O shoulderin' his musket to drive the yelpin' Tanks out O the south Jade hid in the mountains s up in Tennessee, an turned bush
 whacker, an lived on what he could rob from helpless women an childern. I hope nobody round heer won't find all that out. We've got black eye
 enough, as it is."
 T always try to forget that" sighed 1 Ronald.
 An, my honey!" ejacuiated the un- couth philosopher, in a triumphant tone, but Col. Hasbrooke don't try to forget nothin' his daddy did. Not on yore tin type! I've heerd he has his pas uniform in a big glass case, an a picture of i'm on hoss in full tilt after the enemy. They say the old feller fit like tiger cub with cue ycer shot off as clean as a baby's belly, an g piece of cannonball as big as a saucer in his shoulder; they say jest as be was eXpirin' a felier bent over i'm an his last kick landed in his bread -ba sket, an doubled i'm up like a razor. An, come off, you needn't argue with me, Ron!''
 The listener to this frowned, as he swung his basket to and fro. but he | 1