Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1904-07-20
CHAPTER II.

a few miles up the river from Col
onel Wilton's plantation, upon high
hlun, from which, as at that point the
river made wide bend, one corid see
up and down for a long distance in
either direction, was the beautiful
home of the Talbots, known as Fair
view Hall.
On the evening of the raid at the
Wilton place Maddm Talbo: and her
son were having a very important con-
versation. Madam Talbot was a
widow who had remained unwedder
again from choice. Rumor had II that
many gentlemen cavaliers of the neigh
borhood had been anxious to take TO
their own hearthstones the person Of
the fair young widow. so early bereft,
and incidentally were willing TO as
sumo the responsibility of the manage
ment of the magnificent estate which
had been left TO her by her most con-
siderate husband.
Among the many suitors gossip held
that Colonel Wilton was the chief, and
IL was thought at one time that his
chances of success were of the best.
but so far at least nothing had come
Of all the agitation. and Madam Talbot
lived her life alone, managing her plan
tGtiOn, the object of the friendly sad
miration of all the old bachelors and
widowers of the neighborhood. She
had devoted herself to the successful
development of her property with all
the energy and capacity of nature
emnently calculated for success and
was now one of the richest women in
the colony. One son only had blessed
her union with Henry Talbot and Hill
AIRY Talbot was a young man just turn
ed twenty-five years of age and the
idol Of her soul. Too self contained
and too proud to display the depth OF
her feelings except in rare instances,
and too sensible 10 allow them to in
terfere in the training OF the child, she
had spared neither her heart nor her
purse in his education, with such hap
ny results that he was regarded by all
who knew him as one OF the finest
specimens of young Virginia that IL
were possible to meet. OF medium
height, active. handsome. dark eyed.
dark haired, fiery and impetuous in
temperament, generous and franks In
disposition, he was model among
men. Trained from his boyhood In
every manly sport and art and educat-
nj i,, h. hoo tng ,,f los linz,
ia the colonies, his natural grace per-
fected by tour of two years in Eng
land and abroad, from which he had
only year or so since returned, he
perfectly represented all that was best
In the young manhood of Virginia For
many years there had been hopes in the
minds of Colonel Wilton and Madam
Talbot that the affection between the
two young people, who had played to-
gcther from childhood with all the
, frankness and simplicity permitted by
country life, would develop into some
thing nearer and dearer and that by
their marriage at the proper time the
two great estates might be united.
The two children, early informed of
this desire, had grown up under the
influence of the idea. As they reached
years OF discretion they had taken II
for granted, considering the arrange
ment as a fact accomplished by tacit
understanding and habit rather than
by formal promise. Personally at
tached to each other--nay, even fondly
affectionate--th indefinite tie seemed
sufficiently substantial 10 bring about
the desired result Katharine had, es-
pecially during Talbot's absence in Eu-
rope, resisted all the opportunities and
rejected all the proposals made to her,
and on this account refused all the
hearts laid at her feet. Since Talbot's
return, however, and especially since
he refused, or hesitated, rather TO east
his lot in with her own people, his
heighbOrs and friends. lin the ReFOlu-
ton, the affair had on her part al least
assumed new phase. Still there had
been nothing said or done to prevent
| this contamination SO deyoutly to- be