The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1905-07-13


strongly and restrainingly against her
side, until she could not fail to recog'
nize the calming and reassuring indu-
ence that he had over her.
"Go on" he said in a tone that pre-
supposed an accompanying smile of ex-
pectation. 'sTell me fully aud without
reservation all that you thought when
you began to see the dawn of the sus-
picion to which you allude and which
had imagined. must have reached its
zenith long ago."
There was something pervading all his
words and actions, and his whole man
ner, so very, very different from what she
had known of Mr.. Mason! Must she be-
gin by telling him this? Yes, plainly,
if she entered into such complete I'M
burdening of her mind, she must tell him
this, and tell 1t first.
But she must know to what it would
lead! If he should ask her in which as
pect she thought him best, she would be
compelled to give the genuine and uni
versal woman's answer.
Even to q woman of education and
some degree of refinement, with superior
talents and requirements, this half-mili-
tary, bold, confident, smiling and jaunty
cavalier was infinitely better, more at
tractive, than the plain, unassuming,
philosophic assistant to the geologist, no
matter how learned and thoughtful.
She had begun to tell him something
of this-choosing her words as carefully
as she could, so as to preserve for her
own reflection and self-commendation
that attitude of womanly dignity and
self-poise which she actually imagined
she had maintained throughout this short
but momentous interview.
She had said perhaps enough to COM
NIT her to the whole opinion of him as it
has here been outlined, from her last
brief cogitation, differing as radically as
it does from her more deliberately pre-
pared and expressed opinion as shown in
the beginning Of the walk, only a few
moments ago; and which opinion surely
must have been the public opinion of all
Sandtown, rather than her own.
The first opinion which she magined
was her true estimate of Mr.. Mason was
in fact but her version of the verdict of
Sandtown upon him, given upon ex parte
testimony, it is true.
The last estimate which she had for
mulated, and had even expressed to all
intents and purposes, although she was
preparing to formulate it in twenty diff
ferent ways, perhaps, was in reality her
own opinion, and one that she may have
really entertained from the first.
So strange are the apparently contra
dictory and wholly irreconcilable work
ings of the human mind, and especially
that particular quality of the human
mind evolved from woman's brain.
She had scarcely begun to recite some
Of these impressions when in the now
almost quiet woods there leaped up the
distant but perfectly distinct report of a
rifle, keen and penetrating in its whip
like echoes about the resonant aisles of
the forest. Mr.. Mason stopped instant
", and turning his head, listened intent
~.
Il hope these men have not been fool
ish enough to gather up a force of the
ruffians of Big Rattlesnake Greek to
make an attack" he said, still leaning his
head little, In the listening attitude.
Il will have to go back instantly, Miss
Lizzy. Can you run on alone and join
Mrs. Redden? / saw her a few minutes
ago, not more than fifty yards in advance
of us. Well, then, good-by till I see you
again, which will be soon-quite soon, if
l have any control of the matter"
He pressed her hand warmly, as he
disengaged it from his arm, and then
started to walk rapidly back.
But, as If under an uncomfortable i'm
pulse, he turned and ran back. snd
caught her in his arms for an instant.
pressing his lips again and again to her
own.
Then, with some inaudible murmur of
apology and entreaty, be turned once
more, and was gone.
CHAPTER XVI.
Never In the known history of Sand
town had there been a time of excite
ment equal to this that now emptied all
the cabins and "double-logs' along the
Wabash, from Reelfoot Pond to Big Rat
tlesnake Creek and from the Wabash to
the uttermost parts of the Oyercoat road.
Everybody who told the story in after
times, and all those who took part in
the stirring events as they occurred. were
fond of making this commentary upon
them. OF course, there were the Dikeses.
the Sparkses, the Ellets, the Go-unses
and the Shipleys, that knew better. They
had seen excitement in their times-the
old people. They could tell you of times
that were times! But for the time be-
ing, and for the purpose of the argument
this was conceded by everybody to be
the most exciting of all times. Just as
last winters coolest ten days are uni
yersally conceded to have been without
parallel in the history of meteorological
observations.
And what would you have? II there
are to be held in remembrance maximum
phenomena of every variety of incident
epochal, meteorological and seismic
what is to become of posterity in the way
of story telling? Are we to be forever
silenced simply because our ancestors
lived and lied before us?
For the purposes of this period, then,
there was never an approach to the ex-
element of the day that followed the
night of which we have just spoken. Men
seized the just and lawful excuse of the
late heavy rain to keep out of their
wheat fields, and away from their wait
ing meadows. Plow horses were saddled,
where saddles were; and where they
were not, a padded shsepskin or folded
horse blanket, glrthed on old Jim or old
Nance, or some 2-year-old colt, served
the present purpose, and every male in
habitant over twelve and under a hun
dred was out and mounted, single" gen.
orally, but not infrequently double"
and in each and every instance armed in