The Press., 1914-09-30
ESteIle MartindaIe'S
 Flow
 Story Ot a Duel That Did Not Come Oft
Bt RU'TH GRAHAM

ton life In the south. concluded to gC
 there with view to bet'oming a plant CT. He had inherited some means with
 which he might buy and stock a plan S tation; but. realizing his ignorance of
 the art of tilling the soil. he felt that
 1t was prudent for him to gain some
 knowledge on the subject before mak
 ing an investment. t In order to do this he conceived the
 idea of obtaining a position as tutor f in the family of some planter. The
 hours he would be required to teach
 would not be many each day. and he I would have time to familIarize himself K with the workings of plantation. He
 was not long in finding a position in @ the family of a Colonel Southgate in A South Carolina. The SOuthgate planta. Y ton was a very large one. including
 some 800 negroes. Swift found he had
 not made a mistake in assuming that D there was a great deal to learn in run t ming plantation. One of them was in n itself a community consisting of two
 main branches. the planting branch I and the business branch.
 S"ASp OCAAS JOOAS anu 0OI JCS ChCA- vated by the climate. occupied DOT ton of the day riding about on the
 plantation observing the methods used
 and asking questions. He volunteered
 beside to handle the colonel's accounts.
 to which be devoted himself during
 the evenings.
 The south has always been noted for
 the hospitality of it's people. and Swift
 was made at home in the families of the planters in the vicinity of Colonel
 SOuthgate's manor house. Indeed, he received more invitations than he had time to accept, which was a source of trouble to him, fearing that when he declined one of them it would be set down as a slight.
 Not far from the SOuthgate planta- tion resided Miss Estelle Mart1ndaIe. Her father was supposed by many to be the owner of the plantation he man. aged. He had married its owner, who had died and left him with little girl. Estelle. Martindale had contrived to get into debt to his wife for a con- siderable sum. and she had made a will leaving him an amount equal to his indebtedness. bequeathing the resi- due to their daughter.
 EsteIle was about Adelbert Swifts age. She had inherited from her moth- CT not only the planta ton. but practi- cal nature, and was principally occu- pied in checking an impractical father. whose chief tdlosyncrasy was to sink money. Shez4Aad learned as her moth. CT had learned before her that to save her property from being wasted she must keep it and her finances in her own hands. In managing her father she was very adrolt- Nothing hurt his pride so much as to have any one think that he was his daughters en- ployee. Consequently she always spoke of the plantation as his and consulted him about everything. though. match Ing her own good against his poor Judgment. the consultation always ended in her views being carried out.
 Swift. having been highly educated. made an impression upon Estelle Mar. t1ndale. He found her particularly cOngenial, and she preferred him to any of the young men of her ac | Quaintance.
 When Albert Martindale noticed that ~~ ~AS~AONS "0o SPAIA6AAS up OCl"G0u Swift and his daughter he fancied he saw the end of his administration He was not a bad man. Indeed. he was an honorable man. but 1t was impOs- s1ble for him to contemplate with eQuantmity his daughters marriage, since her husband must learn that his Wtfe's father had no right in law to the plantation or it's management It i IS very easy for one to find reasons for | preventing what Is not to his interest i and Oftentlmes to believe his reasons to be sound
 Martindale said nothing to his daugh- i ter about the prospect before him. but showed-he could not help showing his antagOnism to Swift When they met. except at the Martindale home, he bowed to the young man coldly. In his home he would have scOrned to treat any guest except. with an ap pearance at least. of cordiaIity. Es- telle saw what was in her fathers mind. though Swift did not.
 What began between Swift and Miss Martindale with friendship developed into love. Swift called frequently at the Martindale home Then came flow CTS. sure sign that there were inten- tons. MartindaIe watched the process with disquietude.
 MartindaIe. himself an ardent south erner. had a friend. a Major Marston. who was much prejudiced against the north. MarstOn. meeting his friend one day, spoke Of Swift's attentions to Estelle and asked if Mart1ndale were going to give his daughter to q north erner.. This was the straw that broke SAe camels back. Mart1ndale made an evasive reply. But the die was cast. FrOm that time be began to lay plans for breaking up the impending match
 He could not attack Swift on polit1, | cal grounds. for the young man had | no political views. But MartindaIe | must find some ground of objection to the man who. by marrying his daugh ter, would doubtless make an inrOad OpOn his authority as manager of his plantation. It annoyed him that he could find no valid ground on which to base an opposition. Meeting his friend Marston again. he confessed the fact There was nothing for Marston to do as his intimate friend but help him out. He covertly circulated a report that Swift was agent for a northern abolition1st society.
 When this report came to Martin dale's ears he forbade Swift his house. giving the report as reason for doing so. Swift denied the charge. Hot words ensued. and before Swift realiz- ed what had happened he received challenge to mortal combat from the man whose daughter he was engaged to marry.
 He was wondering what in the world to do when Estelle's quadroon maid appeared and handed him a note from her mistress. It appointed mRAfinR hef Vzeon him and hor nE AEao