Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1902-10-25

side, and the doors were shut.
"Yes," Henry answered; they're out
on the plantation. I'll drive you there, II
you like, soon as we've had snack"
Drive me out?' Darlington exclaim-
ed. "Since when do you drive eighteen
miles out of your way to obige friend
or are you. .courting herr"
| Henry smiled in a self-satis6ed way.
| I'm their nearest neighbor now. got
back Chinquapin Plantation last year,
and have already cut several vistas
through the weeds"
The sound of horn came to them, and
down the street rode Terry, Jones, and
half a, dozen other men, their horses
streaked with dried sweat, and stray
Cling pack accompanying them and CIV
| ing out occasional melancholy bowls over
nothing, or sharp yelps, as they got under
the hoofs of the horses with the persist
ence of which only hounds are capable.
"Hulloa, Henryw yelled Terry; you
ought to have been with US. Look at
thisr He lifted the bloody body Of
red dog-fox from the cantle of his sad
die. "Who've you got with you! Well,
Hugh! come back at last, have your
| The rest crowded around Darlington,
dShAuS dUOuL LAG Al4App1AC 4O$SNASAAs
He recognized with a smile the lesser i'm
portance of the latter. Then the story
of Buckingham was told and Of the Silver
| Lake steeplechase and the good that it
had brought the town. mortgage gone"
said Terry, "but I'm thinking Of making
a new one. Hope Maude don't go back to
England to stay. He's only got to win
one race year to keep me af1uent."
| A. u
his companions, who entreated him to
stay and economic by merging dinner
into supper, but he could~not enter into
the festival spirit, and wanted to go
home.
"Take my horse, Hugh" Terry called
after him. I'm not going to forsake
this company while / have one leg to
stand on"
Hugh found Terry's horse and rode
down the road by the river. He had been
away something over year, but the
fences still showed the gaps familiar to
his memory; gate leading into planta-
! ton still hung by one hinge that had sus-
tanned it when he passed it last; a cow
/ that he remembered by the side Of the
road the day he left home, fat from the
summers grazing, was still there, biting
at the same bunch Of broomsedge, TOW
hard and yellow and responsible for her
thin TANKS. He passed the familiar road
leading to Gen. TazewelPs, and saw the
ivy-grown house on the hill in the now
Ieafess grove. No smoke came from the
chimneys, and the blinds were closed.
On the next elevation Hugh stopped his
horse and looked over the bleak landscape
with thankfulness in his heart. He had
come home. There was no welcoming
hand to receive him-he had forgotten
| the fox hunters, or did not count them
no face to brighten, no one to care wheth-
err he came or stayed away; still it was
home after all. He pushed his horse and
came abreast of his own plantation. Far
back on-a hill his mules were ploughing.
He could see the moving teams, and fan
cied he could hear, now and then, the
"Come up!' Of some impatient plough
man. "My home" he muttered, as the
old house came into view, eff l don't de-
serve it." Doors and windows were
open, and smoke issued from a chimney.
He rode into the yard and tied his horse
to the rack. "Maudev' he cried in the
hall On the wall was a barrack strap
filled with canes, riding sticks and crops.
A heavy English driving coat hung from
one hook. Everything was as he remem-
bered it. He opened the door of Maude's
big bedroom. A tub filled with water
stood in the center Of the room, and a
big towel lay over the back of chair.
A couple Of logs smoked on the hearth,
and on the bricks lay a pair of spurs.
By the window was long line Of polish
ed boots with trees, and a muddy pair
lay by the fireplace. But there was an
air of confusion in the room that sur
prised Hugh. The closet doors were
open, clothing was thrown on the bed
and floor and the bureau drawers stood
wide muddy covert coat had been toss
ed in a heap by the door, and on the
table lay half-flled pipe.
Near the pipe was letter, begun
Hugh's eyes took in a few words inyol-
UNFAIRLY in his glance at the table: ''I~
will wait patiently, dear, until you say
may" His glance strayed no further
Near the letter was the penholder and a
blot of ink, as if the pen had been thrown
down hastily. A sheet of yellow paper
lay on the floor by the table, He picked
it up; it was cablegram from Cannes,
and on it was the one word Come" and
beneath it the signature, Fairfax
Darlington sat down in chair and
read the cablegram over several times.
The realization Of all that it meant to
him came only slowly. 1t came as a
shock and yet he was hardly surprised.
now that he thought it all over. His van
ity WINGED a trife II have been think
ing so much about myself, and whether
I could be constant or not" he thought.
chat it never occurred to me she might
find constancy difficult, too"
He threw back his shoulders and augh-
ed loudly. laughed at himself, at fate, at
the world. at the sun, which shone more
brightly The noise he made attracted
Aunt Mandy. passing through the hall. /
why, Mistuh Hugh" she called her
eyes dancing with pleasure.
Hugh shook hands with her. well,
Aunt Mandy, you haven't grown thin
since l left, weeping for me-"
But is you come back to stay, Mr..
Hugh? They tell me them FiIininos Is