Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1905-05-05
CHAPTER vI.-(Coutinued1

80 far then from an ocular inspection
being an essential in love affair, the
very opposite is probably true. Along
with the full confession of this fact to
herself, came something like a feeling
of resentment at the whole conduct of
this man Mason.
That he had foolishly permitted him
self to fall in love with her was 80 very
plain case that everybody had seen it
long ago! 1t was certainly not her fault
No, indeed, nobody could say that of
her! Not even the long-tongued gossips
of Sandtown!
True, too, that he had displayed some
magnificent qualities of strong, calm
manhood in the face of that awful peril
of the storm. She could not deny that.
She had no desire to subtract from his
real deserts in the least. But then. was
not this, like his new and wide phloso-
ply Of humanity, reflection from his
superior ofiiceri
He had told her that his strange new
philosophy was also entertained by Prof
Huntley. And this had contributed much
to give it standing in her estimation
But had he told her the whole truth :?
No, she knew he had not. If he had
been frank and honest, he would have
said that he had imbibed these opinions
from Prof. Huntley. And if so, was not
that splendid display OF practical knowl-
edge, skill and courage the result of
Prof. Huntleys training?
Undoubtedly she had been badly used
by Mr.. Mason. He had stood persist
emily between her and the perfect man
that she had learned to love so quickly.
He had misrepresented her to him either
directly or by culpable silence that
through a base jealousy refused to put
her before him in her proper light
He was a mean fellow-that Mason.
And although her obligation to him must
compel her to a formal recognition of
him when they should meet again on
Monday, yet she was resolved to throw
SO much coldness into her manner that
he could not fail to see that she was
through with him, and that he was a
very thin article, too!
And when Monday came and went
without him, and without rumor of Hunt
ley, she grew even more bitter. If this
fellow continued to keep Prof Huntley
She would bring matters to crisis by
refusing to acknowledge his first saluta.
tion upon his return.
Then when he should demand an ex-
plGnation, as she knew he would demand
it-she would boldly charge him with his
perfdious conduct in keeping Mr.. Hunt
ley away, upon whatever ground he
should choose to put it.
From Lizzy herself, the condemnation
of Mason seemed to spread everywhere
to her great surprise-and to grow
steadily and in an arithmetical ratio all
through the week.
Day after day inquiry revealed little
things that looked bad for Mason. The
first flutter of anxiety as to his fate had
resolved itself on the ascertainment of
the fact that he had taken the train for
the city on that very Saturday evening
after the storm.
That anxiety was not at all an evil
dence of any good quality in Mr.. Mason.
He himself had said to her, in one of
his philosophic moods, that this vast hu-
man interest in human life was an in
stnct common to all observed animal life
even cattle ran about wildly and paw
ed the earth at the smell of the split
blood Of one of the herd.
And that, too, although the slain beast
might if alive, be. set upon and gored
by each separate beast of the herd, with
the acquiescence, or the perfect ipdiffer.
ence of all the others.
The Unsuitable desire to penetrate the
mysteries of all the violent deaths, was
the answer to the universal animal in
stinct of fair play-most strongly de-
valoped in the Saxon Hoosier people
They were known to have taken sudden
and terrible vengeance upon the mur-
derer Of man confessedly of very little
account to anybody.
But he had had life! And this it
was that had aroused the whole popu-
lace to demand who had taken it? so
that when the safety of Mr.. Mason had
been settled by the train dispatcher at
the little station mile from the vii
lage the defense Of Mr.. Mason withdrew
and joined the prosecution.