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

over junction, ana MT. l1eHiy Piop''AeO
to descend. 1t took some time, however,
to make the mules stand still for the rev
seconds necessary.
''Ffne team Of mules" asserted the sta
tionmaster.
Henry eyed him suspiciously, but final
" assented, and they went in by the hre.
The whistle Of the down train brought
them out Only one passenger descended,
O tall, dark-faced man, who pulled on
an oyercoat as the keen air struck him.
"Weu, Hugh Darlington" Henry ex-
claimed; "what ill wind blew you here =
"a mighty cold one, judging by the
sample that came with me. How do you
happen to be down here"
"I came down to meet a Charlottesville
breeder of thoroughbreds, but he evident
Iy hasn't come" Henry answered. But
you'll 1 thought you were among the Phil
appine niggers." :,
'T am on leave" Darlington replied.
''It's about up, and 1 am going back with
some horses"
"Sick leave" Henry queried. You
look it, Hugh. What d you have, feverT
He scrutinized the brown face with its
prominent features and deep hollows.
eyes, touch. I laid off in Leaven-
worth a month"
"Why didn't you come home"
ooh, L don't know; there didn't seem to
be any hurry. 1 haven't heard word
from any of you all for year, barring
one letter from my aunt"
"Hasn't--" Henry was about to ask
IL Mrs. Tazewell hadn't written. then
stopped from feelings Of dehcacy. He
called Hudson, the two got into the day
ton. and the mules sped along the frozen
road.
''Mande is here, I suppose?' Caring
ton asked.
81 saw him yesterday. You know he
succeeded to his brothers title
81 saw it in an English paper"
''How long have you been in America? .
Henry asked.
six weeks"
Henry eyed Hugh curiously. There
was a change about him that struck his
friend His laugh did not have the old
ring.
Didn't you know Gen. Tazewell was
headT' he asked.
"Weu?"
Don't YOU remember you owed him a
Got Of money!"
TONS face. You don't mean that Deer
Hill is gone, do you? =
THAT the place belongs to you to-day,
you owe to your aunt and Miss Tazewell.
Your aunt mortgaged her plantation, and
I expect that Miss Mamie Clipped in ey-
cry cent she had, outside Of the place.
You know you had managed to run up
very respectable number Of debts" Hen
o. rs w
Hugh. I'm sorry to say it to you Ill
my own dayton. but you have been more
kinds of a fool than any one l ever knew"
Darlington sat staring straight before
him.
Pardon an old mans curiosity" Hen
ry said, after a little while, but what do
you do with your money!"
"You asked me that question once be-
fore" Hugh answered grimly, land per-
maps it would have been better if l had
answered it then. l will tell you, Hen
ny. Mind you, 1 am not excusing my
self; only explaining. Did you know
my father? He was the gayest, most
reckless man that ever lived. He grew
up in times when there seemed no end
to the money. and he never knew the
value of a dollar, even after the war,
when the end was plainly there. The
world to him was a place for the unlim-
ated spending of money, and he spent all
that ever came into his hands. When l
knew him he was always hard up, always
scratching to find a few dollars, and new
er content until his pockets were empty
again. He was a good farmer, but l
grew up in a household made miserable
by his extravaganza. remember my
mother in one dress. l can recall no 9th
err He spent Pamlico, Beaulieu, Rem
Combe, and the Alabama cotton planta-
ton, an orange grove in Florida, and a
house in Richmond. Deer Hill was left
my mother for her lifetime, and after
wards to me, or he would have spent
that, too"
Henry nodded. II remember" he said
As a boy, though l loved my father,
j resolved that his son should not be the
Spendthrift he was. Whether l have bet
tered matters any, l doubt. / know if
I died tomorrow 1 should not leave half
30 many friends as he left"
They drove along in silence until near
the Court House.
Mrs Tazewell is in France, 1 suppose
you know, Hugh"
rs she?" Darlington answered., apa-
theticaliy. and Henry again glanced at
him curioUsly.
Hughs state of mind in regard to Mrs.
Iazeweii was peculiar. and not very hap
py. He had never received the letter
she wrote him from Saratoga, in which
She frankly told him that she no longer
cared for him> He had written her let
Ter or coincidence at the time of the gem
erafs death--or, rather, three months
later, when the news reached him on his
little island-and had received no answer.
He had not been able to bring himself tn
write her love letter since then. and
Jet he now returned not knowing whether
TO consider himself bound to her or not.
The news that she was in France did
not clarity the situation: it merely post
poned its final settlement
Are Major Bob and Miss Mamie
heFeg' he asked. az they drove I'D the
ampS main street. Stsrekeepers and