The Elbert County tribune., 1910-05-06
CHAPTER vi.
Mr.. oriswoid Forsakes the Academic
Life


Life.
Miss Osborne had asked Griswold
to await the outcome of the day, and.
finding himself thus possessed OF a
vacation. he INDUCED his antiquarian
instincts by exploring Columbia. The
late afternoon found him in the love-
ly cathedral churchyard. where an
aged negro, tending the graves of an
illustrious family. leaned upon his
spade and recited the achievements
and virtues of the dead.
AS the shadows heightened, Girls
void walked back to the hotel. where
he ate supper. then. calling for a
horse, he rode through the streets in
a mood of more complete alienation
than he had ever experienced in
foreign country: yet the very scents
of the summer night. stealing out from
old gardens, the voices that reached
him from open doorways, spoke of
home.
AS he reached the outskirts of town
and rode on toward the governors
mansion, his mood changed. and he
laughed softly, for he remembered
Ardmore, and Ardmore was beyond
question the most amusing person he
knew. 1t was unfortunate. he gener-
ously reflected. that Ardmore, rather
than himself, had not been plunged
into this present undertaking. which
was much more In Ardmore's line
that his own. There would. however.
be q great satisfaction In telling Ard
more of his unexpected visit to Co
lumbia, in exchange for his friends
report Of his pursuit of the winking
eye. He only regretted that in the
nature OF things Columbia is a mod
ern city. seat of commerce as we'll
as of government, place where bank
clearings are seriously computed, and
where the jaunty adventurer with
sword and rufies Is quite likely to
run afoul Of the police. Yet his own
imagination was far more fertile than
Ardmore's, and he would have hailed
q troop Of mail-clad men as joyfully
a. his friend had he met them clank-
ing in the highway. Thus. modern as
we think ourselves, the least venture
some among us dreams that some day
some turn of q street corner will
bring him face to face with what we
please to call our fate; and this is the
manifestation of our last drop OF
medieval blood. The griEmest seek
er after reality looks out OF the cor
ner Of his eye for the flutter Of a
white handkerchief from the ivied
tower he affects to ignore; and. in
spite Of himself. he is buoyed by the
hope that some day horn will sound
. - a 49, Ill
Miss Osborne met him at the yeran-
da steps. Indoors a mandolin and
piano struck up the merry chords Of
THE Eutaw Girl"
my young sisters have company.
Well sit here. II you don't mind
She led the way to a quiet corner.
end after they we're seated she was
silent a moment. while the light from
the windows showed clearly that her
perplexity OF the morning was not yet
at an end. He felt that she was seri-
ously anxious and troubled, and he
wished to hearten her if he could.
The soft dusk of the family lighted
corner folded her in. He heard whis-
pered In his heart mans first word
of the woman he is destined to love.
in which he sets her apart: above and
beyond all other womenkind-she is
different: she is not like other wom-
en-!
''It is nearly nine," she said. her
voice thrilling through him. MY fa-
ther should have been here an hour
ago. We have heard nothing from
him. The newspapers have telephoned
repeatedly to know his whereabouts
l have put them on by intimating that
he is away on important public busi-
ness, and that his purpose might be
defeated II his exact whereabouts
were known"
II have no doubt in the world that
the explanation you gave the newspa-
pers is the truth of the matter. Your
father must be absent great deal
It is part Of governors business to
keep in notion But we may as well