Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-02-06
Watching him painfully were those who
loved him. his father. his mother. his

Watching him painfully were those VINO
loved him. his father, his mother, his
brother and sister, aye, his sweetheart,
Mary Amman, for she too began to come
within the category. Although she neither
knew it nor admitted it, it needed but q
touch apparently to reveal to her and to
him the depths Of affection which she was
beginning to entertain for him. That
mighty struggle going on within his breast,
which she dimly realized from the outward
manifestations Of 1t in the change of his
character, brought them nearer together.
She watched him with perhaps the same
feeling Of awe with which women Of old,
otherwise dainty and refined and not de-
void Of the gentle sympathy we love be-
cause we lack 1t, watched the gladiators
in the Roman arena
To do or not to do, and which was the
duty to be done, which to be left ur1done-
for he began to see that az in every great
crisis or question, there We're duty calls on
both sides of it-that was his problem.
Sometimes in her presence he sat In perfect
silence for long moments. These periods
were not filled with the dreams Of old. and
when she timidly broke them by asking the
subject Of his thoughts he would reveal the
mighty turmoil by some brief incisive COM
ment which taught her as nothing else
could the fierceness Of the struggle. She
prayed. as thousands Of others In both north
and south did in those trying days, that the
decision might be for her and hers, and
awaited it with hope which grew stronger
every day.
Bob barrow, too. grew more unhappy.
He made little progress in his love affairs,
although, as far as he could see, neither
did Peyton. Mary Amman was kind to him,
too kind. She distributed her favors be-
tween the two men impartially. BY tacit
agreement they had avoided clashing and
dispute about her. Each contrived as he
could to see her alone, but when chance
brought them together there was no I'm.
seemly rivalry. Darrow's position was un-
eQuivocal He was heart and soul for the
south: but, strange to say, he was almost
the quietest man of the social circle in
hioh In NOR log
of love and the effect of the great crisis
were developing his nature also. Where
he had before given his Judgment with a
laugh and without thought he became re-
served and contemplative. Deliberatfon ap-
peared in his manner, little hesitancy or
reluctance, which, as it appeared to be ac-
companied by no less of confidence in any
emergency, the girl found very attractive.
Indeed had Peyton been out of the way she
certainly would have fallen in love with
barrow. And it might be, before she real
|. lied the situation, that something would
turn the scales In his favor. So they were
all in a state of feverish excitement and
the days passed in alterations Of anxiety
and citation.
Even little Tempe had a hard time Of It,
for never in her small life had she found
her sister SO distrait, SO anxious. SO quick
to reprove fault, SO needless of her child
ish ailments and complaints. Christmas
came and went without the usual jollity
and merrymaking. 1t was useless to cry
Peace, peace" when there was no peace,
but war: futile to urge good win toward
men" when that between the two sections
was already a thing 'of the past Matters
moved rapidly in Alabama. and the crisis
came on the night of January 3, 1861. This
happened to be the birthday Of Mary An
nan. Her father, the old judge. as cele-
bration of 1t, gave dinner party at his
home at Annanda1e late In the afternoon,
to which were hidden several of his oldest
and most intimate friends. as well few
Of the younger people, including Darrow
and Peyton and his sister, Miss Pinkie.
Willis much TO his disgust, was forced to
content himself with an invitation to the
dancing party which was to followsthe
dinner.