Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-09
THE HOUSE OF THE
BLACK RING.
BY FRED LEWIS PATTEE.
Copyright. 1906. by Henry Holt Co,

more, though none knew when he died, or
IT, indeed. he did die. Then the old wife
came no more TO the BURBERRY ridges In
midsummer. and the son, a dark silent
man. lived alone in the hut. After a few
years he had brought from no one knew
where a dark-haired wife, who said little
and who encouraged no advances by the
valley folk Then after years the grand
son OF Matthew Heller, a man OF ambi-
ton and energy, had rebuilt the old cabin
and later in the early forties had bought
of Thomas Hartswick. heir of the original
John Hartswick. fifty acres OF lard at the
entrance of the Gap. and had built on the
little stream near by set of modern farm
ouildings-those now occupied by Allen
Farthing. at first he had prospered His
elder son. Andrew, who had Inherited the
shy. hermit traits of the family. had re-
tired in early manhood to the ancestral
cabin where he had lived much as his
grandfather had done. but the younger
son. a forceful fellow like his father had
remained at home until an unfortunate at
FAIR had forced him to flee from the val
ley.
1t would seem from local tradition that
this younger Heller had possessed a sn-
guiariy winning and masterful pc sonality
and that he had won with ease the leader
ship OF the valley boys. AS result, how
ever, he had stirred up venomous hatred
In the breast of young Ira Hartswiek son
OF the great estate, and hereditary heir to
the valley lordship. 1t was impossible that
there should be two leaders in Hell Bottom
side with unutterable meanness and on
the other with a stout defense In the open
The climax had come suddenly. In burst
or passion over a. taunt about his ancestry.
young Heller had given the Hartswick
scion a thrashing so severe that the old
squire bad had him arrested at once for
assault with attempt to kin
Ihe plight of the young fellow was then
indeed serious one There was no lack
OF witnesses who would swear to anything
the old squire desired, and 1t was hard to
get jury In the whole county who would
bring In verdict against his expressed
T Ttsn, Inc outcome was not doubtful.
OF youth. the young man had prompt
iy fed the valley, a fact which nat
urally prejudiced his cause 1t was
known after time that he had enlisted
In one OF the Pennsylvania regiments for
the civil war was in progress, and after
gettysburg his name had appeared on the
list OF the Union dead. Thus he had dis
appeared from the annals of the valley
Old Hartswick, however. had not been
baked of revenge The son having as
capped him, he began to prosecute the
father In five years the farm was in his
nands and the parents, crushed down by
Calamity after calamity, had both died in
the oid CABIN where they had begun their
married life. The elder son lived on alone
put late In life he married the daughter
OF OLD Poppy Miller. Both had died of
sudden levers some years later, leaving
Twin chlloren, Il boy and a girl to be
brought up by the grandparents The bow
Leon. q headstrong fellow, had disap-
peared one summer day. drowned in A
Iooiish attempt to run in boat the whirI--
poor or Roaring Run, though his BODY
was never found; and now the girl I,en,
nora, the last of the Hellers was liytae
strange, seldom-seen creature with her
grandparents in the Gap.
so much for tradition and family his
tory. ~
Ito be continued tomorrow