The Washington herald., 1908-09-02
CHAPTER I.
- Edee ii Il Quarry.

On the summit Of the SIoDewCld El4lS.
paused for a moment 70 light his pipe
and then walked down the hiu with his
eyes fixed on the valley lying a thousand
feet beneath him
He was d tail. b-oad-shouldered young
man. and his mere bulk and height sug-
gested great physical strength. But
John Shu. estate agent 10 Sir Robert
Tankerlane. was even stronger than most
men Of his size A clean. wholesome
life, lived IN the open air. a daily round
OF hard exercise, a mind that found no
attraction in the vices that so often sap
the mental and bodily vigor Of 4 man,
had fashioned q superb specimen Of man
hood from the stout material which na-
IUre had so generously supplied HIS
face tanned with constant exposure to
sun and wind, was not remarkable for its
beauty, but II was an honest, manly
face, and q close student Of human na-
CUre might have discovered more n T.
than was apparent 10 his good folks OF
Laverstone. They only saw q genial
gOOd-hearted young fellow. who took life
easily; but there were depths IN John
Shiis nature that had not Yet been
stirred By the circumstances OF his sim
pie lie.
As he walked down the hill, the sun,
z mere dull red globe. sank toward The
western horizon, and the mist OF a No
vember evening covered all the valley be
meath him with a carpet OF gray fog
The light suu fingered on the upDsr
slopes Of the Sto1ewOId Hills. but dark
ness was creeping Up from the plain
Behind him. on either side OF him, be
1ore him, as far as the eve could reach.
lay the 500 acres OF The Tankerl1ne es-
tate Tor niles IN every direction. every
inch OF ground. every house. every tree,
very stick and stone belonged 10 Sir Rob
ert Taakerla1e- Twelve entire villages.
twelve a5vowsons. more than seventy
farms. feudaI Iordsalp over nearly 400o
human beings. were all in The hands OF
one man. 4 weII-knowa writer who
once spent a sumner IN a farmhouse on
the estate is reported 10 have said that
the very air belonged 70 Sir Robert that
TIE wind seemed % whisper his name II
the trees. and that the little brooks as
they babbled over TIE stones. muruured
--TankerlsEe. Ta1kerla1e. Ta1Eerlane-' 20
John san, as lieutenant Of his lord
ard master. was responsible for che man
-o-y- But as he walked down the slopes
and saw the darkness blot out the clus-
tered villages. and bread EeIGs. and wide
stretches Of woodland. his thoughts were
not IN any way concerned with the cares
o. his oflcs- They were centred in one
small farmhouse which lay close 10 the
Co0c OF The hill
This house was The home OF Laura
Nane, q mere slip Of 2 SRI, q negligible
item IN the population Of the Ta1kerlans
estate But 10 John SIN she represented
al the glory OF heaven and earth foI
she had promised TO be his wife. and ID
loved Ter with all the strength OF his
heart As Yet love was the only passion
that had entered into his life As ye-
Il was au-absorbIng-a lord paramount
that rode Triumphant over his whole
nature
Half way down The hill the path ra-
through another large plantation. As rat
young man passed through the lrtIe Eats
and entered the shadow Of the trees
the gray twilight Ceepeled into aluos
total darkness The white. stony pat.
showed ike a din thread in the gloom
and the pattern Of the branches over
head stood out against the SKY But JoEr
E--4 LtA4A 4--l-@ G-1E- L-a- L--E Al-a
ttsel1 was Q mere wall OF branches OF
either side OF hin
- II q few minutes he reached q larg.
open space IN the center Of the plantation
II path here ran by the SIDE OF q Iarg
quarry, from which II the days gone b5
the Ta1kerIaCes LlG taken many thou
sand tons Of stone for building PIT
pcses- Il had not. however been work
ed for nearly fifty years, and the WOO,
--ra. -4-r -
Il had made on The hill On one side !
s.oped gently Up 70 the surface, but ol
the other there was q sheer drop O
eighty feet 10 the bottom. and the edz
was protected by q wooden ran.
As The young man emerged from n,
darkness into the gray twilight, he hear,
the sound OF footsteps, and q few no
DsnJs later the tall figure Of q ma
came striding Up the hill toward him
The two men met almost IN the center o
the clearing.
Evening. Ben" said John ShI curtly
as the hUlEcog form OF one Of the farmer
on the estate came close TO him He G..
not Ike the man, for Ben Holland hat
an evu reputation IN the district. an,
the brutal feroCicy Of his temper had
marked him out as q dangerous and Gif
1cult fellow 10 deal with The your,
agent was also aware that the nan ha-a'
q
the farmer had been an unsuccess -
sutt0r for the hand Of Laura Tane-
The man did not reply 81. lie salutarton
and JOha Sli would .are passed o.
without another word I-r Ben HoIIan,
stopped, and his hu-s body blocked III
the center Of the uat-..ar- On one sid
lay the thick underCrH H.--a- on the othe
side the rail az the edge Of the quarry
There was scarcely room for two bh
men 10 pass. save 5y each other
courtesy. John S1I could have pusbe.
by but, as agent Of the TenkerIane Dro3
erJy. he had q certain dignity 20 ORE
serve He stopped, as though he ha.
something 10 say 70 the man who ha.
barred his progress
I'd have q word with 'ee." said tn
man hoarzely; I'd have a word with 'ee
M Shl"
About that arable?' replied the aEea
cOldly- It's no use. Ben Sir Robert ha
decided not 10 turn any more arabic int
pasture"
Hang the pasture the man sal,
roughly I spose you thinks I haven't
-ci2d above turnups and pasture and sic.
Ike"
John Shu did not answer He had neve
studied the state Of Ben Hollands mind
but he knew wei enough what was in
AZ thar moment
This be a narrow track the man con
tlaued and there be 10 room for rU
big men like we One OF Us must star,
aside TO let the other pass Which be If
AIr. ShIL you or T.
The estate agent did not answer H
understood the rude allegO-y implied =
The farmers words. L was no question
OF precedence in a narrow path L wa.
the hand ~ ~ha v-0--a-, ~La-- Ls---, Z