The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, April 11, 1907, Image 7
^ CONQUEST
I in mm
VI vm inn11 I
By BOOTH TARKINGTON.
Author of "Cherry." "Monsieur Be*.uc?iire."
Etc.
| Copyright. 1906. by Harper & Brothers
(Continuedfrom page (? )
quired Mr. Davey, who. being tbe
eldest of the party, was tbe most curious.
"What happened?"
"She was out in the street, up on
that high bicycle of Joe Louden's. He
was teachiu' her to ride, an' she was
sittln* on it like a man does. I stopped
and told her she wasn't respectable.
Sixteen years old, goin' on seventeen!"
"What did she say?"
"Laughed!" said Jonas, his voice becoming
louder as the recital of bis
wrongs renewed their sting in his soul.
*T A.iruKoil
XittU^UCAl .
"What did you do?"
"I went up to her and told her she
wasn't a decent g!rl and shook the
wheel." Mr. Tabor illustrated by seizin?
the lapels of Joe Havey and shaking
him. "I told her if her grandfather
had any spunk she'd git an old fashioned
bidin' for behavin' that way.
And I shook the wheel again." Here
Mr. Tabor, forgetting in the wrath incited
by the recollection that he had
not to do with an inanimate object,
swung the gasping and helpless Mr.
Davey rapidly back and forth in his
chair. "I shook It good and hard!"
"What did she do then?" asked Feter
Bradbury.
"Fell off on me." replied Jonas vlo
lenuy. "un purpose.
"I wisht she'd killed ye," said Mr.
Davey In a choking voice as. released,
he sank back in his chair.
"On purpose!" repeated Jonas. "And
smashed a straw hat I hadn't lad
three months! All to pieces! So it
couldn't be fixed!"
^/'And what then?" pursued Bradbui^.
"She ran," replied Jonas bitterly?
"ran! And Joe Louden?Joe Louden"?
He paused and gulped.
"What did he do?" Peter leaned forward
in his chair eagerly.
The narrator of the outrage gulped
again and opened and shut his mouth
before responding.
"He said If I didn't pay for a broken
spoke on his wheel he'd have to sue
me!"
CHAPTER II.
Jf AIN street, already mufHed by
the snow, added to its qule\
tude a frozen hush where
A X the wonder bearing youth
pursued his course along Its white,
v. straight way. None was there In
whom impertinence overmastered astonishment
or who recovered from the
6ight in time to Jeer with effect. No
"Trab's boy" gathered courage to enact
in the thoroughfare a scene of
mockery and of Joy.
And now that expression he wore?
-f^e indulgent amusement of a man of
the world?began to disintegrate and
show signs of change. It becAme finely
grave, as of a high conventionality,
lofty, assured and mannered, as he approached
the Pike "mansion."
It was# a big. smooth stone faced
house, product of the seventies, frowning
under an outrageously iusistent mansard.
capped by a cupola and staring
out of long windows overtopped with
ornamental slabs. Two cast iron deer,
painted death gray, twins of the same
moid, stood on opposite sides of the
front walk, their backs toward it
and each other, their bodies in profile^
the street, their necks bent, however.
so that they gazed upon the passerby.
yet gazed without emotion. Two
large calm dogs guarded the top of the
steps leading to the front door. They
also were twins nr.d of the same interesting
metal, though honored beyond
the deer by coats of black paint
and shellac. It was to be remarked
that these dogs were of no distinguishable
species or breed, yet they were
unmistakably dogs. The dullest must
have recognized them as such at a
glance, which was i>erhaps enough. It
was a hideous house, important looking.
cold, yet harshly aggressive, and
It sat In the middle of its flat acre of
snowy lawn like a rich, fat man enraged
and sitting straight lip In bed
to swear.
And yet there was one charming
thing alK>ut this ugly house. Some
workmen were Inclosing a large side
porch with heavy canvas, evideully for
festal purposes. Looking out from between
two strips of tiie canvas was
the ro*v and delicate face of a pretty
girt, smiling upon Eugene Bantry as
he passed. It was an obviously pretty
face, all the youth and prettiuess
there for your very llrst glance, elaborately
pretty, like the splendid profusion
of hair about and above It. amber
colored Injr. upon which so much
time had been* spent that a circle of
large, round curls rose above the mass
of it like golden bubbles tipping a
coronet.
The girl's fingers were pressed
thoughtfully against her chin as Eugene
strode into view Immediately
her eyes widened and brightened. He
swung along the feure with the handsomest
appearance of uuconsclousness
until he reached n point nearly opposijk
her. Then lie turned his head as
if^mpharJirdly and met her eyes. At
once she* threw out her hand toward
him. waving iiim a greeting, a gesture
which as her fingers had been near
her lips wa a little like throwing a
kiss. lie crooked an elbow and wltli
a one. two. three military movement
removed his small brimmed hat. extending
:t t. JuU arm's lew-rth at t!*?2
?
I
I
J
sliouhfer 1. returned it t~>"Tils "hea3 *
with life j -tI precision. This was J
also new ti> ( anaan. He was letting ^
Mamie Pike have it all at ouee. }
Tiie inipr: ^sion was as large as lie 1
could have iesired. She remained at ?
tin? opening in the canvas and watch- ed
him unt'l he wagged his shoulders s
round the in xt corner and disappeared '
into a cross >treet. As for Eugene, he f
was calm with a great calm and very I
1 red. i F
He had not covered a great distance, (
however. l?? fore his gravity was re- T
placed by his former smiling look of T
i the landed entleman amused by the
Innocent p dimes of the peasants, c
though there was no one in sight ex- f
cept a woman sweeping some snow
from the front steps or a couage. ana i
she, not perceiving Liini. retired indoors
without knowing her loss. He ^
had come to a thinly built part of the
: town, the perfect quiet of which made !
the sound he heard as he openo 1 the ; *
picket gate of his own home all tlie j ^
| more startling. It was a scream, loud. ! r
frantic and terror stricken. I t(
Eugene stopped, with the gate half
j open. |1
Out of the winter skeleton of a grape j
arbor at one side of the four square i 1
j brick house a browu faced girl of sev- j
; euteen precipitated herself through the I T
air in the midst of a shower of toru j
cardboard which she threw l?efore her ! ?
j as she leaped. She lit upon her toes ;
; and headed for the gate at top speed, i .
pursued by a pale young man whose "
thin arras strove spasmodically to
reach her. Scattering snow behind
them, hair flying, the pair sped on like
two tattered branches before a high *
wind, for, as they came nearer Eugene. "
of whom, in the tensity of their flight. ^
, they took no note, it was to be seen
that both were so shabbily dressed as 0
I to be almost ragged. a
1 ? . e
The girl ran beautiruuy. dui a ueeier t
foot was behind her and. though she ^
dodged and evaded like a creature of ^
the woods, the reaching hand fell upon
the loose sleeve of her red blouse, nor
fe 1 lightly. She gave a wrench of frenzy.
The antique fabric refused the
I strain, parted at the#hou!der seam so
i thoroughly that the whole sleeve came '
j away, but not to its owner's release,
for she had been brought round by the
Jerk, so that, agile as she had shown
herself, the pursuer threw an arm 0
about her neck before she could twist M
away and held her.
There was a sharp struggle as short. ^
as it was fierce. Neither of these extra-1 j
ordinary wrestlers spoke. They fought, j
Victory hung lii the balance for per- j ,?
haps four sc-ou:!.*. 'Then the girl was,
thrown heavily upon her back In such! r
a turmoil cf snow that she seemed to j
be the mere nucleus of a white comet, i .
She strung e l to get t:p. plying knee ?
and elbow with a very anguish of de- j,
termination, but her opponent held her,
pinioned both her wrists with one bandand
with the other rubbed great handfuls
of snow Into her face, sparing nel- ?
ther mouth nor eyes. r
"You will!" he cried. "You will tear ^
up my pictures! A dirty trick, and you {
get washed for it!" 0
Half suffocated, choking, gasping, g
she still fought on. squirming and i u
kicking with such spirit that the pair a
of them appeared to the beholder like ! j,
figures of mist writhing in u fountain i n
of snow.
More violence was to mar the pence t
of morning. U:iexi>ectedly attacked ' v
from the rear, the conqueror was seiz- j ti
ed by the uape of the neck and one h
wrist aud jerked to his feet, siuiul-! o
taneously receiving a succession of
kicks from his assailant. Prompted s
by an entirely natural curiosity, he essayed
to turn his head to sc.* who , i
this might 1>.\ but a twist of his fore-1 p
arm and t lie pressure of strong lingers | t
under his ear constrained him to re- a
mai:i at he was. therefore, abandoning j v
resistance and. oddly enough, aceept-! i'
ing without comment the indication i L
that his captor desired to remain for t
the moment incognito, he resorted :
calmly to explanations. ; c
"Sue tore up a picture of mine." he t'
said, receiving tlie pumsiimenc wun- a
out aj)j?arent emotion. "She seemed to 1 v
think because she'd drawu it herself i v
she had a right to." ! f
There was a slight whimsical droop j a
at the corner of his mouth as he j
spoke, which might have been thought j '
characteristic of him. He was au odd j c
looking boy. not ill made, though very ! 1
thin and uot tall. His pallor was
clear and eveu. as though constitution- i c
al; the features were delicate, almost ] '
childlike, but they were very slightly
distorted, through nervous habit, to
an expression at once wistful and hu- I 1
morons: one eyebrow was a shade j
higher thau the other, one side of the 8
mouth slightly drawn down; the eye- J
lids twi'chrd a little, habitually: the |
fine, blue eyes themselves were almost
comically reproachful?the look of n
puppy who thinks you would not have j
beaten bl:n if you had known what
was la his hejrt. Ail of this was Id !
| the quality of his voice, too. as he
i said to his Invisible captor, with an
air of detachment from any personal |
feeling: * j
"What peculiar shoes you wear! I j
don't think I ever felt any so pointed
before."
The rescuing knight took no thought
' of ofTering to help the persecuted
I dnuisel to arise; instead he tightened
his trip upon the prisoner's neck un- j
til. perforce, water?not tears?started
I from the latter's eyes.
"You miserable little muff!" said the
conqueror. "What the devil do you
; mean making this scene on our front !
I lawn?"
"Why. it's Eugene!" exclaimed the j
helpless one. "They didn't expect you i
till tonight. When did you get in?" 1
"Just in time to give you a lesson.
n:v bu?-k." replied Hantry grimly. "In j
good time for that, my playful step- ,
brother."
lie began to twist the other's wrist, j '
a tit i' l __:o n__L iD I
Tie application o? which "schoolboys i ,
md even freshmen are often adept. {
Sugene made the torture acute and
vns apparently enjoying the work r
vhen suddenly, without any manner ] c
>f warning, he received an astounding 1
low upon the left ear. which half ' c
tunned him for the moment and sent j ,
lis hat flying and himself reeling, so !
:roat was tbe surprise and shock of it. ' (
t was not a slap, not an open handed j
>ush?nothing like it-but a iierce. well f
iolivered blow from a clinched fist
nth the shoulder behind it, and it t
vas the girl who had given it.
' Don't you dare to touch Joe!" she
ried passionately. "Don't you lay a s
Inger on him!"
Furious and red. he staggered round
o look at her.
"You wretched little wildcat, what
o you mean by that?" he broke out.
"Dou't you touch Joe!" she panted.
Don't you"? Her breath caught and
here was a break in her voice as she
uced him. She could not finish the
ej?etition of that cry. "Don't you
ouch Joe!"
But there was no break in tbe spirit,
hat passion of protection which had
eait the blow. Both boys looked at
er. somewhat aghast.
Eugeue recovered himself. He swung
ound upon his heel, restored his hat to
is head with precision, picked up his
tick and touched his banjo case with i
L
"Carry that into the house." he said
jdifferently to his stepbrother.
"Don't you do it!" said the girl hotly
etween her chatterlug teeth.
Eugeue turned toward her. wearing
be sharp edge of a smile. Not reloving
bis eyes from her face, he prouced
with deliberation a flat silver
ox from a pocket, took therefrom a
igarette. replaced the box. extracted
smaller slleer rox from another pockt.
shook out of It a fusee, slowly lit
ae cigarette?this In a splendid sl?nee.
which ne finally broke to say
inguidly. but with particular distinct- .
ess:
"Ariel Tabor, go home!"
The girl's teeth stopped chatteri 'g 1
er lips remaining parted; she shook
he hair out of her eyes and stared at
im as If she did not understand, but
oe Louden, who had picked up the
anjo case obediently, burst into
beerful laughter.
'That's it. Gene." be cried gayly.
That's the way to talk to her!"
"Stow It. you young cub." replied
lugene, not turning to him. "Do you
bink I'm trying to be amusing?"
"I don't know what you mean by
?tow it.'" Joe began, "but if'?
"I mean." Interrupted the other, not
elnxing his faintly smiling stare at
be girl?"I mean that Ariel Tabor Is
o go home. Really we can't have this
ind of thing occurring upon our front
lwn!"
The flush upon her wet cheeks deepned
and became dark. Even her arm
Tew redder as she gazed back at hlra. "
n his eyes was patent his complete (j
ealization of the figure she cut of this g
>are arm. of the strewn hair, of the I
alien stocking, of the ragged shoulder (
f her blouse, of her patched short f
klrt of the whole disheveled little fig* j
ire. He was the master of the house. V
nd he was sending her home as 111 be- I
aved children are sent home by 7
eighbors. j V
"M - *? t ;U ourviplnHtr rtf II
i IIP IllllllUUnc, <(UiU^cu ou|#vk>v>>.^ ? .
bis proprietor of silver boxes, tills f
rearer of strange and brilliant gnrnents.
became slightly Intensified as
ie pointed to tbe fallen sleeve, a rag
f red and snow, lying near her feet
"You might take that with yo j?" be
aid interrogatively.
Fler gaze had not wavered In meet:ig
his. hut at this her eyelashes be:nn
to wink uncontrollably, ber chin
o tremble. She bent over the sleeve
nd picked it up before Joe Louden,
vho had started toward her. eonid do
t for her. Then turning, her bead still
ent so that her face was hidden from
Kith of them, she ran out of the gate.
Ariel ran along the fence until she
ame to the next gate, which opened
ipon a walk leading to a shabby, mendering
old house of one story. w$li a
ery long, low porch, once painted
vhite. running tbe full length of the
ront. Ariel sprang upon the' porch
in.l disappeared within the house.
Joe stood looking after her. his eyeashes
winking as had hers. "You
Mightn't to have treated her that way."
ie said huskily.
"Pick up that banjo case again and
otue on." commanded Mr. Bantry tarty.
"Where's the mater?"
Joe stared at him. "Where's what?"
"The mater!" was the frown ng re>ly.
"Oh. yes, I know!" said Joe. looking
it his stepbrother curiously. "I've seen
!
"Don't you dare to touch Joe!" she cried. (
It In starlea. Elie's U23tiui2. iLsu-'U lie |
i surprise. Vou'ro wearing lots of
lotlies. Gei:c."
"I suppose it wi'.l seem so to Canaan," |
oturned the other weariedly. "Govern- j
>r feeling fitV"
"I never saw him." Joe replied, then j
aught himself. "Oh. I see what you !
neanl Yes. he's all right."
They had come Into the hall, and Lu- j
:ene was removing the long coat, while J
lis stepbrother looked at him thoughtully.
"Gene," asked the latter in a sof- j
ened voice, "have you seen Mamie j
'ike yet?"
"You will find, my young friend," reponded
Mr. Bantry. "if you ever go '
ibout much outside of Canaan, that la- J
*** This man
out acquainting
of SCHNAPPS
qualities that g
less expense th
erUMADDQ V>oo Vy^n at
paper so that every che\
opportunity to get acqua
facts and know that drug
to produce the cheering c
the famous Piedmont cot
tobaccos, and that SCHNA
ought to chew. Still the
who accept other and cl
that do not give the same ]
!(KIW
j "THE!
| Sold
A r.nnr^ntppH h\i $
"T ViMUl Ulll V VV4 UJ v
? Secretary of \gri
| As At
ft and unadulterai
ft Law passed by
s
5 thei.tr
5
4 booklet "fam(
?) SE*
I I
dies' names are ujt supposed to be
mentioned indiscriminately."
"It's only," said Joe. "Lint I wanted !
to say that there's a dance at their
house tonight. I suppose you'll be go- >
iu? "
"Certainly. Are you';
Both knew that tiie question was j
needless, but Joe answered gently:
"Oli. no, of conr.-e not. lie leaned !
over and fumbled with one foot as if |
to fasten a loose1 shoestring. "She i
wouldu t be very likely to ask me."
"Well, what about it?"
"Only that?that Arie Tabor's going."
"Indeedi" liugone paused on the
stairs, which lie bad begun to ascend
"Very interesting."
"I thought," cj'itinueil Joe.hp?etl!'"
bought a supply of
I himself with the di
1 Tobacco, which ha
ratify his desire to
an cheap tobacco.
ivertised in this Some day they
"*r baa bad an fV-A n/tnnr?thn
inted with the they've missed b;
iXfoLdt ^ago-then
intry flue-cured themselves.
SCHNAPPS i
>rc 3rc chcwcrs
icaper tobaccos cent cuts, and 1C
pleasure. , sure you get the
0
orftNt
,"whi:
Everyw
/
9
ierial No. 137, of tl
culture, at Washing
i. - -i- ^ i _,
)SOiuiei<y
ted, under theNati<
Congress June 30,
AOER CO., Pr
TICES - - - CINCINNATI, O.
)US PAINTINGS AND FU
s'T FREE UPON REQUES
- 1
straightening i.- to look at him, "that V
maybe you'd dance with her. I don't V
believe many will ask her?I'm afraid
they won't?and if you would, even 1
only once, it would kind of make up ]
for"?he faltered?"for out there," he
finished, nodding his head In the direction
of the gate. \
If Eugene vouchsafed any reply It \
was lost in a loud, shrill cry from V
above, as a small, intensely nervoui i
looking woman in blue silk ran halfway
down the stairs to meet him and ,
caught him tearfully In her arms.
"Dear old mater!" said Eugene.
Joe went out of the front door
quickly.
(Continued next week.)
' V?
tobacco with''
stinctive taste
s the cheering
chew, and at
' M
H get a taste of the real
fTl realize what enjoyment
/not getting SCHNAPPS
they'll feel like locking
*1
s sold everywhere in 5
I and 15 cent plugs. Be
genuine.
dofl]
sketi
here I
fie office of the j
ton, D. C., 5 ' -1
Pure 5
snal Pure Food %
1906. ft |
aprietors. 8
NNY STORIES" 8
8
1
I
?S
1
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