The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1910-09-08

oue dione aIler night! she, WITH
hard little laugh. Il reckon it amt go
IN to hurt me none; anyways. had 10
come. Paws been red-eyed for a week.
and he's huntin' for you. Tom-Jef."
Hunting for me? Well, I'm not very
hard to find." he said. unconsciously re-
peating the answer he had made to the
horse traders warning.
Couldn't you make out to go off
somewheres for a little speu?" she
asked. -pleadingly.
Run away. you mean? Hardly; I'm
too busy just at present. Besides. l
haven't any quarrel with your father.
what's he making trouble about now %
She put her face in her hands, and
though she was silent, he could see
that sobs were shaking her. Being nei-
ther more nor less than a man. her
tears made him foolish. He put his
arm around her and tried to find the
comforting word.
How Ardea and Miss Euphrasia. 90
ing the roundabout way from one house
to the other to avoid the dew-we grass
of the lawns. came fairly within arms
reach before he saw o. heard them, re :
NAMED thing inexplicable. But when
he looked up they were there. Miss Eu-
phrasia Strengthening herself aloof In
virtuous disapproval. and Ardea look
ing as IL some one had suddenly shown
her the head of Medusa.
Tom separated himself from Nan In
hot-hearted confusion and stood as a
culprit taken in the act. Nan hid her
face again and turned away. 1t was
Miss Dabney the younger who found
words to break the smarting silence.
Don't mind us. Mr.. Gordon" she
said, Jelly. I'VE were going to Wood
lawn to see II your father and mother
could come over after dinner"
Tom smote himself alive and made
haste to open the foot-path gate for
them. There was nothing more said.
or to be said; but when they were
gone and he was once more alone with
Nan, he was fighting desperately with
a very manlike desire TO smash some
thing: to relieve the wrathfuI pressure
by hurting somebody.
You were going TO tell me about
your father" he said. striving to hold
the interruption as II 1t had not been
and yet tingling in every nerve to be
free. Did you come all the way down
the mountain to warn me?"
Il had to come anyway. He run mo
out, paw did"
"Heavens." calculated Tom, prick
ling now with a new sensation. And
you haven't any place to stay?"
She shook her head
mo. / was allowin' maybe Your
paw'd let me sleep where you-uns keen
the hawsses-jest for little spell Iii
/ could make out what-all I'm goin' IN
do"
He was too rageful to be quite clear
sighted. Yet he conceived that he had
a duty laid on him. Once in the fool
ish. infatuated long-ago he had told
her he would take care of her: he re-
membered it; doubtless she was re
Numbering it, too. But her suggestion
was not to be considered for a mo-
ment.
Il can't let you go to the stables" he
objected. The horse-boys sleep there.
But I'll put roof over you. some way.
Wait here minute till I come back.
His thought was to go to his mother
and ask her help: but halfway to the
house his courage failed him. Since
the breach in spiritual confidence he
had been better able to see the lovable
side OF his mothers faith; but he could
not be blind to that quality OF hardness
in 1t which. even in such chastened
souls as Martha Gordon's. finds express
sion in woman's inhumanity to woman.
Besides. Ardea and her cousin were
still in the way.
He swung on his heel undecided. On
the hillside back OF the new foundry
there was one-roomed cabin built on
the Gordon land years before by a her
NIT Waterman of the Chiawassee pIanr
1t was vacant, and Tom remembered
that the few bits of furniture had not
been removed when the old watchman
died Would the miserable shack do
for a temporary refuge for the outca ST ?
He concluded it would have to do: and.
making a wide circuit of the house. ne
went around TO the stables to harness
Longfellow TO the buggy. Luckily. the
negroes were all in the detached kitch-
en-, eating their supper. so he was able
to go and come undetected
When he drove down to the gate he
found Nan waiting where he had left
her; but now she had bundle in her
arms. AS he got out to swing the
driveway grille. the house door opened:
a AAOod VI AA6hl AAOll tie NAH lamp
banded the lawn. and there were voices
and footsteps on the veranda. He flung
nervous glance over his shoulder; Ar
dea and her cousin were returning
down the foot-path. Wherefore he
made haste. meaning not to be caught
again. II he could help 1t. But the fates
were against him. Longfellow, snatch
ed ruthlessly from his half-emptied cat
box. made equine protest. yawing and
veering and earning himself a savage
cut of the whip before he consented 70
place the buggy at the stone mounting
step.
Quick" said Tom, flinging the reins
on the dashboard. Chuck your bun
die under the seat and climb in"
But Nan was provokingly slow, and
when she tried TO get in with the bun
die still in her arms, the buggy
hood was In the way. Tom had to HELM
her. was in the act OF lifting her to the
step, when the wicket latch clicked and
Ardea and Miss Euphrasia came out
They passed on without comment. blu,
Tom could feel the electric shock OF
righteous scorn through the back Of his
head. That was why he drove half
way W Tic iOWcl Gnu VI Tic plhc DelOre
he turned on Nan to say:
Whats in that bundle you're SC
careful Of? Why don't you put II un-
der the seat?"
Il reckon you wouldn't want me u
do that, Tom-Jeff." she answered, SIM
ply. Hits my baby-my little Tom
He was struck dumb. 1t often hap
pens that in the fiercest storm Of gos-
sip the one most nearly concerned goes
lis way without so much as suspect
ing that the sun is hidden. But Tom
had not been exposed to the violence
of the storm. Mans shame was old
and the gossip tongues had wagged
themselves weary two years before
when the child was born. So Tom was
quite free to think only of his compan-
ion. A great anger rose and swelled
IN his heart. What scoundrel had
taken advantage of an ignorance sc
profound as TO be the blood sister OF
innocence? He would have given mucf
. know; and yet the true delicacy o.
manly soul made him hold his peace
Thus 1t befell that they drove in 81
lence to the deserted cabin on the hill
side; and Tom went down to the foun-
dry Office and brought lamp for light
The cabin was a mere shelter; but
when he would have mazda exousac