Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-12
THE HOUSE OF THE
BLACK RING.
BY FRED LEWIS PATTEE.
copyright, 1905. By Henry Holt q Col
CHAPTER ".

CHAPTER ".
The Wooing at Hartswick Hall.
A young man in the early forties, a geck
of gray at the temples. a silver dollar at
the crown. trace of advancing corpulency
In his rounding figure but wfthai settled
in character and income and looking con-
fidently out upon life. is In a position TO
make strong arguments to a maiden or
twenty. Put maidens of twenty are nor
won by argument, and the tragedy OF Il an
is that careful parents are Influenced iteis
by anything else
Which is u novel In nutshell.
Ever since early August 1t had been q
foregone conclusion in all the region that
Rose Hartswick was to marry KARI Keen
line the postmaster of Sugar Valley Inc
old squire was growing old; the burdens o.
his great estate We're beginning to weien
upon him: he needed son-in-law who had
force and Judgment and tact to help him
in his work. and to succeed him when ne
was gone. That he had chosen keiehllne
for this place was no secret at ALL he even
talked of it openly; and IL was the impress
sion In both valleys that the affair was as
good as settled. AS to what Rose might
think very little was said. She M gut pfo-
test at first--such girls usually debut IN
the end she would yield to her father Will.
In a hundred years there was no tradition
In the valley of successful Rebellion
against the head of the house of Harris
wick.
His will was law.
The campaign had opened briskly ana
without delay. On the very first sunday
after Rose had arrived home from schooi,
Kechline had driven six miles to WORSHIP
ut the Bottom church. And no one nao
wondered. 1t would have been imposs pie,
ali conceded, to make more perIecl
match. The man had force and matuil.s
and Judgment; he was born leader SHARP
at bargains and given to holding what rs
had gained: he had. moreover, an impress
sive dignity and tremendous seiI-fespee.'
1t seemed TO the old squire as II rroHi
dence had raised up the man 10 tdke se
Mace of the son who had been denleo nti'i-
Therefore he had FASTENED to inVit" MN
home at the close of the service aga ai'el
the ample dinner, had smoked with nun III
the great front room, ana had tatkei NJ Nj
the crops and the prospects In Sugar va
lev and the Bottom. and the state or tii9
grocery trade and the outlook, ana 'i Iat
grown every moment more satlsleu WIN
himself and with all the world. Then AFTER
the dishes had been dried and the dining
room .'redded up he had called in Rose
who had sat by the west WINDOW me SUI SUI.
in her hair and she had fondled the cat
and pretended to read the story IN lhS
n,eekiv raner while they talked. and ali
had seemed idyllic and as 1t should nave
been. - ,,,.. ,s
The personality of Karl Keichlne was
strong and dominating. He was self-made
and therefore elf-centered. He had iaheh
In love with Rose at first sight, as ne
had expected 10 do ana ne MAO peSun
his wooing with confidence Ihat any
woman in her right mind. be she even the
daughter of the great Squire Harts"lck
himself, could fail to be tiattered by ms az
tentions. had never entered ms mlhu. He
owned three farms clear OF dent, besloe
his grocery business ana ms ho,Ii i go
But even without these material good
things his personal charms We're sure
ly enough He was plump ana cnerup
faced man to give the impression ~
NntTtl nnn
eroomed, still young, he fancted, and sun
Fascinating to the sex. Moreover, ne Haa
heard whispers of the old mans wish. anu
he knew the great power OF MS Expressed
desire Truly ne held the long suit ana
all the master trumps, and he wooed' thefe-
fore, as he who has already won.
But alas.
Rose Hartswick was not a girl 10 be
impressed by mere proprietries She caIeu
MOI a snap what people expected or her
or for what was considered the proper
thing What she wanted to 90 she olG
and the people might talk. II she LOOK
n into her head to ride her horse astride
a mans saddle she did it, and if she dis
liked a thing she said so fat and honest,
Ont where 1t might She was her own
sweet unconventional self and NOBODY eise'
and the valley loved her for IL.
From the first Keichline had struck her
as irresistibly funny, so funny indeed that
she giggled al the sight OF him. his oig-
nifed self-important air was almost 100
She felt an unholy impulse to prod him
with a hat-pin under the table to see him
lump and look shocked, or to creep slyly
up behind him as he sat Spmnx-hke ana
innressive and shout in his ear 'boo-o-o-o!
or TO pull the chair suddenly from under
him as he was taking his seat at his place
solid and aldermanic. and have him come
down with a crash. shaking the Diane
mango and the chicken jelly. She was
only a girl despite her twenty winters-a
sweet Joyous. unspoiled country girl, VINO
had never had sick day and VINO was
trimming over with the Zesl anu tue uiso
of JOYOUS young life.
on KeichEnes third visit to the valley
the squire had arisen after the tlrst cigar
and had gone out without a word, leaving
the two In possession of the sitting room.
1t was time for the second act
There had been an awkward silence Tor
a moment then the man had bristled up IN
a most engaging way, had wet ms lips ana
wheeled his chair about so as TO face her.
Somehow he was not so much at MS ease
as he had expected to be.
That's fine weather now, isn't III? he
began unctuousy, In tone so different
from that which he had been using to the
squire that 1t seemed almost to come from
some one else. 80
yes" she said primly, fighting hard with
the beginnings of what she knew was ire
pressible.
Very fine weather, very fine!'' There
was conviction In his voice. Then sud
denly, as If he were giving a conhdential
tip about the markets, ne euoeu iHteiiseis
II think we shall have fine weather to-
morrow.
Yes" she said again. silently, hardly
daring to breathe. Then she caught sight
of his little plump hands clasped tightly
across his stomach, the thumbs twirllng
very slowly, and 1t was no use. The giggie
came out with a burst; to save her life she
couldn't have helped It. He looked up with
a Jerk utter surprise written all over ms
face. Then, realizing that he must do
something, he forced himself to sickiy
grin.
"Ah-why, you seem to be in good
humor. All, that's good. l always like TO
sec" she caught sight again of the
little fat thumbs, twirling rapidly now.
fought hard with her handkerchief, then
burst out again. He stopped short in dis
may and looked at her If she were sud
denly sick Then he glanced down over his
clothes, felt of his necktie, and ram his
hand over his hair.
yes" She checked herself with an er-
fort. you always like to SEE" She
paused interrogatively.
.iAh yes, as / was saying, | always ike
to see-ah. yes. / take the greatest de-
He was ratified" his face flushed scar
let; ne breathed, eudibly; and there were
beads of sweat on his forehead. He cast
another swift glance down over his clothes:
then he tried again to speak but there was