Produced by Duncan Harrod Juliet Sutherland Charles Franksand the Online Distributed Proofreading TeamIllustration MISS LADYTHE LAW OF THE LAND_Of Miss Lady whom it involved in mystery and ofJohn Eddring gentleman of the South whoread its deeper meaning_A NOVEL_By_EMERSON HOUGHAuthor ofThe Mississippi BubbleThe Way to the WestWITH ILLUSTRATIONS BYARTHUR I KELLERCOPYRIGHT 1904EMERSON HOUGHTO REBTO TADCONTENTSBOOK ICHAPTER    I  Miss LADY   II  MULEY  III  THE VISITOR   IV  A QUESTION OF VALUATION    V  CERTAIN PROBLEMS   VI  THE DRUM  VII  THE BELL VIII  THE VOLCANO   IX  ON ITS MAJESTYS SERVICE    X  MISS LADY OF THE STAIR   XI  COLONEL CALVIN BLOUNTS PROPOSAL  XII  A WOMAN SCORNED XIII  JOHN DOE vs YVRR  XIV  NUMBER 4   XV  THE PURSUIT  XVI  THE TRAVELING BAG XVII  MISS LADY AND HENRY DECHERDXVIII  MISFORTUNEBOOK II    I  THE MAKING OF THE WILDERNESSBOOK III    I  EDDRING AGENT OF CLAIMS   II  THE OPINIONS OF CALVIN BLOUNT  III  REGARDING LOUISE LOISSON   IV  THE RELIGION OF JULES    V  DISCOVERY   VI  THE DANCER  VII  THE SUMMONS VIII  THE STOLEN STEAMBOAT   IX  THE ACCUSER    X  THE VOYAGE   XI  THE WILDERNESS  XII  THE HOUSE OF HORROR XIII  THE NIGHT IN THE FOREST  XIV  AT THE BIG HOUSE   XV  CERTAIN MOTIVES  XVI  THE NEW SHERIFF XVII  THE LAW OF THE LANDXVIII  MISS LADY AT THE BIG HOUSE  XIX  THREE LADIES LOUISE   XX  THE LID OF THE GRAVE  XXI  THE RED RIOT OF YOUTH XXII  AMENDE HONORABLETHE LAW OF THE LANDCHAPTER IMISS LADYAh but it was a sweet and wonderful thing to see Miss Lady dance astrange and wondrous thing She was so sweet so strong so full ofgrace so like a bird in all her motions Now here now there andback again her feet scarce touching the floor her loose skirt heldout between her dainty fingers resembling wings she swam throughthe air up and down the room of the old plantation house as thoughshe were indeed the creature of an element wherein all wasimponderable light and free of hampering influences Dartingnodding beckoning courtesying to something that she sawit musthave moved you to applause had you seen Miss Lady dance You mighthave been restrained by the feeling that this was almost too unrealtoo unusual this dance of the young girl all alone in front of thegreat mirror which faithfully gave back the passing flying figureline for line flush for flush one bosomheave for that of theother Yet the tall white lilies in the corner saw and the tallwhite birds one on each side of the great cheval glass saw alsobut fluttered not since a lily and a stork and a maiden may each betall and white and each may understand the other subtlyMiss Lady stood at length tall and white her cheeks rosy withalher blown brown hair pushed back a bit one hand lightly resting onher bosom lookinglooking into the mirror asking of it somequestion getting indeed from it some answeran answer embodyingperhaps all that youth may mean all that the morning may bringFor now the sun of the South came creeping up apace and saw MissLady as it peered in through the rose lattice whereon hung scores offragrant blossoms A gentle wind of morning stirred the lace curtainsat the windows and touched Miss Ladys hair as she stood thereasking the answer of the mirror It was morning in the great roommorning for the southern day morning for the old plantation whosebell now jangled faintly and afar offmorning indeed for Miss Ladywho now had ceased in her selfabsorbed dance At this very momentas she stood gazing into the mirror with the sunlight and the rosesthus at hand one might indeed have sworn that it was morning forever over all the worldMiss Lady stood eager fascinated before the glass and in thepresence of the tall flowers and the tall birds saw something whichstirred her felt something which came in at the window out of theblue sky and from the red rose blossoms on the warm south windImpulsively she flung out her arms to the figure in the glassPerhaps she felt its beauty and its friendliness And yet an instantlater her arms relaxed and sank she sighed knowing not why shesighedAh Miss Lady if only it could be for ever morning for us all Naylet us say not so Let us say rather that this sweet picture of MissLady doubled by the glass remains today imperishably preserved inthe old mirrorthe picture of Miss Lady dancing as the bird fliesand then standing plaintive and questioning before her own imageloving it because it was beautiful and friendly dreading it becauseshe could not understandMiss Lady had forgotten that she was alone and did not hear the stepat the door nor see the hand which presently pushed back thecurtain There stepped into the room the tall somewhat full figureof a lady who stood looking on with eyes at first surprised thencynically amused The intruder paused laughing a low wellfedmellow laugh On the moment she coughed in deprecation Miss Ladysprang back as does the wild deer startled in the forest Her handswent to her cheeks which burned in swift flame thence to drop toher bosom where her heart was beating in a confusion of throbsstruggling with the reversed current of the blood of all her tallyoung bodyMamma she cried You startled me So it seems said the newcomer I beg your pardon I did not mean to intrude upon yourdevotionsShe came forward and seated herselfa tall woman a trifle full offigure now but still vital of presence Her figure