CORNELL 
 
 UNIVERSITY 
 LIBRARY 
 
 BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME 
 OF THE SAGE ENDOWMENT 
 FUND GIVEN IN 1891 BY 
 
 HENRY WILLIAMS SAGE 
 
Cornell University Library 
 PS 3503.R7635M4 
 
 The master of Caxton. 
 
 3 1924 022 296 861 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of this book is in 
 the Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924022296861 
 
THE MASTER OF 
 CAXTON 
 
THE MASTER OF 
 CAXTON 
 
 BY 
 
 HILDEGARD BROOKS 
 
 AUTHOR OF "WITHOUT A WARRANT" 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 
 
 1902 
 
Copyright, 1902, by 
 CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 
 
 Published, April, 1902 
 
 TROW DIRECTORY 
 
 PR1NTINS AND BOOKBINDING COMPANY 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 I. Nostalgia 
 
 II. Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 III. The Light of my Home . 
 
 IV. The Head of the House . 
 
 V. Neighbors 
 
 VI. The Mistress of The Terraces 
 VII. Reforestration 
 VIII. The Mill on the Branch 
 IX. A Picnic and some Ghosts 
 X. A Summer and its Fruits 
 XI. Mr. Peyton-Call is Quiet 
 XII. The Social Level of the Dales 
 
 XIII. Robert Dale, Owner 
 
 XIV. Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 XV. The First Break 
 
 XVI. The House and the Name 
 XVII. Mr. Peyton-Call has Tact 
 
 PAGE 
 
 I 
 
 12 
 
 35 
 5i 
 65 
 94 
 109 
 125 
 
 155 
 
 167 
 189 
 199 
 213 
 234 
 257 
 269 
 
 299 
 
VI 
 
 Contents 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 XVIII. Spring Moods 
 
 XIX. Colonel Fanton is Checked 
 
 XX. A Stormy Evening . 
 
 XXI. Brocade and Sackcloth . 
 
 XXII. The Parley 
 
 XXIII. A Gauge of Happiness . 
 
 PAGE 
 3H 
 
 32S 
 
 345 
 360 
 
 377 
 
 397 
 
THE MASTER OF 
 CAXTON 
 
THE MASTER OF CAXTON 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 NOSTALGIA 
 
 The wild spring winds were shaking the 
 front windows of the great city house. Out in 
 the square the bare branches moved to and fro 
 across my allotment of gray sky. I was won- 
 dering whether the green of certain live-oaks 
 far away was at this moment showing against 
 a heaven as blue as I remembered it. 
 
 " Will you bind yourself, Miss Reman, to 
 visit the Home for the Homeless once a week, 
 as the committee request?" inquired my sec- 
 retary. 
 
 I turned in my revolving chair. I hated such 
 a chair, but it had come to me along with the 
 desk, and all the papers on the desk and in the 
 pigeon-holes, when my foster-mother had died. 
 To sit in this chair and read all manner of 
 papers concerning soup-kitchens and day-nur- 
 series, and the deserving poor, this had been 
 my daily duty for some time past. 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 "Once every week?" I asked Miss Pen- 
 nant with something like dismay. " For- 
 ever?" 
 
 She suppressed a little laugh. 
 
 "They write that they think the matron 
 should have guidance and advice. They are 
 so certain of your profound interest in the in- 
 stitution Mrs. Reman founded " 
 
 " Do they think because I was an orphan-child 
 I can advise how orphans shall be pinafored 
 and taught to love their Redeemer ? " I asked, 
 dismally. I reached out my hand for a leather- 
 covered volume that of late I had kept very 
 near me. It was the journal of my foster- 
 mother, dated many years ago. 
 
 " You had better not bind yourself, I think," 
 said Miss Pennant, sympathetically. " There is 
 no ehd to all the things they will demand of 
 you." 
 
 " If I do all the rest, I may as well do that," 
 I returned, fingering the manuscript journal. 
 " Sometimes I wonder, Miss Pennant, whether I 
 am bound to any of it." 
 
 " I think you are getting very tired, Miss 
 Reman," she suggested. " You ought to take 
 some rest." 
 
 " If I stopped for one day, I should never 
 begin again," I said, half to myself. Then I 
 looked across at her rather curiously. " Don't 
 you get tired yourself, Miss Pennant ? Reading 
 
Nostalgia 
 
 and writing reports should be as wearisome to 
 one girl as to another." 
 
 " I don't get tired, because I am well paid," 
 she returned, practically. " I wouldn't do it 
 for love, as you do." 
 
 " Oh, I am supposed to work for love ! Is 
 that it? " I murmured, and I glanced about the 
 room. 
 
 All was mine ! Costly furniture, fine pict- 
 ures, stacks upon stacks of books, all mine — in 
 return for services yet to be rendered. I looked 
 down at my dress, half -mourning, soft and 
 fine ; this was part of my pay for my long 
 hours at desk and in committee-rooms. And 
 through the windows I saw the gray stone 
 steps of my stately house. Last winter's wood- 
 bine leaves scudded across the sidewalk to find 
 shelter from spring's sweeping in nooks and 
 crannies of the walls. It was bleak ! 
 
 But sunshine and bird-song would surely re- 
 turn to the city square, and lend this bald 
 grandeur a home-like charm. When my hot- 
 house plants were set in neat beds upon my 
 bit of velvet lawn, then should I not perhaps 
 forget my longing for the fragrance the hot 
 sun brews in pine ? 
 
 " I am paid just as you are, Miss Pennant," I 
 told the other girl, " — with money alone. I 
 am just as free as you are to refuse the work 
 and forego the salary." 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " I think you would be perfectly right to take 
 a rest," said she. " It isn't everybody's taste 
 to live as Mrs. Reman did, entirely absorbed in 
 charity work. You shouldn't miss the plea§<% 
 ures of life, at your age." 
 
 " What would you advise me to do ? " I 
 asked her. 
 
 " Leave the whole business of detail to peo- 
 ple who like it. Subscribe the money, as much 
 as you think you ought ; live with your cousins, 
 the Henry Remans, who are so devoted to you, 
 and go more into society." 
 
 " More society ! " I exclaimed. " I am worn 
 out with attending charity balls and patron- 
 izing bazaars, and giving receptions in honor of 
 celebrated reformers. Society would be no 
 rest to me ! Do you know where I originally 
 come from, Miss Pennant? I am Southern 
 born. There is in me an innate love of idle- 
 ness " 
 
 Here Miss Pennant presumed to laugh at 
 me, and I broke off. 
 
 ■ • • • • • 
 
 An entry in Mrs. Reman's journal, written 
 seventeen years before her death, read as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 "Rolfe Courthouse, 
 , "3 June, 18— . 
 
 " This remote and uninteresting hamlet con- 
 sists of a few houses and stores and one very 
 
 4 
 
Nostalgia 
 
 unsatisfactory tavern, all grouped about the 
 county court-house. My husband cannot pos- 
 sibly benefit by his Southern travels if we con- 
 tinue to put up with the discomforts of such 
 places as this. I am constantly urging our re- 
 turn to New York, where so much important 
 business awaits me. He seems to enjoy our 
 carriage journey, however, though his cough 
 troubles him greatly at night. 
 
 " It is true, the country we have passed 
 through lately is very picturesque. It is hilly 
 and densely wooded, and the red clay soil of 
 the roads is very striking and peculiar. For 
 myself, I cannot enjoy the natural beauties of a 
 country whose inhabitants live in such desola- 
 tion. There is nothing but poverty here since 
 the war. The one fine place I saw near the 
 court-house is closed up and deserted. 
 
 " The court-house itself is a mere brick bar- 
 rack, cheaply constructed after the old one was 
 burned during the war. A few old portraits 
 were saved, and now hang in the upper court- 
 room. My husband and I have carefully looked 
 at them. We are told there are some fine paint- 
 ings in the closed-up house I mentioned above, 
 but they are not on view, I am thankful to say. 
 I feel it my duty to see everything worth see- 
 ing on my travels, but 1 do not enjoy smoky 
 portraits of persons with whose history I am 
 not acquainted. 
 
 5 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Evening of same day.— Our stopping in Rolfe 
 appears providential, after all. I have done so 
 much good this afternoon that I feel consoled 
 for missing, as I must, the first meeting of the^ 
 Municipal Mission Association in New York. 
 
 " On our drive this afternoon, about two miles 
 from the court-house, we passed one of those 
 wretched cabins of the poor-whites that char- 
 acterize this country. About the door-step I 
 observed a group of four children of striking 
 personal attractions. I descended from the 
 carriage to talk to them. The eldest boy was 
 not in the least shy, and answered all my ques- 
 tions. He told me his name was Bud Dale, 
 that his father was away from home, that they 
 had no mother, and that he took care of the 
 younger children himself. I went into the 
 cabin, to observe its rudeness and squalor, with 
 a pitying heart. It seemed terrible that these 
 really beautiful though frail-looking children 
 should grow up in such miserable privation. 
 Bud said they had plenty to eat, and looked sur- 
 prised at the question ; but I am convinced that 
 their food is very, very coarse and insufficient. 
 
 " I decided to adopt all four of them ; but 
 my husband, with his usual cold-heartedness, 
 urged me to change my mind. He actually 
 suggested that the children might be allowed 
 to grow up where they were born. If we 
 went on his principle, all charity work would 
 
 6 
 
Nostalgia 
 
 be pointless. But I feel that I must humor 
 Mr. Reman because of his delicate health, and 
 I decided only to adopt Bud, who is the most 
 beautiful and most intelligent of the four. 
 
 " To my chagrin, when the children's father 
 came home, he would not consent to my tak- 
 ing the boy. The poor-whites here are as 
 blind to their own interest as those of the low- 
 est classes in the city. It was in vain that I 
 urged upon Dale that I would be good to 
 Bud. He very stupidly replied that he was a 
 sick man and did not expect to live long, and 
 that when he died he expected Bud to look 
 after the younger children. This was per- 
 fectly absurd in view of Bud's own tender age. 
 If the father dies, as I have no doubt he will, 
 the children must all be put into charitable in- 
 stitutions. 
 
 " I could do nothing with Dale, and so- at last 
 Mr. Reman talked to him. They seemed to 
 understand each other in a way that surprised 
 me, and soon my husband had persuaded the 
 father to let us have the little girl. She is 
 about five years old — though the dull man ac- 
 tually does not know the exact ages of his 
 children. All he could affirm was that she 
 is the third child. 
 
 "There was one younger boy who looked 
 bright and attractive, and who enjoyed the 
 distinction of a real name — Archer. The older 
 
 7 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 children seemed to have only nick-names. Bud 
 means brother, Lilbud (the second) means 
 little brother, and ' Lil' Cassy,' as they call 
 my little girl, means little Cassandra. She is 
 named for her mother, who died years before. 
 These crude designations, in lieu of proper 
 names, convey without further description on 
 how low a plane this class of people live. 
 
 " I feel I have done a great work in rescuing 
 a child from such surroundings. I shall watch 
 her development with the greatest interest. 
 She is a grave and melancholy little thing, tall 
 for five years old, very slight and fragile of 
 build, and with speaking dark eyes. My hus- 
 band thinks she will be very beautiful when 
 she is fed and cared for. I trust she will, as 
 my bringing her to New York will certainly 
 attract a great deal of attention. 
 
 " Who knows but she may be the daughter I 
 have so long looked for. As we have no chil- 
 dren of our own, I am forced to look among 
 the poor children I am educating for one who 
 will become my successor in my work. If this 
 child proves intelligent and socially present- 
 able, I shall formally adopt her and thus settle 
 the anxious feelings 1 have about my money. 
 With such scores of nieces and nephews and so 
 many institutions looking for endowments from 
 me, the question of making my will becomes 
 very difficult. 
 
Nostalgia 
 
 " If I can bring up a daughter to follow in 
 my work, I shall be able to make her my sole 
 heiress." 
 
 An entry of six months later date read as 
 follows : 
 
 " I have to-day ascertained from the hotel- 
 keeper in Rolfe that the father of my little 
 Cassandra has died. It seems as if I could 
 now secure Bud if I had anyone to send for 
 him ; but between Mr. Reman's failing health 
 and my important work, I am too busy to un- 
 dertake anything more. It will be best to bring 
 up Cassandra in complete separation from her 
 family. She will attach herself more to me, 
 and to the work I mean to fit her for." 
 
 This meagre account, written in the charac- 
 teristically colorless manner of my foster- 
 mother, was the only connecting link between 
 me and my home. 
 
 My only link ? No, there were memories be- 
 sides, vague and delicious, like dreams. Where 
 Mrs. Reman had seen only desolation the child, 
 "Lil' Cassy," had drunk in beauty. Bird- 
 songs, the gurgle of a certain spring near our 
 house, the glint of the sunlight on magnolia 
 leaves, the red holly, the breath of the pines 
 — passionately and lovingly I remembered 
 them. Above all I remembered Bud — his way- 
 
 9 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 ward dark eyes, his fragile and melancholy- 
 beauty. 
 
 I remembered a certain large and lank black 
 pig that ran like a deer across our sandy yard, 
 and how Bud had chased it and flung himself 
 daringly upon its back and ridden it trium- 
 phantly to all our delight. 
 
 I remembered standing by the hearth with 
 my little brothers, where our father knelt be- 
 fore the fire and turned the corn-cake in the 
 spider round and round, with one finger 
 planted on its edge. We waited hungrily for 
 it to brown. How fragrantly it smoked ; how 
 delicious were the first hot morsels dipped in 
 bacon fat ! 
 
 I remembered singing a mocking little song 
 to the lizard who ran about our door-step on 
 the logs of the house, daring him to show me 
 his red handkerchief ; until he grew angry, as 
 I thought, and thrust forth the flame-colored 
 lappet from his throat. 
 
 I knew, at last, that the " red handkerchief " 
 was in no response to my raillery, but only to 
 attract his prey, the flies. I knew that the hoe- 
 cake would no longer taste so delicate ; I knew 
 Bud must have grown too large and lazy for 
 such delightful feats of daring as to ride a great 
 black pig. In short, I knew the whole prosy 
 reality of life, thanks to my thorough educa- 
 tion. 
 
Nostalgia 
 
 Still, in the long hours of that stormy spring 
 morning, while Miss Pennant wrote letters for 
 Mrs. Reman's heiress to sign, I let " Lil' Cas- 
 sy's" childish memories speak to me. They 
 told me that the secret of all my discontent was 
 a profound nostalgia. 
 
 How the matron of the Home for the Home- 
 less was to get along without my weekly visit 
 of inspection and advice ; who was to take my 
 place at committee meetings, at charity bazaars 
 and balls and entertainments ; who was to read 
 the hundreds of begging letters addressed to 
 Mrs. Reman's successor ; all this I did not take 
 the trouble to ascertain. I left New York with 
 the haste and secrecy of flight. To Mr. Henry 
 Reman, my foster-mother's executor and one 
 of her many legitimate heirs, I entrusted the 
 settlement of my affairs. To him alone I ex- 
 plained on what grounds I refused the " work" 
 and its "salary;" to the rest of the world I 
 refused all explanations whatsoever. Miss 
 Reman simply went out of existence. I trav- 
 elled South as Cassandra Dale. 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 REPRESENTATIVES OF ROLFE 
 
 From New Rome one drives thirty miles to 
 reach Rolfe Court House, and a girl, travelling 
 alone, with considerable luggage, finds a little 
 difficulty in engaging at short notice a suitable 
 conveyance and driver. It chanced the morn- 
 ing I was in the hotel that Miss Fan ton, of 
 Rolfe, was there also. I remarked her as I 
 passed her on the veranda for her airy attrac- 
 tions. She was dressed in a summer frock, her 
 ruffled parasol threw a rosy light on her 
 face. She was prettily scolding her escort, as 
 I overheard, because of his delay in getting 
 their party together. He was " scandalously 
 slow," she was " right outdone about it," and 
 if he did not " step 'round and tend to things," 
 they would not get to Rolfe before midnight. 
 " And home," she added, " they hate for me to 
 be late. Cousin Lucy evermore expects the 
 coach will upset some night on our bad roads." 
 
 Reluctantly I passed out of hearing, for I 
 was pleased with the singing cadence of the 
 girl's voice. This soft speech of rounded vow- 
 els belonged to my native county of Rolfe. I 
 
Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 felt a faint access of regret that I had lost my 
 birthright to talk in that pretty, slurring South- 
 ern tongue. 
 
 When she approached me in the hotel parlor 
 a faw minutes later and introduced herself and 
 her escort, Mr. Peyton-Call, I found her still 
 more attractive. The hotel-keeper had told 
 her I was on my way to Rolfe. With a very 
 pretty cordiality she invited me to join their 
 party, who were driving down in a coach that 
 morning. It would be pleasanter for me, she 
 hoped, than to go in a hired conveyance. 
 
 " If you are going to Rolfe you will meet 
 us anyhow," she argued brightly. " We stay 
 down there, and know everybody. 'Tain't 
 worth while to be formal." 
 
 " Do you know a family by the name of 
 Dale ? " I asked, too eager to hear news of my 
 own people to care how much I might shock 
 these strangers who were taking me for a per- 
 son of wealth and social distinction. Miss 
 Fan ton looked blank; there was no such fam- 
 ily in Rolfe, she said. 
 
 " Poor-whites," I added, to help her out ; her 
 eyes opened wide in amazement. 
 
 Here the gentleman spoke up with good con- 
 trol of the surprise he could not quite conceal. 
 
 " I know three brothers by the name of Dale, 
 who live not far from the court-house," he 
 
 said. " There is Bud Dale " 
 
 13 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 "And Lilbud, and Archer," I added, and I 
 was ready to cry with joy merely to know that 
 they were alive. For a moment I looked at 
 the floor, battling with strong feeling ; then I 
 remembered what was due these courteous 
 strangers and I roused myself to meet their 
 questioning eyes. 
 
 " I am Miss Dale," I said. " And these 
 young men I ask about are my brothers whom 
 Ihaven't seen or heard of since my childhood." 
 
 I must say to their credit that these members 
 of Rolfe County gentry bore themselves very 
 gracefully at this trying point. Miss Fanton, 
 rosy-red with embarrassment as she was, bowed 
 sweetly and murmured that she was happy to 
 meet Miss Dale ; Mr. Peyton-Call was formally 
 delighted to welcome me to Rolfe. Miss Fan- 
 ton thought, in vague terms, that it was very 
 lovely in me to come in this way to look up my 
 kin ; Mr. Peyton-Call hoped he could serve me 
 in some way. 
 
 " You do me the greatest possible service in 
 telling me a little about my brothers," I said to 
 him. He was most glad to answer any ques- 
 tions. He knew them very well ; in fact, they 
 were his tenants. He was glad of the oppor- 
 tunity to say that he knew no pleasanter man 
 to deal with than my eldest brother, Bud. 
 
 Finding my brothers' landlord so cordially 
 polite, I questioned him a little further. Yes, 
 
 14 
 
Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 they still lived in the old cabin behind live- 
 oaks near a spring, just as I remembered. Mr. 
 Peyton-Call thought I would be gratified in 
 finding very few changes. My brothers were 
 farmers, of course. He believed they did as well 
 as the average. Farming had really ceased to 
 pay in Rolfe, as he knew by experience ; he 
 was a farmer himself. 
 
 Here Miss Fanton entered a little protest. 
 
 " Do pray, Donald, don't put on such airs," 
 she exclaimed to my considerable surprise. 
 " You a farmer ! " 
 
 Now I first became aware that mischief 
 danced in the eyes of this gentleman from 
 Rolfe. He insisted with dignity, however, that 
 he was a farmer and competent to inform the 
 Northern visitor on the agricultural status of 
 Rolfe. Miss Fanton showed his statement 
 small respect. 
 
 " Don't listen at him, Miss Dale," she advised 
 me graciously. " Come home with me to The 
 Terraces and my father will tell you every- 
 thing in the world you need to know about 
 such things. Papa is really a farmer." 
 
 " Colonel Fanton is rather a business man," 
 objected Mr. Peyton-Call. 
 
 " Go away from here, Don ! I know better. 
 He's a farmer, and he makes it pay ; and so 
 will your brothers, Miss Dale, if you get after 
 them a little to make them work." 
 
 15 
 
The Master of Caxfon 
 
 "Work?" echoed Mr. Peyton-Call, looking 
 serious. " Oh, if you contemplate that I have 
 nothing to say. It's some time since anyone 
 has tried it in Rolfe." 
 
 " Don, you're scandalous," scolded the young 
 lady. " I won't have Miss Dale's mind poi- 
 soned at the outset against the good old county. 
 You want to make out we're all as triflin' as 
 yourself. Miss Dale," — she turned to me — 
 " this gentleman's mother was born in Boston, 
 he has been raised in schools in the North and 
 in Europe, he's only been back to Rolfe since 
 he's finished college. Now I, for my part, 
 have never been farther from Rolfe Court 
 House than this. Which of us will you trust 
 for reliable information ? " 
 
 " Miss Dale, I am of Rolfe," he assured me 
 in his turn, with a well-feigned gravity. " My 
 father's family first settled it, my mother cor- 
 dially adopted it, my house is there and my 
 land and all my interests. I won't hear it ma- 
 ligned by Miss Fanton. The good old county, 
 I insist, is absolutely free from every taint of 
 industry and progress." 
 
 " Don, you know that's all foolishness ! " 
 cried Miss Fanton, with a gesture of her hand 
 that waved his words aside. " It's not the 
 way to talk to people from the North. They 
 come down here, and unless we put on a few 
 airs about our progress they don't take any in- 
 
 16 
 
Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 terest in us. That's what papa says. I'm go- 
 ing to take Miss Dale to The Terraces and let 
 papa talk to her." 
 
 " I mean to talk to Miss Dale first," said Mr. 
 Peyton-Call. 
 
 Without understanding why, I realized that 
 there was something at stake in this playful 
 contention between the two ; at least, when 
 Miss Fanton said to me with cordiality and 
 decision, " Miss Dale, I'll introduce you to 
 Rolfe," he added quickly and with a flashing 
 smile : " I'll do more, Miss Dale ; Fll represent 
 Rolfe to you." 
 
 I saw no reason for avoiding this lively com- 
 pany; the two interested and attracted me. 
 Miss Fanton's friendliness was certainly genuine, 
 her companion at least promised entertainment. 
 When they again urged me to join their party 
 I accepted the invitation. We went out to the 
 coach, where I met the group of gay and pleas- 
 ant people who were to drive with us. Miss 
 Fanton introduced me as Miss Dale, from New 
 York, and I let it go at that. Presently we 
 were off through the sunny streets of the town, 
 where the four-in-hand attracted great atten- 
 tion. It was a curious way, when I considered 
 it, for me to set out to reach my lowly cabin 
 home. 
 
 I sat on the front seat between Mr. Peyton- 
 Call, who drove, and a youthful Mrs. Call, whom 
 
 17 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 both he and Miss Fanton addressed as " Cousin." 
 Miss Fanton was next behind us and beside her 
 two facile and fluent young men who were, as 
 appeared, going as her guests to The Terraces. 
 She was already making herself highly agree- 
 able to them ; or, in plain truth, she flirted with 
 them alternately, showing an impartial vivacity 
 with each. It was hard to see why the two 
 were so good-humored with each other; but 
 when, in the course of the general badinage, I 
 learned that Miss Fanton was formally be- 
 trothed to Mr. Peyton-Call, and when I noted 
 that gentleman's indifference to his lady's co- 
 quetry, I began to understand that she was not 
 to be taken seriously. Mrs. Call, in fact, seemed 
 to enjoy the situation, and she was the chape- 
 ron of the party. I recast some of my own 
 views on what was suitable in general conver- 
 sation and thenceforth overheard what I could 
 not miss with mere amusement. 
 
 Mr. Peyton-Call's only concern seemed to be 
 that I might feel myself left out of this very 
 personal conversation, and he devoted himself 
 to calling my attention to points of interest 
 along the way. He talked well and with a be- 
 coming seriousness, so that my first impression 
 of his flippancy was somewhat effaced. Mean- 
 while we had left town and were traversing a 
 rich farming land with level fields and bloom- 
 ing orchards. 
 
 18 
 
Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 " Is Rolfe County as pretty as this ? " I asked. 
 Those behind us overheard my question. 
 
 " Rolfe is the only county in the State," cried 
 one. 
 
 " Hurrah for its hills and woods ! " cried 
 another. 
 
 " Hurrah for its sweet spring water! " 
 
 " Hurrah for its sweeter girls ! " 
 
 "Good! Good! Hear! Hear!" 
 
 " Three cheers for its horses ! " 
 
 " Draw the line at horses, please," said Mr. 
 Peyton - Call over his shoulder. " Granted 
 everything else ; but there never was a well- 
 bred horse in the county besides those I 
 brought there." 
 
 " Oh, go 'way from here, Don ! " protested 
 Miss Fanton. " Papa has beautiful horses. 
 Wait till my colts are trained." 
 
 " He got them, every one, from me," said Mr. 
 Peyton-Call, nonchalantly. 
 
 "Papa seems to have got everything from 
 you," suggested Miss Fanton, sarcastically. 
 
 " Well, somebody has," he returned. " It's 
 certain I haven't anything left." 
 
 His tone was light and the remark raised a 
 general laugh. 
 
 " To answer your question with impartiality, 
 Miss Dale," he continued to me, "no; Rolfe 
 is by no means as pretty as this. I am almost 
 glad we shall not get well into Rolfe till a chari- 
 
 19 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 table veil of darkness has fallen on its imper- 
 fections. To the Northern visitor it will pre- 
 sent a wretched aspect." 
 
 This was the second time I had been called 
 a Northern visitor and I resented it. 
 
 " What interests me," I said, " is not how it 
 will look to a visitor, but how it will look to 
 one returning home to stay." He looked at 
 me an instant with unconcealed surprise. 
 
 " That depends on how much of Rolfe re- 
 mains in you after your Northern education," 
 he said. " To one of us the conditions are 
 anything but wretched. There is probably 
 as fair an acreage of pleasure-ground in Rolfe 
 as there was in the Garden of Eden." 
 
 " Then it is all pleasure-ground," I said, laugh- 
 ing. 
 
 " Pretty nearly," he responded. " We live 
 merry, careless lives — and the Lord provideth. 
 You will understand that when you see your 
 brothers." 
 
 "You insist on this point, Mr. Peyton-Call; 
 and Miss Fanton warns me rather to consider 
 her father," I said, with amusement. " I don't 
 know which to trust." 
 
 " Colonel Fanton is not of Rolfe, originally," 
 he returned. " Of course we are proud to claim 
 a man of his remarkable capacity. He came 
 into the county a poor lad and he has amassed 
 a considerable fortune ; and since he married 
 
Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 into my father's family I suppose he is identified 
 with Rolfe as closely as an outsider ever can be. 
 We have another man of his stamp near the 
 court-house, a German who has gone into fruit- 
 culture with success, and ignores the Eden 
 round about him ; but when I generalize about 
 Rolfe people I mean those born in Rolfe." 
 
 "And has Colonel Fanton grown rich by 
 raising fruit ? " I asked. There was no partic- 
 ular motive behind my question. In a general 
 way I wanted to know the interests of the 
 region for my brothers' sake. 
 
 " No, his speculations have been in lumber," 
 returned Mr. Peyton-Call, with a slight change 
 of his voice. 
 
 " Then that is another resource ! You led 
 me to think there was only farming." 
 
 " The lumber business of the county is done 
 for, absolutely," he assured me with some em- 
 phasis. " Even Colonel Fanton will tell you 
 that. He is devoting himself to farming now. 
 It is too bad you have come so late, Miss Dale. 
 You won't find anything to interest yourself 
 in." 
 
 I was a little puzzled. I cared nothing about 
 the county at large. I was going home. What 
 he meant, however, was presently made more 
 plain. 
 
 " What is still more discouraging to the 
 missionaries that occasionally stray among us 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 is our absolute self satisfaction," he continued, 
 with a smile. 
 
 I saw no way of repudiating the covert accu- 
 sation here, and I let- it go. How could I tell 
 this stranger my reason for particularly detest- 
 ing the r61e he assigned me ? If I told him 
 my whole story he might doubt the truth of 
 it. From a worldly point of view my action 
 in renouncing Mrs. Reman's entire legacy was 
 scarcely sane. No one could judge the act 
 who did not know the motives. One had to 
 understand the loneliness and weariness of the 
 life my foster-mother had meant for me, one 
 had to know my secretly non^ bed love of my 
 childhood's home to und .id me at all. So, 
 while I felt I was in a fai__ position with these 
 people, I took it as part of my old false life. It 
 would appear in due time to all whom it con- 
 cerned that I was poor, dependent on my fam- 
 ily, and come home with single purpose to find 
 a life of peace and affection. 
 
 As we had left town before noon I wondered 
 why we were not to cover the thirty miles to 
 Rolfe before nightfall. I had not reckoned on 
 the delay for dinner. At about three o'clock 
 we left the main road to enter a long, shaded 
 lane which led up toward an old square brick 
 house behind a locust-planted lawn. 
 
 " We're taking you to the Whittacres, Miss 
 Dale," my hostess, Miss Fanton, explained to 
 
Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 me. " Most of this party -ren't going any 
 farther. Fact is, Indian Hill is most too fas- 
 cinating. It's hard to get away from here, as 
 you'll understand when I tell you it's Mrs. 
 Call's home." 
 
 " We'll just try your pretty words, Virgie," 
 returned Mrs. Call, amiably. " Page charged 
 me in her letter to warn you-all you'd be 
 obliged to spend the night with us." 
 
 " Indeed, we've no idea in the world of 
 spending the night," said Miss Fanton. " Page 
 is crazy ! It's bad enough, I declare, to come 
 down on her for dinner with all this crowd." 
 
 " Why, the idea of such a thing ! " cried 
 Mrs. Call. " Who ey^a heard of a crowd too 
 big for Indian Hill „,?.? They are just putting 
 on airs before you, Miss Dale. Many's the 
 time they have filled the house so full with- 
 out a day's warning that they've had to sleep 
 on pallets and been half starved for lack of 
 food." 
 
 " Come, Cousin Fanny, don't give Miss Dale 
 an entirely wrong idea about your house," 
 cried Miss Fanton. " They always have so 
 many good things up here, Miss Dale, that 
 when they're not expecting company they 
 evermore waylay folks on the high-road and 
 drag them in to help eat everything up. 
 That's the one reason we are stopping there 
 to-day. It's just to take pity on them." 
 
 23 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 By this time we had swept up to the front 
 in fine style, horns blowing, everyone hallooing 
 merrily. Out came the Whittacres, some half 
 dozen strong, all with delighted cries of wel- 
 come. Mrs. Call was swung down by her 
 husband as soon as the coach stopped and be- 
 stormed by her children. Miss Fanton and I 
 were helped down and she forthwith began to 
 introduce me. 
 
 " Page, this is Miss Dale, who is going down 
 to Rolfe to be my nearest neighbor; Miss 
 Whittacre, Miss Dale. — Miss Dale, let me pre- 
 sent my cousin, Mr. Call. — Mrs. Whittacre, 
 this is a new neighbor of mine. I've brought 
 her here first thing so that she shall get the 
 best possible impression of this country. — 
 Judge Whittacre, here is a young lady from 
 New York who is going down to Rolfe. I'll 
 let you talk with her only if you promise not to 
 poison her mind against our county. You can't 
 think, Miss Dale, what insufferable airs of su- 
 periority these people up here sometimes put 
 on." 
 
 "We'll simply lay the facts about the two 
 counties before you, Miss Dale, and leave it to 
 your own judgment to decide whether it is 
 best to stay here with us or go on down into 
 those desolate backwoods of Rolfe," said the 
 old gentleman, teasingly. 
 
 "Well, Miss Dale must stay here for the 
 24 
 
Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 night anyway," said Mrs. Whittacre, pleas- 
 antly. " Before to-morrow she will have heard 
 so much about Rolfe she won't need to go 
 there." 
 
 " Yes, you-all must stay overnight," cried 
 Miss Whittacre. "Don, oh, Donald ! The boys 
 will tend to those horses. You-all come in to 
 dinner at once." 
 
 " That is the way they always treat you 
 here," said Miss Fanton as we were led up-stairs 
 to refresh ourselves. " It's pleasant enough 
 when you arrive, but when time comes to go 
 on it's a battle. Most likely they'll form a ring 
 this evening and we'll have to break through 
 to get away at all." 
 
 The house was characteristically big and 
 airy, plainly and shabbily furnished in the bed- 
 room where we went, but festively clean and 
 ordered. A colored woman who brought us 
 water was greeted pleasantly by Miss Fanton 
 and questioned about her children, who had 
 been ill. The more I saw of this vivacious 
 young lady the more I was charmed by her 
 manners. She seemed intent only upon enjoy- 
 ing herself and yet forgot no one about her. 
 As we dressed, however, she had a few words 
 with Mrs. Call that threw a less agreeable light 
 on her character. 
 
 " I certainly have enjoyed coming down with 
 you-all," said Mrs. Call. " Travelling in a coach 
 
 25 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 like that makes the trip to New Rome seem 
 right short." 
 
 " I'm trying to get all the fun I can out of 
 the coach, for Donald can't afford to keep it 
 and I reckon it will go this summer," returned 
 Miss Fanton. She was standing near her cous- 
 in ; there was no lowering of her voice as she 
 continued, serenely : " Iwonder he didn't gam- 
 ble the horses away this trip and make us all 
 walk home. Perhaps he did, and then bor- 
 rowed them for the drive. That would be 
 quite in character." 
 
 " Virgie ! " protested Mrs. Call ; " you are 
 always saying such things about poor Donald." 
 
 " It's the truth," declared Miss Fanton, em- 
 phatically. 
 
 I felt that I might have been excluded from 
 this little family communion ; Miss Fanton per- 
 haps divined my feeling. 
 
 " It's a shocking thing, but it's no secret, 
 Miss Dale," she said, sweetly. " I'm engaged 
 to the most no-'count man in Rolfe. I mean to 
 reform him when I get time." 
 
 " I trust you will get time," said I. 
 
 " Oh, yes, it doesn't take long. I've reformed 
 a many," she answered with a careless air. 
 
 " Make them quit gambling and drive them 
 to drink ; that's Virgie's programme of reform," 
 declared Mrs. Call, whereat the girl laughed 
 with serene amusement. 
 
 26 
 
Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 A few minutes later we were ushered down 
 to dinner. It was the first time I had ever sat 
 at a loaded, crowded Southern table and seen 
 the true joys of entertaining. The medley of 
 food and the crowded service was little to my 
 taste, but the people were delightful. Each 
 one helped another gracefully ; there was much 
 animated talk and laughter. A number of bare- 
 foot children who came swarming in from out- 
 of-doors to make known their wants at the table 
 without restraint brought confusion to the first 
 part of the meal ; but they finished their dinner 
 hurriedly and were off again to play after stip- 
 ulating that their dessert should be saved for 
 them. The grown people lingered a long while 
 at the table ; the dining-room was cool, there 
 was an unfailing supply of iced tea. Presently 
 we were asked to hold up our glasses, the serv- 
 ing-woman removed the cloth, and we sat about 
 the finely polished dark mahogany awhile 
 longer, everyone socially disposed. There was 
 rather more raillery of the young people in re- 
 gard to their supposed affairs of the heart than 
 seemed to me good form ; but, allowing for 
 their different point of view in this one matter, 
 I found them the pleasantest people I had ever 
 chanced among. I suffered not a moment's 
 neglect myself ; and I heard amid the family 
 talk much that interested me. 
 
 " Your rye looks well, Judge," said one of 
 27 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 our party who looked out of the window 
 across the level fields. 
 
 " Since Gordon brought this lady home," said 
 the old gentleman, indicating one of his daugh- 
 ters-in-law, " he's become a great farmer. We 
 shall soon hear of your turning industrious, eh, 
 Donald ? " turning to Mr. Peyton-Call. " I hear 
 Caxton isn't doing you much credit." 
 
 " The place is all run down," answered the 
 younger man in a tone of cool regret. " There 
 isn't a good road or fence on the estate, and the 
 tenants are ruining the land." 
 
 Some laughed a little at his unconcern, others 
 looked grave. 
 
 " It's a shame, Donald," said Mrs. Whittacre, 
 her reproof sweetened by great gentleness. 
 " Caxton is the finest place in Rolfe ! " 
 
 " I often wish, ma'am, I could get time to fix 
 it up a little," he returned in a respectful tone, 
 and the whole company broke into laugh- 
 ter. 
 
 "And the house, Donald," protested Mrs. 
 Whittacre, more severely. " Do you keep it in 
 repair ? " 
 
 " Mrs. Whittacre," he returned with a touch 
 of seriousness, " while I live, the house my 
 mother lived in and cared for and furnished, 
 shall not fall into ruin. I invite you-all to visit 
 me and inspect my premises. Even my shift- 
 lessness has its limits." 
 
 28 
 
Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 "Good for you, Don! You're all right!" 
 cried Mr. George Call. " You take care of 
 Caxton and the land won't run away. And as 
 soon as Colonel Fanton is you're father-in-law 
 he'll start you up out of your lazy ways and 
 make a farmer of you." 
 
 " I am waiting for that,' ' he said, looking at 
 his betrothed across the table, " with great im- 
 patience." 
 
 She tossed her head as the eyes of all were 
 turned upon her. 
 
 " I reckon you're not fretting yourself into a 
 fever, Don," she suggested, coolly. 
 
 " I'm opposed to long engagements," re- 
 marked the gentle Mrs. Whittacre. 
 
 " So am I," put in Mr. Peyton-Call, promptly. 
 
 " So am I," cried Miss Fanton. " Let's break 
 it off." 
 
 " That's a good idea," exclaimed Mr. Keith. 
 
 " Excellent ! " piped up the other of Miss 
 Fanton's guests. 
 
 .Mr. Peyton-Call's face remained composed, 
 and whatever there was disagreeable in the 
 words that had passed was once more swept 
 away in general laughter. 
 
 "What must you think of us?" said Miss 
 Whittacre to me with a little anxiety. " But 
 everyone down here isn't frivolous, Miss Dale. 
 It's only the people from that dreadful Rolfe. 
 You had better reconsider going there." 
 
 29 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Mr. Call had not dropped his subject. He 
 presently began again. 
 
 " Colonel Fanton can build your mill up, 
 Donald, and put you in as miller." 
 
 " That would be a good idea," assented Mr. 
 Peyton-Call, carelessly. 
 
 " I won't have the mill rebuilt," objected Miss 
 Fanton. " Not even to give Donald a respect- 
 able occupation. That big rock down there is 
 my picnic-ground ! " 
 
 " But if I were the miller down there every 
 day would be a picnic," suggested Mr. Peyton- 
 Call. 
 
 " Every day that we saw you work would be 
 a circus," she replied. 
 
 " There is no use rebuilding the mill, there's 
 no water-power," put in Judge Whittacre. 
 " It's a strange thing, the way that has given out 
 since the war. Peyton Branch never used to 
 run dry in your father's time, Donald." 
 
 " I reckon it's just my bad management," he 
 suggested, ironically. 
 
 " It's your bad luck, Donald. You're hoo- 
 dooed," said Miss Fanton. 
 
 " Virgie, I consider myself the most fortu- 
 nate man alive," he replied, with a slight bow 
 toward her. 
 
 " You're right you are ! " exclaimed Mr. 
 Keith. 
 
 " Dead right! " groaned the other young man. 
 30 
 
Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 " Oh, hush your foolishness, all of you," Miss 
 Fanton recommended. 
 
 " I don't believe there's any luck about it," 
 said Mr. Call, still sticking to his subject. " I 
 was talking just the other day with a gentle- 
 man I met in New Rome, who is studying all 
 about the forests of this country. He's a for- 
 eigner of some sort and he stays down in 
 Rolfe. You ought to know him, Don. He's 
 got a title as long as your arm. Isn't he stay- 
 ing with those German people east of you ? " 
 
 " I'm not on very good terms with those 
 German people east of me, and haven't had a 
 chance to meet their guest," returned Mr. Pey- 
 ton-Call. "I mean to call on him, however. 
 He's an interesting man, they say." 
 
 " What's the matter between you and the 
 German, Donald ? " inquired Mr. Call. 
 
 " Nothing personal. We are opposed in 
 matters of public administration." 
 
 " These confounded foreigners want to run 
 everything," remarked Judge Whittacre. 
 " What does he want, Don?" 
 
 " Roads, bridges, schools, all sorts of luxu- 
 ries," returned Mr. Peyton-Call, and as I looked 
 at him with amused interest I caught a half- 
 challenging glance from him. Was the bit of 
 irony for the benefit of the Northern visitor ? 
 
 " And this professor, or whatever he is, who 
 is staying with the German, he's chuck full of 
 
 31 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 reform ideas himself," added Mr. Call. " He 
 was telling me about restoring your water- 
 power, Donald " 
 
 " By the way, George, I've found a dog for 
 you." Peyton-Call cut him off in the midst of 
 his sentence, " a thoroughbred Gordon setter. 
 If you'll stop at Caxton the next time you 
 ride down, I'll show him to you. You'd bet- 
 ter let me train him with mine." 
 
 " Now isn't that triflin* of Donald ? " de- 
 manded Miss Fanton, " to begin to talk about 
 dogs just when he might have learnt of some- 
 thing to his own advantage." 
 
 " I was afraid it might be to your disadvant- 
 age, Virgie," he returned. " You don't want 
 your picnic-ground destroyed for any consider- 
 ation." And he continued to tell Mr. Call 
 about the dog. 
 
 " You're evermore unjust to Donald, Virgie," 
 I heard Miss Whittacre protest as we all arose 
 from the table. " You accuse him any time of 
 being trifling — and yet you say you like it." 
 
 " I certainly do," she declared. " I can't 
 bear for a man to have anything to do but to 
 wait on me." 
 
 We left the hospitable roof of Indian Hill 
 about four o'clock in the afternoon, not without 
 the altercations with our entertainers that Miss 
 Fanton had predicted. Only five remained of 
 the large party of the morning. 
 
 32 
 
Representatives of Rolfe 
 
 " The sun is low ; let your horses travel, 
 Don," cried Miss Fanton from behind ; " that 
 is, if they are your horses." 
 
 " Please don't let that worry you," he begged, 
 in courteous tone. 
 
 " Indeed, I couldn't afford to," she returned, 
 maliciously, and her two friends laughed with 
 perfect understanding of the situation. 
 
 Whether his own or borrowed horses, Mr. 
 Peyton-Call laid the whip on their sleek backs 
 and we went along at a good pace. The con- 
 versation behind us was in full flow immedi- 
 ately. I marvelled that Miss Fanton had not 
 wearied yet ; but no, she kept the men up to 
 the mark with a thousand whims and chal- 
 lenges. Now she was in a pet because an op- 
 portunity for a compliment had been missed, 
 now in another because one was forced. She 
 lured them on to say daring things and squelched 
 them when they dared. It was coquetry un- 
 ashamed from first to last. Mr. Peyton-Call 
 was silent awhile ; I took for granted that he 
 was giving ear to all his lady said and quailing 
 under it. When, therefore, he resumed some 
 subject of our morning's conversation I was 
 rather surprised by his perfectly cheerful tone. 
 Certainly, this gentleman of Rolfe was no ordi- 
 nary man, whatever his faults. 
 
 I thought it would not be fair to him to put 
 a strain on his good-breeding by asking him 
 
 33 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 too much about my brothers, and I suppressed 
 a hundred eager questions. For all I knew, 
 this member of the aristocracy, for all his affa- 
 ble ways, might be secretly conscious of a tre- 
 mendous condescension toward me. I be- 
 lieved I had reached a section where money 
 had not the force to break down social bar- 
 riers ; and as for me, it would shortly appear 
 to all that I had not even money. 
 
 So I talked with Mr. Peyton-Call on indif- 
 ferent subjects and found him an agreeable com- 
 panion. He seemed to me to be exactly suited 
 to his lively little fiancie — quite as careless and 
 frivolous as she, and if not with the same sub- 
 stratum of cordial good- will, still with the habit 
 of great amiability. 
 
 The sun was low when we descended into 
 the twilight of a little glen and plashed 
 through a stream that crossed the road ; imme- 
 diately those behind us raised a cheer for 
 Rolfe, and I knew we had crossed the county 
 line. 
 
 34 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 THE LIGHT OF MY HOME 
 
 " How far are we from the court-house 
 now ? " I asked, looking about me with interest, 
 though, in truth, there was no great difference 
 in the appearance of the darkening country. 
 
 " About eight miles," returned Mr. Peyton- 
 Call. " But the driving from here on is so bad 
 that we can't make very good time. The state 
 of the road will be the best index to you of our 
 progress and our thrift." 
 
 " What's that sassy thing you are saying, 
 Don ? " cried Miss Fanton, for in the lull after 
 the cheering our words had been overheard. 
 " I've told you to mind how you talk to Miss 
 Dale about Rolfe." 
 
 " He's only about half a Rolfe County man 
 himself, Miss Dale, and can't appreciate our 
 noble carelessness of appearances," put in her 
 companion, Mr. Bruce. 
 
 " He likes the North better than down here, 
 anyhow, and only stays at home about one 
 year out of three," added Mr. Keith, scath- 
 ingly. 
 
 " Go 'way from here, Bob," retorted Mr. 
 
 35 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 * 
 
 Peyton-Call, disdainfully ; which words seemed 
 to express his whole repudiation of the charge. 
 In truth, his accent and expressions were more 
 Southern when he talked with his friends than 
 when he spoke to me. 
 
 " Now we all from New Rome stay here as 
 much as we can, and we hope to come here 
 when we die if we are good," declared Mr. 
 Bruce. 
 
 " That's the way to talk," said Miss Fanton. 
 " I can't bear for people to put on airs and 
 criticise their own home, especially when they 
 don't do a thing in the world to improve it." 
 
 " If that is meant for me it is flaring injus- 
 tice," retorted Mr. Peyton-Call. " I have long 
 run a free stage-line for the good of the county, 
 and am thus its only connecting link with the 
 outer world of civilization." 
 
 This revived the merriment once more, and 
 the three fell back to their absorbing word en- 
 gagements. 
 
 The country really grew more sparsely set- 
 tled. Long stretches of forest alternated with 
 small clearings until we reached the water-shed 
 of the Tannegee, the only stream of any size 
 we crossed. It was just after sunset when we 
 reached the broad valley suffused with a magic 
 light from the western sky. The northern slope 
 which we descended was gently undulating and 
 dotted with farms whose white and gray build- 
 36 
 
The Light of My Home 
 
 ings glowed rose-red in the sunset light. A 
 fair road wound eastward down into the valley- 
 bottoms, and I was hoping our course lay 
 there ; but we kept along the turn-pike, which 
 led southward with uncompromising straight- 
 ness across the flats. The Tannegee — a wild, 
 swift little river, which cuts along the steep 
 and densely wooded southern slope of the val- 
 ley — we crossed by a wooden bridge. Then 
 came a long, straight hill, so steep that I won- 
 dered how people dared drive down or how 
 horses would consent to draw their loads up it 
 at all. On each side were dangerous gullies ; 
 dense forests arose at either hand, framing a 
 narrow section of the valley to the view be- 
 hind and a wedge of the sky in front, where it 
 marked the top of the hill. 
 
 " The Tannegee Valley people compare this 
 hill to the straight and narrow way that lead- 
 eth unto heaven," observed Mr. Peyton-Call. 
 " The plateau to which we are climbing is the 
 true Rolfe of which we have been telling you. 
 These poor, miserable people who can't live on 
 the heights are in Rolfe but not of Rolfe. How 
 we pity and despise them ! " 
 
 " And they are making you-all lots of trouble, 
 too, I hear," called Mr. Keith. " Don't they 
 fuss to have the court-house moved nearer the 
 centre of population ? " 
 
 " Tell them I am the centre of population," 
 37 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 proposed Miss Fanton. " Besides, it's all fool- 
 ishness to talk about moving the court-house. 
 You can't move a brick building. It would all 
 tumble to pieces. They ought to have thought 
 about moving it before the war, when it was 
 built of wood." 
 
 "Before the war the plateau was more 
 thickly settled than the valley," Mr. Peyton- 
 Call explained to me, after the men's laugh had 
 subsided. " You see the valley lands are suited 
 for truck-farming, and have been occupied re- 
 cently. Before the war the plateau planters 
 raised cotton and tobacco ; but that hasn't paid 
 since we lost our servants, and most of the land 
 is ' thrown out.' We shall presently pass ' Fair 
 Hill,' one of the old deserted places, and there 
 you can get an outlook." 
 
 It had grown so dark, however, before we 
 reached the height, that I could see little more 
 than the general configuration of the land. 
 Behind us, the valley of the Tannegee was 
 marked by the lights of its north-slope settle- 
 ments. To our left the woodland was still un- 
 broken; to our right we looked across the 
 abandoned fields of " Fair Hill," the old plan- 
 tation already growing up in scrub-pine. The 
 deserted house stood behind its shade-trees, 
 white and hollow and still. Beyond it the 
 fields sank away to the west, a half mile or 
 more, to the edge of a forest. 
 
 38 
 
The Light of My Home 
 
 " Peyton Branch runs over there," said my 
 companion, pointing westward with his whip. 
 " It is the stream that borders your brother's 
 farm, and the little spring that you remember 
 is its tributary." 
 
 " That is the mill-stream you were discussing 
 to-day ? " I inquired. 
 
 " Mill? There is no mill on it," he returned 
 with an air of surprise. " Oh, you mean the 
 ruined mill? That was destroyed long ago. 
 Yes, the road from the court-house to New 
 Rome used to run down along the branch, and 
 of course the grading was far better than it is 
 here. But when they built the new bridge, 
 where we have just crossed, they chose to put 
 it down here where the river is a little nar- 
 rower. To our enlightened county engineer it 
 seemed to be an economy, and we shall be 
 practically cut off from the world by this steep 
 hill forever and a day. I believe the old fellow 
 foresaw what a fine, exclusive spirit the next 
 generation would develop in Rolfe, and built 
 bridge and road to fit it. " 
 
 " It may be just the other way; he built with- 
 out thought, and the spirit developed to fit the 
 road and bridge." 
 
 " I trust, Miss Dale, that you are not scien- 
 tific," he said, suspiciously. " We are pretty 
 hospitable down here, but we have to draw the 
 line somewhere." 
 
 39 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 "I'm not," I assured him laughing. "But 
 hasn't the serpent already entered? I heard 
 of a scientist, a foreigner, a forester, isn't it, 
 who is already among you ? " 
 
 " Oh, yes. The ' Professor,' as we say in the 
 provinces. He has kept very quiet, so far. 
 But he is installed in the enemy's camp. We 
 shall be on the lookout for his reforms and nip 
 them in the bud." 
 
 " Even if he and his enterprising German 
 host should favor rebuilding the old bridge at 
 the mouth of the branch, and avoiding this 
 grade ? " 
 
 " Indeed, they would have trouble with me. 
 I believe I own pretty nearly the whole Pey- 
 ton Branch valley from the court-house to the 
 river." 
 
 " I wonder at you ! An owner of horses ! 
 And you admit that the road is abomina- 
 ble." 
 
 " I cordially admit it," he returned, laughing. 
 " But the thing is a question of taxes. I own 
 literally square miles of land in this county and 
 scarcely an acre of it profitable. Every im- 
 provement is an added burden of taxation. If 
 the reformers once get the best of me in the 
 county I may as well stare ruin in the face." 
 
 He spoke with an air of perfect indifference, 
 as if the prospect he depicted rather amused 
 him; and as I already knew that his future 
 40 
 
The Light of My Home 
 
 father-in-law was rich, I felt no particular sym- 
 pathy for the hard-pressed landholder. 
 
 " Rolfe suffered during the war ? " I asked. 
 " I have heard that the court-house was burned. 
 And was the old bridge destroyed at that 
 time ? " 
 
 " No, the bridge went in a freshet that came 
 since the war," he replied, speaking a little 
 more rapidly than seemed natural in him ; as if 
 he disliked the subject. " Peyton Branch is a 
 most unreliable stream, Miss Dale. Just now 
 it is a sweet and gurgling brook ; earlier in the 
 spring it was a torrent, yellow with mud from 
 the plateau ; this summer it will run nearly 
 dry. It has a little of the character of the 
 Rolfe people. We are now amiable, now reck- 
 less, and now and then surprisingly dry." 
 
 Just then we overtook a team of which the 
 driver led fairly into the ditch to let us pass. 
 
 " I believe that's your man from the livery 
 stable, Miss Dale," cried my hostess. " Stop, 
 Donald, I want to speak to him. Is that Mr. 
 Hank's mule-team from New Rome ? " she called 
 back to the man. 
 
 " Yass'm, dat's who 'tis ; Fse got de lady's 
 t'ings ! " called back the negro driver. 
 
 "And we've got the lady," returned Miss 
 Fanton, pleasantly. " Do you reckon you can 
 find your way to The Terraces ? " 
 
 "Yass'm, dat I kin," he returned emphati- 
 4i 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 cally. " I used to stay down dar. Don' you 
 know me, Miss Virgie? Dis yere's Jake 
 Forbes." 
 
 " Why of course I know you, Jake ; knew you 
 the minute you spoke," cried Miss Fanton, cor- 
 dially. Her own accent had softened and 
 broadened like to that of his own race. " How 
 come you left down here ? How's Lucy and 
 the little gals ? " 
 
 " Dey's toleble, thank Gawd ! Lucy, she 
 'lows she's gwine t' come back down yere fust 
 chance she gits. She don't simulate with dem 
 town niggers ve'y much." 
 
 " I don't blame her. I don't simulate with 
 them myself," returned Miss Fanton, with per- 
 fect gravity of tone. " How you comin' on 
 yourself, Jake ? " 
 
 " Pohly, thank Gawd ! I ain't got over the 
 rheumatics yet. De doctor up yander in New 
 Rome 'lows I'se gittin' better, but I ain't seed 
 it comin'." 
 
 " You ought to come to me," said Miss Fan- 
 ton. " I know a heap better how to doctor 
 you-all colored people than those town doctors, 
 and I don't charge you-all nothing, you know." 
 
 " Yass'm, dat's de truth ! I reckon I'll have 
 to reply to yo' fo' some medicine, Miss Vir- 
 gie. How's yo' pa, ma'am ? " 
 
 " He's well, Jake. What do you hear from 
 Sam?" 
 
 42 
 
The Light of My Home 
 
 " Really, Virgie," protested Mr. Peyton-Call 
 in humble tones, " Jake's family connection ■ is 
 large, and the spring nights are short " 
 
 " If you-all can't wait till I have a few words 
 with an old friend, just drop me right here, 
 and I'll come along with Jake," she retorted, 
 saucily. " All right, Jake," she called to the 
 negro. " Make haste and bring those things on 
 to The Terraces, and make Aunt Glory put you 
 up somewhere for the night." 
 
 " But, Miss Fanton, I am not going to The 
 Terraces, and I really want my things," I vent- 
 ured to protest. 
 
 " Mercy me, Miss Dale ! You'll surely stay 
 with me to-night ! " she exclaimed, with sincere 
 surprise. " The Terraces is the nearest, and it's 
 nearly supper-time. Besides, I have been look- 
 ing forward to seeing more of you." 
 
 I had no idea of presuming upon this hospi- 
 tality. " You are very kind, but 1 must go 
 on," I said, firmly. " How much farther is it, 
 Mr. Peyton-Call?" 
 
 " Only about two miles," he returned, " and I 
 am entirely at your service, Miss Dale ; but I 
 advise you to stay with my cousin ; the hotel at 
 the CourtHouse is anything but luxurious " 
 
 " Hotel ! " I said with surprise. " I mean 
 to go home." 
 
 An awed silence fell on the party at this dec- 
 laration. I was mortified to learn how thor- 
 
 43 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 oughly I had misled these people. They took 
 me for a Lady Bountiful who was making a 
 flying visit, with " charity " in view. 
 
 " My brothers would be surprised indeed if I 
 didn't come straight to them," I declared with 
 firm faith, " since I have come home to Rolfe 
 to live with them altogether." 
 
 " You are quite right, Miss Dale ; it would 
 hurt Bud greatly if you went to the hotel," 
 said Mr. Peyton-Call, quickly and cordially. 
 "But he would see nothing strange in your 
 stopping with Miss Fanton for the night. You 
 will really put your brothers out by coming un- 
 announced. They keep bachelors' hall, you 
 know, and, to be plain, they live more roughly 
 than you have any idea of. They couldn't make 
 you comfortable at all." 
 
 So it appeared that Mr. Peyton-Call could be 
 straightforward after all. 
 
 " I have actually lived that same rough life 
 and remember it perfectly," I answered him. 
 " There in the wagon I have every necessity. 
 I could make myself comfortable in a hollow 
 tree. Indeed, I must go home." 
 
 Miss Fanton still protested. If I spent but 
 this one night with her, she would send me over 
 to my brothers in her carriage " soon " the next 
 morning. 
 
 " To speak frankly, Miss Fanton, I can't 
 wait," I told her with a little laugh that did 
 
 44 
 
The Light of My Home 
 
 not hide the tremor in my voice. " I have been 
 homesick for seventeen years." 
 
 Mr. Peyton-Call turned suddenly toward me ; 
 in the fast-gathering darkness I could not read 
 his face and he did not speak. Miss Fanton 
 laid both her hands caressingly on my arm, 
 which was on the back of the seat, as I was 
 turned to speak to her. 
 
 " You shall go home," she declared, warmly. 
 " I shall see you home myself." 
 
 She called to Jake to follow and bade Mr. 
 Peyton-Call drive on past the entrance to The 
 Terraces. 
 
 The party was very quiet after that. Miss 
 Fanton talked in a murmuring tone to the men 
 beside her, Mr. Peyton-Call silently attended to 
 his driving; indeed, the lurching coach was 
 eloquent of dangerous wash-outs in the road. 
 Having no distractions from my thoughts I 
 found them momently more feverishly expect- 
 ant. At the end I was startled at my compan- 
 ion's quiet announcement. 
 
 " There is the light of your home, Miss Dale," 
 he said, and he pointed away to the right where 
 a light glimmered among trees. "And your 
 brothers are in." 
 
 " Don't drive to the house. I want to walk 
 up," I said, and he presently drew rein on the 
 high-road where an opening in the low rail 
 
 45 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 fence and a dimly seen way across the field 
 toward the light bespoke the entrance to my 
 brothers' place. 
 
 The party was dumb now, as though my per- 
 formance were an awe-inspiring ceremony. 
 The colored boy from behind came to the 
 horses' heads, and Mr. Peyton-Call descended 
 and helped me down. 
 
 "Give me your hand too, Don, I want to 
 speak to Miss Dale," cried Miss Fanton. She 
 sprang to the ground, took my arm, and led me 
 a step one side. 
 
 " Promise to come to me if you're in any dif- 
 ficulty," she said with sweet earnestness; and 
 then to my surprise she kissed me. " I'm com- 
 ing to see you in the morning," she whispered. 
 I could not speak, but gratefully pressed her 
 hand. I then bade good-night to Mr. Keith 
 and Mr. Bruce, who had descended with their 
 hostess from the coach, and was about to give 
 my hand to Mr. Peyton-Call. 
 
 " Oh, I go with you," he said, quickly. 
 
 " Yes, Don goes with you," cried Miss Fan- 
 ton, assisted to her seat again. " We'll wait here 
 to make sure there's no chance of getting you 
 back before we leave you. And we'll send 
 along Jake when he gets here with the things. 
 Good-night ! " 
 
 As I passed up the indistinct road toward 
 the house behind the trees, I could not conceal 
 46 
 
The Light of My Home 
 
 my agitation from Mr. Peyton-Call. He made 
 several remarks to which I found myself un- 
 able to reply. 
 
 As we neared the cabin I heard men's voices 
 in quiet conversation. My heart beat stormily 
 and I paused to recover myself. 
 
 " Does your courage fail you ? " asked my com- 
 panion, softly. I could not answer, but hurried 
 forward again till we were under the great oaks. 
 They stood just as I had remembered them, close 
 before the cabin — or rather the " double-pen " 
 log-house, two cabins under one roof with an 
 open porch between. The light came from the 
 room on the right and thence issued the voices. 
 Again I paused uncertainly. 
 
 " They are at supper, I think," said Mr. Pey- 
 ton-Call, and, indeed, there was a fragrance of 
 roasted meat in the air. " Suppose you look in 
 at them through the window before you decide 
 what you will do." 
 
 By this time I was in a panic and glad of any 
 pretext to gain a few minutes in which to calm 
 myself. Quietly I stepped to the window, which 
 was without sash and at which the board shut- 
 ter stood ajar. I had to raise myself on tiptoe 
 to peer in. 
 
 The interior was lit only by the wood fire on 
 the brick hearth. It threw a cheerful glow on 
 the log walls rudely chinked with hand-split 
 boards, where the guns and fishing tackle hung 
 
 47 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 with an unpremeditated decorative effect. On 
 the hearth some birds were broiling upon a 
 spit, and my three brothers lounged before it, 
 one on a chair, one on a bench, and the third 
 at full length upon the floor. They were long, 
 sinewy fellows, roughly dressed, and in their 
 attitudes most lazy and at ease. The fire-light 
 was on their faces, and eagerly I identified and 
 named each to myself. 
 
 The one on the chair was Bud, the eldest of 
 us all, handsome as ever, with his dark and deep- 
 set eyes, and his sweet and melancholy mouth. 
 To the boyish beauty as I remembered it there 
 was added a strength and brilliancy that star- 
 tled me. He held his head proudly, and his 
 pose in the tipped-back chair was cavalier. Be- 
 side him Lilbud, my second brother, did not 
 appear to advantage. His bearing was de- 
 pressed, and, though he had the same general 
 cast of features as Bud, the dulness of his ex- 
 pression made him insignificant. Archer, the 
 boy on the floor, showed an intelligent face, 
 harder and firmer than that of either of the el- 
 ders. He, too, was handsome in the lean and 
 nervous style. His face dimly recalled that of 
 my father, though I remembered the latter as 
 dull-eyed and sickly. Archer had a fine high 
 color. 
 
 " Those birds must be mighty nigh cooked. 
 Try them, Son," drawled Bud, in a peculiarly 
 
 4 3 
 
The Light of My Home 
 
 soft tone that struck my ears like a glad sur- 
 prise. We look to voices, really, as the main 
 index of the disposition ; and Bud's voice was 
 as rich and mellow as his coloring. 
 
 " Lilbud, you try them," suggested Archer, 
 not moving in his negligent posture on the 
 floor. 
 
 Lilbud arose slowly from his bench, and 
 tested the roast with his pocket-knife, Archer 
 watching him. 
 
 " They ain't nigh done," pronounced Archer, 
 and Lilbud returned to his seat without having 
 spoken. 
 
 " I'm mighty hungry," observed Bud, pleas- 
 antly. " Looks like I could eat them raw." 
 
 " I love my meat well and done," said Archer, 
 and inevitably conveyed by his tones that he 
 expected to find his preference respected. " I 
 reckon you all can wait a little longer." 
 
 " I reckon we can, Son," returned Bud, gently. 
 After a short pause he spoke again. " It seems 
 mighty lonesome without Mose, don't it? " 
 
 " It does that," assented Lilbud, softly. 
 
 " If ever I catch the nigger that poisoned 
 Mose, I'll kill him, sure," continued Bud in 
 quiet tones. " Things are coming to a pretty 
 pass if a gentleman can't keep a dog just be- 
 cause he steals the blamed nigger's eggs." 
 
 " Maybe it wa'n't a nigger that done it," sug- 
 gested Archer, with a faint smile. 
 
 49 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " It just naturally was a nigger," returned 
 Bud, imperturbably. 
 
 " I can get a pup of Jim Sweeney," proposed 
 Archer, " or you can ask Mr. Don for a dog, 
 or maybe we can*, trade Si Dickerson out of 
 Lee ; Lee's a good dog, though he's mighty 
 sorry looking." 
 
 " Let's have him, Son. Blame his looks," said 
 Bud. " We ain't much on style ourselves. 
 Lilbud, can't you go over after him in the 
 morning ? " 
 
 " I reckon I can go," said Lilbud ; " I reckon 
 it's goin' to rain so I can't plough." 
 
 I slipped away from the window and rejoined 
 Mr. Peyton-Call under the trees to bid him a 
 low good-night; he bowed over my hand in 
 silence and left me. The next minute I stood 
 in the room with my brothers. 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 THE HEAD OF THE HOUSE 
 
 They had all three sprung to their feet at my 
 sudden entrance ; Bud had his hand on his gun 
 before he fairly saw me. Now he let it slide 
 from his grasp in the paralysis of his amaze- 
 ment. They stared as upon an apparition. 
 
 " Brothers," I cried, deeply moved. " I am 
 your sister who was taken North, years ago." 
 
 They stirred uneasily ; Bud laid down his 
 gun and advanced toward me. 
 
 " Be you our sister?" he asked, with serious 
 eyes. " I knowed we had a sister and I knowed 
 she was taken away." 
 
 " I am she," I replied, earnestly. " I was a 
 little girl when I left home, but I remember 
 you all and your names. Don't you see I look 
 like Lilbud ? " 
 
 " She does, for a fact," exclaimed Archer ex- 
 citedly. " She favors all of us." 
 
 " I reckon you're right, Son." Bud gently 
 took my hand. "Well, Sister, if so you be, 
 seeing you have come back to your family and 
 your rightful home, I make you welcome," he 
 said with dignity. Thereupon he took me in 
 
 51 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 his arms and kissed me right heartily. The 
 caress surprised and unnerved me. I fell to 
 weeping against his shoulder, while he tenderly 
 laid his hand on my hair. 
 
 " There, there, Hon', don't cry," he comforted 
 me. " Step up, boys, and bid sister welcome." 
 
 Rather shyly my two younger brothers ad- 
 vanced and kissed me in their turn. 
 
 " We are mighty glad to see you," said 
 Archer, and Lilbud smiled, though he did not 
 speak. 
 
 "But we scarcely expected you to-night," 
 added Bud, apologetically, "and that's how 
 come we acted so surprised. I hate to think 
 we made you cry the first minute you come 
 home." 
 
 " I cry because I am so happy to see you 
 again," I assured him, and was able to return 
 their solicitous looks with a smile. They led 
 me to the fire, which Lilbud was ordered to 
 " chunk up," and surveyed me with flattering 
 interest. 
 
 " Well, sister, you're a mighty sweet-lookin' 
 girl if you was carried off by a Yankee," said 
 Bud, heartily. " What might your name 
 be?" 
 
 " Cassandra, like our mother's ; but you used 
 to call me Lil' Cassy." 
 
 " I recollect now," said Bud, with a delighted 
 smile. " Well, you sure were little-bit when 
 
 5» 
 
The Head of the House 
 
 you were took. I reckon Archer wasn't born 
 then." 
 
 " Oh, Bud, you have forgotten. Our mother 
 was dead before Mrs. Reman came and asked 
 for me from our father. Archer was big 
 enough to walk. I must have been five years 
 old and you must have been eight or nine." 
 
 " Our ages are mighty uncertain," observed 
 Bud. " Not bein' horses, I don't see no way 
 we can find them out. Pap, he never knew how 
 old we were. You know he is dead, Sister? " 
 
 " I had not expected to find him, Brother ; 
 I remember he was always sick." 
 
 " He was that," assented Bud. " He died 
 before Lilbud had his growth. I raised Son, 
 here, myself." He looked at our youngest 
 brother with evident pride. " Son has got an 
 education," he said, with quiet exultation. " I 
 had him to go to school." 
 
 " I am glad to hear that," said I. 
 
 " I reckon you have got an education your- 
 self, Sister Cassandra," said Archer, blushing. 
 " I reckon you know more than I do." 
 
 " I know a good deal," I returned, smiling. 
 " All the Yankees learn a good deal." 
 
 " Blamed if 1 don't think better of them than 
 I ever did before," cried Bud, genially. " It 
 looks like they have treated you fine. Your 
 dress is gallus, Sister ; and you're as rosy as a 
 young girl." 
 
 53 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " But I can't be over twenty-two or twenty- 
 three," I exclaimed, very much taken aback. 
 
 " Well, that's pretty old to keep your good 
 looks," said Bud, soberly. " But then the Dales 
 are just naturally handsome. I suppose you're 
 married, Sister ? " 
 
 He seemed surprised and disappointed at my 
 negative answer. 
 
 " Twenty-three and not married ! That 
 don't seem right now, does it ? " 
 
 I was rather puzzled to find his point of 
 view. 
 
 " You are none of you married," I suggested. 
 
 " No, we ain't had no call," he returned, seri- 
 ously. " But with a lady it's different." 
 
 " Well, Bud, she's been raised with the 
 Yankees," put in Archer, by way of excuse for 
 me. " You wouldn't have had her to marry a 
 Yankee." 
 
 " Son's that smart he always gets at the bot- 
 tom of things," cried Bud, admiringly. " No, 
 Sister, I'm mighty glad you waited till you got 
 home." 
 
 "I expect you to take care of me," I said, 
 rather plaintively. 
 
 " Of course we will," said Bud, with great 
 benevolence. " And we'll find you a husband 
 and take care of him, too, if there's a man in 
 the county that has got style enough for you. 
 I reckon I know what's due to kinfolks. Make 
 
 54 
 
The Head of the House 
 
 haste, boys, and get Sister Cassandra some 
 supper." 
 
 They went at it with great good-will, and as 
 I watched them move about the room the tears 
 came to my eyes once more — tears of relief and 
 gratitude. \The feeling of kinship,jthe loyalty 
 to family had triumphed over any mistrust and 
 dismay that my sudden descent should have 
 aroused in these poor boys. How unreal my 
 anxiety of the past appeared, how unfounded 
 my whole terror of a half hour ago ! It was 
 not in my hands to establish this or that relation 
 artificially — I had stepped without one obstacle 
 into my own place. 
 
 The preparations for supper were extremely 
 simple. An iron spider beside the hearth, the 
 only cooking utensil in evidence, was not even 
 in use ; Lilbud raked an ash-cake from under 
 the coals, and served the birds from the spit 
 upon a tin plate. Archer brought forth a jug 
 of cider and a single mug. The ash-cake, 
 peeled of its manifold wrappings of hickory 
 leaves, the plate with the roast, the jug, and the 
 mug were placed on the bare table, and I was 
 invited to supper. Bud placed the single chair 
 for me, he and Lilbud shared the bench, and 
 our youngest brother sat upon an inverted 
 nail-keg. 
 
 " We ain't fixed up for ladies, and that's the 
 truth," said Bud, with unconcealed mortifica- 
 
 55 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 tion, as he did the honors of the table. " We 
 ain't even got forks on the table. Son, where 
 are the forks?" 
 
 There was something suspiciously airy in the 
 way he put the question, and Archer seemed 
 embarrassed for a reply. 
 
 " But we can eat these nice little birds better 
 with our fingers, can't we ? " said I. 
 
 "And we ought to have some glasses," Bud 
 continued, with mild indignation, looking from 
 one to the other of his brothers. " Boys, have 
 you-all smashed everyone of them glasses I 
 bought Christmas? You'll have to make out 
 with the mug, Sister. I know you ain't used 
 to any such poh-white style of eating as this." 
 
 He was delightful with his fastidious airs 
 and sincere solicitude. I could scarcely turn 
 my eyes from his handsome, animated face. His 
 magnificent bearing made a feast of the meal, 
 as he towered beside Lilbud, who was more 
 slightly built and bent to the table. Even 
 Archer, who was straight as an Indian, was 
 put in the background by Bud's superior 
 grace. For the rest, all three had excellent 
 table manners ; for, besides their quick attend- 
 ance to my wants, they looked out, each for 
 the others, in a way that was certainly habit- 
 ual. 
 
 It worried them that I was not more hungry, 
 until I explained how late had been my dinner. 
 
 56 
 
The Head .of the House 
 
 " This is my first meal to-day," observed Bud, 
 casually. " There wa'n't nothin' in the house to 
 eat when I went out this mornin', and I never 
 studied about it till noon ; and then I got so in- 
 terested in huntin', I wouldn't take the time to 
 stop and cook me some birds. Boys, now that 
 sister is here, we mustn't run plumb out of 
 meat in that triflin' way. One of us must shoot 
 something every day. Ladies must be fed 
 regular." 
 
 " When I know some of you-all are home, I 
 most always bring in something," said Archer, 
 in a tone of defending himself. " But we-all 
 have such a no-' count way of not bein' at home 
 half the time." 
 
 " Well, that's got to stop," said Bud, firmly. 
 " We can't leave Sister here alone." 
 
 I ventured a question about the farm. 
 
 " Lilbud, he's the farmer," said Bud, with an 
 air of introduction ; then, encouragingly to his 
 brother, " Lilbud, how's your crop ? " 
 
 " Hit'll make," returned Lilbud. It was his 
 first utterance in my presence. 
 
 " Lemme tell you what's so, Sister, this farm 
 ain't half kept up," said Bud, frankly, " nor we 
 ain't the men to keep it up. Lilbud, he does 
 his best ; but things don't seem to look slick 
 and prosperous under his management. Now, 
 I'll tell you what you ought to do. You ought 
 to marry a first-class farmer that'll take hold of 
 
 57 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 things. This here farm ought to pay. It's 
 good land, or Pap, he wouldn't have rented it. 
 He was a judge of land ; and it's been resting 
 now pretty much ever since he farmed it. 
 Your old man ought to do well on it." 
 
 " I don't want to marry," I explained, im- 
 pressed for my own part with the ultimate sim- 
 plicity of brotherly and sisterly intercourse. 
 "I shall have all I can do to keep house for 
 three big boys like you." 
 
 " What do you reckon ? We ain't goin' to 
 let you work," cried Bud. " You're a lady and 
 we're gen'lemen ; we'll get you a nigger to 
 wait on you." 
 
 " I have no money," I said, and looked rather 
 anxiously at their faces. I was touched and re- 
 lieved by the indifference with which they 
 received the statement. 
 
 " It's easy enough to get a-plenty of money, 
 if anyone wants to take the trouble," said Bud, 
 nonchalantly ; and when I laughed delightedly, 
 he looked puzzled. " It's the truth," he in- 
 sisted. " I can get all the horse-training I 
 want to do around the county, and Lilbud can 
 brace up in his farming ! You and Archer, 
 Sister, can teach school. We ain't goin' to let 
 ary one of you work." 
 
 " I reckon teaching is work, too," said Arch- 
 er, which proposition Bud appeared to take as 
 a pleasantry. 
 
 58 
 
The Head of the House 
 
 " I am glad you are fitted to teach," I said to 
 Archer. 
 
 " I ought to be fitten," he said, complacently. 
 " I've been to school five years. I learned Bud 
 to write his name." 
 
 " He did that," cried Bud, proudly. " He 
 learned me in no time. There's where I wrote 
 it on the wall with a red-hot poker." 
 
 He took the lamp from the table and held 
 it so as to light the space above the mantel. 
 I arose to view his autograph. " Robert Dale, 
 Oner," was branded into the log with a broad, 
 uncertain sweep. 
 
 " Robert Dale, owner," Bud read it, compla- 
 cently. " That's my name, and this is my 
 place." 
 
 " Your place ? " I asked, with grave surprise ; 
 but he did not notice it. 
 
 " Don't you think anybody that could learn 
 me to write like that ought to make a pretty 
 good school-teacher?" he demanded with a 
 delightful smile, as he put down the lamp. 
 
 " Owner is spelled wrong," observed Archer. 
 " I didn't know it myself. I began teaching 
 most too soon," he added with some humor. 
 
 " Bud," said I, sticking to my point, " do you 
 really own this farm ? I thought it was part of 
 the Peyton-Call estate." 
 
 "Well, I reckon it does belong to Caxton, 
 when it comes to that," returned Bud, compos- 
 
 59 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 edly. " I reckon, by rights, we rent this land 
 from Mr. Don. But he won't bother us. They 
 say he don't know himself where his land begins 
 and where it ends ; and it really don't matter, 
 he's got such a heap of it." 
 
 " What does he do ? " I inquired. 
 
 Bud made the expressive gesture of shuf- 
 fling cards and dealing them out. 
 
 " That and courting Miss Virgie," observed 
 Archer. 
 
 " If those two get married, they'll own 
 mighty nigh the county," said Bud, medita- 
 tively. " Great Day in the Mornin' ! I'd like 
 to own all that land." 
 
 " You wouldn't do any more with it than you 
 do now," suggested Archer, practically. " You 
 hunt all over it, and you don't have to pay 
 taxes." 
 
 " Blame the taxes ! " returned Bud. " I reckon 
 Mr. Don don't pay any taxes. I'd like the feel- 
 ing of owning more land. This farm ain't but 
 forty-eight acres." 
 
 " But you don't own it, Bud," I insisted. 
 
 " Well, I reckon I don't, by rights," answered 
 Bud, looking rather glum. " I reckon if Mr. 
 Don took the notion to run us off, he'd have the 
 law." 
 
 " Perhaps this farm is for sale," I suggest- 
 ed. 
 
 " I reckon it is," said Archer, with a laugh. 
 60 
 
The Head of the House 
 
 " Mr. Don's that poor I reckon he'd sell the 
 shingles off of Caxton." 
 
 " Then he really can't afford to be careless 
 about collecting rents," said I. 
 
 " He can't afford anything he does," said 
 Archer, "gamblin' nor drinkin' nor keepin' 
 horses. He certainly is triflin'." 
 
 " He's a gentleman, though," said Bud, sharp- 
 ly, " and educated, too. And he's as nice a man 
 to talk to as there is in the county. Son, 
 don't you start out and give Sister a bad idea 
 of our neighbors." 
 
 " I have met Mr. Peyton-Call, Brother, and 
 have a very pleasant impression of him already," 
 I reassured him ; and then I told my brothers 
 of the courtesy that had been extended to me 
 that day. 
 
 " There's a mighty nice lot of people living 
 around here," was Bud's comment. "Good 
 manners, everyone ! " 
 
 It was noticeable that my brothers felt no 
 condescension in what had been done for me. 
 I knew with deep satisfaction that I was not 
 to have the supreme hardship of adapting my- 
 self to vulgar surroundings. What with their 
 warm hearts, care-free life, and their closeness 
 to nature, my brothers were unmistakably 
 gentle. 
 
 Even while I thought of this I watched Lil- 
 bud clear the table. He set the jug away with 
 
 61 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 the mug inverted over it, swept the fragments 
 of bread from the table upon the plate that held 
 the remains of the roast, and threw them into 
 the fire together. I wondered a little where 
 or how a woman was needed in this establish- 
 ment. Though the housekeeping did not rec- 
 ommend itself to me, it had a dispatch and 
 finish of its own. I felt it would be ungracious 
 to criticise. 
 
 Bud and Archer had fallen into a grave and 
 secret consultation like one in which women 
 are wont to settle matters of domestic policy. 
 They presently left the room together, and I 
 guessed it was a question as to my accommo- 
 dation. This reminded me of Jake and my 
 trunks, and I asked Lilbud to light me to the 
 door with the lamp. 
 
 Under the oaks stood the mule-team, and Jake 
 on the seat fast asleep. When Lilbud shouted 
 at him he awoke with a start, and drove up to 
 the door. 
 
 " Why didn't you let me know you had 
 come," said I. " I am sorry to have kept you 
 waiting here." 
 
 I had to repeat myself before he understood, 
 confused, no doubt, by my Northern accent. 
 Then he explained that " Mr. Don " had 
 " chyarged " him not to call out or " make a 
 fuss " until someone came out to look for him. 
 
 My brothers quickly unloaded my trunks and 
 62 
 
The Head of the House 
 
 several boxes. Bud was for arranging to en- 
 tertain the negro and his mules for the night ; 
 but Jake was set upon enjoying, belated though 
 he was, the hospitality of The Terraces. Miss 
 Virgie had promised him some medicine, he 
 said. He must see her " soon in de mornin' " 
 before he started home ; so I paid him and he 
 went off in a happy frame of mind, singing 
 melodiously through the woods. 
 
 " That ain't no town nigger," observed Bud, 
 approvingly. " He has some manners. Now, 
 boys, you all tote these here things into Sister's 
 room." 
 
 I followed them into the room across the hall 
 they had so promptly dedicated to me. A newly 
 kindled fire on the hearth lighted it cheerily. 
 Beside the bed on a rude shelf was a pile of 
 books. 
 
 " This was Archer's room, but he's proud to 
 give it up to you, Sister," said Bud. "Son, 
 mind your manners." 
 
 " Of course I'm glad," said the boy, heartily. 
 " I'll carry these here out of your way." 
 
 " Books on law," I exclaimed, taking up one 
 as he piled them together. " Are you studying 
 law, Archer ? " 
 
 " Yes'm, I read them," he said, between shy- 
 ness and pride. 
 
 " He reads them so much there's no living 
 with him — he reads out loud to himself," cried 
 
 63 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Bud, beamingly. " That's how come we put 
 him in here. It's a kind of store-room, too, 
 Sister," he added, apologetically. " You won't 
 mind, for one night, will you ? We'll clean it 
 out good for you in the mornin'." 
 
 I had them take all the bedding, which I 
 judged they could ill spare, explaining I was 
 fully provided if they would but open my 
 boxes. This was quickly accomplished ; and 
 when they had brought me a tin basin full of 
 water they bade me good-night. 
 
 " You ain't afraid, Sister ? " Bud inquired 
 before he left me. " We'll all of us stay in all 
 night. If it will make you feel any better, I'll 
 sleep out here on the floor, by your door." 
 
 I assured him I was not so timid, and after 
 kissing me once more he left me. With a 
 light and joyous heart I made myself com- 
 fortable for the night, and fell into a peaceful 
 sleep. Thus in good-will and affection was my 
 new life begun. 
 
 64 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 NEIGHBORS 
 
 It was raining the next morning ; but, true 
 to her promise of the night before, Miss Fanton 
 came to call on me. We had finished a lei- 
 surely breakfast of fried fish — Archer had been 
 down to the branch to catch them early that 
 morning — and now he was off with his gun to 
 get the dinner. Lilbud had been despatched to 
 a neighbor's to get a certain dog, Lee, which 
 my brothers pronounced necessary to their ex- 
 istence ; and Bud and I were standing in the 
 open hallway looking out across a sloping field 
 of rye to the back of the house, silvered with 
 rain. Beyond it a thicket marked the edge of 
 a glen. The air was sweet, fresh, and heavy 
 with nameless scents of the fields. My brother 
 and I stood in silence, drinking it in, thinking 
 of each other, and too content to speak. 
 
 There was the splashing sound of a horse's 
 hoofs and a soft call behind us and we turned 
 to see Miss Fanton under our oaks, mounted 
 on a dancing little horse. She was dressed in 
 a dark habit, and her yellow hair, all beaded 
 with raindrops, curled abundantly about her lit- 
 
 6 5 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 tie cap of green; a moving, glowing vision 
 under the dark and glossy oaks. 
 
 " Good-morning," she called. " Are you at 
 home, Miss Dale?" 
 
 I cried her welcome, and Bud and I hastened 
 forward to meet her. She rode up close to the 
 step and reached her hand to me. 
 
 " I wanted to make sure you had really be- 
 come my neighbor," she said to me sweetly, 
 after bowing to Bud, who raised his hat. 
 
 " It has really come true," I answered her, 
 smiling. 
 
 "You look so different, I most don't know 
 you," she murmured. 
 
 " Because I am happy," I explained with 
 warmth. 
 
 Her wondering eyes turned to Bud. 
 
 " Let me take your horse, Miss Virgie," he 
 said, with easy courtesy. 
 
 " This is Mr. Dale ? " she asked, with a gra- 
 cious little inclination of her head. 
 
 " This is my eldest brother, Miss Fanton," — 
 I made the introduction with something be- 
 tween pride and amusement; pride in my 
 brother's grace and beauty, amusement at the 
 incongruity of his meeting Miss Fanton like this. 
 
 " Thank you, I will get down for a minute," 
 she said, and she took his hand to alight on the 
 door-step. He led away her horse to the stable 
 and I ushered her into my own room. 
 
 66 
 
Neighbors 
 
 " I reckon you think it strange in me to come 
 so early and to come in the rain," she chat- 
 tered, " but morning is the time I can leave 
 those foolish men behind. They are still in 
 the dining-room with papa, talking politics, 
 and I'm supposed to be busy about house- 
 keeping. I won't stay long enough to inter- 
 rupt you. You must be right busy this morn- 
 ing." 
 
 " I have enough to do, as you can see by my 
 room," I returned ; " but I feel that I have end- 
 less leisure. It's the first time in years I have 
 not been hurried." 
 
 She sat down upon a trunk and looked about 
 at the disarray of my belongings; and what 
 with their luxury and the roughness of the 
 room in which they were unpacked it was a 
 sight to attract one's amused attention. She 
 laughed a little in a friendly way and I joined 
 her. Now she drew off her damp riding-gloves 
 and laid her cool, soft hand on mine in friendly 
 fashion. 
 
 " Tell me," she asked with a bright interest, 
 " is it what you expected ? " 
 
 " I thought my brothers would be farmers — 
 thriftless, perhaps, but living like farmers," I 
 answered her frankly, really glad of a sympa- 
 thetic ear. " I didn't dream of finding them 
 living like wild men of the woods on just what 
 they can hunt and shoot." 
 
 67 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 "Don't you think that's more interesting 
 than farming ? " she asked. 
 
 " Well, it is more picturesque," I admitted ; 
 " and if they are savages they are of a courtly 
 and amiable kind. And now my question is, 
 shall I try to civilize them or to make myself 
 over to fit their ways of life ? " 
 
 " You will find it easier to make them over, 
 I reckon," she said, with another glance at my 
 belongings. " 'Taint worth while to be misled 
 by the roughness of things. That's just be-. 
 cause they're bachelors. Most likely they'll 
 take kindly to nicer ways of living. It's 
 mighty easy to reform most men." 
 
 " I hate the very word reform," I ejacu- 
 lated. 
 
 " Well, that proves you're no Yankee, all by 
 itself," she observed, humorously. "They 
 mostly are devoted to reforming people." 
 
 " That's what they've kept me busy at. 
 That's what I've run away from," I confided in 
 her. 
 
 " Haven't you given up a heap in coming 
 down here ? " she asked, simply. 
 
 " I've gained more ; I've given up luxuries, 
 but I've gained a home. I was lonely up 
 North." 
 
 " Wherever I had heaps of money and heaps 
 of pretty clothes I could make myself perfectly 
 at home," she stated. 
 
 68 
 
Neighbors 
 
 " Not if you had to earn your clothes by 
 work you didn't like." 
 
 " Well, if they set me to work I'd take off 
 South mighty quick," she admitted. " That's 
 one of the few things I don't take to — work. 
 But, mercy me! I'm talking just like Don Pey- 
 ton-Call. I reckon I learn it from him. That 
 sort of thing is mighty contagious. But, sure 
 enough, Miss Dale, are you going to stay 
 down here ? " 
 
 " Sure enough," I repeated, laughing. 
 
 " There's only one amusing man in this county, 
 and I'm engaged to him,'' she warned me. " I'm 
 afraid you'll be bored to death." 
 
 " I have three very amusing brothers, Miss 
 Fanton " 
 
 " Brothers ! " she made her characteristic 
 gesture of waving something aside. " I haven't 
 the least use in the world for brothers. I 
 want men around me who have no rights I am 
 bound to respect." 
 
 She cocked her head so saucily that I was 
 bound to laugh. Her eyes danced, but she 
 continued, gravely : 
 
 " But perhaps they taught you up North 
 that it's low-down wicked to talk like this. 
 I've heard if a girl up North speaks to a man 
 three times she has to marry him. Is that 
 true? What are Yankees like, anyway, Miss 
 Dale? They know more than we-all, don't 
 
 69 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 they ? Donald Peyton-Call learned all he knows 
 up North somewhere. They're smarter up 
 yonder than they are down here, I reckon." 
 
 "I know plenty of stupid Yankees," I said, 
 guardedly. 
 
 " That is just the kind I like," she com- 
 mented, cheerily. " I can't bear for a man to 
 have any sense. I have a-plenty myself, for all 
 occasions. A man should be simple and trust- 
 ful and know his place. Donald Peyton-Call 
 knows more than is useful, and in that way he 
 doesn't suit me at all." 
 
 Miss Fanton had been heated by the ride, and 
 I now noticed that she shivered slightly by the 
 open window where we sat. I quickly led her 
 out and across to the other room, where there 
 was a fire. Bud was standing there leaning 
 idly against the mantel. He turned to place 
 seats for us, then took his stand to one side, 
 his arm on the mantel, looking down thought- 
 fully at our visitor. 
 
 " You-all certainly know how to be comfort- 
 able," she said with pretty animation, address- 
 ing herself rather to him than to me. " This 
 is a lovely fire. Our house is as cold this 
 morning as any thing. It's the hardest thing 
 to get the servants to let us have a fire in this 
 season. They hang over their own in the 
 kitchen, but in the house they have the hearths 
 ail whitened ready for summer weather and 
 
 7° 
 
Neighbors 
 
 they're right outdone if you ask them to spoil 
 their work." 
 
 Bud smiled genially for all reply. 
 
 " We all stand around and mind what the 
 servants say, at home," continued Miss Fanton 
 to me. " They are mostly right old and have 
 been with my mother's family since before the 
 war ? " 
 
 She made the statement with the rising in- 
 flection of a question, as if to ask whether I un- 
 derstood — a very common trick of manner with 
 her, and one that lent variety to the flow of her 
 talk. She was a charming picture there, bent 
 forward and spreading her fair little hands to 
 the blaze, her face in a rosy glow of fire-light. 
 Poor Bud had a dazed look in his dark eyes as 
 he looked down at her. 
 
 "Do you reckon it'll clear off, Mr. Dale?" 
 she asked him presently. " If it goes on rain- 
 ing, I don't know what I shall do with my vis- 
 itors. It's mighty hard to entertain them in 
 the house." 
 
 Bud went to the window and looked at the 
 sky. 
 
 " It's goin' to fair off, I reckon," he said. I 
 saw no signs of it myself, nor indeed were there 
 any ; but with Bud it seemed to be a point of 
 etiquette to give a lady a pleasant answer. 
 
 Our caller presently asked for her horse and 
 he went to fetch it. I was surprised to see with 
 
 71 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 what ease he mounted her ; and when she was 
 gone I asked where he had learned it. He said 
 he had never done it before, but noticed how 
 it was done at the meets. 
 
 " Do you go fox-hunting, Bud ? " I asked, 
 with surprise. 
 
 " Of course I do, when I have a horse," he 
 returned with equal surprise at my question. 
 "You'll go too, Sister, when it begins in the 
 fall. Miss Virgie always rides." 
 
 " Then you have known Miss Fanton before." 
 
 " I never spoke to her before," he answered 
 in a low voice, then presently added : 
 
 " Sister, it sounds mighty funny to hear you 
 call her Mis' Fanton. Sounds like she was 
 married. Mis' Fanton's been dead a long time." 
 
 He ventured on this criticism with great 
 gentleness; but whenever my manner of ex- 
 pressing myself was markedly Northern, Bud 
 would notice it with regret. How he felt about 
 it appeared later in the day, after I had told him 
 all I thought he should know of my life in New 
 York and my relation to Mrs. Reman — for I 
 thought that not even my own brothers should 
 hear about my rejected legacy. Bud's ques- 
 tions were by no means searching, though he 
 was deeply interested in all I related. He 
 could not be made to see however that there 
 was anything for which I had to thank my fos- 
 ter-mother. 
 
 72 
 
Neighbors 
 
 " She tried to make you forget your own kin," 
 he said, with gravity. " You wa'n't that kind ; 
 but she tried. You say she gave you an edu- 
 cation. Well, I would have done the same by 
 you if I'd had the raisin' of you, as I should by 
 rights. I raised Son, and he's a success ; and 
 if I ain't had much success with Lilbud it's be- 
 cause I didn't have no good material to start 
 on. Lilbud's like Pap, and Pap never was 
 much account. But you're like Archer and 
 me, and I'd have made a lady out of you with- 
 out any Yankee interference. Now they might 
 have gone and made a regular Yankee of you, 
 Sister. I haven't a doubt but that's what they 
 aimed to do. You don't talk like us as it is." 
 Then, fearing he had hurt me deeply, he hast- 
 ened to add: "Not but what anyone would 
 know you were Southern-born, just to look at 
 you. You're mighty nigh the sweetest lookin' 
 girl I ever saw, Sister, and you certainly have 
 got style about you. You haven't got anything 
 any more low and Yankee about you than Miss 
 Virgie. And we'll soon learn you to talk like 
 us, and there's no harm done by your havin' 
 been North, after all." 
 
 What was I to say to this? I could only 
 laugh till my tears flowed, and lean against his 
 shoulder to be kissed. He laughed, too, in pure 
 sympathy. Was a girl ever blessed with a 
 more charming brother than my own ? 
 
 73 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 My first day at home had been spent mostly 
 with Bud, who had helped me put my room in 
 order, while the other two were hunting and 
 fishing. My second day at home was spent 
 with Lilbud. The first time he and I were 
 alone together I attempted to draw him out on 
 the subject of his farming ; for the fact that we 
 were living rent-free like the wild things of the 
 forest on another's land weighed on me already. 
 
 Lilbud seemed to expect to do all the house- 
 work alone. He murmured gently against my 
 helping him. When I saw him throw the re- 
 mains of our breakfast into the fire I asked him, 
 out of my economical soul, whether he had no 
 chickens. He had tried to keep chickens, it 
 seemed, but the hawks got away with them all. 
 It seemed like the boys were never at home at 
 the right time to shoot hawks ; and he wasn't 
 much of a shot himself. I was glad to learn of 
 this limitation. It seemed to throw him more 
 into the line of husbandry. I questioned him 
 further as to the stock on the place. It ap- 
 peared we owned two cows, and a bullock, and 
 a good little steer, and a right-smart number of 
 hogs, but none of these were on the place. They 
 ran loose in the woods. Bud, he had a horse. 
 
 " What kind of a horse is it ? A good, strong 
 horse?" 
 
 " It's a fair to middlin' horse," returned Lil- 
 bud, guardedly, and at my request he led me 
 
 74 
 
Neighbors 
 
 out to the rickety stable to make the acquaint- 
 ance of Molly, Bud's little mare. She had a 
 lean and hungry look ; but a pretty head and a 
 friendly way of taking a petting. 
 
 " Bud, he fools with her a heap," observed 
 Lilbud. " He's a great hand with horses ; never 
 has no trouble with them." 
 
 Later we walked about the farm, viewing 
 what land was under cultivation. I asked a 
 hundred questions. He answered them pa- 
 tiently to the best of his ability — which was 
 not, it appeared, very great. He seemed to have 
 thought little about his work, but professed to 
 like farming, saying, gently : " I don't love to be 
 idle." 
 
 We leaned over a rail-fence and considered a 
 pretty poor stand of corn. Lilbud thought it 
 would " make," but confessed that it needed 
 tending mighty bad. The trouble with tend- 
 ing it enough seemed to lie in the very irreg- 
 ular use he had of the horse. 
 
 " Bud, he owns her," Lilbud drawled, " and 
 time I get round to work, he's generally got her. 
 When they were fox-huntin' I ought to have had 
 her to put in my crop ; I had to make out with 
 the steer, and that's how come I got behind." 
 
 " Wouldn't he have left you the horse if you 
 had asked ? " 
 
 " I did tell him one day I was in the push of 
 plough-time, and after that he didn't take her 
 
 75 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 for a while. But she wasn't much good after all 
 that huntin'. It gets a horse to ride her that a 
 way, I don't care how much you favor her. 
 And Bud certainly does favor her. He knows 
 about horses." 
 
 And so, with a little further conversation it 
 appeared that Lilbud needed, to insure his 
 year's crop, a mule. He said he could get a 
 good one for forty dollars, and I told him I had 
 so much money left over from my travelling. 
 Lilbud's face lighted up with a gratifying in- 
 terest. I felt a gush of sympathy for this my 
 least attractive brother. 
 
 " What else do you need very much, Lil- 
 bud ? " I asked. " More help, don't you." 
 
 " I ought to be able to make this crop alone," 
 he said, apologetically ; " but you see I have 
 to fix the meals and clean up, and I'm so slow 
 it takes me a heap of time." 
 
 " I'm going to do all that now," I assured him. 
 
 He looked astonished, and not very encour- 
 aging. 
 
 " I reckon you wouldn't make out very well," 
 he said ; " but, of course, if Bud gets you a 
 nigger, that'd give me more time." 
 
 " You shall have nothing more to do indoors," 
 I repeated, " but you must make the crop and 
 pay the rent this year, Lilbud." 
 
 " If I have a mule I can do it," he said with 
 assurance. 
 
 76 
 
Neighbors 
 
 " And I want you to make me a garden, Lil- 
 bud," I continued, encouraged to find that a 
 decisive tone from me stimulated him. " I 
 mean to take care of it myself, but you must 
 start it for me." 
 
 He looked very doubtful, and objected that 
 he knew nothing in the world about gardens. 
 
 " We must dig up a place near the house, 
 and rake it smooth, and divide it into beds," I 
 theorized. " And then we must buy seeds and 
 plant them." 
 
 " It's all right about the patch," he returned. 
 " Looks like I could fix that. It seems right 
 late, though, to be plantin' seeds." 
 
 " Then we must get young plants and set 
 them out," I decided. 
 
 He looked still more perplexed. 
 
 " I don't know where we'd get the plants," 
 he said. " Colonel Fanton, he's got about the 
 only garden around here — and I wouldn't want 
 to go to him. There's a Yankee named Baw- 
 man over on the east road that has a garden, 
 and I reckon he sells truck ; but I don't know 
 him." 
 
 " There is no harm in going over there and 
 asking him," I proposed. " I know how to get 
 along with Yankees, you know." 
 
 He said it was only about a mile, and we 
 agreed to go in the afternoon when we had pre- 
 pared the beds. 
 
 77 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 The day before, Bud and I had lunched on 
 hoe-cake and broiled bacon. He had shown me 
 how to mix and how to bake it in the hot spider, 
 dragging it around with my down-pressed 
 finger so that it should bake evenly on the bot- 
 tom. When he turned it with an easy toss, and 
 the fragrance of the sweet, fresh, roasting corn- 
 meal reached me I thought it the most enticing 
 bread ; when I ate it finally I decided that the 
 food of my race was the most delicious I had 
 ever tasted. My own hoe-cake was so inferior 
 to Bud's that I was wofully disappointed ; but 
 Lilbud seemed to appreciate being called to a 
 meal ready served, and I was comforted by his 
 assurance that I would get " the knack of fixin' 
 bread easy as breathin'." 
 
 " Supper's about the only meal we-all get 
 anything to eat, anyhow," said Lilbud, in con- 
 soling me. " The boys never fail to bring in 
 something." 
 
 Lilbud had called it a mile to our neighbor's 
 place. I reckoned it nearer two, and what with 
 my unaccustomed labors of the morning and 
 Lilbud's swift stride, to which I tried to accom- 
 modate my steps, I was somewhat fagged be- 
 fore I reached our destination. We accordingly 
 paused to rest on the top of a hill which over- 
 looked the tidy little place of the " Yankee." 
 It was a pleasant sight of fields and flourishing 
 orchards, a decided contrast to all else I had 
 
 78 
 
Neighbors 
 
 seen in Rolfe; and the neatly painted little 
 house, the whitewashed fences and out-build- 
 ings, the road in good repair which wound 
 down toward them, all impressed Lilbud as 
 they did me. 
 
 " Great Day ! " he exclaimed, with some ap- 
 proach to animation. " They certainly are slick 
 over here ! " 
 
 A man was coming up the road from the 
 farm as we took our seats on the log at the top 
 of the hill, and now as he drew near he ap- 
 peared as a very remarkable figure. He wore 
 an outlandish dress of blue linen, a peasant's 
 smock, unmistakably from the Old World, and 
 he was hatless. In oddest contrast to his lowly 
 garb appeared the wearer, who was anything 
 but a son of the soil, a man of middle age, wear- 
 ing eye-glasses, and with that forward thrust 
 of the head one sees in students ; with feat- 
 ures, moreover, of a cast so intellectual and be- 
 nign that once seen they could hardly be again 
 forgotten. 
 
 He, in his turn, searched us with an animated 
 look of surprise as he came up ; indeed, Lilbud 
 and I must have looked a strange pair, he in 
 his rough clothes, I in my city-fashioned gown, 
 and withal the strong likeness between us. 
 
 Lilbud touched his hat as the stranger passed 
 us ; the custom of greeting people on the road 
 was one of the pleasant things in Rolfe to me. 
 
 79 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 The man responded with a cheery and infor- 
 mal : " Good-evening, good-evening ! It is 
 pleasant to be out, is it not? " 
 
 "It is indeed," I responded promptly, won 
 to his own tone by the charm and cultivation 
 of his voice. With one more swift and ani- 
 mated look of interest at us both he passed on. 
 We looked after him, and I noted he moved 
 with a jerk and a swing that was almost mili- 
 tary. A few hundred steps farther he left the 
 road and struck off into the forest. 
 
 "Well," drawled Lilbud, "if that ain't the 
 most outrageous figure of a man I ever see ! 
 Them Yankees beat all ! " 
 
 But the people were not Northerners, as I 
 presently discovered. When we reached the 
 yard-gate two white spitzes flew at us, barking 
 furiously ; and a man's voice from the house 
 resounded in German, scolding them with a 
 round " Dass euch der Teufel doch ! " 
 
 The master of the house now stepped into 
 the piazza. 
 
 " Come in, friends," he called to us, and he 
 spoke with a pronounced accent. " Give those 
 little beasts no attention. Their bark is worse 
 than their bite." 
 
 He was a large, square-shouldered man, with 
 a short blonde beard and keen blue eyes, not 
 over thirty years of age, I judged, but with the 
 massive poise of an older man. As we ad- 
 
 80 
 
Neighbors 
 
 vanced across the yard, that look of amazement 
 1 was learning to expect on every face appeared 
 on his. 
 
 " Is this Mr. Bawman ? " I asked, feeling sure 
 I was confronted with the German neighbor to 
 the east whom Mr. Peyton-Call had described. 
 
 " Baumann is my name, yes. Bawman they 
 call me hereabout," he replied, and surveyed 
 me with frank curiosity. " And you, madam, 
 are Miss Dale from New York, are you 
 not?" 
 
 I was rather surprised that the news of my 
 home-coming should have spread already. I 
 introduced my brother Lilbud, whom Mr. Bau- 
 mann had not noticed yet. He now politely 
 enough bade us enter ; his wife, he said, would 
 be glad to meet us. We followed him through 
 a bare, clean little hall into a bare clean room, 
 where a large and severely handsome woman 
 sat at her sewing. She was dressed in calico 
 with exceeding plainness. Her brown hair 
 was in many small and glossy braids and wound 
 about her head with imposing effect. 
 
 " Mutter, this is Miss Cassandra Dale, the 
 new neighbor of whom we have heard," the 
 husband introduced me. " She is the sister of 
 the boy who was here about the school a few 
 weeks ago, you remember. And this is another 
 brother of hers." 
 
 Mrs. Baumann greeted me with a hearty 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 hand-shake and looked me over with a half-shy, 
 half-cordial curiosity. She asked me in broken 
 English to be seated, and told me she could 
 understand better than she could speak my 
 language. 
 
 " I have come recently to live with my 
 brothers and I find that they have no garden," 
 I went straight at my subject when we were all 
 seated about the little room. I noticed the 
 German and his wife opened their eyes wider 
 at my statement. 
 
 " You have into their house gone also, yes? " 
 she inquired, with half-puzzled amusement. 
 
 " Yes, and I think we need a garden," I re- 
 turned. 
 
 " Versteht sich ! " said Mrs. Baumann. 
 
 " To-day we've prepared a plot and now we 
 want plants and seeds," I continued. " And as 
 I am strange here and my brother has not the 
 experience " 
 
 " You are quite right to come to us," broke 
 in Mr. Baumann in friendly fashion. " It's our 
 specialty exactly. Though it's late to begin a 
 garden, the season is favorable. Something 
 may still be done." 
 
 " Perhaps you have young plants for sale ? " 
 I suggested. 
 
 " Nothing for sale," he returned, shortly. " It 
 will be a pleasure to help you all we can." 
 
 " I really must not trouble you," I protested. 
 82 
 
Neighbors 
 
 " You will excuse me if I have made a mistake 
 in coming to you in this way " 
 
 " All right, all right, you have not hurt our 
 pride," he returned with a laugh. "We are 
 plain people who live by what we sell and we 
 have none of the nonsense ideas prevalent here 
 about that ; but we can be neighborly, too, in 
 our own way, which is not precisely the way 
 of Rolfe, perhaps. In this case, Miss Dale, be 
 assured it costs us nothing to give you more 
 than you can use ; nicht wahr, Mutter ? " (to his 
 wife). " Go, Gertrud, and bring us what seeds 
 you have." Mrs. Baumann rose and left the 
 room, and her husband continued to me : " It 
 is more than the pleasure of doing a neighborly 
 act ; it is something of an inspiration to have a 
 hand in your missionary work of establishing 
 a garden in this region." 
 
 " There are not many, then?" 
 
 " Practically they do not exist. It is a shame ! 
 Here is rich soil and a fine climate ; but there 
 is no economy, no industry, no desire to live 
 better," he said, bluntly. 
 
 " We make out right well," drawled Lilbud. 
 I was rather pleased with his prompt resent- 
 ment. 
 
 " My brother and I being natives of this 
 county," I said, good-humoredly, " are rather 
 Sensitive under this sort of criticism." 
 
 " Pardon me if for the moment I did not 
 83 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 identify the elegant young lady before me 
 with these backwoods," he replied, with his 
 short, downright laugh. " But as for being 
 native— I too belong to the soil in Rolfe Coun- 
 ty. I draw ray living from it, I am dependent 
 on my neighbors in public and social ways — 
 in short, I am sufficiently involved in interests 
 here to be allowed the freedom of speech, so- 
 called, this country's boast." 
 
 " Oh, pray go on," I returned, a little amused- 
 ly. He looked serious now, his blue eyes 
 flashed from one to the other of us as he con- 
 tinued : 
 
 " You make great account of the differences 
 among yourselves in your different sections, 
 you Americans," he said, " but North and South 
 and West I have found you the same in this : 
 to all useful criticism you answer in these 
 terms — ' We make out right well.' You word 
 it differently everywhere, but everywhere it 
 means the same. The fact is, the Americans do 
 not make out so well any longer. They grow 
 idle, extravagant, careless everywhere. For 
 the pioneer work, for that the spirit of the peo- 
 ple was wonderfully fit; but now come other 
 things, economy, discipline, culture, social sac- 
 rifice ; and in these matters the people need 
 criticism, yes very much indeed." 
 
 Mr. Baumann sat upright and squarely in his 
 chair, his strong hands clasping the arms. In 
 
 8 4 
 
Neighbors 
 
 contrast to him, Lilbud was lounging back in 
 an attitude half grace, half sprawl, ragged, 
 languid, scornful. The German represented 
 force and sense, my brother, alas ! the opposite. 
 I felt the pathos of it strongly. 
 
 " Not long ago," I said in a light tone, " our 
 present critics would have come to us for pro- 
 tection and guidance in these wild forests. But 
 the industrious farmer who scorns the hunter 
 and woodsman is rather ungrateful, I think." 
 
 " Not at all, not at all ! " he replied, nodding 
 rather in approval of the spirit in which I an- 
 swered him, and there was again a laugh in his 
 blue eyes. " We show our gratitude by the 
 honesty and courage with which we criticise. 
 We pay the debt we owe the woodsman by 
 guiding him to ways of economy and thrift." 
 
 " Well, you haven't very good material for 
 that," I retorted. " As is proved, I suppose, by 
 the fact that we resent your criticism. It's a 
 pity our race didn't die out with the bears and 
 Indians. Once we were heroic frontiersmen. 
 Your civilization makes us poor-whites." 
 
 I had grown a little earnest against my will. 
 The man's personality aroused a spirit of re- 
 sistance. He seemed to be pleased to have 
 aroused it ; his tone grew warmer. 
 
 " Here is your miserable Rolfe County spirit 
 of fatality ! " he exclaimed. " If you were not 
 such a new-comer here, I could make a guess 
 
 85 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 at the influence you had felt. There is a man 
 here who has capacity for anything; and he 
 smilingly denies free-will, and leans on the 
 wretched circumstances of his environment. I 
 cannot describe to you how angry I get at that 
 man. When strength makes itself deliberately 
 weak, when pride flourishes in shame, then I 
 lose patience altogether." 
 
 I guessed of whom Mr. Baumann was speak- 
 ing, and was amused to note the contrast in the 
 manner of the two men, Mr. Baumann and 
 Mr. Peyton-Call. The gentleman of Rolfe had 
 spoken of his German neighbor with amiable 
 indifference. 
 
 Now Mrs. Baumann returned with more lit- 
 tle parcels in her hands and on her arms than 
 she could comfortably carry. 
 
 "See, Wilhelm, whether this is right?" she 
 asked. He looked them over, I noticed, with- 
 out relieving her from the discomfort of 
 standing there with both hands helplessly full, 
 rejected most of the packages and slipped a few 
 into his pocket. 
 
 " We must not take too many," he said. 
 " We must not plant more seeds than what can 
 be taken care of in an easy, lazy way." 
 
 He spoke with a conciliating humor and 
 Lilbud took no notice of his remark. I learned 
 later that our conversation was not altogether 
 easy for him to follow, because of Mr. Bau- 
 
 86 
 
Neighbors 
 
 mann's accent and my rapid and strange enun- 
 ciation. 
 
 " Mutter, bring us some baskets ; I will my- 
 self carry back some young plants, and show 
 our friends what must be done," called Mr. 
 Baumann, and he led us through the back of 
 the house into his trim and thriving garden. 
 
 Two yellow-haired children were digging 
 busily in a little bed near the gate, too much 
 absorbed to notice us till I spoke to them. 
 
 " What have you planted there ? " I asked. 
 
 " Flowers," answered the little girl, raising 
 a pretty, flushed face. 
 
 " Corn," cried the small boy, merely glancing 
 up and bending to his work again. 
 
 " Isn't it silly of Karl ? " said the girl. " Papa 
 raises corn in his garden, enough for every- 
 one." 
 
 " And flowers grow wild, more than enough," 
 returned Karl, scornfully. " I wouldn't be 
 troubled with flowers." 
 
 " What is your name ? " I asked the little 
 girl. 
 
 " Gertrud, like my mother's ; but I am 
 called Trautchen at home." 
 
 " And do you speak German ? " I questioned 
 further. 
 
 " Of course we can," cried Karl, contemptu- 
 ously. " How do you suppose we would talk 
 to Mutter?" 
 
 87 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Karl, you are impolite," scolded the little 
 sister. " Look up at the lady and answer 
 nicely." 
 
 " Haven't time," said Karl, shortly, and I left 
 them. 
 
 " Mutter, where is the Herr Doctor?" Mr. 
 Baumann was asking when I rejoined the 
 others. 
 
 " Weiss Gott ! " she returned, smiling. " The 
 Kinder say he promise each a fairy, if they let 
 him go alone in the woods to-day." 
 
 " Dr. Max will find them, if they can be 
 found in these forests," said Mr. Baumann 
 with a laugh, and, turning to me: " You must 
 meet our guest," he said. " He is also a philos- 
 opher who has wandered away down here." 
 
 When our baskets were filled our friendly 
 neighbor insisted on accompanying us home. 
 On the way he approached Lilbud with some 
 tact on the subject of foxes and their exter- 
 mination. My brother came out of his rather 
 sullen silence and spoke to the point at some 
 length. It seemed that the services a woods- 
 man could render a farmer were not yet ex- 
 hausted after all. 
 
 Mr. Baumann approved our garden plot and 
 straightway gave us a practical lesson in trans- 
 planting. He worked with us till sundown, 
 and I thanked him warmly as he said good- 
 by. 
 
Neighbors 
 
 " Come to see us," he said, heartily. " Come 
 once to our afternoon Kaffee-tisch, an institu- 
 tion as foreign here as a Chinese banner. My 
 wife would be pleased to see you, she has no 
 acquaintances here." 
 
 " I suppose her not speaking English readily 
 yet " 
 
 " No, it is the other way," he returned, 
 laughing. " She learns no English because 
 she doesn't like her neighbors well enough to 
 talk to them. She is plain and practical, and 
 their light and formal ways are little to her 
 taste." 
 
 " Oh, does she find them formal ? " I asked 
 with surprise. " I should say they are very 
 simple and genial. It is true, I have only met 
 Miss Fanton " 
 
 " Miss Fanton ? I should say that there is 
 little that is congenial between you," he sug- 
 gested, bluntly. 
 
 " On the contrary, I think her charming and 
 I hope to know her better." 
 
 " Well, she has a sweet face," he admitted, 
 " and I know only one thing against her. She 
 is betrothed to a very worthless fellow." 
 
 I made no response to this and our neighbor 
 departed. 
 
 When Bud and Archer came home with 
 their game that night Lilbud and I were able 
 to point with pride to our garden already 
 
 89 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 planted. Archer's face clouded, however, 
 when he learned who had helped us. 
 
 " Mr. Bawmann is neighborly when he feels 
 like it," he said. " He won't let me have the 
 school. He says I don't know enough to teach 
 school." 
 
 Bud was highly incensed. 
 
 " That's a pretty thing for a man to say that 
 can't talk right himself," he cried. "Who's 
 this Mr. Bawman anyway. He's not from 
 Rolfe. If you want that school, Son, why 
 don't you ask Mr. Don for it?" I reckon he 
 has more to say on the board than this Yan- 
 kee." 
 
 " I've been to Mr. Don," complained Archer, 
 " but he was drunk. When I told him what I 
 wanted, he laughed like he couldn't stop ; that's 
 how come I know he was drunk. And I couldn't 
 get a thing out of him." 
 
 " Well, you can find him when he's sober," 
 suggested Bud. " He ain't like some. I'll 
 meet him one day when he's riding over to 
 court Miss Virgie, and he'll be all right." 
 
 A few minutes later when I was alone with 
 Bud he continued the subject to me. 
 
 " I hate for you to get the idea that our 
 neighbors ain't nice people, Sister," he said. 
 " Archer's outdone about the school, and so am 
 I. But Mr. Bawmann and Mr. Don ain't as 
 bad as we make them out. Mr. Bawmann 
 
 90 
 
Neighbors 
 
 is a Yankee, and he ain't got any manners, 
 that's a fact, and Mr. Don does get drunk, I 
 reckon; but they're just as nice men as you 
 want to meet, both of them." 
 
 " Bud, no one can be nice who drinks too 
 much," I said, with decision, " I hope you 
 boys never do that." 
 
 " No, ma'am, we don't," returned Bud, with 
 emphasis. " I never get drunk except Christ- 
 mas week and court week, and Lilbud he never 
 did care for liquor. Son, he is a little given to 
 it. He's like Pap. You know, Sister, Pap was 
 right poorly for a good many years, and he 
 had to take it. But he always knew when he'd 
 had enough and he taught me the same, and 
 I've raised the boys according. 'Tain't worth 
 while for you to worry about it, Sister." 
 
 " If I ever saw one of my brothers in that con- 
 dition, I think it would break my heart," I ex- 
 claimed. " I want to respect you boys as I love 
 you." 
 
 " Well, Sister, you shall," said Bud, warmly. 
 " I'll take care and keep out of your way my- 
 self, and I'll tell Son to mind and do the 
 same." 
 
 I felt I had not yet made the impression I de- 
 sired, and I read the dear fellow a still more 
 grave and earnest temperance sermon. He 
 listened attentively, as he always did to me ; 
 but I seemed to fail to impress him, until I sug- 
 
 91 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 gested that the drinking habit would injure 
 Archer's finer powers of intellect. This was 
 touching Bud in his most tender point. 
 
 " You're right, Sister Cassy, it certainly does 
 muddle a man's mind and makes him lose his 
 smartness," he assented, gravely. " I know I 
 hav'n't been tendin' to Archer right, to let him 
 start in drinkin'. But I'll learn him better right 
 now. I'll lick him good, so help me God, the 
 next time I catch him at it with the fellows at 
 the court-house." 
 
 " Bud, that boy will do everything he sees 
 his big brother do, who raised him and taught 
 him how to behave," I said, with solemnity. 
 " You can't lick him enough to break him of 
 following your example." 
 
 " It's the truth," Bud admitted, soberly. 
 
 I watched him as he sat and meditated on 
 my words, swayed between tears and laughter 
 at the dear fellow's way of taking the whole 
 subject. His face, first clouded by unpleasant 
 thoughts, cleared, finally, into an expression of 
 settled resolve. 
 
 " Sister Cassandra, if you'll write me out a 
 real cast-iron pledge I'll sign it," he said. 
 " And the boy won't have learned me to write 
 fornothin'." 
 
 " Can't you work out a way to do right with- 
 out paper or ink or even promises to me," I 
 said. " I don't like a pledge, Bud. It's like 
 
 92 
 
Neighbors 
 
 tying up an angry man, instead of reasoning 
 him into controlling himself." 
 
 " The reasoning might be pleasanter, but the 
 tying-up would be a heap safer," returned Bud, 
 cautiously. 
 
 93 
 
CHAPTER VI' 
 
 THE MISTRESS OF THE TERRACES 
 
 Miss Fanton showed no disposition to drop 
 my acquaintance after her first courtesies. She 
 came to see me again within a week after her 
 first visit, this time on foot and accompanied 
 by a stout, neatly dressed old colored woman 
 who carried a basket. I was working in my 
 garden with a hoe, when Miss Fanton came 
 around the corner of the house, daintily lifting 
 her frilled white dress from the ground. When 
 she saw me she stopped and burst into rippling 
 laughter. 
 
 " You are the prettiest, funniest sight in the 
 world," she cried. " What on earth makes you 
 do that?" 
 
 I explained my enterprise, and pointed out 
 to her my little plants in rows. 
 
 " For goodness sakes, child, don't do it your- 
 self," she advised. " It'll kill you. Where is 
 that big brother of yours ? If he were mine, 
 I'd never let him out of my sight. He'd be 
 steppin' around waitin' on me all day." 
 
 " He does, very nearly," I declared, " and 
 this is play for me, Miss Fanton. But I'm glad 
 to stop. It's tiring." 
 
 94 \ 
 
The Mistress of The Terraces 
 
 " I should think so, indeed ; " and then she 
 introduced her companion. " Miss Cassandra, 
 this is Aunt Juliet, the best mammy in the 
 world, who knows more than anyone in the 
 county. If ever you are in any difficulty about 
 house-keeping or anything else, she can help 
 you out." 
 
 " Yes'm ! Dat I kin !" said the old woman. 
 " Howdo, Miss Cassandra, ma'am. How yo' 
 feelin' to-day, ma'am ? " 
 
 Her eyes were shrewd, and she looked over 
 her young mistress's new acquaintance with un- 
 concealed intentness. I greeted her cordially, 
 and Miss Fanton continued : 
 
 " Aunt Juliet has brought over some garden 
 pease. They are sent with compliments from 
 my papa. He will do himself the honor of call- 
 ing on you soon." I expressed my appreciation, 
 and she suggested that Aunt Juliet should shell 
 them for me while we talked. 
 
 " Indeed, I cannot let my visitors work for 
 me," I protested, smiling. 
 
 " Law, chile, tain't no work to hull them 
 pease," said the old woman, graciously. " I'd 
 love to do it for you." They both insisted on 
 the arrangement, so I fetched a dish and Mam- 
 my Juliet sat down in the shade, while Miss 
 Fanton and I went into the house, where she 
 wanted to see how much I had " fixed up " since 
 her last call. 
 
 95 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " You certainly did please Mammy by calling 
 her your visitor," whispered Miss Virgie. " I 
 wanted so much for her to like you. She's aw- 
 fully cranky, but when she once likes you she's 
 as loyal as an Indian. And when she doesn't 
 like you — well, she can't bear Donald Peyton- 
 Call, and I've no idea she'll let me marry him. 
 By the way, have you seen him about ? No ? 
 I've lost him. He hasn't been near me since 
 the night we brought you home. Mammy al- 
 ways says he's terribly fickle, so I thought per- 
 haps you were to blame. I like fickle men — it's 
 easy to get rid of them when you're tired of 
 them. What's the matter, honey ? Don't you 
 like the way I talk ? " 
 
 " No, I don't," I returned frankly, " though I 
 know you don't mean it " 
 
 " My dear, I mean every word I say," she 
 assured me, emphatically. " I know all about 
 Donald. We're ever so much alike, he and I ; 
 we're cousins, you know. Great-grandfather 
 Call was Scotch, and very steady ; but he mar- 
 ried twice, frivolous wives both times, and I'm 
 descended from one, and Donald from the 
 other. Donald is worse than I, because the 
 Peyton-Calls, the second wife's children, were 
 rich, and had three generations of fun; I'm 
 descended from the plain Calls, as they were 
 called, who had to work a little and behave 
 themselves. So I have a little character, but 
 
 96 
 
The Mistress of The Terraces 
 
 Donald hasn't any. Papa will tell you another 
 story, but I know better. Papa is perfectly 
 devoted to Donald, and won't admit that he 
 has a fault." 
 
 My face must have expressed some of my 
 amazement, for Miss Fanton continued by way 
 of explanation. 
 
 " Oh, I don't mean that Donald's airs and 
 graces have captivated papa; but he always 
 has been devoted to Donald ever since the war 
 when he and Aunt Lucia — that's Don's mother 
 — were left alone at Caxton. She was a lovely 
 young widow then, with her forlorn little boy, 
 and they were related to mamma, and naturally 
 papa took an interest in them. He really did 
 more for them than mamma wanted him to. 
 Mamma and Aunt Lucia hated each other ; I 
 know they would have hated the idea of their 
 children ever marrying. Sometimes I think it 
 would be bad luck for me to marry Donald for 
 that very reason ; but I reckon papa will coax 
 me around to it in time. I'm mighty good- 
 natured, myself." 
 
 She flung this off so airily that it was hard to 
 take the serious side of the aspect ; and though 
 I felt uneasy, I laughed when she did. 
 
 " It's a proof you are Southern-born, you can 
 positively play at being poor," she exclaimed, 
 as I took her about the house. " Why, I like 
 all this a heap better than The Terraces. Our 
 
 97 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 house is big and stately enough, but inside 
 it's tacky. Those flowers look sweet in that 
 stone churn. Why haven't I ever thought of 
 that? But I don't get heart to fix up things at 
 home. Cousin Lucy and Mammy Juliet and 
 papa run everything ; all they want of me is to 
 entertain the company. I'd like a heap better 
 to live in a little house like this with a lot of 
 handsome, dark-eyed brothers. But, mercy 
 me ! Caxton is bigger than The Terraces, and 
 Donald hasn't any brothers and sisters, and 
 his eyes are just the color of a cat's, like his 
 mother's. He looks exactly like her, anyway. 
 He isn't a Peyton-Call; they were heavy, 
 ugly, downright, plain-spoken men; but this 
 Yankee mother of Donald's was just a beauti- 
 ful cat." 
 
 " Where did she come from?" I asked. 
 
 " She was a Boston belle, whose people were 
 red-hot Abolitionists, and she pretended she 
 wanted to reform her Southern husband and 
 make him set free his slaves. When she found 
 out how convenient they were she changed her 
 mind. They say Aunt Lucia was the worst 
 rebel in the State when the war broke out; 
 and then her people disinherited her. They 
 educated Donald, but now they won't have 
 anything to do with him because he plays 
 cards. They are regular prigs, I reckon, the 
 kind that grow up North." 
 
 98 
 
The Mistress of The Terraces 
 
 " I grew up North," I reminded her, laugh- 
 ingly. 
 
 " Well, honey, you belong to Rolfe, that's 
 plain," she returned, cordially. " I never saw 
 a real Yankee girl as sweet and as well-dressed 
 as you are. Aunt Lucia was beautiful and 
 wore wonderful clothes, but she was mean. 
 She spent money on clothes, that ought to have 
 been saved for Donald. She had to have her 
 ball-gowns and she had to give suppers, no mat- 
 ter how poor they were ; and, of course, that 
 used up the money. She killed herself dancing, 
 and that was lucky for Donald. Now he wor- 
 ships her memory like that of a saint ; but if 
 he'd been a little older he would have seen 
 where he got some of his own faults. That's 
 about all he did inherit — a frivolous and ex- 
 travagant disposition ! " 
 
 " How do you mean she killed herself danc- 
 ing ? " I asked, fascinated, in spite of myself, by 
 the girl's sensational hints. 
 
 " She was giving a ball," Virgie explained, 
 delighted at my interest. " She had a lovely 
 new gown for it — I'll show it to you, I have 
 it in my wardrobe at home — and she would 
 dance though she was ill. She danced until 
 she fainted and she never became conscious 
 again, but died right there in that same gown. 
 They said then that she had heart trouble, but 
 Mammy says " — Virgie lowered her voice — 
 
 99 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " that she hadn't any heart at all, but that the 
 devil came and got her because she never took 
 care of her little boy." 
 
 " Dreadful ! " I exclaimed. 
 
 " I'll show you the dress," said Virgie, nod- 
 ding solemnly. " It's beautiful." 
 
 " I don't want to see it." 
 
 " It's lovely, I declare it is. Sometimes I 
 put it on in my own room. It's the most be- 
 coming thing! I often wish I could wear it, 
 just once; but I wouldn't dare let Don see me 
 in it." 
 
 " I know you wouldn't really want to wear 
 it ! " 
 
 " Oh, yes, I'm no better than Aunt Lucia my- 
 self," she returned flippantly. " I would dance 
 myself to death if I had the chance. But we 
 don't dance in Rolfe any more. When Don 
 was courting me he used to get up germans to 
 please me, but now he doesn't have to take 
 any trouble. I'm going to tell him you want 
 to dance. Perhaps he will stir up things for 
 you." 
 
 " But I don't want to dance," I protested, en- 
 ergetically. She laughed incredulously and 
 kissed me good-by. 
 
 " Come to The Terraces as soon as you can," 
 she urged. " Don't make me do all the visit- 
 ing. Mammy! oh Mammy! I'm ready now." 
 And together they took their departure. 
 
The Mistress of The Terraces 
 
 In the course of a few days I returned my 
 new friend's call, and on the occasion I met her 
 father. I was a little disappointed in the man 
 who was represented to be the most enter- 
 prising spirit of Rolfe. Colonel Fanton was 
 decidedly dull. He was benevolent enough, 
 however, and gave me a great deal of kindly 
 advice relative to the management of my 
 brothers and their farming. Finally he wound 
 up with a rather absurd congratulation on my 
 having such an excellent landlord. His young 
 friend, Peyton-Call, he understood, was very 
 liberal with his tenants. 
 
 " So it appears," I returned, amused. " He 
 seems to collect no rent at all." 
 
 " And his land is very rich," continued Colo- 
 nel Fanton, talking on over my head. " In 
 fact, he has been more provident than other 
 farmers about here. He always allows his 
 land plenty of rest after cultivation, so that it 
 can recover fully for the next crop. Many 
 plantations on the plateau have been worn out 
 by injudicious use, but Caxton has been kept 
 in excellent condition." 
 
 " You surprise me," I said, with candor. 
 
 " It is a popular fallacy hereabout," he con- 
 tinued with a touch of severity, " that my young 
 neighbor is a poor manager ; but I, who am 
 familiar with his policy, can only approve of it. 
 Of course, in throwing out so much land he 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 has not wanted to incur the useless expense of 
 fences, and so the place may look a little 
 neglected." 
 
 " I have seen very little of the place," I re- 
 turned, " but I have met Mr. Peyton-Call, and 
 the tone in which he spoke of farming in gen- 
 eral, and of Caxton in particular, gave me an 
 impression of — carelessness." 
 
 Virgie giggled outright. Her father slid 
 from one corner of his horse-hair sofa into 
 another, and eyed me with strong disap- 
 proval. 
 
 " Nothing in the world but an affectation of 
 nonchalance," he exclaimed. " I happen to 
 know with what care he looks after every acre 
 of his estate, waiting for the timber to grow in 
 one place, planning division and sale in another, 
 giving a promising but backward tenant more 
 time here and there, and preserving the game 
 and natural beauties whenever this does not 
 conflict with agricultural interests." 
 
 " Yes," put in Virgie. " Don looks out for 
 pretty picnic grounds for me. He won't hear 
 of having the mill rebuilt." 
 
 " What's that ? " asked her father. His tone 
 struck me as being both sharp and nervous — 
 not in character, I thought. 
 
 " At the Whittacres, papa, they were discuss- 
 ing the Peyton Branch water-power," Virgie 
 began to explain 
 
The Mistress of The Terraces 
 
 "What foolishness!" interrupted Colonel 
 Fanton with a wave of his hand, as if to sweep 
 the idea off the face of the earth. " There isn't 
 any water-power in Rolfe. Don't give Miss 
 Dale such ideas as that, daughter." 
 
 " Why, she doesn't care," said Virgie, with 
 surprise. " Girls don't care about such things." 
 
 " The interests of this county, Miss Dale, are 
 strictly agricultural," said Colonel Fanton to 
 me with the air of passing over Virgie's child- 
 ish chatter with indulgence. 
 
 "Yes? " I said, with the desire to seem po- 
 litely interested. " Isn't there some value in 
 the timber here ? " 
 
 " None," said Colonel Fanton, with decision, 
 and for some reason or other the man was dis- 
 pleased. He presently excused himself, and 
 left Virgie to entertain me. 
 
 And now she led me about the house and 
 grounds, chattering gayly all the while, herself 
 the comment on all that I saw about The Ter- 
 races. The house stood on the bluffs of the 
 Tannegee ; and the river-side was called the 
 front, following the traditions of the lower 
 reaches, where the wharfs of each plantation and 
 the lawns sloping down to tide-water justify the 
 designation. This river front had the regula- 
 tion huge white pillars to form the whole facade, 
 and a porch with high wooden steps leading 
 down to the thickly planted shrubbery of the 
 
 103 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 garden. Thence the terraces, that named the 
 place, fell steeply to the river. The bluffs were 
 high, and the channel was narrow ; and just 
 below were brawling rapids whose sound was 
 forever in the air. On that height, too, the 
 wind seemed forever stirring; so that between 
 the surging foliage and the chiding river there 
 was never a lull. 
 
 The actual front of the house, the real ap- 
 proach, was on the opposite side, where a smaller 
 and more graceful porch in Colonial style re- 
 lieved the severity of the square, brick house. 
 From the house-door the view was over broad 
 fields of Colonel Fanton's plantation. 
 
 " We are ungrateful to turn away from the 
 river that brought us all the bread and jam we 
 have upon its waters," chattered Virgie, as she 
 showed me about. " Our living rooms are all 
 to the county-front, you see. Only my bed- 
 room, upstairs, is to the river. How did the 
 river bring us jam ? By carrying logs for us. 
 Does it look to you like that water isn't good 
 for much but to get drowned in? It's been 
 a faithful old mule to the Fantons. Rather a 
 ' desprit sperrit,' as Jake used to call his mule, 
 it looks, doesn't it ; but four miles farther down 
 the rapids end. Papa used to have a saw-mill 
 down there. It isn't running any more. It's 
 all been cut and rafted. He told you there was 
 no more timber, didn't he ? I reckon you think 
 104 
 
The Mistress of The Terraces 
 
 all the mills in this country are ruined, don't 
 you ? If they want to start any I wish they'd 
 start the saw-mill again. I used to like the 
 steady pillar of smoke that I saw down yon- 
 der all through my childhood. They burnt 
 the slabs night and day, you know. I used to 
 love to ride down there and listen to the logs 
 squealing for fright when the saw had them ; 
 and then to see the timbers shoot down the 
 slide and plunge into the water ; and to see the 
 long, narrow rafts made up. Then they would 
 cut loose and swing out into the river and slide 
 away down around the bend, the bow-hands at 
 the sweep straining and whooping together to 
 keep it in the channel. Oh, it was fine ! " 
 
 We were in the piazza again and she was 
 leaning against one of the big white pillars, her 
 head bent as if she were listening to the river 
 below us. 
 
 " I used to long to go down with the river," 
 she continued idly — " 'way down into tide-water. 
 I thought that was the world. Then I turned 
 round like the house, and looked at Rolfe, and 
 found that was world enough for me." She 
 laughed aloud. " 'Tis a good place for dancing, 
 and hunting, and love-making, and what better 
 can you want. You will like Rolfe yourself, 
 sweet Cassy, when we have taught you to be 
 frivolous." 
 
 " I like it now," I returned, looking with 
 105 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 dreamy pleasure at the picture she made stand- 
 ing there. 
 
 " No, you don't like it yet. You nurse a se- 
 cret disapproval of our ways," she returned, 
 playfully. " Come, I must harden you. You 
 shall see the gown of my beautiful and triflin' 
 cousin, Lucia. Come, no protest ! I have it in 
 my room, and not half enough excuses to get it 
 out and handle it." 
 
 She accordingly led me upstairs, and brought 
 from the bottom of her wardrobe the box con- 
 taining the fatal gown in which Mrs. Peyton- 
 Call had died. She displayed it with the keen- 
 est pleasure. In truth, it was of great elegance, 
 and I somewhat forgot the unhallowed associa- 
 tion, and examined it with interest. 
 
 " Look," said Virgie, in a mysterious tone, 
 daintily parting the laces on the low-cut bodice, 
 " I believe I am the only person who ever saw 
 this." 
 
 She disclosed a bit of folded paper, securely 
 pinned to the silk. 
 
 " I was so excited when I first found it," she 
 continued, laughing, " I thought it would be a 
 love-letter of the beautiful young widow ; but 
 it turned out to be only an old receipt for a lot 
 of money papa gave her. Wait, I will show you. 
 It's interesting anyhow, because no one knew 
 she received money from papa. Mamma used 
 to wonder where she got the money to throw 
 
 106 
 
The Mistress of The Terraces 
 
 away in those days, when everyone was so 
 poor." 
 
 She had unfastened the paper, and unfolded 
 it for me. 
 
 " You see it is written in papa's hand, and she 
 had signed ' Lucia Beacon Peyton-Call.' At least 
 papa was business-like with her. Mamma used 
 to say you had to put sand on your hands to hold 
 her. I suppose she had received the money and 
 was to give this receipt for it to papa at the ball, 
 and then, when she died, she forgot all about it." 
 
 I examined the paper curiously. There was 
 no hint in the wording of the receipt as to what 
 Colonel Fanton had received from Mrs. Peyton- 
 Call for which he had paid her this sum of 
 money; it was simply a formal acknowledg- 
 ment that she had had, on such and such a date, 
 this large amount of cash ; and all the circum- 
 stances went to indicate that the transaction be- 
 tween the two had been secret. 
 
 Without a word, I returned the paper to 
 Virgie. She pinned it back in its place, chat- 
 tering cheerfully the while. 
 
 " I suppose that receipt belongs to papa, but 
 I shall not give it to him. I want to keep this 
 dress exactly as it is. It really belongs to 
 Donald ; but they gave a lot of Cousin Lucia's 
 lovely things to mamma. She never wore one 
 of them. She despised Cousin Lucia even after 
 she was dead. I can't understand hating dead 
 
 107 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 people, can you ? I'm always so sorry for them. 
 They'll never have any more fun. Do you 
 want to be an angel, Cassy ? I don't. Some- 
 times I think I'll be just the one to die young, 
 I love so much to live." 
 
 " Put the gown away," I begged her. " It 
 suggests death and evil." 
 
 " But if I have to die, I should like to die 
 in this," she said, reluctantly holding back the 
 lid and gazing at the rich and silvery folds of 
 the garment. " It is so becoming to me. I 
 have never had an elegant dress. You have 
 such beautiful gowns, I suppose this doesn't ex- 
 cite you." 
 
 " Virgie," I begged uneasily, " promise me 
 never in your life to put on this gown again." 
 
 " I can't promise that," she cried out. " If I 
 ever get a chance, I'll be obliged to wear it. It 
 bewitched me long ago." 
 
 I resolutely took the lid of the box from her 
 hand, and covered the silk from her view. 
 
 " Come home with me," I said. " I have the 
 loveliest little gown of crepe, blue as the sky, 
 made in Paris. Bud saw me unfold it the 
 other day, and exclaimed, ' That would suit 
 Miss Virgie.' I think it would, too, and I want 
 to give it to you. Come home and try it on, 
 and forget this box and all that's in it." 
 
 " I will," she cried, delightedly. " I'll trust 
 your taste, sweet Cassy, and that of your hand- 
 some big brother." 
 
 108 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 REFORESTRATION 
 
 Bud, it appeared, was handy with tools. He 
 undertook to build a lean-to or extra room be- 
 hind each of the two cabins that formed our 
 house. He had the lumber for it already lying 
 in the little barn. 
 
 " Lilbud, he took a notion to get married 
 last fall, and I got this stuff then," he explained, 
 carelessly. " I reckoned we'd need more 
 room." 
 
 " Whom was he going to marry ? " I asked, 
 with some anxiety. 
 
 " I don't rightly know whether he had any- 
 body picked out," Bud returned. " I reckon 
 he just naturally wanted to get married ; but 
 looks like no one would have him. Lilbud, he 
 ain't so smart as the rest of us, nor he ain't so 
 good-lookin'. I reckon he'll have a time get- 
 tin' him a wife." 
 
 Bud's perfect gravity and good faith threw 
 me into rather inappropriate laughter. He 
 did not understand my amusement, but he 
 smiled sympathetically and continued with 
 some relish to discuss his brother's inferiority. 
 
 109 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 "Lilbud's like Pap. He's right slow. He 
 don't have any luck at cards, and he can't shoot. 
 Pap, he never could shoot ; we liked to starve 
 here one time, till I learned myself to shoot 
 with Pap's old gun, and I learned Son as soon 
 as he was big enough to stagger under it. But 
 Lilbud wasn't much account, so I had just nat- 
 urally to make a farmer out of him. He's right 
 smart of a farmer when he has any luck. But 
 nobody would marry him. He lacks style." 
 
 The lean-to was now being built for me, and 
 Bud's hammer and saw resounded cheerfully. 
 Indeed, there was an air of rejuvenation about 
 the whole place. The door-yard was raked, 
 the steps were scrubbed, we were planting, 
 pruning, and watering with more good-will 
 than science. I was taking Miss Fanton's ad- 
 vice that I should let my brothers wait on me, 
 and the dear fellows seemed to enjoy it hugely. 
 
 About a week after our garden was planted 
 Mr. Baumann drove up in the afternoon to in- 
 quire about it. He seemed impressed with the 
 changes on our premises. 
 
 " The progress of civilization is more rapid 
 than usual," he observed. Bud came forward 
 when he heard who was at the front door, 
 and thanked our visitor with grace and dignity 
 for the help he had given me and Lilbud with 
 the garden. 
 
 " I've aimed to call on you ever since, Mr. 
 no 
 
Reforestration 
 
 Baumann," he said ; " but it looks like we 
 ought to spend all our time right now fixin' up 
 to make Sister a little more comfortable." 
 
 " It seems to me she is fixing up to make you 
 more comfortable," said Mr. Baumann, in rather 
 ungracious response. I was offended. 
 
 " My brothers are doing everything," I as- 
 sured Mr. Baumann. 
 
 " Then have you time to go home with me to 
 take coffee this afternoon with Mrs. Baumann?" 
 he asked. " She sends you a special invitation 
 for to-day, because she has succeeded particu- 
 larly well with her cake this morning." 
 
 Bud genially encouraged me to go, promis- 
 ing to come after me himself; and I made ready 
 for the festivity of taking afternoon coffee with 
 my German neighbors. 
 
 On the way I approached Mr. Baumann on 
 the subject of the district school, and asked him 
 whether I could be appointed as the teacher, 
 with Archer for my assistant. He received 
 the proposition with a surprise I did not un- 
 derstand. Finding me serious, he seemed to 
 consider my application with high favor. 
 
 " You would really be doing a useful work," 
 he said. 
 
 "Dear me, I hadn't thought of that!" I 
 ejaculated. 
 
 " You think chiefly of the benefit it will be 
 to your brother, of course," said he. " I'm 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 sure you're right. It will be a useful experi- 
 ence for him to teach under you, but rather 
 hard work for you, I should say." 
 " I haven't examined Archer at all as yet." 
 " I have," he said, with a short laugh. " He 
 is a typical product of the school as it has been. 
 His whole learning is a senseless rigmarole. 
 You'll have to begin at the beginning and 
 break down his astonishing vanity ; but I don't 
 see any better way than the one you propose. 
 There's only money for one teacher, of course, 
 but that's not the point with what you have in 
 view. I'll be very glad to give you the work 
 jointly." 
 
 " It is all in your hands, then ? " 
 " Nominally it is not ; but I've been making 
 such a fight since we got rid of the incompe- 
 tent man we've had for years, to get a decently 
 educated person here, that I've tired the opposi- 
 tion out, I think. Now that it's left to me, I'm 
 really at a loss to secure a teacher. It's hard 
 to get one who is qualified to take a place, 
 where you never have money for more than 
 three months' session at a time." 
 
 " And when does this session begin ? " 
 " Oh, whenever you like. But I'd rather 
 you would start in October and teach till 
 Christmas. Perhaps by that time you'll be 
 interested enough to give your services for 
 the rest of the year." 
 
Reforestration 
 
 I roundly disclaimed any intention of working 
 without being paid, and he laughed as if highly 
 amused, and named the salary, which I had to 
 admit was nearly nothing at all. Then he 
 urged that I should take the fall months, and if 
 my benevolence was not equal to keeping open 
 the school after Christmas he hoped he could 
 get another appropriation. 
 
 There were sounds of merriment from the 
 rear of the Baumann cottage, and the master 
 of the house led me directly through to the 
 back piazza. On the steps sat the gentleman 
 whom Lilbud and I had seen on the top of the 
 hill. He was tussling with the two blonde and 
 rugged children I had talked with in the gar- 
 den. Little Karl he held at arm's length, pre- 
 tending to trounce him, while the little girl 
 flung herself from one to the other in romping 
 play. 
 
 " We'll teach you to hide our things, Schlin- 
 gel" cried the gentleman, and then Mr. Bau- 
 mann called out and the tumult subsided. 
 
 " Miss Dale," said my host as the other rose, 
 " I make you acquainted with Freiherr Max 
 von Baerensprung, Doctor of Philosophy and 
 chief of the forestry department of the duke- 
 dom of Hiibeningen. He is in this country for 
 purposes of study, and sometimes wastes his 
 time in the manner you have just observed." 
 
 " Trautchen, my glasses, quick ! that I may 
 113 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 see where to make my bow," cried the gentle- 
 man, blinking rather helplessly. . When the 
 child restored them to him he made it in very 
 good form, bringing his heels together with a 
 military click. He recognized me and referred 
 to our meeting on the hill. 
 
 "You saw me in a costume then which I 
 greatly prefer to the conventional," he said, 
 with humor, " though it may not well support 
 the resounding introduction my friend here has 
 given me. I think we owed each other nothing 
 in curiosity, however, Miss Dale. I have hoped 
 for the opportunity to apologize for the way I 
 stared ; but, as a matter of fact, Karl and Traut- 
 chen here had sent me out to bring them each 
 a fairy, and I thought the Wald-spuck was 
 come to meet me in your person." 
 
 " And what is the Wald-spuck ? " I asked. 
 
 " Ah, that is a word that cannot be translated. 
 It means the whole enchantment of the forest, 
 fairies, gnomes, witches, everything; and I 
 conceived that in these modern' days it might 
 include also such a spectacular appearance in 
 the latest Paris fashions." 
 
 "That was going far," I observed with 
 amusement. 
 
 " To tell the truth, I am willing to go far to 
 find some consoling evidence of the supernat- 
 ural in these American woods," he returned. 
 " My walks are lonely enough, the fairies are 
 114 
 
Reforestration 
 
 scarce and exceedingly wild." He looked at 
 the eaves of the roof as he spoke in grave tones 
 and the two children stood before him open- 
 mouthed and listened. " There are no ruins 
 where they can come together and form little 
 societies for offence and defence. They wan- 
 der singly or in groups of two and three in a 
 very pitiful way. In the forest near my home 
 they had better accommodation. There was an 
 ancient robber-cave " 
 
 " Oh ! " cried Karl. 
 
 " and a ruined watch-tower of Roman 
 
 times." 
 
 " Ach ! " cried Trautchen. 
 
 ' " and a little old Jagdt-Schloss with 
 
 mossy roof." 
 
 " In the darkest part of the woods," cried 
 Karl. 
 
 " and the forester's house was old, 
 
 old " 
 
 Here Mrs. Baumann hurried out to greet me. 
 
 " Fraulein, excuse. I did not hear you come. 
 The Kinder make such Laerm. What is the 
 Herr Doctor telling you— nonsense ? " 
 
 " I am speaking of our dear German forest, 
 Frau Gertrude," he explained. 
 
 " Ach, der deutsche Wald," she sighed. " Da 
 ist es doch was ganz anderes ! " 
 
 " You must know," continued the Freiherr to 
 me, " that Mrs. Baumann and her husband and 
 
 115 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 I come from the same place and played to- 
 gether as children. We have the same home- 
 sickness identically." 
 
 " I was the Foerster's daughter in Baeren- 
 sprung," she added. " And my Wilhelm was 
 Forst-gehilfe ; and Herr Max our friend al- 
 ways." 
 
 " And in the old house I used to get a great 
 deal of very good cake," continued the Frei- 
 herr von Baerensprung, once more addressing 
 the children. " Before you were born we ate 
 it, your father and mother and I. It was 
 much better cake than one gets now." 
 
 " Mutter's cake is very good now," said 
 Trautchen, without envy. " It stands out there 
 in the Laube. When the coffee ready is we go 
 all out and eat it." 
 
 " And the coffee is ready," cried the mother. 
 " Hinauss, alle miteinander. I bring the Ge- 
 backenes ! " 
 
 But Mr. Baumann detained his wife to tell 
 her what he evidently considered an important 
 piece of news: that I had applied for the Cax- 
 ton school. I was gratified to note the moth- 
 er's evident satisfaction. 
 
 " Ach, das ist ja sehr gut ! " she exclaimed, 
 cordially, and then a shade of anxiety crossed 
 her face. " But, Wilhelm, will not that man 
 down there objections make again ? " she asked 
 her husband. 
 
 116 
 
Reforestration 
 
 " No," he returned, shortly, " he's indifferent. 
 He'll appoint, he says, whomever I recom- 
 mend." 
 
 " Then he lacks malice, and the sum of his 
 villanies is incomplete," put in the Freiherr 
 von Baerensprung in a teasing tone. " I am 
 disappointed, Wilhelm. Have you not prom- 
 ised to show me in his person that rare and in- 
 teresting specimen, the man who is absolutely 
 bad ? " 
 
 " I promised nothing of the kind," retorted 
 Mr. Baumann, crossly. " Come all of you, in 
 the Laube we can talk better than here." 
 
 The " Laube " to which we repaired was 
 a pretty grape arbor in the midst of the gar- 
 den, furnished with table and chairs. It was 
 festively set for the afternoon coffee with 
 large cups and plates and knives, and an uncut 
 cake. It was pleasant after my week of camp 
 life to sit down to a fair white cloth once more, 
 flecked prettily with shadows of the moving 
 leaves between us and the sun. Most attrac- 
 tive of all were the children, Karl and Traut- 
 chen, sitting up straight, their pretty, rosy 
 faces primly composed. They regarded me 
 with serious round eyes across the table. 
 When I smiled on them Trautchen felt encour- 
 aged to enter upon a conversation. 
 
 " Where do you live ? " she asked me. I 
 pointed southward. " Yes, I thought so," she 
 
 «7 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 continued, nodding. " It is a big, white house, 
 yes, with round posts before ? And it has 
 many, many stables, yes ? " 
 
 " No, my house is small and gray and has 
 only one stable," I returned with amusement. 
 
 " Why don't you get that big house ? " asked 
 the child. " No one lives therein, I think. 
 You would like it, it is like a palace." 
 
 " Trautchen speaks of Caxton," said her fath- 
 er, laughing. " Miss Dale, your costume makes 
 its effect. The child wants to place the first 
 princess it has seen in the only palace it 
 knows." 
 
 " Yes, Fraulein, your dress is too fine," said 
 my hostess in round disapproval. 
 
 Though I was taken aback at this lack of 
 ceremony, I tried to turn it off easily ; but she 
 repeated again, with really uncalled-for sever- 
 ity, that it was " auf fallend " and " extrava- 
 gant." I saw why in Rolfe, where good man. 
 ners were the text, this brusque and uncere- 
 monious woman could not make friends. Dr. 
 von Baerensprung relieved me from the em- 
 barrassment of the situation. 
 
 " I'm sure your brothers would totally dis- 
 agree with Mrs. Baumann on this point, Miss 
 Dale," he said, genially. 
 
 " They are absurdly pleased with my pretty 
 things," I admitted, laughing. 
 
 " Not in the least absurd," he returned, with 
 ir8 
 
Reforestration 
 
 animation. " Good clothes are the basis of a 
 higher life. No one is free until he is dressed 
 in the most becoming garb, no one is influen- 
 tial till he is elegant. I know I could not get 
 the people of Rolfe to hear me on the subject 
 of forestry if I were to go among them in the 
 comfortable smock I have unearthed here 
 among Wilhelm's things ; and you, Miss Dale, 
 who are also on a mission of civilization like 
 myself, you must make the most of your city 
 toilettes." 
 
 " What is your mission here, Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung ? " I asked. " Are you the scientist of 
 whom I have already heard, who has revolu- 
 tionary schemes for developing the county ? " 
 
 " See how my fame spreads ! " he said, with 
 amusement. " It was only about a week ago 
 that I suggested the matter to a few gentlemen 
 I met in New Rome who were curious as to 
 what I could find to busy myself about in this 
 God-forsaken Rolfe. They were considerably 
 amazed at my statement that we had the best 
 water-power down here of the whole region 
 and a site for a great factory." 
 
 "Do you really think that?" asked Mr. 
 Baumann, with great interest. 
 
 " Why, it's a very simple problem indeed," 
 said Dr. von Baerensprung easily. "Miss 
 Dale, I should like to interest you in it. 
 Here's a mill-stream gone dry because the for- 
 
 119 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 est about its head-waters has been destroyed. 
 Vegetation, you know, acts like a sponge, hold- 
 ing the moisture and thus giving the springs 
 an even flow throughout the year. Now when 
 all these trees, big and little, were cut off and 
 cattle and pigs were allowed to run wild over 
 the tract, the vegetation was practically de- 
 stroyed. You can see how the wet season now 
 brings torrents which no mill-dam will with- 
 stand, and how in dry season there is no water 
 at all. Now my scheme is for the reforestra- 
 tion of this vast tract of land. By fencing the 
 whole area to keep out animals andAy burning 
 fire-lanes, later, to keep the fires^ in check, the 
 vegetation will get its hold again." . 
 
 " It would require a big initial outlay of 
 money," said Mr. Baumann, thoughtfully. 
 
 " It would be a very sure investment?** re- 
 turned the other. " I recommend it to th&- 
 attention of anyone interested in the progress 
 of the county. I suppose one could buy the 
 mill-site and that desolate tract of bare land for 
 very little. The fencing would be the chief 
 cost. I believe the present owner is supposed 
 to be in financial difficulties and would be glad 
 to sell." 
 
 " Peyton-Call only owns the mill-site, Fanton 
 owns the land," corrected Mr. Baumann. 
 
 "I think you are mistaken, Wilhelm. The 
 county map at the court-house shows all that 
 
Reforestration 
 
 land east of the turnpike and near the river to 
 belong to the Caxton estate." 
 
 "The Peyton-Calls used to own nearly the 
 whole plateau of Rolfe," assented Mr. Baumann. 
 " But since that map was made Colonel Fan- 
 ton has bought the land you speak of, and he is 
 the man who has cut it bare of timber." 
 
 " Is he, indeed ? And I have been blaming 
 the present Peyton-Call's father for his stu- 
 pidity in ruining his own water-power and his 
 son's inheritance ! " 
 
 " No, that is one of Colonel Fanton's laudable 
 business enterprises," said Mr. Baumann, with 
 a laugh. " He made a fortune on that lumber 
 speculation soon after the war." 
 
 " He made it at his neighbor's expense," said' 
 Dr. von Baerensprung, thoughtfully. " Well, 
 whom the gods would destroy — ! It was 
 madness for Peyton-Call to sell that land with- 
 out a restriction on the cutting." 
 
 " People are so ignorant here," observed Mr. 
 Baumann. " I suppose no one in Rolfe ever 
 heard there was a connection between forest 
 growth and the flow of streams." 
 
 " There you are wrong," said Dr. von Bae- 
 rensprung, triumphantly. " I'm always glad to 
 score against you on such a point, my friend. 
 The relation between forest growth and the 
 flow of streams is practically understood here 
 very well indeed, as I've learned in my talks 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 with some of the older inhabitants. Several 
 have cited this very example of Peyton Branch. 
 I'm only surprised that in talking about it not 
 one of them has mentioned Colonel Fanton's 
 name as the man who did the mischief." 
 
 " No one here mentions anyone else unfav- 
 orably," said Mr. Baumann, contemptuously. 
 " The days are not so far back when a man had 
 to be ready to support his criticism of another 
 with a pistol. You'll find no one in Rolfe to 
 tell you that Colonel Fanton is a tricky man 
 in business, though everybody knows it. His 
 cleaning off that timber was entirely in char- 
 acter.'' 
 
 " I don't see how that was a trick," I ob- 
 jected. " It was very ungenerous if he really 
 knew what the effect would be; but if there 
 are no laws against it and he had no agreement 
 with his neighbor, I suppose it was his right." 
 
 " There ought to be laws. There ought to 
 have been an agreement;" said the Freiherr 
 von Baerensprung, decidedly. " I'm afraid this 
 good-for-nothing Donald Junior inherits his 
 carelessness from his father, who sold that land. 
 But I shall try, nevertheless, to interest him in 
 this water-power of his." 
 
 " I prophesy he won't listen," growled Mr. 
 Baumann. 
 
 " If he is at all intelligent my path will be 
 smooth enough," returned the other easily. 
 
Reforestration 
 
 I remembered Peyton-Call's deliberate eva- 
 sion of this very subject on the day I had come 
 down to Rolfe, and I doubted whether the sci- 
 entist would find his way so smooth ; but I kept 
 silent. 
 
 " I'll give you your opportunity this evening, 
 Doctor Max. The sooner you know Peyton- 
 Call as he really is, the better," said his host. 
 "I'll go down to the court-house, anyhow; if 
 Miss Dale really wants the school, I will see 
 about the matter at once." 
 
 " I want it very much indeed ; we need the 
 income," I returned firmly. It irritated me 
 that I should have been thought to mean mis- 
 sionary work in offering to teach the Caxton 
 school. 
 
 When I told my brothers that night how I 
 had applied for the school for Archer and my- 
 self together, they seemed greatly pleased. 
 Bud proposed that " Son " and I should hold a 
 sort of double examination on the spot. 
 
 " It would do me good to hear you-all fire 
 questions at each other, and show each other 
 how smart you are," he said, beamingly. " I 
 ain't educated myself, but I can appreciate 
 education. I reckon you two are about even 
 matched, and could sit here and swap informa- 
 tion all night long, and then not be through 
 with all you know." 
 
 123 
 
The Master of Caxton , 
 
 " I reckon we could, Bud, but there wouldn't 
 be much sense in it, would there?" inquired 
 Archer with some disdain. 
 
 " Well, just for the satisfaction of it," said 
 poor Bud, a little taken back by the reserve of 
 the learned. 
 
 But Archer and I preferred, for Bud's sake 
 if for no other reason, to examine each other 
 privately. And we arranged for a session in 
 the glen on the following afternoon. 
 
 124 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THE MILL ON THE BRANCH 
 
 Our glen was a spacious level-bottomed 
 place. Laurel and elder thickets alternated 
 with park-like stretches where maples and pop- 
 lars and hornbeans grew uncrowded. The 
 stream meandered in its deep-cut, narrow bed, 
 now tinkling to a fall under the overhanging 
 bank upheld by roots, now running in noiseless 
 little rapids, now moving through placid pools, 
 its surface broken only by the glancing " mel- 
 low-bugs." It was a place designed by nature 
 for happy rest and child's play ; but Archer and 
 I sat down solemnly in the sweetly shaded in- 
 terior, veiled above and on every side with 
 shimmering green, opened his battered school- 
 books, and he began to tell me everything he 
 knew. 
 
 At first sight he seemed to have made much 
 of his meagre opportunities. He had mas- 
 tered his books as far as memorizing the text. 
 He had been the "smart scholar" of the 
 school. His spelling was correct, his calcula- 
 tion quick, his writing well-nigh perfect; but 
 along with these he had learned such a fatal 
 
 125 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 conceit as fairly staggered me. I saw now why, 
 in applying for the school, he had made one 
 trustee indignant and the other hilarious. I 
 questioned him searchingly on the law-books 
 he had been reading, and soon discovered that 
 they satisfied his vanity rather than his thirst 
 for knowledge. He understood so little of all 
 that he had waded through that it was hard 
 to conceive by what stimulus his industry 
 was kept up. His ambition to study law was 
 based, it appeared, on the respect in which the 
 community held that profession. Vague hints 
 of a brilliant and honor-bringing career, open 
 to anyone who was bold enough to enter there- 
 on, had reached him in devious ways. His 
 ignorant teacher seemed to have been respon- 
 sible for much of this false stimulus, and for 
 the rest the slight contact the boy had had, 
 from time to time, with the lawyers of the 
 court-house. The fundamental element of Arch- 
 er's ambition was his conviction that somehow, 
 somewhere, a bright fellow like himself could 
 get honor and glory without further labor. 
 
 " I reckon law ain't so hard as they make out 
 when you once get the hang of these books," 
 he said, confidently. " Some folks talk like it's 
 hard to get an education, but I never had any 
 trouble from start to finish. It looked like I 
 was cut out to be a school-teacher, Bud said, 
 when he saw how smart I was." 
 126 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 Alas, Bud ! For the sake of his love, for the 
 sake of his pride in " Son," I had to undertake 
 the discouraging task of helping Archer. For 
 my own part, I wished he had, like Bud, learned 
 from the woods alone, and from his tender and 
 open heart. But in books he had gone astray ; 
 through books he must be reclaimed. So I set 
 about to find, in all gentleness, some vulnerable 
 point in the boy's armor of self-complacency, 
 some chance for ventilating his stifling conceit. 
 
 There was one thing he admitted that he 
 did not know. There had been, in his school, no 
 opportunity to study Latin. An acquaintance 
 with Latin, he was aware, belonged to the edu- 
 cation of a lawyer and a gentleman ; so much 
 he had gathered from his limited intercourse 
 with the intellectual lights of the county. Col- 
 onel Fanton, he thought, could read Latin like 
 he was reading a newspaper ; and when Mr. 
 Don prepared for college he had a tutor who, 
 it was rumored, kept him at Latin eight hours a 
 day, and liked to killed him. Archer, therefore, 
 was anxious to make up his little deficiency as 
 quickly as might be. Old Dr. Carson at the 
 court-house, it seemed, had already offered to 
 give him an indefinite number of Latin lessons 
 in return for an indefinite amount of rail-split- 
 ting. Before he concluded the bargain Archer 
 wanted to know from some disinterested person 
 how long it took to learn Latin. 
 
 127 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " I'll give you a lesson myself, and then I'll 
 make an estimate," I suggested, and he was 
 greatly pleased. He had Dr. Carson's ancient 
 grammar, borrowed for approval, and we began 
 at once. The towels I ought to have been hem- 
 ming lay neglected at home ; in a field near by, 
 Lilbud, the patient, was ploughing in the hot 
 sun, with his new mule, to whom he had to 
 shout continuously ; and we two went at our 
 first declension in the shade by the brook-side. 
 
 " Now give it to me, Sister, I'll learn it by 
 heart in a few minutes," he said, impatiently, 
 when I had talked awhile. He withdrew to 
 a little distance, and flung himself under a tree 
 to memorize the page. I waited with folded 
 hands awhile, having brought no work down 
 with me ; then, finding a patch of moss close to 
 hand, I amused myself idly clearing it of dead 
 leaves and twigs. I had begun to put a neat 
 paling of little sticks around my tiny park when 
 Lee's sharp bark aroused me, and I saw Dr. 
 von Baerensprung approaching me among the 
 trees. I rose, rather hoping he would not 
 notice what I had been playing at, but he saw 
 it as soon as he approached. 
 
 " You have an almost morbid passion for im- 
 provement," he remarked, after he had greeted 
 me, and he fastened his eye-glasses and peered 
 down at my work. " This real estate has little 
 value, and will not pay you out." 
 128 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 " For a lover of fairies you show yourself 
 very inappreciative," I returned. " It is meant 
 for a little park for the elves. I don't want 
 it to pay." 
 
 "An endowed place of public amusement! 
 Good ! This is philanthropy on the most im- 
 proved modern lines," he said, with amuse- 
 ment. I sighed inwardly. The r&le of phi- 
 lanthropist pursued me even in play. 
 
 "You must have a grotto in the middle 
 of it," said Dr. von Baerensprung, in a tone of 
 serious interest, still bending over my work. 
 " The proletariat likes grottos with blue lights 
 and little tables for two. I will build you one 
 myself." 
 
 He knelt down and began to gather up frag- 
 ments of bark and pebbles. 
 
 " You shall build no grotto on my premises," 
 I objected. " There shall be nothing so com- 
 monplace." 
 
 " No grotto, no patronage ! " he warned me, 
 gravely ; but I was unconvinced. 
 
 "Then I shall found a rival establishment,' 
 he cried, beginning energetically to clear a 
 space in the moss. " We shall see which will 
 win with the masses, time-honored institutions 
 or newly imported assthetic fads." 
 
 He built his little fence very deftly and with 
 far greater speed than I had mine. I began to 
 feel jealous and sat down to improve my own 
 
 129 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 work; for a few moments we were absurdly 
 absorbed and silent. 
 
 " I observe you have no arch over your en- 
 trance," said Dr. von Baerensprung at length, 
 glancing at my handiwork with raised eye- 
 brows. "Is there also a prejudice against 
 that?" 
 
 " Against a wooden arch there is more than 
 prejudice, there is architectural principle," I 
 returned with the more warmth because I saw 
 that the bent twig he had placed over his gate- 
 way gave a style and finish to his enclosure 
 which mine lacked. He went at the building 
 of his grotto, and I watched with amused in- 
 terest the construction of the tiny edifice. The 
 gentleman's hands were shapely and expressive 
 of refinement ; their motion characteristic ; he 
 snatched a stone from the ground, but he poised 
 it with delicate care. 
 
 From his hands my eyes caught his face, the 
 profile of which was turned to me. My first 
 impression of his benevolence and refinement 
 was reinforced. After days of intercourse with 
 my simple brothers, it was a peculiar pleasure 
 to see this cultivated stranger. I asked myself 
 whether, as the months and years went by, I 
 should grow indifferent to the things of the 
 world I had left behind ; or whether, perhaps, 
 my brothers would learn to value them, to need 
 them as I did now. What influence, for in- 
 130 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 stance, would an acquaintance with this cosmo- 
 politan German have upon my brothers ? 
 
 As if in response to my thoughts he suddenly 
 spoke to me of Archer. He was anxious to 
 meet, he said, the other member of the faculty 
 of that distinguished educational institution, 
 the Caxton school. 
 
 " Are we appointed then ? " I exclaimed. 
 He assented, with obvious amusement at my 
 pleasure. I took the opportunity of calling 
 Archer, rising from my seat on the moss. 
 
 My brother came a little reluctantly, his open 
 book on his arm. I introduced him, and Dr. 
 von Baerensprung stepped forward in a cordial 
 way to shake hands. I thought he looked at 
 Archer and his book with quizzical interest. 
 
 " Brother, we are appointed to the school," 
 I announced, and Archer flushed with pleasure. 
 
 " Yes, the great obstructionist was for once 
 complacent," said Dr. von Baerensprung. " He 
 was even amiable, to Mr. Baumann's disap- 
 pointment. My friend loves a contention." 
 
 " Mr. Don was amiable because it was for a 
 lady," said Archer, resentfully. " He don't like 
 me a little bit." 
 
 " I dare say you each antagonize the other," 
 suggested Dr. von Baerensprung, looking rather 
 thoughtfully, at my brother's vexed and ani- 
 mated face. 
 
 "It's the truth," assented Archer, frankly; 
 131 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " I certainly don't like him. Bud, he swears 
 by Mr. Don, but I haven't the least use in the 
 world for him." 
 
 " I found him charming yesterday evening," 
 observed Dr. von Baerensprung. " I went 
 home with him to supper and spent some de- 
 lightful hours. His is a very beautiful old 
 house." 
 
 " It certainly is a fine house," Archer agreed, 
 still scowling. " But blamed if any house in 
 the world would be fine enough to keep me 
 prisoner like that house keeps Mr. Don." 
 
 " Why, that's a very keen observation, my 
 friend ! " exclaimed the Freiherr von Baeren- 
 sprung, looking at Archer with increased in- 
 terest. " I confess you have given me the key 
 to a problem. I was puzzled by my host last 
 night. His inertia was mysterious; for his 
 mind is alert, his feelings alive and delicate. I 
 believe now it is the weight of his inheritance 
 that cripples his will. His traditions have 
 grown too dear to him. He has his mother's 
 portrait there to dream over, her books and 
 work-box and fan are on his desk — and such 
 things interest him more than matters of living 
 moment." 
 
 "Mr. Don's mother — " began Archer, and 
 paused. 
 
 "Well?" inquired the other with interest. 
 
 "There are all sorts of stories about her," 
 132 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 said Archer. " Mr. Don himself is about the 
 only one who admires her very much, I 
 reckon." 
 
 " She was from the North, and therefore un- 
 popular here, just before the war," I put in by 
 way of explanation. 
 
 " 'Tain't that," insisted Archer. " She was 
 right triflin', they say ; spent a heap of money 
 when she didn't have it to spend " 
 
 " I should have gathered from the tone in 
 which the son referred to her that she was of 
 the salt of the earth," said Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung, with some gravity. " I think we 
 should respect this filial devotion." 
 
 " I reckon people do respect it," returned 
 Archer, with a short laugh. " If Mr. Don de- 
 cides his mother's a saint, he'll maintain it with 
 a six-shooter against the county. I don't try 
 to avoid trouble myself, but I wouldn't like to 
 let him hear me mention his mother without 
 taking off my hat." 
 
 Dr. von Baerensprung now noted the Latin 
 grammar on Archer's arm. 
 
 " Books by the running brooks ? " he inquired 
 with light reproach. " I'm glad I interrupted 
 you." 
 
 " I think myself it would be nicer to have the 
 trees talk to us," I put in, feelingly. 
 
 " I don't see that," objected Archer. " Can 
 a swamp-maple learn you Latin ? " 
 
 133 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Dr. von Baerensprung's eyes danced with 
 amusement. 
 
 " Latin is the one thing my brother doesn't 
 know," I said, with my gravity maintained. 
 "„He's very anxious to make it up with all pos- 
 sible speed." 
 
 " What use do you intend to make of it ? " 
 inquired the Freiherr of Archer. 
 
 " I want to know it just for so," returned 
 Archer. 
 
 " That's the best reason in the world for 
 studying a thing," agreed the other. " But it's 
 a good thing to apply new knowledge promptly. 
 I have a proposition to make you, Mr. Dale. I 
 need for the monograph I am preparing a list 
 of all the trees of this vicinity with their Latin 
 names. If I can engage your services as my 
 secretary in preparing this list, you will have a 
 chance to learn some Latin in the course of the 
 work." 
 
 Archer looked confused and hesitated. I 
 urged him to accept. Dr. von Baerensprung 
 offered liberal terms, and presently it was 
 arranged. My satisfaction knew no bounds. 
 I saw what must be the effect of contact for 
 Archer with this cultivated and genial man. 
 The fact that Archer was shy with the scientist 
 was the first good sign that he recognized his 
 superior. 
 
 " And I'll give you Latin lessons myself," 
 134 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 continued Dr. von Baerensprung, genially. 
 " Your sister hasn't any time for such unim- 
 portant business as that." 
 
 Archer was delighted with this ; to flourish 
 a book before him was to stimulate him. He 
 accepted the offer without heeding my excla- 
 mation of protest. 
 
 " You are too good. You are making your- 
 self trouble," I objected. 
 
 : " Not at all. I really need just the wide- 
 awake assistant your brother will be to me," 
 returned Dr. von Baerensprung, frankly. " I 
 have seen your letters, Mr. Archer, to Wilhelm 
 Baumann, and I like your clear hand-writing. 
 I almost believe you could draw." 
 
 " I've never tried, but I reckon it's easy 
 enough," replied Archer, with a pleased laugh. 
 
 " Well, so it is ; the drawing I need for my 
 work," he answered. " Photography is another 
 matter. I loathe it. In fact, I dislike almost 
 every occupation incident to my studies, Miss 
 Dale ; and the first thing I do when I reach a 
 new field is to look about for assistants. I've 
 had my eye on Archer for some time." 
 
 We invited our caller to the house ; but he 
 excused himself. 
 
 " I have been there already," he said, " and 
 interrupted your brother Bud and your land- 
 lord, who were talking over the faults of the 
 latter's horse. It bade fair to be an all-after- 
 
 135 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 noon consultation, and I felt sure I should be 
 in the way. I wish I could see Caxton so ani- 
 mated over my business scheme as he is to-day 
 over his new horse." 
 
 " He didn't respond to your scientific ad- 
 vice ? " I asked, a little amusedly. 
 
 " His unconcern last night was impregnable," 
 returned Dr. von Baerensprung, with a laugh. 
 " Well, I can only try again ; my plan is too 
 pretty to relinquish it. If I fail with Caxton, 
 Miss Dale, I still have hope of you." 
 
 " Surely not," I returned, quickly. " You 
 would waste your time, Dr. von Baerensprung. 
 I shall never have the slightest interest in a 
 business enterprise." 
 
 " Then support me with a sympathetic inter- 
 est in the scientific side of the question," he 
 urged, amiably. " Have you seen the mill-site 
 yet, Miss Dale ? No ? Have not you and your 
 brother time to walk down there now ? It is a 
 picturesque ruin, the mill ; and I will engage to 
 spoil the romance as little as possible with my 
 lecture on economics. I shall want to practise 
 a style of presentation that shall some time ap- 
 peal to the romantic and frivolous nature of 
 Caxton himself." 
 
 " You all mind what you say about him, yon- 
 der he comes right now," Archer warned us. 
 
 In truth, the master of Caxton, riding-whip 
 in hand, appeared sauntering toward us down 
 136 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 the glen. He presently noticed we were look- 
 ing up, and quickened his pace. As he took off 
 his hat, the sun between the trees fell on his red 
 hair with fine effect. Altogether he was an im- 
 posing figure, with the green shadowy glen to 
 frame him. Dr. von Baerensprung's face 
 lighted with pleasure. 
 
 " Say what you will, a man of that bearing 
 has his uses," he had time to murmur. " For 
 my part, I like him." 
 
 Archer, for his part, all but scowled as our 
 landlord approached us. 
 
 " I have been to the house, Miss Dale, to pay 
 my respects to you," said Mr. Peyton-Call, 
 after greeting us all, " and took in good faith 
 Bud's statement that you were not at home. 
 Please imagine my resentment now at chancing 
 upon you, close at hand, entertaining another 
 caller." 
 
 " Be humble," advised Dr. von Baerensprung, 
 cheerfully. " I owe my advantage over you, 
 Mr. Peyton-Call, to my superior merits. My 
 cunning scepticism in not believing Miss Dale's 
 brother, my boldness in searching the premises 
 for myself " 
 
 " It is a question," retorted the other, 
 " whether cunning and boldness ought to win 
 over trustfulness and patience. I have been 
 lingering at the house, waiting for Miss Dale's 
 return." 
 
 137 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Where did you leave your horse, Mr. Pey- 
 ton-Call? " I inquired, just by the way of show- 
 ing I was not too deeply impressed with the 
 honor of his special call on me. He recognized 
 the mild rebuff, and stuck to his point with 
 some assurance. 
 
 " I lingered so long I had to make an excuse, 
 and I've left my horse with Bud to cure him of 
 shying," he said. " I really like a shying horse. 
 It keeps me from too much sleep while I ride. 
 And now I'm punished for dissembling to Bud 
 by having to walk home. I hate walking ; in 
 fact, I can't walk." 
 
 " I'm so sorry," I said, with polite regret. 
 " I was just going to ask you to join us in a 
 walk. Dr. von Baerensprung wants to show us 
 the ruined mill on the branch." 
 
 There flashed an inexplicable change over 
 Peyton-Call's face. His eyes narrowed slightly 
 as he looked at me, his lips set themselves cu- 
 riously. Had the idea not been too absurd I 
 should have said it expressed hostility. 
 
 " Then I feel I must accompany you," he 
 said, a little slowly. " The ruin is haunted ; you 
 will need my protection." 
 
 " I reckon we could fix the hants ! " observed 
 Archer, in no very gracious tone. He was 
 swinging from the limb of a tree under which 
 we stood, idly and restlessly like a boy ; and 
 Mr. Peyton-Call glanced toward him with 
 133 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 that absent-minded unconcern one gives a 
 child. 
 
 " By all means let us be cautious, and take 
 the owner of the ghosts along with us," said the 
 Freiherr von Baerensprung. He was turning 
 down-stream at once, and I was ready to go ; 
 but Mr. Peyton-Call stood stock still, and as 
 he talked we were polite to stand about and 
 listen. 
 
 " I suppose I own the ruin, but I disclaim the 
 ghosts," he said, negligently. " I should be 
 glad to see them scattered. Perhaps Miss 
 Dale's entrance will be salutary. Perhaps it 
 will dispel them forever." 
 
 " Don't they pay rent?" I inquired. 
 
 " What a preposterous question ! " he ex- 
 claimed, and really looked put out. " I sup- 
 pose, Miss Dale, you've always had your rents 
 collected by an able bailiff, and you can't imag- 
 ine what unhallowed association this subject 
 has for me." 
 
 " Indeed, I've collected rents in person many 
 a time," I returned, willing enough to seize an 
 opportunity now and then to let people know I 
 had been Mrs. Reman's hard-worked agent, 
 and not her petted favorite. " In my foster- 
 mother's model tenements I used to have to 
 collect the rents, and scold the people for not 
 scrubbing their stairs ; and I've walked through 
 miles of slums to this work, Mr. Peyton-Call : 
 
 139 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 whereas you have only to ride leisurely about 
 through green woods and fields." 
 
 " Is that the sort of thing you come from ? " 
 he asked, with an air of comprehending me at 
 last. " Charity work ? " 
 
 " I would have come away from it myself," 
 put in Dr. von Baerensprung, affecting a light 
 shudder. " There's one crisp and significant 
 expVession in your language, ' cold as charity.' " 
 
 " Rolfe is an unpromising field for you, Miss 
 Dale," said Mr. Peyton-Call, with a light note 
 of defiance in his voice. I would very gladly 
 have dispelled his very natural dismay at find- 
 ing he had brought, in his own coach, a profes- 
 sional philanthropist into his native county. 
 " You will soon be tired," he added, as if to re- 
 assure himself, " of your limited opportunities 
 for doing good down here." 
 
 " Miss Dale will not permit herself to be 
 limited," put in Dr. von Baerensprung, prompt- 
 ly. " Her interests are for vast improvements. 
 She means to establish in Rolfe enormous pub- 
 lic parks " 
 
 He was looking at the ground with evident 
 amusement, and I glanced down to see that 
 Mr. Peyton-Call was standing squarely in the 
 midst of our miniature parks. One foot was in 
 my enclosure, the other against the ruins of 
 my playmate's grotto. I did not care to make 
 Mr. Peyton-Call aware of my childish amuse- 
 140 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 ment, and so I left unexplained what the Dr. 
 von Baerensprung had meant in referring to 
 my vast designs. We turned down-stream for 
 our walk, and Mr. Peyton-Call joined us with- 
 out further invitation. 
 
 At the foot of the glen we emerged on the 
 banks of the mill-stream, now but a small brook 
 that lost itself in the wide rocky bed it once 
 had filled. We were in a tangle of grape- 
 vines and underbrush on the bank, and for bet- 
 ter progress we descended to the dry bed of 
 the stream and advanced downward among 
 the bowlders. Meanwhile Mr. Peyton-Call and 
 Dr. von Baerensprung talked pleasantly to 
 each other. The master of Caxton regretted 
 that his guest had gone home so early the 
 night before, they had had a good game after 
 he left. The other responded that he had 
 hoped to speak to Mr. Peyton-Call at the 
 court-house that morning, but had seen him so 
 surrounded by lawyers he had not dared to 
 approach. The other laughed easily. 
 
 " I wish you and Mr. Baumann had joined our 
 group," he said. " You would have heard some 
 sound doctrine on the subject of road-building. 
 The proposed tax has interested everyone." 
 
 " Nothing seems more pressing than that 
 public interest on that subject should be 
 aroused," observed Dr. von Baerensprung. 
 " I have been in all quarters of the globe, and 
 
 141 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 seen bad roads, I think, but Rolfe County offers 
 the worst examples." 
 
 "I trust you are not deceived," said Mr. 
 Peyton-Call, idly. " We are at present walk- 
 ing in the dry bed of what was once a consid- 
 erable stream, and not in a road at all. We 
 have several turnpikes in Rolfe that are appre- 
 ciably better than this." 
 
 Dr. von Baerensprung was hugely amused 
 at his impudence. 
 
 " Well, you know how to disarm criticism," 
 he observed. 
 
 " We are practised to that art from early 
 youth," returned Mr. Peyton-Call. " It comes 
 to this — disarm criticism, or you die ! Your 
 friend, Mr. Baumann, has shown you what 
 blood-thirsty attacks we have to expect." 
 
 " My friend is hot-headed," admitted the 
 Doctor. " I hear him rave over county mat- 
 ters. But though I have not entered into the 
 merits of the several controversies, I feel sure 
 you will always find him on the side of good 
 sense and progress." 
 
 " I don't find him there, I see him there," re- 
 turned Mr. Peyton-Call. "We are invariably 
 opposed." 
 
 " Then you don't claim for yourself " 
 
 " Good sense and progress ? No ! They al- 
 ways appear to conflict directly with my in- 
 dividual interests, so that I think of them as a 
 142 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 pair of severe and disapproving aunts — I have 
 had such — withholding cake and pretending 
 hypocritically it is for my own good. As for 
 the new taxes, if they are to be levied solely on 
 the land I may as well stare ruin in the face. 
 It is difficult to get off my own land here- 
 about, while Mr. Baumann has, I have heard, 
 only about eighty acres. If the tax were on 
 productive land, I would not complain ; but I 
 have less under cultivation than Mr. Baumann." 
 
 Dr. von Baerensprung almost imperceptibly 
 shook his head. 
 
 " You have given up farming entirely, Mr. 
 Peyton-Call ? " he asked. 
 
 " Not entirely ; I am still devoted to some of 
 its special branches — fox-hunting, and horse- 
 racing, and visiting my tenants. In fact, the 
 quiet pleasures of a rural life particularly ap- 
 peal to me. I am fit for nothing else." 
 
 If Dr. von Baerensprung had hoped to lead 
 the conversation into profitable channels, he 
 presently gave it up, and fell a little behind to 
 talk to Archer. I admired his serenity; for 
 my part, I was not far from impatient with Mr. 
 Peyton-Call. Perhaps he felt my disapproba- 
 tion, and as he helped me courteously over 
 the rocks, attempted, in his own way, an 
 apology. 
 
 " Can I be excused if I dwell with more in- 
 sistence than good taste on my own peculiaffi- 
 
 143 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 ties ? " he asked. " It is the pitiful resource of 
 the native who fears extinction." 
 
 " Extinction ? By whom ? " 
 
 " By the good and the great who have recent- 
 ly come among us bringing the gifts of civiliza- 
 tion — by yourself and Dr. von Baerensprung." 
 
 " He may be bringing you such gifts. I cer- 
 tainly am not." 
 
 " As to that, I consider you the more dan- 
 gerous of the two new influences." Mr. Peyton- 
 Call had a great air of being serious. "Our 
 friend, the forest expert, while he is perfectly 
 willing to make trouble, will evidently not insist 
 on doing so. He may leave Rolfe as suddenly 
 as he has descended upon it. You, however, 
 announce that you mean to stay. You are 
 already revolutionizing matters. I actually find 
 all three of your brothers at home and at work, 
 and the little house itself is struggling to be 
 worthy of you. If you extend your beneficent 
 influence at this rate, you will soon make the 
 county uninhabitable to the good-for-nothing 
 class which I have the honor to represent." 
 
 " I am glad you now claim only to stand for 
 one class," I said, lightly. " At first it was all 
 of Rolfe you offered to represent, and I should 
 be sorry to find my native county as inhos- 
 pitably disposed as you are. Everyone else has 
 so far welcomed me." 
 
 " Others have not had my opportunity of rec- 
 144 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 ognizing your true character," he returned, 
 coolly enough. " They are dazzled by your 
 appearance, pleased as children to find you 
 graciously disposed. I look beneath the sur- 
 face and see you severe and energetic." 
 
 " A missionary, a reformer, everything to 
 make one's hair stand on end," I suggested, 
 rather pleased to find a person who shared my 
 dearest antipathy. 
 
 " My hair doesn't stand on end, for though 
 I recognize you as an enemy," he said in really 
 affable tone, " I do not fear you." 
 
 " Your courage amazes me." 
 
 " You speak mockingly, Miss Dale ; yet you 
 dare not deny my accusation — that you mean 
 well by your native county." 
 
 " I do deny it, sir ; I have never meant well. 
 I have sometimes been forced to act well, but I 
 have never liked it." 
 
 As he laughed, I looked back after the others. 
 Dr. von Baerensprung and Archer were clamb- 
 ering up the bank of the stream a short dis- 
 tance behind us. 
 
 " We stop to measure this tulip-tree," called 
 the scientist. " We will meet you at the ruin ; " 
 and he waved us on. 
 
 " But I have proofs in support of my accu- 
 sation," my companion continued his absurd 
 attack. " You have taken the Caxton school. 
 That confirms my worst suspicions. What bet- 
 
 145 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 ter field than a school to begin the insidious 
 reforms that are to overthrow us?" 
 
 " You are really a generous antagonist, Mr. 
 Peyton-Call. You could have kept me out of 
 the school, I understand. I have to thank you." 
 
 " Don't thank me, but be generous in turn ; 
 refrain, for example, from letting Dr. von 
 Baerensprung lecture to the children on for- 
 estry." 
 
 "Surely, a better knowledge of forestry in 
 Rolfe would not raise your taxes." 
 
 "All kinds of knowledge raise taxes," he 
 complained. 
 
 "And as for forestry," I continued, "from 
 what I hear, your property would benefit by an 
 application of Dr. von Baerensprung's science. 
 He has talked to you, I suppose, about refor- 
 estation." 
 
 " I suppose he has," returned the master of 
 Caxton serenely. " I don't recall it. It's im- 
 possible for me to follow intelligently a dis- 
 course which does not interest me. My mind 
 seems to have been dulled by my retired and iso- 
 lated life. I generally fall asleep while others 
 talk." 
 
 " And wake in time," I thought with amuse- 
 ment, "to make an impertinent reply." 
 
 " And this, re-re-re — what is it ? " he asked, 
 carelessly. " Reforestration ? Thank you, Miss 
 Dale. Has he talked to you about it?" 
 146 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 " Oh, a great deal," I answered, rather absent- 
 mindedly. I was wondering how much of this 
 indolence was natural to the man, how much 
 he had acquired to suit his " isolated and re- 
 tired life." He was of lithe and vigorous build, 
 his eyes were watchful, veiled in determination. 
 Well, a hunter might have that bearing and 
 that look, I thought, and yet be honest in pro- 
 testing he had no capacity for business. 
 
 " I know it gratifies him to find you respon- 
 sive," said he. My mind had wandered ; for the 
 moment I was in doubt as to what he meant. 
 Before I could ask, however, Mr. Peyton-Call 
 gave a low exclamation of surprise. 
 
 " Ah ! I told you the mill was haunted," he 
 murmured, and I followed the direction of his 
 gaze. 
 
 Under the arching branches of the tree down 
 stream, standing high on a great flat rock that 
 sloped gently to the water, and outlined against 
 an old stone building beyond, were two figures 
 on horseback — Virgie Fanton and my brother 
 Bud. He was mounted on Mr. Peyton-Call's 
 horse, entrusted to him an hour ago; he had 
 his hand on the mane of her horse and so bent 
 toward her; and her face was raised with a 
 laughing look to his. As I paused, speechless 
 with surprise, Virgie saw us. She, raised her 
 riding whip in merry salute and her call came 
 up with the rushing water. Bud looked up 
 
 »47 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 then, took off his broad-brimmed hat and waved 
 it easily; and we advanced in silence to the 
 rock. 
 
 "Where are you two bound?" called Virgie, 
 gayly, when we were within earshot. It was a 
 question I was minded to fling back at her. A 
 look at Bud's radiant face made my heart sink 
 very low. 
 
 " Well, how does he go, Bud ? " asked Mr. 
 Peyton-Call pleasantly, referring to the horse. 
 
 " Nothin' in the world but foolishness the 
 matter with him," returned Bud. " His eye is 
 all right. He shies that-a-way, I reckon, just 
 for meanness. But a horse don't stay mean 
 when I ride him." 
 
 " You certainly have improved him already, 
 Mr. Dale, and I'm going to turn over my colts 
 to you/' said Virgie, cordially. " I've been rid- 
 ing up and down the road with your brother," 
 she explained to me, "just overcome with ad- 
 miration at the way he manages the beast. I'm 
 so glad you weren't at home, Cassy ; I wouldn't 
 have missed this lesson in horse-training. Mr. 
 Dale has told me how to get Kitty a little 
 quieter, too. How in the world do you come 
 to know so much about horses, Mr. Dale?" 
 
 " I declare I don't know any more than you 
 do, Miss Virgie," protested Bud. " But it 
 just naturally comes to me how to do with a 
 horse." 
 
 148 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 As they talked the two had dismounted, and 
 we stood in a group on the rock that spread its 
 broad surface just above a considerable water- 
 fall. Beneath us, rising from a dark pool, stood 
 the walls of the ruined mill. All about the for- 
 est had encroached with vivid green, and the 
 western sun was peering into the enclosure. It 
 was an ironically charming setting for what to 
 me was a very unpleasant scene. I had wit- 
 nessed Mr. Peyton-Call's start at finding his 
 lady in company with his horse-trainer ; I re- 
 membered with dismay Virgie's several com- 
 plaints that her betrothed was neglecting her ; 
 it seemed as if Puck's mischief had devised this 
 particular situation. But ten times more dis- 
 tressing than any considerations about the be- 
 trothed pair was my sudden anxiety for Bud. 
 
 " Sit down, Cassy, let's enjoy this lovely spot," 
 urged Virgie ; " that is, unless you-all were 
 going somewhere." 
 
 " We were coming here," said Mr. Peyton- 
 Call, and I was grateful for his well-bred tran- 
 quillity. Bud led the horses to one side and 
 hitched them to some saplings. We sat down 
 on the rock platform above the pool, Virgie 
 and I together, the men each on the wrong side 
 of us. 
 
 " Isn't this nice ! " cried Virgie with delight. 
 
 " If you will listen to me now, Miss Dale," 
 said Mr. Peyton-Call on the other side of me, 
 
 149 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " I think I can prove that you are taking Rolfe 
 entirely wrong." 
 
 " This certainly is a pretty place," said Bud, 
 languorously, looking at Virgie alone. 
 
 " It's mine," she said, playfully, " but you 
 may come here any time you like." 
 
 " I'd like for to stay forever," said he. 
 
 " Well, you may," she returned, graciously. 
 " I'll see that they don't disturb you by build- 
 ing a horrid mill." 
 
 " Miss Dale," said Mr. Peyton-Call to me, " I 
 see your profile against the gray of that stone 
 masonry yonder, and I see — " I turned upon 
 him flushing and he gave me a daring smile 
 — "a strong likeness to your brother Bud," 
 he finished, coolly. 
 
 " It's the truth," Virgie affirmed, with a gra- 
 cious air; I was too much disturbed by Mr. 
 Peyton-Call to enjoy the compliment. 
 
 " You sit enthroned," he continued, in a low 
 voice, " over these falling waters, as if in judg- 
 ment over them for being so idle and useless. 
 Your look is stern. You are computing the 
 prosy possibilities of this charming spot. 
 Meanwhile the spirits of the place, quite una- 
 bashed, are enjoying you in their own way. 
 The sunlight is playing most disrespectfully 
 with your hair, the rock warms where you rest 
 your hand, the waters hush, hoping to hear 
 you speak." 
 
 150 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 The tone in which he brought forward this 
 nonsense was entirely reprehensible. If he 
 wanted to get even with his coquettish lady, I 
 thought he might have chosen another way. 
 To involve me any further in their affair was 
 outrageous. 
 
 " Why, it's mighty nigh sunset," cried Vir- 
 gie. " We ought to have brought supper 
 down here. I've aimed to give you a picnic on 
 this rock, Cassy, one of these days. I've had 
 so many good suppers here, just to look around 
 makes me right hungry." 
 
 " I'll get you something to eat right now, 
 Miss Virgie," offered Bud, gathering himself up. 
 
 " I move that the people who are mounted 
 ride away in search of food," suggested Mr. 
 Peyton-Call, "while the pedestrians keep camp." 
 
 " Will you-all stay here while Mr. Dale and 
 I go and get up a picnic ? " asked Virgie, en- 
 thusiastically. 
 
 "Certainly," and "Certainly not." Mr. 
 Peyton-Call and I spoke in one breath. 
 
 " No picnic for me," I said, rising to my feet. 
 " Archer and Dr. von Baerensprung will be here 
 presently, and then I must go home. Give Mr. 
 Peyton-Call his horse, Brother, so that he can 
 escort Miss Fanton." 
 
 To do Bud justice, he arose obediently at my 
 request. The protest came from the unman- 
 ageable Peyton-Call. 
 
 151 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " I can't ride that horse until Bud has trained 
 him," he remarked. " I don't consider him 
 safe. I'd rather walk than risk my neck." 
 
 Virgie and Bud laughed merrily and moved 
 toward the horses. Mr. Peyton-Call remained 
 standing beside me. I was sorry to be serious 
 with him ; but I had Bud to look out for. 
 
 " Mr. Peyton-Call," I said, in a slightly low- 
 ered tone, " I am not so much interested in 
 your safety as in my brother's. I beg you will 
 take your horse yourself." 
 
 " Don't beg," he said. " Command." ^ 
 
 "Come, Bud!" I called. "I must go. 
 We have missed Dr. von Baerensprung and 
 Archer." 
 
 But our companions of the walk were even 
 then approaching us through the woods. We 
 heard their animated conversation and pres- 
 ently they emerged upon the rock. Archer's 
 face was glowing ; evidently his new friend 
 had captivated him. 
 
 Dr. von Baerensprung followed Virgie to 
 shake hands with her. 
 
 " You are not going," he protested. 
 
 " I want to stay," said Virgie, plaintively. 
 " I feel just like having a picnic ; but nobody 
 will join me. Don't you want to have a picnic, 
 Dr. von Baerensprung ? " 
 
 " It belongs to my theory of life to fill it with 
 a succession of picnics," he responded. " But 
 152 
 
The Mill on the Branch 
 
 ft 
 
 heretofore opportunity has held herself aloof, 
 occasion has remained submerged." 
 
 " Then you are ready ? " she cried, delightedly. 
 
 " Miss Fanton, the optimistic philosopher is 
 always ready for the sudden favor of fortune." 
 
 "Who else is optimistic here?" demanded 
 Virgie, turning. " You, Mr. Dale ? " 
 
 " If it means a picnic," said Bud, " I reckon 
 I'm optimistic, too." 
 
 " And you, Cassy, I sha'n't ask you whether 
 you are ready or not. You are here and you 
 mast stay till I come back," said Virgie, com- 
 mandingly. 
 
 " Lilbud is waiting for his supper," I began. 
 
 " You stay, sister," said Archer, hastily. 
 " Lilbud and I can fix our own supper. We've 
 done it many a time." 
 
 And having still the grace of shyness he de- 
 clined Virgie's prompt invitation to himself 
 and Lilbud and started off upstream. 
 
 " One moment, my boy," cried his new em- 
 ployer, and followed him a few steps. 
 
 " Then Bud and I will wait," I said, rather 
 reluctantly taking my seat again. I was in no 
 mood for the proposed festivity. 
 
 " Don will stay with you," Virgie decreed, 
 carelessly. " I've been telling Mr. Dale about 
 my colts, and sunset's the time to see them in 
 the paddock ; so come up to The Terraces with 
 me, Mr. Dale." 
 
 153 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 "You told me a moment ago to command 
 you," I said aside to Mr. Peyton-Call. He 
 walked away to the horses and mounted Vir- 
 gie. Then, to my surprise and chagrin, I saw 
 that, without a word, he let Bud mount the 
 other horse ; as the two rode away he came 
 back slowly to where I sat. 
 
 " When the commands of two ladies contra- 
 dict each other," he said, airily, " the man in 
 bondage finds the rare opportunity of pleasing 
 himself." 
 
 And he dropped into an attitude of lounging 
 content upon the rock below me. 
 
 154 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 A PICNIC AND SOME GHOSTS 
 
 Dr. von Baerensprung made one more 
 attempt as we sat there above the pool to in- 
 terest the master of Caxton in his own water- 
 power. He failed signally, and it was charac- 
 teristic of the genial German that he entered 
 very cheerfully upon subjects which the other 
 would discuss. My mind was with Bud ; I 
 was too distraught to follow very attentively, 
 and I could only half respond to their appeals 
 for my opinion. Presently twilight fell, and 
 they themselves grew silent. We listened to 
 the dashing waters, to the evening wind in the 
 trees. It grew dark in the shadows of the 
 pool, in the forest around us. Delicate fresh 
 odors assailed us with every passing breath of 
 air. Now the whippoorwills began their 
 eerie calling far and near. Slowly the peace 
 of the coming night laid its charm on me, set 
 my anxiety at rest. I had been absurdly star- 
 tled because Bud had been noticed ; I had im- 
 agined he looked too happy over it; I had 
 mistrusted Virgie too quickly. She was kind 
 and generous, and Peyton-Call at least was 
 
 155 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 proud. I could rely on these my neighbors — 
 they would not carelessly wrong me or mine. 
 Before we heard the merry hubbub of the pic- 
 nic party advancing I had become reassured. 
 
 Whereas two had departed on horseback, 
 quite a party returned in vehicles ; there was 
 shouting and calling hither and thither as the 
 old Dayton from The Terraces, followed by a 
 buggy, made their way from the road through 
 the woods as far as the rock. Virgie's own 
 Mammy Juliet, it appeared, was driving in 
 front ; Virgie and her cousin, Miss Lucy Call, 
 were in the wagon with her, and both were 
 calling advice to the people who followed. 
 
 " Mind now, Blair Lathrop, you follow Mam- 
 my here," called Virgie ; " she knows the road, 
 and you-all don't." 
 
 " For land's sakes, Blair, don't upset ! " warned 
 Miss Lucy, anxiously. " All the dishes are in 
 your buggy." 
 
 Then came a peal of laughter from the young 
 people who were in the buggy with the dishes. 
 
 " Hi ! What's dis yere snag in de road ? " 
 whooped Mammy. "Hold on.ole hoss, whoa!" 
 
 " Don, you no-'count, lazy thing, come here 
 and take this brush out of our way," called 
 Virgie. " It's that dark ! " 
 
 " Back off, Mammy, you'll go over a stump 
 here," advised Peyton-Call, already at the 
 horse's head. 
 
 156 
 
A Picnic and Some Ghosts 
 
 "Turn loose my ole hoss, Mr. Don, I kin 
 see," returned Mammy, excitedly. 
 
 " Let Don lead him, Mammy," urged Miss 
 Lucy Call. 
 
 " And you-all git yo* necks broke ? " demand- 
 ed Mammy, firmly. " Time you start to fool 
 with dis yere ole hoss's bridle, he'll r'ar as 
 sho's you bawn." 
 
 Indeed, the horse was beginning to plunge 
 and back among the brush. Mammy slapped 
 his back with the reins and screamed, " Whoa, 
 whoa ! " and Dr. von Baerensprung and I 
 came up in alarm. 
 
 " Get out, all of you, right here," command- 
 ed Peyton-Call, springing to the bridle. " You 
 ought to have had a lantern, Virgie ; and I 
 wonder at your letting Mammy drive this old 
 brute in the dark. Where's Bud ? " 
 
 " I sent him to the court-house to tell papa 
 where we had all gone," explained Virgie, 
 springing out. "Here, Blair, help Cousin 
 Lucy. Dr. Dyer, is your horse all right? 
 Where are you, Cassy ? " 
 
 And then in the dark she introduced Miss 
 Dyer and her brother, the young physician 
 from the court-house, and Mr. Blair Lathrop 
 to Dr. von Baerensprung and myself. 
 
 It was quickly apparent that Virgie and 
 Mammy Juliet were accustomed to the man- 
 agement of picnics at the mill. There was a 
 157 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 prescribed order of unpacking and making a 
 fire in the usual place on the rock — there was 
 an understanding as to the division of duties. 
 Mammy went at the cooking, Virgie opened 
 the baskets and spread the cloth. With a few 
 concise and playful commands she set the men 
 to stirring about on useful errands. This prep- 
 aration for the supper, moreover, was a very 
 charming part of the entertainment ; for our 
 hostess forgot no one in chatting along easily, 
 her voice high and clear above the falling 
 waters. 
 
 " Everything in that basket goes on the mid- 
 dle of the cloth, Don. Dr. Dyer, haven't you- 
 all a cushion seat in your buggy you could con- 
 tribute to our dining-room furniture? Blair 
 Lathrop, take that bucket there" (" please " was 
 not in Virgie's vocabulary, her coaxing intona- 
 tion supplied the lack), " and get us some water 
 for the coffee. Mind you don't bring the springs 
 keeper again. You don't know what a spring- 
 keeper is, Dr. von Baerensprung? The little 
 squirmy creature that stays in a spring to keep 
 the water sweet ? Don't you-all have them in 
 Germany ? You ought to go along and let Mr. 
 Lathrop show him to you. Cousin Lucy, do 
 pray take my cape to sit on, the rock isn't com- 
 fortable ! Mind, Mammy, you don't burn your 
 dress; I declare you could sit in the fire and 
 never feel it ! " 
 
 158 
 
A Picnic and Some Ghosts 
 
 " Tain't worth while to bother 'bout me, 
 honey," returned the old woman, and I saw 
 where Virgie had caught her favorite airy ex- 
 pression. It was " 'tain't worth while" at every 
 other word with her, the phrase which she 
 liked to accompany with a sweeping gesture of 
 the hand. In truth, Virgie's speech was of the 
 kind which to the undiscriminating Northern 
 ear would be " exactly like a darky." I had 
 already been South long enough to realize the 
 vast difference. Virgie's speech was playfully, 
 deliberately colloquial ; to see her queening it 
 now upon the firelit rock was to realize in her 
 the high-bred little lady. I watched her with a 
 contemplative amusement ; I looked from her to 
 her betrothed, whose graceful bearing did not 
 conceal his innate haughtiness ; and I wondered 
 how that practical joker, Fate, had hit upon 
 the thought to throw us Dales into an intimacy 
 with these two. 
 
 As I stood one side, conscious that I was not 
 needed to help, Mr. Peyton-Call came up to 
 me. 
 
 " Miss Dale, this is your opportunity to visit 
 my ghosts. Come down around the mill, I will 
 exhibit them," he proposed, amiably. 
 
 " Miss Dyer, will you dare to go stir up the 
 haunts?" I asked that young lady, who was 
 laughingly retreating from the smoke, which 
 she declared was following her around the fire. 
 
 159 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 She joined us readily, and we clambered down 
 the rock to the dark, straight walls of the ruin, 
 and passed around to the down-stream side. 
 There, looking through the arched doorway, 
 we paused. The stars shone into the roofless 
 interior. The walls looked all the blacker for 
 the red glow through the upper windows from 
 our camp-fire on the rock." 
 
 "Mm — Mm! I wouldn't go in there for 
 something pretty," exclaimed Miss Dyer. 
 " Don't you know the snakes are just a-switch- 
 in' about among those fallen stones ! " 
 
 "Nothing of the sort !" protested Mr. Pey- 
 ton-Call. " Come, step over the sill." 
 
 "Don't tell me, I know better," she cried. 
 " I never take a man's opinion about snakes. 
 You-all can go in, I'll stay right here and listen 
 to your expiring groans." 
 
 " I'll make a light," he proposed, and after 
 groping about for some dry leaves and sticks 
 he entered the mill. Presently he struck a 
 match and we saw him in the middle of the 
 ruin, bending over the pile. The flame caught 
 and blazed up, lighting the bare stone walls 
 with ghostly effect. Miss Dyer and I advanced, 
 cautiously gathering up our skirts to our es- 
 cort's amusement; the switching snakes did 
 not appear. The cellar-floor of the old mill was 
 piled with stones overgrown with vines. Small 
 trees among the d6bris bore evidences of how 
 160 
 
A Picnic and Some Ghosts 
 
 long the place had lain fallen to decay. In the 
 growing firelight the foliage shone in tenderest 
 green ; and the smoke rose in a straight black 
 column to the starlit sky. 
 
 Presently there were exclamations and shouts 
 from our friends on the rock without. 
 "Look at the mill!" 
 
 " Great day in the mornin', it's the hants ! " 
 " Isn't that too sweet and pretty for anything!" 
 " Who's down in there, anyhow ? " 
 " So you've no real ghosts after all, and we 
 are forced into the r61e," I said to Mr. Peyton- 
 Call; and then, suddenly, a high, clear call 
 overhead made me start and look up. 
 
 There stood Virgie lightly poised in an ap- 
 erture of the wall above us, looking as though 
 she must have floated there. Our light was on 
 the apparition with lovely effect ; for back- 
 ground she had the flamelit smoke from the 
 fire on the rock ; she was fragile, startling, un- 
 real and wholly lovely ! 
 
 After the first shock of surprise at seeing her 
 so high, I remembered the artificial incline out- 
 side which led to this ancient doorway of the 
 mill's first floor where she was standing. 
 
 " Virgie, step back ; the masonry might 
 crumble," commanded Peyton-Call with a ring 
 of alarm in his voice, and he advanced to the 
 base of the wall as he spoke. Virgie did not 
 move, but smiled playfully down at him. 
 
 161 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " It certainly is fun to scare you one time, 
 Don," she sang out, cheerily. " Do you reckon 
 I'll be killed ; or will you catch me ? " 
 
 He extended his arms and down she came, 
 like a little cat. He caught her easily; but 
 Miss Dyer's scream and mine were echoed by 
 cries from those outside who had seen her dis- 
 appear. 
 
 " You certainly are awkward, Don," she 
 scolded, as he swung her to her feet. 
 " 'Twasn't worth while to let me hurt my hand 
 on your horrid old buttons. I'm all right," 
 she called up as the frightened faces appeared 
 in the aperture above. " I just took a little 
 jump ! Don't crowd there, Don thinks it isn't 
 safe." 
 
 " Ain't my chile hurted ? " wailed Mammy 
 Juliet, her dark face nearly ashen gray with 
 fright. 
 
 " Oh, go along, all of you, you-all ! What a 
 fuss for nothing ! " cried Virgie. " You'd bet- 
 ter tend to your bread. Mammy, we're com- 
 ing right now to eat supper." 
 
 " Let me see your hand, Virgie, where you 
 hurt it," asked her betrothed, as the people 
 above withdrew. She paid no attention to his 
 request, and he did not insist. I was moving to 
 the door and he followed me and helped me 
 cross the sill. 
 
 " Virgie, that was the most like you of any- 
 162 
 
A Picnic and Some Ghosts 
 
 thing I ever saw you do," exclaimed Miss 
 Dyer, between reproach and admiration. " 1 
 wouldn't have dared for a million dollars; 
 would you, Miss Dale ? " 
 
 " Good Heavens ! " I ejaculated, glancing 
 back to the height in question. " One would 
 need a heart bound in triple brass to fling one's 
 self from there." 
 
 " You don't know how you hurt my feel- 
 ings," said Mr. Peyton-Call. 
 
 Everyone had something to say about Vir- 
 gie's bit of daring when we reached the rock 
 again. The most severe comment of all was 
 Dr. von Baerensprung's, uttered to me aside. 
 
 " An outrageous folly," he said. " Unless 
 the two have been raised in a troupe of acrobats 
 it was really dangerous — to say nothing of its 
 being a somewhat eccentric proceeding. I 
 know that sixth cousins are considered near of 
 kin hereabout, but even then " 
 
 " You know, don't you, that they are be- 
 trothed ? " said I. 
 
 " No, surely not ! " he exclaimed. " Do you 
 really mean it ? Why then I've unconsciously 
 been in the exceedingly awkward position of 
 advising the man what to do with his future 
 wife's property ; — that is to say, I should have 
 made that blunder but for Caxton's indiffer- 
 ence, which never let me get so far. So they 
 are to be married, are they, and the money 
 
 163 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Fanton made at the expense of Caxton will go 
 back? There's a little piece of justice from 
 the hands of Fate ! Only we're not so sure of 
 it! This letting his lady fling herself from a 
 precipice doesn't speak well for his devotion." 
 
 " You don't know what happened," I re- 
 turned. " Mr. Peyton-Call acted exactly right. 
 He begged her to step back, and when she 
 would jump, he caught her." 
 
 " Well, if he is all devotion," he said, with a 
 laugh, " it's rather strange that Miss Fanton is 
 never seen without a man or two dancing at- 
 tendance, and that her betrothed is never 
 greatly in the foreground. He is a little too 
 humble for nature. Witness his letting your 
 brother attend her this evening instead of go- 
 ing himself. Of course, it was her fault, too " 
 
 " I'm sure you haven't understood Miss Fan- 
 ton," I returned, warmly. 
 
 " Don't tell a man of my age how to recog- 
 nize a coquette," he said, serenely ; and having, 
 quite unconsciously, made me thoroughly un- 
 happy, he led me to the supper which had just 
 been called. 
 
 Bud appeared as we were seating ourselves 
 about the spread cloth on the rock and reported 
 that he had found Colonel Fanton and delivered 
 to him the ladies' messages. 
 
 "And he charged me to tell you-all not to 
 keep the horses out all night," he finished. 
 164 
 
A Picnic and Some Ghosts 
 
 " I'm so glad I'm not a horse, to have papa 
 thinkin' about me like that," observed Virgie, 
 coolly. 
 
 Mammy kept to her post at the fire, still 
 broiling bacon and chicken, and turning corn- 
 cakes and flapjacks, and keeping hot the coffee. 
 Bud and Mr. Peyton-Call went to and fro in 
 waiting on us all. Virgie seemed to eat noth- 
 ing herself in her attention to serve her guests. 
 
 " All these cups and plates and fixings are in 
 your honor, Cassy, yours and Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung's," she chatted. " On picnics like this, 
 when we haven't such distinguished guests, we 
 take turns drinking out of the lid of the milk 
 bucket any time, and we wait in a neighborly 
 way for the knife." 
 
 " And so this delightful meal is really an in- 
 stitution with you ? " inquired Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung, well pleased. 
 
 " I reckon it seems right primitive to you," 
 suggested Virgie. 
 
 " On the contrary, it's an evidence of the 
 highest social development, the ease with 
 which you get up this entertainment," he cried 
 with animation. 
 
 "Do you hear that, Miss Dale?" inquired 
 Mr. Peyton-Call, who had just taken his place 
 across the cloth from me. " We're already de- 
 veloped to the highest pitch here in Rolfe." 
 
 "I'm sure Miss Dale agrees with me," said 
 165 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Dr. von Baerensprung. " I'm sure she admires, 
 as I do, the great flexibility of the individual 
 will which makes such a picnic possible among 
 you. Here are nine people on a frolic and 
 there has been no discussion as to what should 
 be done. What one has proposed the others 
 serenely accept. The ' good time ' alone is 
 sacred. Idiosyncrasies, personal whims, are 
 gracefully laid aside." 
 
 " Yes, indeed," assented Virgie, and her face 
 dimpled prettily in the firelight. " Who would 
 be so inconsiderate as to wish to be considered ? 
 I never consider anybody ! " 
 
 166 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 A SUMMER AND ITS FRUITS 
 
 Archer's new employment under Dr. von 
 Baerensprung proved more significant for him 
 than I had even hoped. It appeared from the 
 first that the boy respected and trusted his pa- 
 tron ; and so his greatest spiritual need, the con- 
 tact with his superior, was supplied. He came 
 daily from his work with glowing accounts of 
 his master's wit and learning. In truth, Dr. 
 von Baerensprung devoted what time he could 
 spare to teaching Archer. 
 
 " The Latin is nothing ; he receives it 
 through a little funnel stuck into his head as 
 the people of old Nurnberg received their wit," 
 the scientist told me ; " but my young friend is 
 not so far astray as yet from the woodsman's 
 lore ; and when he once gets disillusioned 
 about the value of books he will do good work 
 in forestry. With your permission, Miss Dale, 
 I will bend the twig so that the tree may be 
 inclined." 
 
 And when I tried to thank him for the help 
 he was bringing us, he assured me genially he 
 was merely amusing himself ; that he was get- 
 
 167 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 ting a great deal of drudgery done through 
 Archer ; that he was repaid for any trouble by 
 his social intercourse with us all ; the Dales 
 were the most romantic and picturesque family 
 he had ever known ; he never saw Goldy-Locks 
 and the Three Bears sit down together at table 
 without reviving the fairy-tale pleasures of his 
 youth. 
 
 " Moreover, I owe you a good turn for teach- 
 ing me to take Rolfe aright," he added. " Since 
 you have told me that you have chosen it in 
 preference to wealth " (I had explained myself 
 to him as to no one else, to show him how ma- 
 terial a benefit his kindness was to my younger 
 brother), " since you have assured me that you 
 liked the good old county unimproved, I have 
 lost my own rage for improving it. Before 
 you came, Miss Dale, I was under Wilhelm 
 Baumann's influence ; I meant to do my little 
 best to destroy the peace of Rolfe with facto- 
 ries and other horrors. When you first en- 
 trusted me with the secret that you are not the 
 capitalist we took you for, I was grievously 
 disappointed. Now I also look down upon all 
 that sort of thing from a sunny height of in- 
 difference." 
 
 The wild and uncouth negress whom Bud 
 engaged as maid for me was great and bony, 
 black as forest mould, and called herself Pearl. 
 She wore in the house, as well as out-of-doors, a 
 
 168 
 
A Summer and Its Fruits 
 
 basin-shaped hat of straw from under which her 
 eyes gleamed forth untamed. Before she had 
 been at work in the house many minutes she 
 was wailing a most dismal melody with words 
 like these : 
 
 " Young people who delights in sin, 
 Gwine tell yo' what has lately been, 
 Dere's no hidin'-place down hyar ! " 
 
 Bud had introduced her as " nothin' but a 
 fiel'-hand," but as one who was willing to learn. 
 I took "fiel'-hand" to mean something quite un- 
 developed and groping in darkness, so that to 
 my personal fear of the creature was added a 
 great discouragement at the outset of her train- 
 ing. But Pearl proved as harmless as she was 
 noisy ; and rather capable, though not on the 
 most dainty lines. How she was a " fiel'-hand " 
 I learned on the day when Lilbud, who had to 
 go to the store on an errand, came to me with 
 the request that Pearl should finish his plough- 
 ing. 
 
 " Can you plough ? " I asked my domestic in 
 amazement. She grinned broadly. 
 
 " Lawdee ! Yes'm ! Dat's jes what I kin do ! " 
 " Well, do you want to ? " 
 " Whoopee ! Yes'm ! I sho' do ! " 
 She went at it with ardor, and I leaned 
 on the fence to watch her, for I had never 
 seen a woman at such work before. My inter- 
 
 169 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 est filled her with amusement. Every time she 
 passed near me she screamed with laughter, 
 stumbling and nearly falling into the furrows; 
 then she would show off like a child, tossing 
 the plough as if it were a toy, and shouting in a 
 rough voice, " Hi, mule ! Move, I say, move!" 
 
 But if the help I had from my maid was of 
 the ruder sort, that of my three brothers was 
 most gentle and effective. Bud, when he fin- 
 ished the two rooms he had added to our house, 
 went to putting up shelves, making me a 
 wardrobe, sealing my room afresh with yellow 
 pine. Lilbud attended the garden faithfully, 
 and flattered me not a little by the manner in 
 which he would consult my ignorance about 
 the crops. Archer was with me nearly con- 
 stantly. My own work about the house became 
 a triumphal progress, I was relieved at every 
 turn of lifting, carrying, reaching. Their de- 
 voted attitude of service abated not a whit as 
 we all grew in intimacy. As for me, I daily in- 
 creased in my content. All that I had expected 
 to find hard was proving easy. For the first 
 time since my unthinking childhood I felt a 
 trust in life, a confidence in the future. 
 
 There was, however, one cloud on my hori- 
 zon. When Virgie Fanton came to see me she 
 invariably noticed Bud and talked to him, and 
 he, poor fellow, did not know how to take such 
 notice with indifference. This was no mere 
 170 
 
A Summer and Its Fruits 
 
 elation that he was not ignored as a "poor- 
 white," for Bud, alas, never dreamed of any 
 condescension. He held Virgie in high rever- 
 ence because she was a charming woman, not 
 because she was mistress of The Terraces ; just 
 as his attitude toward the master of Caxton was 
 one of cordial and unenvying admiration of his 
 " manners." To Bud, good manners were the 
 highest human achievement. He very justly 
 prided himself on his own ; with the rich, poor, 
 high and low, white and colored, Bud was 
 courteous. He valued first and foremost cour- 
 tesy in others. Thus when Virgie would pret- 
 tily defer to his opinion, when she thanked him 
 for this or that slight service, most of all when 
 she gracefully asked a favor of him, Bud was 
 openly delighted. I often wished for the time 
 when Virgie should be married and have done 
 with all her coquetries ; but though there 
 were constant allusions to her engagement, 
 there was never a hint as to when she meant 
 to end it. Meanwhile it was well known that 
 Colonel Fanton was urging the marriage on his 
 daughter, and Mr. Peyton-Call publicly avowed 
 his impatience with suitable airs of melancholy. 
 My cloud grew a little larger when Colonel 
 Fanton — of course by Virgie's wish — gave my 
 brother the work of training his colts. Now 
 Bud was a great deal at The Terraces, where he 
 often ate at the family table ; for only negroes are 
 
 171 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 supposed to belong to the serving class in that 
 region, and the white well-digger or carpenter, 
 or whatsoever he be, is received like a guest. 
 Bud had a great deal to say about Miss Virgie 
 in those days, about her beauty and sweetness, 
 and her spirit in assisting him with the training 
 of the colts. 
 
 " She ain't as much afraid as most strong 
 men," he would say, admiringly. " I get most 
 crazy for fear she'll get hurt or thrown some- 
 times ; but she can outride me, I reckon." 
 
 " I should think you would object," I sug- 
 gested to Mr. Peyton-Call, who was lounging 
 on our steps one sunny morning, " to all this 
 wild riding on the part of Virgie." 
 
 " Who am I ? " he inquired, humbly. 
 
 " You are the man she has honored by elect- 
 ing to take care of her," I answered. 
 
 He smiled vaguely. 
 
 " I am hoping she will take care of me," he 
 returned. " I wish I were an untamed colt. I 
 might get some part of her attention then. 
 But I am too tame, too docile, too old and 
 steady to interest Virgie." 
 
 " You are perhaps too languid," I said, with 
 reproof. 
 
 " What should I do ? " he inquired. " In all 
 this world full of work there is nothing for the 
 owner of Caxton but to sit still and await the 
 coming of the sheriff." 
 
 172 
 
A Summer and Its Fruits 
 
 He often referred in light tone to his pov- 
 erty, hinted at his debts; and I saw him too 
 plainly in the pitiable position of one who was 
 waiting for a rich marriage to pull him out of 
 his difficulties. 
 
 With the first money Bud received from 
 Colonel Fanton for his work with the colts he 
 rode to New Rome and bought new clothes 
 for himself and his brothers. He declared 
 they had been dressing " little better than poor- 
 whites," and it was due me that they should 
 all make a better appearance. The clothes he 
 had sent down by a lumber-team ; but himself 
 brought all the way on horseback the present 
 he had bought for me. This was a porcelain 
 vase, " hand-painted " with pink and green 
 roses, and plentifully gilded. 
 
 " I didn't know just what you would like, sis- 
 ter," he said, beamingly. " I couldn't bring 
 you clothes because you've got more pretty 
 things than there are in town; but I recol- 
 lected how you took that old stone butter-jar 
 to put flowers in, and I reckoned this would 
 just about suit you." 
 
 I found myself unaccountably mingling tears 
 and laughter as I thanked him ; and the un- 
 couth thing was glorified by association, and 
 had a place of honor in our sitting-room. 
 
 "That looks more like it belonged to The 
 Terraces than here," was Virgie's comment the 
 
 173 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 first time her eyes fell on the " ornament." In 
 truth, it was a just observation; stately as 
 Colonel Fanton's house appeared outside, its 
 furnishings did not bear out the impression 
 that it was the home of the best people. The 
 furniture at The Terraces was showy and in- 
 elegant, and the carpets of hideous patterns. 
 It was only a great bareness and cleanliness 
 that saved the room from being altogether de- 
 pressing. There were the long-suffered wax 
 lilies under the glass globe, and family crayons 
 — even Virgie's youthful beauty had not been 
 spared — and vases like the one Bud had bought 
 me in New Rome. 
 
 " The Terraces are furnished in a mighty 
 tacky way," Virgie declared. " Papa bought 
 everything. Mamma never bought anything. 
 The Calls objected to Mamma's marriage, do 
 you know, Cassandra? I reckon it was be- 
 cause they didn't like papa's taste in wall-pa- 
 per. I don't like it, either ; I'm a Call in that 
 way ; and if I ever marry Donald it'll be be- 
 cause I want to live in beautiful old Caxton. 
 That house is full of handsome furniture and 
 old pictures, and there's china and there are 
 stamped leather chairs. I fell in love with it 
 all when I was a child, and used to go to play 
 with Don's cousins, who lived there." 
 
 "Not with him?" 
 
 " Not much ; he never was there, except for 
 174 
 
A Summer and Its Fruits 
 
 his vacations, and he was right wild and sKy w .. ants 
 was, for a fact ! Don's sassy ways are Yankee." 
 
 " Oh, come, Virgie ! " 
 
 " Cassy, I declare it's so ; he never was like 
 he is now till after he'd stayed with his Boston 
 cousins when he was most grown. He de- 
 spised them because they had been mean to 
 his mother, and they couldn't bear him because 
 he was so much like her ; and he got his prac- 
 tice in being sassy right there." 
 
 " Where did you get your practice ? " I in- 
 quired. " You can't lay that to the Yankees." 
 
 " Learned it from Don," she returned, 
 promptly, " just where I learned all my bad- 
 ness. He used to get me to run away from my 
 governess when I was little, and he taught me 
 to flirt when I grew bigger. We always have 
 been sweethearts, you know. They arranged 
 that for us, I reckon, when I was a baby. The 
 first thing I remember they used to point out 
 that scrawny, long-legged, red-haired boy, and 
 say to me, ' There's your little sweetheart, 
 don't you want to give him a pretty kiss ? ' 
 And then Don would come up and kiss me, 
 dutifully, and when they weren't looking he'd 
 pinch me. He always was mighty mean, and 
 he's mean yet." 
 
 " Virgie, if you can't say pleasant things 
 about your friend, you can at least keep quiet," 
 I suggested, trying not to laugh. 
 
 175 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 ,&csVcan't remember a single pleasant thing, 
 except that he used to bring me all the sweet- 
 gum I could chew," she said, with affected 
 thoughtfulness ; " but don't think I'm not per- 
 fectly devoted to Don," she added, hastily, 
 " because I am, and so is papa. And I get 
 right outdone when other people criticise him, 
 because I know what a hard time he's had. 
 They brought him up in expensive schools, 
 where he learned to need all sorts of luxuries, 
 and then they turned over this waste of land 
 to him, and this mass of debts, and this great 
 old house to take care of; and he's spent all 
 his time since he finished college in fighting 
 through the lawsuits his uncles started for 
 him ; and courting me besides — a right un- 
 profitable life, wasn't it ? " 
 
 " When you are married — " I began. She 
 made a little gesture of impatience. 
 
 " I'll marry when I am old and not afraid of 
 ghosts," she cried, with a laugh. " I can't go 
 to Caxton yet awhile. Cousin Lucia dances 
 there on moonlit nights, the darkies say ; and 
 as she hated my mother, so she will hate me ; 
 and I'm afraid of her." 
 
 " Really, Virgie, this is ghastly," I protested. 
 
 " Don't you believe in ghosts, Cassy ? I do. 
 
 People like Aunt Lucia and myself, who are full 
 
 of the love of life — worldly life — they always 
 
 come back and haunt. I know Aunt Lucia 
 
 176 
 
A Summer and Its Fruits 
 
 wants her ball-gown back from me, and wants 
 to give that receipt to papa. If I were dead I 
 would try to get back and make you-all do 
 what I wanted. You watch out when I am 
 dead, Cassandra." 
 
 " Virgie, you are not very pleasant to-day," I 
 complained. " I wish you hadn't come." 
 
 Whereupon she embraced me and called me 
 her honey-sweetness and her pudd'n'-pie, and 
 declared that she would never, never haunt me 
 so long as I behaved myself. 
 
 " And I'll marry Don and open Caxton and 
 lay Aunt Lucia's ghost as soon as you com- 
 mand it," she added, fantastically. " As soon 
 as you, wise Cassy, say it's time for all my fun 
 to cease and all my troubles to begin, I'll marry 
 Donald." 
 
 Bud was away from home for several weeks, 
 having received from a cousin of Mr. Peyton- 
 Call's in the adjoining county of Lennox, an 
 order to train a pair of carriage horses. We 
 missed him sorely ; we looked joyously for his 
 return. The first words when he came back 
 were to ask me about Virgie. Before he in- 
 quired as to how we had prospered ourselves, 
 he wanted to hear how Miss Virgie did. There 
 was no longer any doubt the thoughtless girl 
 had gone too far. Bud's heart was ensnared. 
 I answered him as serenely as I might. 
 
 " Miss Virgie is well and gay. She and Mr. 
 i77 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Peyton-Call are riding a great deal together 
 now. I see them almost every day." 
 
 " They've been ridin' together, have they ? " 
 said Bud, thoughtfully. " Have they talked 
 any about gettin' married, do you know, Sis- 
 ter ? " he added, in a low voice. 
 
 " Of course, they do, Bud, when they are 
 alone together," I returned, gently. " I sup- 
 pose as soon as he's a little out of debt — Of 
 course, Miss Virgie wants to marry her chosen 
 sweetheart as soon as she can." 
 
 " Yes, I reckon she does," said poor Bud, 
 slowly. " And Mr. Don certainly is a nice 
 man ; but he ain't good enough for her. There 
 ain't anybody good enough for her." 
 
 " She'll improve him wonderfully," said I. 
 " When once his great house is open again he'll 
 feel his pride returning, and he'll become mo T e 
 of a man." 
 
 " Oh, he's man enough," said Bud, with sur- 
 prise ; " but it ain't in nature for any man to be 
 good enough for her." 
 
 I tried to turn his thoughts. 
 
 " See all we have been doing, Bud, to make 
 our home more cosey," I coaxed, taking his arm; 
 and he let me lead him around, and he was his 
 warm-hearted and appreciative self ; but the 
 gloom in his eyes was enough to wring my 
 heart. 
 
 For a few weeks I watched Bud almost 
 178 
 
A Summer and Its Fruits 
 
 hourly. He stayed at home a great deal ; 
 occupied himself with carpentry work, and 
 helped Lilbud on the farm. Not even his 
 gun and fishing-rod would lure him away 
 from me. The pleasure of his day was to be 
 near me and to talk. In spite of my anxiety 
 they were happy days for me. If Bud was 
 nursing a wounded heart he was doing it in a 
 patient and manly way enough. He liked to 
 talk of Miss Virgie, but he showed no aversion 
 to talking also of Mr. Don. I drew my own 
 conclusions, and though I knew Bud was sore 
 in love, I was equally sure that he was not mad 
 enough to foster the faintest hope. Again and 
 again I considered the fact that Virgie was be- 
 trothed with thankfulness. If it had not been 
 for that, no consideration of the real gulf that 
 separated him from the lady of The Terraces 
 would have counted with my dreamy and illu- 
 sionary brother. He felt himself good enough 
 for anyone in the world. That he was poor 
 was no social bar ; he admitted that he himself 
 had no education, but there were other mem- 
 bers of his family highly educated. He had 
 merely had the disadvantage of having raised 
 himself. 
 
 Now that by my thought and care and the 
 little money I thought well to spend, our place 
 was taking on an air of prosperity and even of 
 quaint charm, Bud was more of the gentleman 
 
 179 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 than ever. His new clothes became him 
 mightily. He had an inherent sense of what 
 was appropriate and never went through the 
 awful black-suit stage of the rehabited rustic. 
 He imitated the easy, sportsmanlike dress of 
 our landlord, his model in all things, and, as he 
 himself expressed it, " cut a dash " from the 
 first. For my own part, I saw very well what 
 was Virgie's temptation to extend her cam- 
 paign against the hearts of men even as far as 
 my handsome brother. There was more zest 
 of romance in it than with the general run of 
 her admirers. Angry as I was at times over 
 her heartlessness, I often scarcely blamed her. 
 She had been raised to consider coquetry her 
 steady occupation ; and her betrothed, who 
 could so easily have fascinated her himself, 
 showed a languid indifference as to her mode 
 of amusement. 
 
 Our house had become a much-visited place 
 by our acquaintances. Dr. von Baerensprung 
 delighted in us, and delighted us. He brought 
 Archer work to do and stayed to teach him ; 
 he talked to Lilbud by the hour; he liked to 
 share our simple meals. Virgie, whether go- 
 ing or coming to and from the court-house 
 would " stop by," as she called it. Mr. Peyton- 
 Call came often as her escort and, oftener than 
 I liked, alone. It was not that I laid any 
 weight on the fact that, while he asked for Bud, 
 180 
 
A Summer and Its Fruits 
 
 he usually wanted to talk to me. But as things 
 went in Rolfe, where life is taken on a few and 
 simple principles, I thought Peyton-Call's atten- 
 tion to me might attract the wrong kind of no- 
 tice. It was bad enough that Virgie should take 
 her betrothal with apparent lightness. Aside 
 from this consideration I felt a certain menace to 
 my own quiet in the company. Peyton-Call drew 
 me back, whether I would or not, to the world 
 I had deliberately foregone ; he liked to throw 
 a light of comedy upon my coming home to be 
 a Dale. When he entered with his well-bred 
 air among my dear, rough brothers and engaged 
 me in conversations they could only half fol- 
 low, he seemed to be denying my place and 
 with subtle impudence arrogating me to his 
 own world. It seemed right to show him I 
 was not in Rolfe for any part of his amusement. 
 
 I became, therefore, cold as snow toward 
 Mr. Peyton-Call and in speaking of him to 
 others. Bud reproached me for not being 
 more gracious, Virgie expressed naive surprise 
 that I should dislike a man whom everyone else 
 found charming, and Dr. von Baerensprung, 
 now and then, put himself out to defend his 
 favorite, Caxton. 
 
 " Is it nothing to a man's credit, then, that he 
 maintains some of the charm and dignity of life 
 in the face of an adverse fortune?" he de- 
 manded at Mrs. Baumann's Kaffeetisch, where 
 
 181 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 I had assented to one of our host's sweeping 
 condemnations of Peyton-Call. 
 
 " You are incorrigible, Dr. Max, with your 
 preference for what is strictly ornamental," 
 cried Mr. Baumann. 
 
 " My friend Peyton-Call could not be better 
 characterized," returned Dr. von Baerensprung 
 with animation. " But your logic, Wilhelm, 
 is faulty ; one does not prefer the ornamental, 
 things become ornamental because we prefer 
 them. This gentleman, to give him Bud's 
 highest praise, has excellent manners ; he is a 
 product of good society. He can talk with 
 anyone on any subject with unruffled calm ; he 
 can oppose you, Wilhelm, in your heat and in- 
 dignation with perfect sweetness of tone. He 
 is not only well-poised, he is clever, and will 
 satirize himself and his county with excellent 
 humor. He has lived for years with his in- 
 tellectual and perhaps social inferiors, and 
 maintained his polish without acquiring a dis- 
 dain. Getting poorer day by day, more and 
 more bound up in lawsuits, doggedly sticking 
 to his house and property, instead of letting 
 everything slide to go North, where his educa- 
 tion and talents could have counted — I say the 
 man has a most interesting personality." 
 
 " Come you with your personalities ! " cried 
 Mr. Baumann, thumping the table indignantly ; 
 " I say, where is his character? Is it virtuous 
 182 
 
A Summer and Its Fruits 
 
 next to be in debt, and noble to be lazy ? If 
 he has neither taken up the battle of life in 
 the North, with the aid of his talents, nor 
 yet adopted the only means of subsistence 
 here " 
 
 " Would you have a man of his stamp plough 
 and harrow?" demanded Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung. 
 
 "Why not?" I put in. 
 
 " You have nothing to say here, you are an 
 Arcadian, Miss Cassandra," said Dr. von Bae- 
 rensprung, laughing at me. " You picture life 
 in blank verse, shepherds with pipes, rural 
 leisure, and the beauties of harvest-home. But 
 this poor fellow knows the hardships of life at 
 first-hand. He knows that to make himself a 
 plough-boy would be to destroy in himself all 
 that inheritance of taste and intellect. He is 
 the last of the Peyton-Calls, a rich, proud, and 
 cultivated family, if their house speaks true of 
 them ; he had better starve to death among his 
 books — yes, he reads, my dear Wilhelm, quite 
 as much as you do, though he does not parade 
 science and philosophy — than to live by the 
 toil of his untrained hands." 
 
 " But he has had the choice, surely, of vege- 
 tating here in Rolfe or of adopting some pro- 
 fession," I insisted. " Did they not tell me his 
 Boston relatives have educated him ? And 
 hasn't he antagonized them by returning to 
 
 183 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Rolfe to lead a perfectly idle and even dissi- 
 pated life ? " 
 
 " Pooh ! dissipated ! " cried Caxton's defender. 
 " What do those Puritans know about the cus- 
 tomary amenities of life of the Southerner? I 
 have drunk wine and played with the man, and 
 I say he is a gentleman. Of course, he gam- 
 bles ; so do I. There is no fun in cards with- 
 out stakes. And here, where drunkenness is a 
 matter of easy joking, fancy, if you can, a man 
 of Peyton-Call's humor posing as an advocate 
 of temperance." 
 
 " And his opposition to every public improve- 
 ment ! " asked Mr. Baumann. 
 
 " He represents his county," said Dr. von 
 Baerensprung, genially. "They are conserva- 
 tive here. They want to be let alone. I have 
 come to have great sympathy for their point of 
 view. The people of Rolfe instinctively feel 
 that they have a rare possession for these mod- 
 ern times, a corner of the earth yet uninvaded 
 by Enterprise, snapping her whips. The peo- 
 ple of Rolfe are gay, wholly absorbed in hunt- 
 ing and love-making. You are a thorn in their 
 side with your progress, Wilhelm, and I was 
 another with my reforestration sermon, until I 
 gave it up and joined their picnics — and were 
 Miss Cassandra not young and beautiful, she 
 would be the worst of all. You two are bound 
 to go on with your work, I suppose. You 
 184 
 
A Summer and Its Fruits 
 
 can't withdraw as I do ; but you should mer- 
 cifully judge the people you have come to 
 harass." 
 
 " If my brothers heard you say I had come 
 to harass them, you would have three duels on 
 your hands, Freiherr von Baerensprung," I ex- 
 claimed, wrathfully ; and he laughed so heart- 
 ily we had to all join in. 
 
 Certainly, except in the one matter of hav- 
 ing given Bud the chance to lose his heart to 
 Virgie, my coming to Rolfe appeared as the 
 summer weeks flew by to have been more and 
 more beneficent. Lilbud gave me cordial cred- 
 it for the improvement in the farm, Archer 
 showed himself warmly appreciative of the help 
 I had given him directly and the indirect help 
 I had brought him through Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung's interest, and Bud was constant in his 
 praise of me and my ways about the house. 
 If I was bold in my first advance to break 
 down the shiftless and slovenly habits of their 
 bachelor housekeeping, I had yet been inwardly 
 afraid of venturing too far. Now I felt my 
 place assured I clothed myself in authority, 
 and my word became law with all three. I had 
 unaccountably laid a charm on these warm- 
 hearted boys. They looked for my smile as 
 if I were a sort of queen, I could reward them 
 with my mere presence and the display of a 
 pretty dress. 
 
 185 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 And how I grew to love them ! At first 
 Bud's beauty and his gentleness had alone ab- 
 sorbed me, and I had underestimated the 
 younger two. Now I found myself intent upon 
 their faces also, watching for the signs of pain 
 or of pleasure, of weariness, and of content. 
 With each of them I tied a personal knot of 
 friendship as the time developed. Bud and I 
 talked of most intimate and serious things to- 
 gether, of our past, exchanging views on life, 
 moralizing on character, telling each the other 
 his religion and his philosophy. 
 
 *With Lilbud, who was so much shyer and 
 so much less emotional, I dealt almost wholly 
 of practical things : the farm, the animals, the 
 cost of this and that filled our discussions. 
 Whether I should not do more of the house- 
 work alone, and let Pearl work in the field, or 
 whether we should hire help for him ; wheth- 
 er it was worth while to establish our own 
 smoke-house, and kill hogs in the fall, or whether 
 to rely for our meat wholly on what the boys 
 would shoot ; whether the fact that Lee sucked 
 eggs was to be broken to Bud, or whether we 
 should try to cure this fault without exposing 
 the dog ; such questions and a hundred like them 
 came up day by day. At sundown he and I 
 would stroll along the margin of a field to- 
 gether, or perch on the fence of the lot, plan- 
 ning and scheming for the welfare of our house, 
 
 1S6 
 
A Summer and Its Fruits 
 
 I began to find Lilbud less slow and stupid 
 than I had thought him, and he pretended that 
 I was more practical than most men he had 
 known. Thus with increasing mutual respect 
 we labored toward the same ends. 
 
 With Archer I had the most absorbing re- 
 lation of all, for the boy, wonderfully stimulated 
 by his contact with Dr. von Baerensprung, 
 was already intellectually awake. It had oc- 
 curred to him that I too had seen the great 
 world outside of Rolfe, and his curiosity was 
 rife to question me. He wanted to know about 
 the great city of New York, about how peo- 
 ple talked and did, and what they believed in. 
 He heard about the theatres with the keenest 
 delight of all, and wanted me to describe by the, 
 hour together the plays I had seen. There 
 was fostered a lively desire to get out of Rolfe, 
 and see the world in Archer; I knew it, and was 
 glad of it, for he certainly was too bright and 
 young and strong to stick by the old and refuse 
 the new like the rest of Rolfe. 
 
 I loved them so dearly, was so absorbed in 
 our life together, that I almost begrudged the 
 time that Virgie claimed of me. Her cordial- 
 ity would have me at The Terraces to spend 
 the day, or she must have me drive with her, 
 or else she would come to my house and while 
 away hours watching me or helping me at my 
 work. If Bud chanced upon us on any such 
 
 187 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 occasion he was wounded beyond words that 
 this peerless little personage should stoop to 
 labor. He would declare boldly that, though 
 his sister was incorrigible in the matter of spoil- 
 ing that no-count nigger, Pearl, that was no 
 reason why Miss Virgie should put her hand 
 to work. Once he coolly lifted the panful of 
 dishes from under our noses, seized upon our 
 whole supply of towels, carried the whole thing 
 out to the chopping-block in the yard, and fin- 
 ished the washing and drying himself, while 
 we watched him from the back door with peals 
 of laughter. With great composure he ranged 
 the dishes on the top of a pile of cord-wood 
 as he dried them. Virgie declared he was cer- 
 tainly a sweet fellow, and I agreed with her. 
 
 So the long summer went serenely by. We 
 had a scorching drought, we had a time of in- 
 sufferable heat ; we had the season of long rains 
 when we learned something of the condition of 
 our shingled roof ; and we had our wind-storms 
 that broke down the grain ; but whatever the 
 weather out-of-doors, that serene atmosphere 
 of content in which we had fallen was not dis- 
 turbed. When summer drew to its close, how- 
 ever, events began to fall like ripened fruits, 
 and soon there were changes in our outward 
 world which threatened to drive us from the 
 even tenor we had so far kept. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 MR. PEYTON-CALL IS QUIET 
 
 It was in the first hazy days of autumn when 
 the hopes of the fields had been fulfilled ; we 
 had been garnering and talked of the coming 
 winter ; it seemed the acme of our domestic 
 peace ; when the first blow fell of all that long 
 attack upon our fortunes. Virgie came riding 
 up to coax me out into the woods with her to 
 gather sloes. She was recklessly gay that morn- 
 ing and kept me laughing while she talked. I 
 had no time to frolic with her ; she sat in my 
 store-rooih- window and made her observations 
 on the best way to lead a merry life, while I 
 put my pantry shelves to rights. 
 
 "You, sweet Cassy, don't know a thing in 
 the world about having a good time,'' she said. 
 " You stick at home, you keep a curious 
 little frown between your eyes trying to re- 
 member little things. It'll soon be time for the 
 hunting to begin and you won't take the least 
 interest in it." 
 
 " What have I to do with fox-hunting! " said 
 I. " In a week I open school." 
 
 "Nothing in the world but foolishness!" 
 cried Virgie. " The idea of putting your 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 youth and energy into a losing game like that ! 
 You've missed the point of Rolfe entirely, 
 Cassy, if you think it's worth while for the fut- 
 ure inhabitants of the county to know how to 
 read and write. Those of this generation that 
 have learned it are doing our best to forget it ; 
 I never read anything but fashion journals, I 
 declare I don't. And papa reads the New 
 Rome paper ; and if neither of us could read 
 I'd make my dresses just as prettily by going 
 to New Rome oftener to see how they dress 
 there, and papa would get just as much news 
 talking to people at the court-house. It's ail 
 foolishness to learn to read. Your brother 
 Archer isn't half as nice as your brother Bud, 
 with all his books and serious expression. 
 Don't be a 'school-teacher, Cassy, stop work 
 and play with me." 
 
 " I'll play with you on Saturday," I said, 
 laughing at her little pout; and I stepped up 
 to take her fair little face between my hands. 
 
 " Cassy, you are the loveliest and sweet- 
 est — " she murmured, looking up into my eyes, 
 and I was surprised to see tears in her own. 
 " Cassy, why can't I have you with me every 
 minute? You love me a little — and at The 
 Terraces no one cares for me." 
 
 I was amazed at this soft tone from Virgie, 
 amazed to hear a complaint from the self- 
 reliant girl. 
 
 IQO 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call is Quiet 
 
 " What's the trouble, honey ? " I asked her 
 softly, putting my arms around her. 
 w >' Papa is furious with me and thunders re- 
 proaches ; Cousin Lucy is frozen stiff and 
 won't speak to me; only Mammy stands by 
 me, and there's no living at The Terraces," she 
 exclaimed bitterly, and her tears ran faster. 
 
 " Good heavens, Virgie, what have you 
 done?" I demanded, impatiently, giving her a 
 little shake. 
 
 " Nothing at all," she cried, indignantly, wip- 
 ing her eyes. " My own affair ! I've only 
 broken my engagement to Donald. I declare 
 I'll never get engaged again as long as I live if 
 they make all this fuss about breaking it off." 
 
 My arms sank to my sides, I was so lamed 
 by the shock, and I looked at the girl with 
 mingled consternation and incredulity. In the 
 pause between us we heard the voice of Bud 
 trolling a negro revival hymn in mellow tones 
 as he crossed the yard outside the pantry win- 
 dow. A pleased look came into Virgie' s eyes. 
 
 " Mr. Dale certainly can sing ! " she ex- 
 claimed, bending her head to listen. 
 
 I turned to my jars and boxes again and me- 
 chanically continued to range them. Bud's 
 song died away as he reached the stable, and 
 for a long while neither Virgie nor I said a 
 word. She leaned her pretty head on her 
 hand and looked dreamily out across the gold- 
 
 191 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 en stubble-field to the haze and the sky ; every 
 time I glanced at her the sweetness of her 
 curving mouth and the tender droop of her 
 eyes reassured me of the Virgie I had learned 
 to trust ; every time I looked away and thought 
 over her words my heart sank in misgiving. 
 
 " This is the longest I have ever kept quiet 
 in my life," she exclaimed suddenly and with 
 a laugh. " I must be getting serious." 
 
 " I hope you are," I answered, gravely. " Or 
 is it really a light matter with you, Virgie, to 
 break faith with a man ? " 
 
 " Cassy, if you are going to talk like Page 
 Whittaker, who prays for me every night she 
 goes to bed, and calls me unregenerate to my 
 face, I'm going to go home to jump into the 
 river off the lowest terrace," she returned, im- 
 patiently. " I won't be preached to about this 
 sort of thing. If I thought it my moral duty 
 to marry all the men I have found amusing at 
 different times, I'd be a regular Bluebeard." 
 
 And with this extraordinary bit of defiance 
 she swung herself about in the casement and 
 sprang to the ground outside. 
 
 " Mr. Dale," she called, in her sweet high 
 voice. " Oh, Mr. Dale ! " 
 
 Bud hastened from the barn at her summons. 
 His color heightened with pleasure merely to 
 have her call his name. 
 
 " I'm going home now," she announced. 
 192 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call is Quiet 
 
 " Cassy isn't a bit sweet this morning. Will 
 you bring me my horse ? " 
 
 " Why, sister ! "exclaimed Bud, with awful 
 reproach, looking up to where I stood sadly in 
 the window. 
 
 " Virgie, forgive me and come back," I said, 
 with a recollection of her tears of a few min- 
 utes before. " I have so much to talk to you 
 about. Stay with me all day, Virgie ; I want 
 you." 
 
 " Well, I will," she said, readily, and then to 
 Bud : " You can mount me to the window again, 
 Mr. Dale." 
 
 She held out her pretty foot, he put his hand 
 under it and lifted her lightly to her former 
 perch. Now she put her arm about my neck 
 and kissed me heartily. 
 
 " I love, love, love you," she whispered. "And 
 I'll never be good, no, not even for you." 
 
 " I know you won't be good," I returned. 
 " But, Virgie, you will be kind." And as Bud 
 left us again I continued, with a little tremor 
 in my voice, " Confine your flirting, Virgie, to 
 men like Mr. Peyton-Call, who are your match 
 and can take care of themselves." 
 
 "I know exactly what you mean," she re- 
 turned in her singing voice, hanging in my 
 arms and looking up at me with half-closed 
 eyes ; " and I say you are a silly and suspicious 
 old thing, and not good company for me be- 
 
 193 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 cause you put things in my head I never 
 thought of!" 
 
 " Virgie, don't pretend to me," I said, se- 
 verely. " I love you dearly, little girl, but I 
 know your mischief to the core. Understand, 
 if we are to be friends you must behave your- 
 self." 
 
 " Anything you want I'll do except to marry 
 Donald," she answered with animation, sitting 
 up to arrange her hair. " I certainly am tired 
 of his superior airs. He won't worship me; 
 he will see my faults. And all his pretence of 
 devotion is unendurable. I say, a man must 
 know his place. Don reads too much. Cas- 
 sandra, it seems to me Don would suit you 
 better than he does me. You are equal to 
 sassing him back when he gets too superior." 
 
 " If I could ever compete with you in what 
 you call ' sass,' " I returned, angrily, " I would 
 one day give you a piece of my mind, Virgie 
 Fanton." 
 
 "Oh, you are beautiful," she cried, delight- 
 edly. " Storm away, Cassy ; it's the rarest 
 thing in the world that I can get a rise out of 
 you." 
 
 I walked out of the store-room and she came 
 after me. 
 
 " Now let's go and gather sloes," she coaxed. 
 " I simply must celebrate. Cassy, I feel so 
 happy and so free. If they wouldn't act so 
 194 
 
Mr. Peyton- Call is Quiet 
 
 unreasonable at home about it, I would be the 
 happiest girl in the world." 
 
 " Virgie, you are incomprehensible," I ex- 
 claimed. " It is to be assumed that you have 
 hurt Mr. Peyton-Call beyond " 
 
 " Yes, we must assume all that sort of thing," 
 she broke in coolly. " It belongs to the dig- 
 nities of life which Donald never neglects. He 
 was suitably pale and grave the other night ; 
 he said the right thing about caring more for 
 my happiness than for his own ; he has suitably 
 carried his broken heart out of the county, and 
 won't be back for a month, I reckon. He'll 
 receive the consolation of his intimates with 
 suitable melancholy ; but, Cassy, I'm just fond 
 enough of my cousin to be glad that he feels 
 the same relief as I do, in the bottom of his 
 heart. I've a right to show it, and he's bound 
 to conceal it as a crime ; but it's there. Some- 
 time, when we are good friends again, I'm 
 going to have a frank talk with Donald Pey- 
 ton-Call ; and then I'll tell you what he says 
 about this time of his suffering." 
 
 And she held me with her clear brown eyes 
 as she spoke half playfully, half seriously. I 
 seemed to look to the bottom of her heart and 
 to see it free from guile. 
 
 That night I saw by Bud's face when he re- 
 turned from the court-house that he had heard 
 the news of the broken engagement. He ap- 
 
 195 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 peared to be in a sort of maze of dreams. He 
 could scarcely bring his mind to answer us when 
 we asked him a question. Archer ventured the 
 opinion that Bud had been drinking; for once I 
 should have been glad to have accepted that as 
 an explanation of Bud's stupor. Alas, it was 
 only too evident that what he had heard had 
 changed the face of the world to Bud. 
 
 It was moonlight, and after supper he put 
 his arm about me and drew me out into the 
 yard, where we paced backward and forward, 
 now under the dark oaks, now in the silvery 
 light. 
 
 " Sister, talk to me," he said, gently. 
 
 "What shall I talk about?" I asked him, sad- 
 ly. " My heart is full of trouble, Bud. Virgie 
 has told me to-day — you know. I am very un- 
 happy. I think I can't talk about it." 
 
 " Why does it make you unhappy ? " de- 
 manded Bud. 
 
 " Because I love her — and I see that she is 
 going on and on, Bud, to make men unhappy, 
 to break their hearts; and she is too cold- 
 hearted herself to care or to know what she 
 is doing." 
 
 " Sister, it looks to me like you don't know 
 Miss Virgie a little bit," he returned, dreamily; 
 and that was all the reply he vouchsafed to my 
 long accusation. " But I can't bear to think 
 of Mr. Don," he added in a lower voice. "I 
 
 iq6 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call is Quiet 
 
 don't know what he will do. I reckon, Sister, 
 he'll shoot himself. I would if I were in his 
 place." 
 
 " Well, Bud, most men who come near her 
 get into something like his place sooner or 
 later," I returned with some sternness. " They 
 don't shoot themselves. They see that their 
 suffering is their own fault. They are mostly 
 warned beforehand that she will play with 
 them. And they bear it with what pluck is in 
 them." 
 
 To which he deigned no reply whatever. 
 For the first time since our reunion Bud and I 
 were of two minds, and he independent of me. 
 
 As Virgie had prophesied, Peyton-Call left 
 Rolfe for nearly a month. We understood he 
 was with his cousins, the Calls of Carrfield. 
 They reported him broken-hearted, but re- 
 signed and quiet; Virgie smiled a little scepti- 
 cally when she heard this through the gossips. 
 It was, perhaps, the general impression that 
 Mr. Don would be able to live down his dis- 
 appointment; Bud alone spoke now and then 
 of our absent landlord in an awed tone, as of 
 one departed from this life. Good, great-hearted 
 Bud ! He had no moment of joy over the fall of 
 his powerful rival. His pity turned his former 
 admiration into loyal affection. He declared 
 he found it lonely in Rolfe without Mr. Don. 
 
 There was another man in Rolfe who, be- 
 197 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 fore many weeks had passed, expressed himself 
 anxious for Peyton-Call's return. Mr. Bau- 
 mann had been writing to him in Carrfield on 
 business and had received no reply. Now he 
 looked forward to a personal meeting. It con- 
 cerned nothing less than the buying of the mill- 
 site. Mr. Baumann, it appeared, had been 
 interesting himself seriously in the scheme for 
 restoring the water-power even while its au- 
 thor, Dr. von Baerensprung, was coming to 
 the conclusion that Rolfe was well enough left 
 alone. As soon as the news had spread that 
 Colonel Fanton's daughter would not marry 
 the master of Caxton, the enterprising German 
 took the first steps in acting for his own in- 
 terest. While Peyton-Call was still away, Mr. 
 Baumann made Colonel Fanton an offer for 
 the headwater tract, bare of timber. There 
 was some bargaining and some delay ; but it 
 was understood that Colonel Fanton was quite 
 willing to sell the land from which he had long 
 ago reaped the last profit. 
 
 I heard of this business now and then, when 
 my brothers brought news from the Court- 
 house or as Dr. von Baerensprung spoke of it. 
 There befell, however, an event of such im- 
 portance to our family that I lost sight, for a 
 time, of the affairs of my friends. 
 
 198 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 THE SOCIAL LEVEL OF THE DALES 
 
 "You don't know Lilbud," said my eldest 
 brother, "he's an oyster. A terrapin will let 
 go when it thunders, but nothing will make 
 Lilbud open his mouth till he gets ready." 
 
 Bud had called for me at the school, and we 
 were walking home together under the falling 
 yellow leaves of the forest. It was not far be- 
 tween our cabin and the little log-house of the 
 Caxton school ; but I never went alone. Archer 
 was my usual escort, but I had faithlessly left 
 him to-day to finish putting sums upon the 
 board for the pleasure of walking with my 
 handsome elder brother. And now I found 
 him so glum and preoccupied over the affairs 
 of Lilbud that I was uneasy myself. 
 
 " If he won't tell us what he is about, we 
 must wait," said I. 
 
 " I reckon it's right serious," said Bud, lay- 
 ing about him nervously with his switch. " I've 
 a notion of what he is doing." 
 
 " Not cards ! " I cried, in dismay. 
 
 " Worse than cards," said Bud, gloomily. 
 199 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Oh, Bud ! you know he doesn't drink," I 
 protested. 
 
 " Worse than drink," said Bud. " I've seen 
 Lilbud do like this one time before. He's fix- 
 in' to get married." 
 
 I received this intimation in awed silence. 
 There was no explanation necessary between 
 us. We both knew well enough what Lilbud's 
 marriage might mean for us. If Bud's surmise 
 was correct there was only one question — how 
 bad was it to be ? 
 
 " But you say he went off like this before, 
 and it came to nothing," I suggested. 
 
 " Things were different. We weren't so 
 prosperous. I reckon nobody would have him 
 a year ago. Now there's no hope for that. 
 Any poor-white girl in the county would have 
 him — if he happened to strike her fancy." 
 
 Bud smiled a little at the notion that his 
 brother could strike any girl's fancy ; then he 
 grew grave again. 
 
 " What gets me is this : the boy has a right 
 to marry if he wants to. He's worked like a 
 nigger, and blamed if between you and him 
 the rent ain't going to be paid — and I reckon 
 Mr. Don'll faint when he gets it, or else kill 
 himself laughing, one." 
 
 " Yes, Lilbud has the right to marry," I said, 
 dejectedly. 
 
 " And there's no use pretending he's any too 
 
The Social Level of the Dales 
 
 good for one of these girls that he's likely to 
 pick out — say Siggy Dwight, old man Dicker- 
 son's granddaughter." 
 
 " Do you think it is she ? " I asked in alarm, 
 remembering the dowdish, plump, and putty- 
 faced damsel I had seen in church. 
 
 " I don't know any more about it than you 
 do, Sister. I'm just supposing a case. She's 
 about Lilbud's style — and I say he ain't too 
 good for her. Lilbud, he ain't got any more 
 style about him than a starved crow ; you've a 
 heap, Sister, and I have some, and Son, he's 
 improving every day ; but 'tain't any use dress- 
 ing Lilbud in good clothes. Let him swap 
 with Mr. Don to-day, and there'd be just the 
 same difference between them that there al- 
 ways was." 
 
 I was very unhappy now, and from mingled 
 causes. It was not only the just dread of be- 
 ing brought in contact with a low-bred woman ; 
 I felt that Bud had lost some dignity by the 
 attitude he took and I in supporting it. Who 
 were we to throw up our hands in horror at 
 an alliance with the poor-white family of Dick- 
 erson? Tears of shame came to my eyes. 
 Was it I who was making a snob of Bud ? 
 
 " You don't reckon we could break him up ? " 
 he asked, doubtfully, when I was silent. 
 
 " Do we want to, Bud ? You said yourself 
 he has a right to be happy." 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " How about our rights ? " demanded poor 
 Bud. "Won't it spoil everything? Do you 
 reckon Miss Virgie will drop in to breakfast 
 like she did this morning, or that Mr. Don will 
 stop by so often if there's a Mrs. Dale in the 
 house that hasn't any manners ? " 
 
 " Do we care more for the company of these 
 strangers than we do for our own brother ? " I 
 asked. 
 
 " I declare, Sister, do you call Miss Virgie 
 a stranger ? " he cried, in amazement. " You 
 certainly make out like you were mighty fond 
 of her." 
 
 " But she is not likg a member of the family, 
 Bud," I answered, gently. " We must think of 
 the family first. If any of our connections 
 don't seem good enough for her to sit at table 
 with — and we know it might easily happen, 
 Bud " 
 
 The poor boy was growing scarlet under his 
 bronzed skin ; and he it was who, before I had 
 come with my train of fine acquaintances, had 
 never had a doubt in the world as to his social 
 position. He had been as good as anybody, no 
 more to be patronized than an Indian chief. 
 Now he was in the pitiable position of fuming 
 over his brother's possible marriage with one 
 who would crush his social aspiration. 
 
 " And as for Mr. Peyton-Call's visits, Broth- 
 er, you must know," I continued, very gently, 
 
The Social Level of the Dales 
 
 " that if it had not been for Virgie's fancy for 
 me, we should never have seen her betrothed 
 at our house. Do you know that the Calls 
 were so proud they would not associate with 
 Colonel Fanton at one time, rich as he was ; 
 and were angry with Virgie's mother for mar- 
 rying him ? Such people as that will never look 
 upon Hank Dale's children but as inferiors. 
 But we can have our own pride, Bud, and 
 keep to our own people if it comes to a choice. 
 Let us leave Lilbud alone, and welcome the 
 wife he chooses." 
 
 Bud turned on me with flashing eyes, and 
 seized both my hands. For a moment we 
 stood so in the yellow light of the autumn 
 woods in the heart of our glen, silently look- 
 ing at each other. I smiled up in his face. 
 
 " If anybody says my sister isn't the fiftest 
 lady of the land I'll shoot him for a liar," said 
 Bud, in low tones. " You're all wrong, Cassy, 
 in what you say. You don't know about this- 
 country down here where everybody is white 
 or nigger, one ; and where it ain't money but 
 manners that count. But you can't help a few 
 Yankee notions, Cassy, and I won't be hard on 
 them. And it's all right about Lilbud ; who- 
 ever he brings home, we'll make a lady of her, 
 too." 
 
 Four days later, in the golden afternoon, 
 when I was alone except for Pearl in the 
 
 203 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 kitchen, I heard Lilbud returning with the 
 horse and wagon and resolved to question him 
 as to where he had spent the day. Presently 
 he appeared in the doorway of the sitting-room 
 and beside him a small, slight figure in white, 
 a mere slip of a girl. He pushed her slightly 
 forward with a gentle movement. 
 
 " Sister," he said, simply, " this is Lena, my 
 wife." 
 
 For an instant I was horror-struck, and then 
 that feeling passed in a wave of pity. This 
 was a child, a real child, and poor Lilbud 
 standing there with a strange glow on his face 
 appeared as nothing more. So, feeling old as 
 any mother, I rose and went to meet the little 
 thing. 
 
 " I am glad to see you, Lena," I said, quietly, 
 for I had a dread of frightening her, and very 
 gently I took her hand. " How do you do ? " 
 and I kissed her. 
 
 " I'm very well, I thank you, ma'am ; how are 
 you ? " replied the poor thing in a timid voice, 
 her eyes roaming about the floor. Her face 
 was peaked and delicate, sadly overcome by a 
 cheap and gaudy hat. She was dressed in a 
 nun's- veiling gown of gawky cut, crudely 
 trimmed with pink silk. It was not even full 
 length, and her light hair was braided and tied 
 in the neck with ribbon in the style of a half- 
 grown girl. On her hands were cotton mits. 
 204 
 
The Social Level of the Dales 
 
 "Have you come far to-day?" I asked, as I 
 contemplated her. 
 
 " Clean over from Sunderland," Lilbud an- 
 swered for her. " Mr. Duke Freedland, he's 
 her father. We were married to-day." 
 
 " I wish you had asked me to the marriage," 
 I said to him. He looked uncomfortable, and 
 made no reply. 
 
 " Come into my room, Lena, to take off your 
 hat and to rest," I said to her. " You must be 
 tired." 
 
 She suffered herself to be led by the hand 
 across the hall. Lilbud's head turned after her 
 as though his sun were setting. 
 
 In the other room I removed her hat and 
 smoothed her hair with my hand. 
 
 " Child, how old are you? " 
 
 " Fourteen last July." 
 
 " Isn't it strange that I should know so little 
 about you? You don't mind my asking you a 
 good many questions ? " 
 
 " No'm." 
 
 It was such a plaintive, timid little voice ! 
 
 " Have you a mother, Lena? " 
 
 "Yes'm." 
 
 " And older sisters ? " 
 
 " Yes'm. Three." 
 
 " Did they want you to marry Lilbud?" 
 
 " Yes'm." Then after a pause she volunteered: 
 " Pap didn't. He 'lowed I was too young." 
 
 205 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Well, you are rather young, aren't you ? " I 
 asked, smiling sadly. 
 
 " No'm, I don't think so." (This with unex- 
 pected spirit.) 
 
 " Are your sisters married ? " I queried further. 
 
 " Two of them ain't ; but Mr. Dale wouldn't 
 have nary one of them." 
 
 " He just wanted you ?" 
 
 " Yes'm." 
 
 " Don't call me ma'am, Lena ! I am your sis- 
 ter now, you know." 
 
 "Yes'm, I know." 
 
 She had the courage now to raise her eyes 
 to my face. They were pretty eyes, gray and 
 soft and quiet. 
 
 Now Lilbud knocked at the door. 
 
 "Ain't you most ready to come out?" he 
 called, with unwonted impatience. I bade him 
 enter. The little one gave her husband a swift, 
 shy look and dropped her eyes once more to 
 the floor. 
 
 " Don't you want to go about with Brother 
 and see the house and place ? " I asked her, and 
 she assented timidly. 
 
 They left me, closing the door behind them. 
 I sank down to think it over ; but first tears, 
 then helpless laughter, then a hysterical ming- 
 ling of both assailed me. Finally I sank into a 
 moody revery. My relation to my home ap- 
 peared suddenly grotesque and impossible. 
 206 
 
The Social Level of the Dales 
 
 Was I really called upon by virtue of my self- 
 elected place to play mother to this waif? And 
 then came the thought of Virgie and with it a 
 certain strength. Surely the alliance with 
 Lena would forever root the Dales to their own 
 social level. The illusory sense of equality 
 which was so dangerous to my brother's peace 
 must drop away ; for I did not share Bud's 
 hopes that we could " make a lady " of her. 
 
 I was roused from my thoughts by the sound 
 of laughter — soft, rippling, sweet as the call of 
 a bird. Lena was already at home. 
 
 Bud's reception of our sister-in-law was 
 another manifestation of the sweetness of his 
 nature. He was too thoroughly kind to show 
 his dismay by worcf or look ; yet he regarded 
 the marriage as a disaster. 
 
 " What's done is done," he said to me when 
 we were alone, " but oh, sister! ain't she poh- 
 white ? " — and we shook our heads and de- 
 clared that she certainly was. I was presently 
 surprised to learn that what was my chief con- 
 cern, Lena's extreme youth, did not impress 
 him. 
 
 " I recollect Pap's saying our mother w'a'n't 
 but fifteen or sixteen," he remarked. "I don't 
 see nothing to worry about in Lena's size. I 
 reckon she's most grown. Every woman don't 
 grow as tall and fine as you, Sis' Cassy." 
 
 207 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 After that, when I considered the frail little 
 person of my sister-in-law, I thought of our un- 
 remembered mother and the pathos of her life, 
 so short, so obscure. For her sake we would 
 cherish this child-wife of our brother's — thus 
 Bud and I earnestly agreed together. 
 
 Archer, more taken by surprise than we, 
 showed more ill-feeling over Lilbud's marriage. 
 
 " Wasn't that a sneaky way for him to go 
 off?" he demanded wrathfully of me alone. 
 "I wonder what makes him do us that way? 
 It isn't grateful to us, who are trying to raise 
 him up and give him a show in the world." 
 
 " It seems to me it is Lilbud who is giving us 
 a show in the world," I replied sternly, for I 
 was greatly dismayed to find that the poison 
 had infected my younger brother also. " Who 
 rents this farm? Who keeps us from being 
 turned out like gypsies or living rent-free on 
 another's land, the object of Mr. Peyton-Call's 
 charity? Whose house is this, where I am 
 allowed to direct and you are given time to 
 study? It is Lilbud's place. He works the 
 farm and rents it and keeps us all ! " 
 
 Archer was in too much of a temper to be 
 easily shamed, however. 
 
 " I know I'm not much 'count yet, but I'm 
 
 beholding to you, Sister, and not to Lilbud; 
 
 and now I'm teaching school and working like a 
 
 nigger for Dr. von Baerensprung every night, 
 
 208 
 
The Social Level of the Dales 
 
 and blamed if I won't be ready to support 
 the whole shooting-match myself before many 
 years. I ain't so triflin' as you make me out ; 
 and as for living off Mr. Don, I'd rather shoot 
 myself than thank him for a thing on earth. I 
 despise him. He's laughed at me time and 
 again ; and if he's been good to us in the past 
 it's because Bud nor I never took any notice. 
 No one ever told us to pay rent till you came." 
 
 He saw I was pained at his angry tone and 
 immediately softened down. 
 
 " Sister Cassandra, don't mind me," he 
 begged, putting his arm around my shoulder. 
 
 " But if you show yourself proud and hot- 
 tempered and ungrateful, Archer — " I said, 
 reproachfully, secretly pleased at all this dis- 
 play of spirit. 
 
 " I'm not ungrateful," he declared defiantly. 
 " But I'll choose myself who shall help me. 
 I'll take everything from you, Sister, and from 
 Dr. von Baerensprung ; but not from Mr. Don 
 and not from old man Lilbud. I'll be beholden 
 to my superiors only." 
 
 "And Mr. Peyton-Call knows Latin," I said, 
 beginning to laugh. " Isn't that a claim to 
 superiority ? " 
 
 " Don't tease me," returned the boy, dog- 
 gedly. " I'll know more than Latin before I 
 die." 
 And he flung away to his beloved solitude 
 209 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 to pore over his books with a new stimulus in 
 his blood. 
 
 In spite of these discussions we were all 
 alike minded to make the best of Lena, and 
 Lilbud could have seen no flaw in our behavior 
 toward her. 
 
 I resolutely set myself to gain her confidence 
 and liking. It appeared difficult to give the 
 child the place of matron and not to attempt 
 to extend to her the sway I had over my 
 brothers. She proved a slovenly little piece 
 from the hour that the bridal finery was 
 dropped. With a fine independence, but with 
 disastrous aesthetic effect, she appeared in calico 
 wrapper and curl-papers. I attempted to dazzle 
 her with my own dress. I made her presents 
 from my store wherever I could do so with- 
 out a hint that her trousseau was incomplete ; 
 and I sewed for her by the hour together. 
 But Lena was decidedly in appreciative of 
 what was nice. Bud, who it seemed attracted 
 her liking and respect more easily than 1, 
 achieved the first victory in the cause of bet- 
 ter dressing. He would follow her about 
 with his beautiful eyes whenever she " looked 
 gallus," as he told her ; and when she had not 
 taken the trouble to look gallus, he would turn 
 his head the other way. Her vanity thus 
 aroused, the little chit generally managed to 
 look trimmer in the evening when Bud was 
 
The Social Level of the Dales 
 
 home. As to that, it was not hard for her to 
 make an effective appearance, for she was re- 
 markably pretty, as appeared when the better 
 food than she had ever had at home brought 
 her the glow of health. 
 
 Lena naturally took her part in our house- 
 keeping, and here I found I had to assume con- 
 trol. Lilbud remarked to me soon after his 
 marriage that he thought it had been fortu- 
 nately timed at the opening of the school, as 
 Lena would naturally relieve me of my home 
 duties. She proved, however, such a wasteful 
 and shiftless manager, so ignorant of practical 
 matters, and so innocent of common niceties 
 that I found my cares at home increased in- 
 stead of diminished by her presence. The raw 
 and helpless immigrant with which the North- 
 ern house-keeper must labor gives no more 
 trouble in training; and a family connection 
 with the subject does not seem to simplify the 
 matter. Though Lena was perfectly gentle 
 and non-resisting, she was scarcely docile, for 
 she never accepted my authority as final. I 
 showed her many a time how to serve a meal ; 
 but when I was absent things went helter- 
 skelter and untidily. My brothers, who had 
 become mighty fastidious young gentlemen of 
 late, would gently demur. Lilbud advised his 
 wife to mind how Sister Cassandra did things, 
 because she did them right. Whether from 
 
 211 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 indifference or incapacity, Lena showed no 
 signs of improving. 
 
 Another annoyance arose from Pearl's rela- 
 tion to the new lady of the house. That way- 
 ward creature professed little respect for Lena, 
 and the latter showed herself sadly lacking in 
 power to impress her. The little mistress took 
 without resentment a good deal of criticism 
 from the maid. With that rank and rapid 
 growth of impertinence which will follow upon 
 any of what Bud called " letting up on a nig- 
 ger," Pearl was presently insufferable. Bud no- 
 ticed it at once, called our domestic sharply to 
 account, and threatened discharge if she didn't 
 mind her manners. Then, with the justice that 
 was in him, he took his sister-in-law aside and 
 warned her that if she couldn't make a nigger 
 talk to her white she need not expect to have 
 one to wait on her. I saw no particular effect of 
 his words on Lena. She continued to scream 
 shrilly at Pearl when she wanted something 
 done, and at other times to chat with her with 
 too great familiarity. Pearl was somewhat 
 cowed, however, and between Bud and me 
 was kept in her place. 
 
 212 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 ROBERT DALE, OWNER 
 
 Peyton-Call was at home again, a little 
 languid looking, after his month of grieving, but 
 with his feelings well under control, as usual. 
 He and Virgie seemed to meet without particu- 
 lar embarrassment. She was playing the role 
 of being a sister to him in her flighty way. 
 
 "Papa will have Don at The Terraces the 
 same as ever, and I must say I should miss him 
 right much if I didn't see him," she told me. 
 " And besides, it's Don who has to get up the 
 fox-hunts, and it would be mighty inconven- 
 ient for us not to be friends." 
 
 Our landlord thought my sister-in-law charm- 
 ing, he told me, her eyes were so quiet and 
 childlike ; and he quoted something about the 
 beauty that had passed into Lena's face from 
 her listening to hidden rivulets. This was a 
 new phase, and I am afraid I did not look 
 greatly impressed. 
 
 " I trust Mrs. Dale will receive me," he said, 
 in a melancholy tone ; " it will do me good to 
 come under the influence of placid beauty." 
 
 Perhaps I betrayed my sceptical amusement 
 213 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 by a faint smile ; it is certain I caught a look 
 of mischief in which I had no trouble to recog- 
 
 jnize the Peyton-Call of the time before his 
 
 * heart was broken. 
 
 In these days Bud was much away from the 
 house. On occasions of the fox-hunts he was 
 up and away before we were awake. The 
 meets were at Caxton, and Mr. Peyton-Call, it 
 appeared, could not organize a single hunt 
 without Bud's help. Moreover, my brother's 
 reputation as a horse-trainer was on the rise. 
 He was entrusted in turn with this and that 
 man's hunter to cure of a trick or coax to a 
 higher jump. Thus Bud was usually well 
 mounted, and provided with an excuse for not 
 missing a single hunt. Incident on this amuse- 
 ment there was a great deal of sociability 
 among the men at the court-house and at Cax- 
 ton. The fall and early winter was the gay 
 season in Rolfe. 
 
 Now Bud had always attended the fox-hunts, 
 whether on his Molly mare or another mount. 
 They were in every sense a public amusement 
 in Rolfe, and democratically enjoyed ; but I 
 was very well aware that his present relation 
 with the society of Rolfe was entirely new. 
 What with his new style of dress, with the 
 comradeship that Mr. Peyton-Call chose to 
 establish with him, and above all by Virgie's 
 continued favor, Bud had become quite one 
 214 
 
Robert Dale, Owner 
 
 with the county gentry. I myself had no part 
 whatever in this social rise of Bud's. Except 
 for my first friendships and acquaintances, I 
 knew no one in Rolfe. I had avoided going 
 to the court-house, even to the store, unwilling 
 to expose myself to curious eyes. 
 
 I usually went to the church, for Bud 
 wanted me to accompany him. He never 
 missed a service now, and, I very well knew, 
 never missed a gracious bow and smile from 
 Virgie when she came out. Alas, poor Bud, 
 he shared such smiles with never less than a 
 dozen swains, who looked for them as eagerly 
 as he. As far as I could see, it was as much 
 a part of Rolfe County life for a man to be in 
 love with Virgie Fanton as it was for him to 
 play cards at the court-house at night. 
 
 Virgie talked to me after church, introduced 
 people to me, and gave public proof of her in- 
 timacy with me. Afterward she would com- 
 plain of my haughty and reserved manners 
 before her other friends, assure me that they 
 were all dying to know me better, and begging 
 her to bring me out in Rolfe. But I had my 
 own views as to what was wisest, and I con- 
 fess did not meet anyone halfway. I declined 
 some very cordial invitations, and neglected 
 to return some very pleasant calls. I hoped 
 the good people of Rolfe would overlook me 
 and mine, as they would assuredly have done 
 
 215 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 except for Virgie's and Mr. Peyton-Call's at- 
 tentions to us all. 
 
 Meanwhile, from his intercourse at Caxton, 
 Bud was picking up ideas of what was ap- 
 propriate to the surroundings of a gentleman. 
 He was constantly surprising me with some 
 new fastidiousness ; and in that way he was a 
 terror to Lena. She had come to worship 
 Bud as a kind of demi-god. Any irreverence 
 his younger brothers showed him — and these 
 were slight enough — awakened a comic show 
 of indignation in his little sister-in-law. So 
 through her desire to please Bud, society 
 worked on Lena also, and did something to 
 improve her style. 
 
 It was a great comfort to me in those days 
 of growing uneasiness on Bud's account, that 
 Archer was so well and steadily employed. 
 He could not well follow Bud to the fun and 
 dissipation at the Court-House. Nor would he 
 have had Bud's social success, what with his 
 scorn of Peyton-Call's patronage, but still more 
 because of his lack of easy good-humor. Thus 
 it happened that the elder brother's entrance 
 into higher social circles threw the younger 
 rather out of the way of seeking convivial 
 pleasures. I looked to it that he should not 
 lack good tobacco and something to drink at 
 home when he wanted it; and it soon came 
 about that he was as happy to .spend an even- 
 216 
 
Robert Dale, Owner 
 
 ing before the fire with Dr. von Baerensprung, 
 or with me alone, as he had formerly been to 
 tag about after his big brother and the young 
 men of his class. 
 
 For Archer was seriously working and to a 
 stimulating end. Dr. von Baerensprung had 
 offered his pupil, as reward for passing a cer- 
 tain examination, to take him to New York 
 for a month's stay. Archer was to earn his 
 expenses in doing clerical work, and his friend 
 and patron was to give him the opportunity 
 of seeing the sights of the great city. 
 
 So one of my brothers was being led by the 
 wise and cultivated man of science., the other 
 by the idle and frivolous young squire ; one 
 had his ambition already fixed on a distant, yet 
 attainable, goal, the other was chasing the will- 
 o'-the-wisp of a coquette's favor with never a 
 thought beyond. 
 
 In spite of my anxiety over Bud's infatua- 
 tion, I was amused to see with what facility he 
 made his social way. The poor, ignorant boy 
 conquered his place by virtue of his beauty 
 and the sweetness of his disposition. Indeed, 
 his own standard of behavior, so loyally upheld 
 in the obscurity of his cabin and woodsman life, 
 was the standard of all his countrymen. He. 
 was too gentle to offend, too happy in social in- 
 tercourse to be willing to lose a hint of what 
 would make him more agreeable. Undoubtedly, 
 
 217 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Peyton-Call stimulated him most, and taught 
 him a hundred details of dress and behavior 
 that he would not have learned from others. 
 
 Bud's admiration for the master of Caxton 
 knew no bounds. He enjoyed above all things 
 these Caxton Club committee meetings, as the 
 fox-hunters called their nightly gatherings of 
 informal and not always sober amusements. 
 To do Peyton-Call justice, he took pretty good 
 care of my brother on these occasions. 
 
 "You needn't look worried, Sister," Bud 
 assured me when he had been telling me of 
 some of the livelier aspects of the past night's 
 revelry at Caxton; "Mr. Don has got it in 
 his head that I sha'n't get drunk. He sent me 
 home last night before the fun was half over, 
 same as if I was a baby ; just marched me out 
 on the piazza, and told me he'd tell you and 
 Miss Virgie if I forgot myself. And he won't 
 let me play much, either. I got started with 
 Buck Lanier the other night, and Mr. Don 
 came along and broke me, same as I would do 
 with Son. I declare, if it was anybody else, I 
 would have been hopping mad, but it looks 
 like Mr. Don can do anything, he's that pleas- 
 ant about it. Lord, I wish I had his disposi- 
 tion. He's always the same, whether he's 
 losing or winning, whether he's drunk or so- 
 ber." 
 
 But in spite of this assurance that Bud's pres- 
 218 
 
Robert Dale, Owner 
 
 ent company was exemplary, I nursed a secret 
 plan to get him away from it, and from Virgie's 
 dangerous vicinity. By Christmas, I reflected, 
 Archer would be gone, my school closed. 
 What was to prevent my coaxing Bud out of 
 Rolfe for a while. In Lennox, that county of 
 fine horses, it seemed there was always work 
 for Bud ; but in Lennox he was never willing 
 to stay very long at a time. If I went down 
 there with him, I thought, he might be induced 
 to spend the greater part of the winter there, 
 actively and profitably employed. The great 
 trouble was to give Bud any incentive for 
 earning more money. I was not willing to 
 pretend I wanted more luxuries for myself, 
 and indeed, we were all very comfortable ; but 
 there was the rent to Caxton unpaid for years. 
 When I reflected on our landlord's intelligence 
 and amiability, and particularly when I consid- 
 ered his late friendly care of Bud, I thought I 
 could turn this shadowy debt we owed him to 
 a practical account. I decided to make a rather 
 unusual appeal to him. 
 
 On the occasion of his next visit, and when 
 we were alone, I spoke to him of the rent we 
 owed him. He pretended alarm. 
 
 "I hope and trust you haven't any money," 
 he exclaimed. " It's very dangerous to give 
 me money. I never get any sleep till it's all 
 gone, and I've had such confounded luck 
 
 2ig 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 with cards of late that I'm greatly in need of 
 sleep." 
 
 " I have no money to pay my brothers' debts 
 if I can get them to pay them themselves,'' I 
 assured him. He affected great relief. 
 
 " Money is a great nuisance," he declared. 
 " I wish we could live by barter alone." 
 
 " And rent in this region is usually paid in 
 kind, isn't it?" 
 
 " Don't ask me ! How should I know?" 
 
 " Well, who does know ?" 
 
 " Who wants to know ? " (Carelessly.) 
 
 " I want to know." 
 
 " Why ? " (Suspiciously.) 
 
 " I want to know my brothers' contract with 
 you, and what they owe you after all these 
 years." 
 
 " I refer you to my lawyer." (Coldly.) 
 
 " Who is your lawyer, Mr. Peyton-Call? " 
 
 " I'm my own lawyer. All the Peyton-Calls 
 study law in their day. I've been admitted to 
 the Bar myself." 
 
 " Then can't you answer my question ? " 
 
 " Miss Dale, I am not here to-day in my ca- 
 pacity as lawyer. Everything has its time and 
 place. You may call on me at my office in the 
 court-house, first room to the right, first floor. 
 My hours are uncertain, but you can make an 
 appointment." 
 
 " I've had something to do with lawyers be- 
 
Robert Dale, Owner 
 
 fore, Mr. Peyton-Call, and I have found them 
 willing to call on me at my own house." 
 
 " Willing ! That's hardly the word, is it ? " 
 
 I reflected a moment as to how I could best 
 break through his defence of frivolity, and I 
 sat and looked into the fire. When I raised 
 my eyes to his face again I caught a curious 
 expression in his own. His brows were drawn 
 slightly as if with pain. Instantly his face 
 cleared again. 
 
 " Miss Dale, do you know how old you are ?" 
 he inquired, easily. 
 
 I was more than astonished that the correct 
 Peyton-Call should put so unconventional a 
 question ; I was startled by a coincidence. 
 Mr. Henry Reman had telegraphed me that 
 very question a few days before. It had ap- 
 peared to the lawyers charged with settling 
 my affairs in New York that my renouncing 
 Mrs. Reman's legacy had not been valid un- 
 less I was proved to have been of age at the 
 time. 
 
 " No, I don't know my age," I answered, 
 looking at my caller narrowly an instant. His 
 eyes were on the floor. 
 
 " I think you must be fifty or thereabout," he 
 suggested, lightly. " I go rather by your man- 
 ner than by your appearance." 
 
 " No one knows my age," I returned, still 
 disturbed. Of course, Peyton-Call had neither 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 interest in nor knowledge of the business in 
 New York. Still, a very disagreeable idea 
 had flashed upon me. " I may be fifty or even 
 older," I added, with forced lightness. 
 
 He thought it likely. I had the careworn 
 look suitable to middle age. 
 
 I was already ashamed of the thought that 
 had occurred to me. By way of reaction I felt, 
 more than at first, impelled to put special con- 
 fidence in him. 
 
 " It seems to amuse you that I look care- 
 worn," I said, as if hurt, " and I was just think- 
 ing you could easily help me in the matter that 
 has been troubling me." 
 
 " Consider it done ! " 
 
 " It can't be considered done till you have 
 taken the trouble to do it." 
 
 " You said — easily ; but never mind ! " 
 
 " I want to know just what my brothers owe 
 you for rent, and I want to bind the payment 
 of it on their backs as a heavy burden," I said, 
 seriously. " I want them to grow responsible. 
 Archer is going away ; I want to bind him to 
 his home with a debt, because he is proud. 
 And Lilbud is married ; I want him to settle 
 old accounts and found his home on a firm 
 basis ; and I want to draw Bud away from all 
 his folly to something like work. You are 
 partly to blame, Mr. Peyton-Call, for their be- 
 ing, as you say here, so trifling. You have let 
 
Robert Dale, Owner 
 
 them live as squatters on your land, and that 
 has almost pauperized them. Now I want 
 you to pretend, as far as we are concerned, that 
 you are a real landlord, and not make a farce 
 of coming to collect the rent. I suppose it all 
 amounts to very little ; I suppose you are 
 bored at the idea of taking the trouble ; but you 
 have shown a sort of interest in Bud. I have 
 to thank you for the times that you have sent 
 him home to me before he drank too much. 
 Take a little more trouble now. Assume one 
 more role, and play landlord." 
 
 " Can you indicate what will be the outcome 
 of this truly remarkable programme?" he 
 asked, with amusement. 
 
 " Yes, I think I know. Lilbud will work 
 harder, Archer will work harder ; and Bud, 
 who has no work, will go to look for it. My 
 brothers all have character ; even light-hearted 
 Bud wouldn't repudiate a debt. My hope is to 
 get Bud out of Rolfe this winter, Mr. Peyton- 
 Call. All this fun and riding isn't good for 
 him. He must go down into Lennox, where 
 he can get more horse-training " 
 
 " And where the fun and riding, and particu- 
 larly the drinking, are carried on more syste- 
 matically and thoroughly than we have the 
 energy to do in Rolfe," broke in Mr. Peyton- 
 Call. " And where, moreover, he will not have 
 
 a guardian angel, like myself " 
 
 223 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " I will be his guardian angel," I returned, 
 smiling. " I mean to go with Bud." 
 
 " Tired of Rolfe already ? " he said, with a 
 swift and searching look. 
 
 " Mr. Peyton-Call, I did not come to Rolfe; 
 I came to my brothers." 
 
 " They belong here." 
 
 " Lilbud does; but he does not need me. 
 Archer is in good hands without me. I shall 
 devote myself to Bud." 
 
 " And for the sake of this good-for-nothing 
 young scamp you will leave us all ? And you 
 expect me to aid and abet you in this faithless 
 desertion ? " 
 
 " I was relying on your help, but if you 
 won't take the trouble, I can get on very well 
 alone, Mr. Peyton-Call." 
 
 " Such reliance as that,'' he said, amiably, " is 
 truly touching." 
 
 He rose and took his hat, stood for a few 
 moments as if he were considering something 
 more to say, then rather abruptly and formally 
 took his leave. After that it seemed absurd 
 to have him turn at the door and assure me 
 gravel)' that people usually relied on him to 
 do exactly the wrong thing. I laughed, and 
 for the time gave the matter no more thought. 
 If I had not furthered my end with an appeal 
 to our peculiar landlord I believed I had at 
 least done my cause no harm. 
 
 224 
 
Robert Dale, Owner 
 
 That evening I spent alone in my room. 
 Archer was gone to read with Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung ; Lilbud and Lena had retired early, as 
 they always did; and Bud was, so far as I 
 knew, at the Court-house. I could not interest 
 myself in my book. All my thoughts were 
 fixed on Bud and on my plans for him. Mo- 
 mently the conviction grew strong that if he 
 could be coaxed to go away with me, out of 
 sight of Virgie altogether, he might be cured 
 of his mad infatuation. It seemed my only 
 line of action. There was no use of appealing 
 to Virgie. I had several times dropped dis- 
 tinct hints to her that I wanted her to leave 
 Bud alone. But that very day she had singled 
 him out to leave the hunt with her and ride 
 five miles across country to the Blaylock plan- 
 tation, where she went to coax young Mrs. 
 Blaylock to ride with the hounds. The three 
 came back together on excellent terms, stopped 
 at the school to look in and merrily greet 
 Archer and me, and then rode on to join the 
 hunt again. And Virgie very gayly designated 
 her morning ride as " Mr. Dale's and my hunt 
 for a chaperon ! " 
 
 No, there was no appeal to be made to Vir- 
 gie ; I grew angry with her that night as I 
 considered the pain she was bringing upon us. 
 And I felt little more confidence in Peyton- 
 Call. He had not refused to do my bidding in 
 
 225 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 regard to demanding the rent of my brothers; 
 but now I realized how disagreeable the busi- 
 ness would probably be to him, and I gave up 
 all hope of his aid. It seemed to rest wholly 
 with myself to stir the matter up and to get 
 the boys interested in paying the long debt. 
 With Archer I felt it would be comparatively 
 easy. He disliked Peyton-Call — the truth was, 
 he envied him as much as he scorned him — and 
 it was certain he would want to throw off the 
 burden of obligation. I relied on Archer's 
 help to bring Bud to the sense of what was due 
 his dignity. What "Son" thought and felt 
 was forever of tender interest to the elder 
 brother. My own insistence on business prin- 
 ciples might strike Bud as rather an unfortu- 
 nate vestige of my Yankee training.. 
 
 The hours flew by, I heard Archer come in, 
 and still there was no sound of Bud's return. 
 He was rarely out later than midnight, and I 
 felt unhappy as I sat and watched for him. At 
 last I grew weary and went to bed and to sleep. 
 
 But my sleep was uneasy and I awoke when 
 Bud's footfall sounded in the hall outside my 
 door. I started up to listen and I heard him 
 go into the sitting-room opposite instead of to 
 the wing where he slept. Without knowing 
 why, I rose and threw a wrap about me and 
 went out to see what Bud was doing. 
 
 He had left the sitting-room door open, and 
 226 
 
Robert Dale, Owner 
 
 had lit the lamp. To my great surprise, I saw 
 him standing there before the mantel holding 
 the light up to his autograph in the log, as he 
 had on the first night of my coming home. 
 He stood immovable and seemed absorbed in 
 the contemplation of the three rudely written 
 words, " Robert Dale, Oner." 
 
 " Bud," I said, softly, stepping in behind him 
 and closing the door. He turned without start- 
 ing and smiled at me. 
 
 " Well, Sister, you ought to be asleep. It's 
 mighty nigh mornin'," he said, as he put the 
 lamp back on the table. " I reckon I waked 
 you up, honey, didn't I ? " 
 
 " What are you doing here, Bud ? Why do 
 you read your name ? " I asked, coming up and 
 leaning on his shoulder. 
 
 " It ain't so much the name," he returned, 
 and his mellow voice vibrated slightly. " It's 
 the word that comes after that does me good 
 to look at to-night — for the word's come true, 
 Lil' Cassy ; and I reckon I'm about the best 
 satisfied man in Rolfe to-night." 
 
 He put his hands into my hair and caressed 
 me idly. His eyes turned again to the writing 
 on the wall. " Yes, it's come true," he re- 
 peated, as I faltered a question. " I own this 
 place now, sure enough ; this place and this 
 house, me and my heirs forever. I can't be 
 turned off like some poor-white tenant." 
 
 227 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Bud, do you mean you want to buy it ? " 
 I asked, too puzzled to think clearly. 
 
 " No, ma'am, it's mine," he said, jubilantly, 
 and he snatched up the lamp again, and with 
 an arm around my shoulders drew me up to 
 where he had stood before. " Do you see it, 
 Cassy ? Owner ! That's what I wrote before 
 I knew how it was to come true. The Dales 
 have got a home, the Dales are rooted in Rolfe 
 at last. The Dales can show what's in them 
 now. There are three gentleman's places this 
 side of the Court-house now. There's Caxton 
 and The Terraces, and between them is the place 
 of Robert Dale. And it's just good luck that 
 gave it to me, nothing in the world but luck; 
 and if she's going to favor me now, I'm blamed 
 if I won't trust her for more." 
 
 I began to sob and he put down the lamp and 
 took me tenderly into his arms. 
 
 " I reckoned you'd be pleased, Sister " 
 
 " You haven't told me " 
 
 " Well, it's easy told. Mr. Don and I have 
 been playing cards. We were riding together 
 from the Court-house, and he asked me to stop 
 at Caxton and have a game with him. He 
 said he was about bored to death for some 
 amusement and he'd play away Caxton to-night 
 rather than not play at all. Lord, what an out- 
 and-out gambler he is, to be sure ! As soon as 
 we got into his study, and he had his hands on 
 228 
 
Robert Dale, Owner 
 
 the cards he was as gay as anything ; and the 
 more he lost the more he seemed to enjoy it." 
 
 Bud laughed with a pleased air as he thought 
 of it, and when I drew away from him aghast 
 and sank into a chair he seated himself com- 
 fortably on the arm of it and stroked my hand 
 as he continued, cheerfully : 
 
 " We hadn't either of us enough change to 
 make it much fun. Mr. Don declared he was in 
 the mood for high stakes, and presently he put 
 up this farm and this house and all the back 
 rent I owe him against three years of my con- 
 stant service in horse-training at Caxton. You 
 see, I hadn't any property to put up, and I was 
 just obliged to stake my time like that. I tell 
 you, Sister, it was a pretty exciting game. I 
 didn't want to be bound down like that to train 
 Mr. Don's horses for three years, and I did 
 want mightily to win this place. Mr. Don was 
 as cool as you please. He looked at me with 
 those curious, smiling eyes now and then, 
 and played on without talking ; and I want- 
 ed to talk every minute. I was so excited I 
 didn't know what I was doing, and I didn't 
 know I had won till Mr. Don, he said in that 
 cool, quiet way of his : ' Well, Bud, you've 
 cleaned me out ! I congratulate you, old man.' 
 And then, I tell you, Sister, I was mighty nigh 
 ready to whoop and holler with joy. Mr. Don, 
 he laughed and gave me a drink, and told me 
 
 229 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 to go home and not to wake you ; and I tried 
 to be quiet, but I'm most too glad." 
 
 I looked up into his radiant face with per- 
 fect hopelessness. My thoughts flew back and 
 forth between my brother and this strange 
 Donald Peyton-Call, who had so promptly cut 
 away my only chance for removing Bud from 
 Rolfe. 
 
 The next day I found voice and courage for a 
 strenuous protest against Bud's acceptance of 
 the title-deed to the farm and house belonging 
 to Caxton. To my chagrin, not one of my 
 brothers understood or heeded me. Bud had 
 won the place in fair and honest play. That 
 mode of acquiring property was as honorable 
 as any. A gentleman was expected to pay his 
 gambling debts without a murmur. If Mr. 
 Don had wished to pay such a price for one 
 night's fun, who were we to object ? 
 
 " I think you are taking the land as a gift 
 from him," I told Bud, gravely. 
 
 " Why should he want to give me land ? ,: 
 inquired Bud, carelessly, and I had no answer 
 to the question. 
 
 Peyton-Call himself left me in no doubt 
 whatsoever. He came to me with the most 
 abject and insincere humility, and confessed 
 that in his passion for play he had forgotten 
 my wishes, and thrown away his chance for 
 serving me. He deplored, with laughter in 
 230 
 
Robert Dale, Owner 
 
 his eyes, that he had no longer the power to 
 drive Bud to work in Lennox, where, with me 
 to take care of him, he would assuredly have 
 made more of himself than he could in Rolfe. 
 He wished with all his heart he had not been 
 so " absent-minded," and ended by asking me 
 to trust him with some other commission so 
 that he might redeem himself. 
 
 " Of course, when I asked Bud to stop at 
 Caxton, I meant to talk business with him," he 
 explained. " But we fell upon cards and the 
 temptation was too great for me." 
 
 He had one of his rare moments of gravity 
 then, and continued, in a different voice : 
 
 " and if I dared tell you the whole force 
 
 of that temptation, you would pity me, I 
 think." 
 
 I told myself I did not understand in the 
 least what he meant ; still I refrained from ask- 
 ing him the natural question. 
 
 The conveyance was accomplished within 
 a day or two, and Bud openly and publicly 
 gloried in his new distinction. As to our 
 friends and neighbors, each had his own ver- 
 dict on the subject. 
 
 " I certainly am glad," said Virgie, easily. 
 " It's a good thing all around. Poor Don gets 
 rid of some of his surplus land and you-all get 
 a more assured standing-ground. I hope in 
 time, Cassy, that you will own the whole of 
 
 231 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Caxton. The estate isn't a bit too big for you, 
 my princess ! " 
 
 Dr. von Baerensprung heard it with a slight 
 frown and thought that Caxton had been 
 " leichtsinnig ; aber diesmal ein bischen sehrJ" 
 Mr. Baumann found it a good text for a long ha- 
 rangue on his neighbor's character. Colonel 
 Fanton also delivered his opinion of his young 
 friend's gambling losses. 
 
 " Don is sometimes a little reckless, but in 
 this case his loss is so slight that he is scarcely 
 to be blamed. Caxton is such a very large and 
 very rich estate that its owner can afford to 
 throw away a little in amusement." 
 
 "The king can do no wrong," was Virgie's 
 sarcastic comment when she repeated her 
 father's words to me. " Papa is bound by 
 some sort of an ancient hoodoo to see all Don's 
 affairs in a rosy light. You couldn't get papa 
 to admit that Don is poor, not if you brought 
 him the tax-roll to read. Tell you for a fact, 
 Cassy, if I had married Don, papa would have 
 pretended that I had made a rich marriage. 
 Before I broke my engagement papa used to 
 talk about my going from a simple to a more 
 luxurious home ; all foolishness ! Everybody 
 knows that Don has to chase away a lot of 
 darkies every now and then, because he hasn't 
 enough to feed them ; and when they all come 
 swarming back it's a sign he's had luck at 
 23a 
 
Robert Dale, Owner 
 
 cards. And still papa pretends Don gambles 
 for amusement." 
 
 On the whole, it was in order for Rolfe 
 County people to joke Peyton-Call and to con- 
 gratulate Bud on the transfer of the property. 
 I seemed to be the only soul who saw anything 
 wrong in Bud's accepting it. 
 
 Now that he was a full-fledged planter and 
 the head of a house Bud rode about more 
 gloriously than ever. 
 
 " Looks like he gets handsomer every day," 
 observed Lena, craning her slim neck after him 
 as he rode away one morning. " D'you reckon 
 Miss Virgie'll catch him, Sis' Cassy ? She sure 
 is in love with him right now." 
 
 233 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 MR. PEYTON-CALL MAKES TROUBLE 
 
 Throughout the summer I had maintained 
 my pleasant social relation with the Baumanns, 
 though all the visiting was from my side. Mrs. 
 Baumann declined roundly to take the trouble 
 to come to see me. 
 
 " Wozu dass ? I can talk better here. I 
 never go out," she declared, when I invited 
 her; her statement was literally true. She 
 was a woman wholly absorbed in her house 
 and children. Stubbornly simple, but with an 
 occasional display of unexpected humor ; a 
 pious Roman Catholic and yet with an admi- 
 ration and respect for the free thought of her 
 husband. She was devoted to her guest, the 
 Freiherr von Baerensprung, proud of his learn- 
 ing and distinction, and of his affection for 
 them all ; yet, in any disagreement between 
 him and her Wilhelm; she set the Herr Doctor 
 entirely at naught. I sometimes thought that 
 she suffered me rather because her husband 
 was interested in me than because I was any. 
 thing to her personally. She disapproved 
 openly of my dress, my apparent leisure, my 
 234. 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 
 readiness to differ in argument with the men 
 of the household, and, to sum up all, because 
 I took life too carelessly. But she was uni- 
 formly kind and hearty in spite of this. As 
 I knew few women in Rolfe and because she 
 was so handsome, quaint, and individual, I 
 accepted the rather cold terms of her friend- 
 ship and went to her house as often as I could 
 find the time. 
 
 Meanwhile my friendship with her husband 
 did not run in channels absolutely free from 
 obstruction. He was so blunt and didactic, so 
 uncertain of temper and ungenial in most of 
 his judgments, that in spite of his undeniable 
 intelligence he was a very provoking man. 
 Dr. von Baerensprung and I were forever 
 siding against him in argument. While we 
 kept cool and amused he would begin to grow 
 red in the face and violent in word. He 
 always talked well and usually, to be just, with 
 more practical good sense than we. Dr. von 
 Baerensprung took mischievous delight in 
 maintaining the indefensible. His friendship 
 with Mr. Baumann was a clear case of antipo- 
 dal attraction. For me, I could not easily 
 forgive Mr. Baumann his particular faults. 
 Accustomed as I was to the chivalry of my 
 brothers, I resented his superior and incon- 
 siderate manners toward his wife, his severity 
 in judging his neighbors, and the bluff, rough 
 
 235 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 ways toward the men who worked for him. 
 He had, in short, a high notion of his own 
 mission to set other people right. In that 
 community of mild-mannered people I easily 
 conceived how profoundly he could be dis- 
 liked. 
 
 Returning from a Saturday morning call at 
 The Terraces 1 met Mr. Peyton-Call in the 
 road. I was mounted on Molly, a blanket 
 cinched about her by way of a side-saddle, 
 and as I was no very good rider I was creep- 
 ing along at a snail's pace for fear of being 
 jolted off. Mr. Peyton-Call turned about to 
 accompany me and amused himself with a re- 
 lentless ridicule of my mount. Why had I 
 kept it a secret that I was such a daring horse- 
 woman? Why had I not joined in the fox- 
 hunts with this accoutrement? Was this the 
 habit — I wore a summer gown that warm Oc- 
 tober morning — in which I had ridden in Cen- 
 tral Park? etc. I returned his remarks in kind 
 and we were laughing when we met Mr. Bau- 
 mann. It chanced that the road was narrow ; 
 we led aside into the woods to let the wagon 
 pass, Molly stumbled slightly and I went slid- 
 ing off. Mr. Baumann was out of his wagon 
 and Mr. Peyton-Call off his horse in an instant ; 
 I was not in the least hurt and had a laugh 
 with them at my own expense. The two men 
 seemed to meet each other pleasantly enough ; 
 236 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 
 or, rather, I was struck by Mr. Baumann's un- 
 usual cordiality. Mr. Peyton-Call met every- 
 one pleasantly. 
 
 "I haven't answered your letter, Mr. Bau- 
 mann ; I counted on seeing you," he said, po- 
 litely, after he had mounted me. " I am very 
 sorry, sir, not to oblige you about that little 
 piece of land ; but it is not for sale." 
 
 Mr. Baumann's face was a study of conster- 
 nation and amazement. 
 
 " I asked you to fix the price, Mr. Peyton-Call; 
 I know the value of the property — " he began. 
 " No, I think I won't consider selling at any 
 price," returned Peyton-Call, pleasantly. " It's 
 rather a favorite haunt of mine; a charming 
 and romantic spot. You, a German, Mr. Bau- 
 mann, will appreciate the question of senti- 
 mental association." 
 
 He mounted as he spoke and smiled at his 
 neighbor pleasantly. Mr. Baumann was red in 
 the face, incapable of saying a word. He re- 
 turned our salutes with the barest gesture to 
 the rim of his hat, and so we separated. 
 
 " Will you pardon my talking business be- 
 fore you?" asked Mr. Peyton-Call, lightly. 
 " It is not good manners, I am aware ; but I 
 have neglected to write Mr. Baumann my re- 
 fusal to an offer he made me, and I am afraid 
 he may involve himself in the business if I 
 make any further delay." 
 
 237 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Now I knew very well that Mr. Baumann 
 had already dealt with Colonel Fanton for the 
 purchase of the head-water tract, and I realized 
 how very serious it might be for my German 
 friend to be unable to buy the mill-site. For 
 the rest, I was as puzzled as Mr. Baumann 
 over Peyton-Call's refusal to sell. My brothers 
 had been talking openly of late how deeply 
 Caxton was in debt. 
 
 "These people haven't the slightest notion, 
 of how we feel in Rolfe on the subject of keep- 
 ing our estates intact — " began my companion, 
 with a tinge of haughtiness. He met my look 
 of surprise and flushed and laughed. 
 
 "I mean to say," he corrected himself with 
 impudent ease, "that foreigners can't estimate 
 how particular we are in Rolfe as to what sort of 
 neighbors we admit." 
 
 " Do you know what Mr. Baumann wants of 
 the mill-site ?" I asked, gravely. " Not to build 
 a dwelling-house and live there, I suppose." 
 
 "Can't imagine what he wants of it," he re- 
 turned with an idle drawl. 
 
 I noticed one thing; quick-witted as he usu- 
 ally was, he had apparently not noticed how 
 much knowledge of the situation my own re- 
 mark had implied. Mill-site had not been 
 mentioned in the snatch of conversation I had 
 just overheard. 
 
 "I am incapable of selling anything," con- 
 238 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 
 tinued Mr. Peyton-Call. " There seems to be a 
 fatal flaw in my make-up which unfits me for 
 business; and yet I can buy all day long. It 
 seems to amuse me to buy." 
 
 " Rather an expensive form of amusement ! " 
 I observed. 
 
 l^'All pleasure is expensive.'^he returned, ge- 
 nially. " There is the origin of the expression — 
 ' It costs like fun.' That means, I take it, that 
 fun costs more than anything else." 
 
 " Mine doesn't," said I. " I get my fun in 
 the daily increase and prosperity of our house." 
 
 "Ah! But didn't it cost you a fortune to 
 get here? " he inquired, quickly. 
 
 "Did I tell you that?" I asked, a little star- 
 tled. 
 
 " Didn't }'ou mean to ?" he returned, with an 
 incomprehensible swift look. " In that case 
 consider it untold. I erase it from my mem- 
 ory. But if you did mean to trust me — tell me 
 more." 
 
 Now I had never said one word to him of my 
 affairs. I felt my blood mounting. His off- 
 hand reference, his pretence of having the in- 
 formation from me direct, and his bid for my 
 confidence, all seemed very bold. And what 
 was there behind it? The show of mere idle 
 curiosity was unexpected, to say the least, in 
 the well-bred Peyton-Call. 
 
 " When gossips have done their utmost, as in 
 239 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 this case, there's nothing more to tell," I ob- 
 served, with the intention of shaming him a 
 little. 
 
 "Nothing more?" he inquired, with that 
 curious narrowing of the eyes, that singular 
 touch of hostility, which every now and then 
 I met in him. 
 
 I was somewhat taken aback ; as a matter of 
 fact, there was something more : my home-com- 
 ing had not yet cost me a fortune. In New 
 York — but not by any chance could this have 
 reached Rolfe's gossips — several lawyers were 
 busy helping me rid myself of the burden 
 of the money I did not want. They still 
 had to prove me of age. There were still 
 forms to be observed before my renunciation 
 was complete, and Mrs. Reman's legal heirs 
 could get a claim to her property. 
 
 But why should Peyton-Call utter his ques- 
 tion, " nothing more? " as if he had caught me 
 in an effort of pretence ? On what grounds 
 could it remotely concern himself ? Certainly 
 he was not the man to hope, as Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung had at first, that I was a great capitalist 
 come to develop the county resources. Pey- 
 ton-Call showed only a haughty disregard for 
 money matters. He had given away a farm to 
 Bud for a whim, he refused a good offer for his 
 mill on another whim. Impatiently I gave up the 
 puzzle as to what was behind his strange attack. 
 240 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 
 The day after being Sunday, I was at Mrs. 
 Baumann's Kaffeetisch in the afternoon. The 
 cups had been cleared away, and we were play- 
 ing a war-game on the table-cloth with Karl's 
 tin soldiers. Dr. von Baerensprung was obvi- 
 ously of military experience — he was defeating 
 his opponents, the children and me, at every 
 turn. The play was of absorbing interest, and 
 I was loth to be interrupted by Mrs. Baumann, 
 who asked me to leave this childishness and 
 come into the house with her ; she had some- 
 thing to say to me. To my festive mood, her 
 manner was too serious ; and when she opened 
 her subject I was surprised and vexed beyond 
 description. It was nothing more or less than 
 my acquaintance with Peyton-Call. Her ex- 
 planations and apologies were few enough, the 
 long and short of her speech was remonstrance. 
 I had been out " pleasure-riding " with Mr. 
 Peyton-Call ; Mr. Baumann had observed that 
 I seemed on excellent terms with him ; Mr. 
 Baumann had thought that I must be unaware 
 that the man was a profligate and a good-for- 
 nothing, and possibly a dangerous acquaint- 
 ance for an " alone-standing young girl." Mr. 
 Baumann had felt it was their — the Baumanns's 
 — duty to speak to me on the subject, since I 
 was so young and inexperienced and without 
 the protection of parents. 
 
 If the wife had not so constantly quoted the 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 husband in speaking to me thus, if she had 
 even feigned a personal interest in the matter, 
 I might have taken it in good part ; but it was 
 not Mrs. Baumann's way to feign anything. 
 My affairs really did not concern her greatly — 
 she was literally carrying out her husband's 
 directions. I knew very well what recent 
 cause of wrath Peyton-Call had given my neigh- 
 bor, and I was indignant. 
 
 " Mrs. Baumann, believe me, I don't need 
 this sort of looking after," I answered her, in 
 as sweet a tone as I could command. " I have 
 a sister-in-law to chaperon me, you know." 
 
 The humor of the suggestion was lost upon 
 her, as she had not seen Lena. 
 
 "And I can judge Mr. Peyton-Call better 
 than Mr. Baumann can, because I have seen 
 more of him," I continued, serenely. " Mr. 
 Baumann occasionally meets him in business — 
 isn't that all?" 
 
 "As if that mattered. Men know other 
 men," she said, impatiently. " One hears about 
 him." 
 
 " If I had judged you and Mr. Baumann by 
 hearsay I should never have come near you," 
 I said rather insincerely, for only lately I had 
 learned how unpopular they were. "Some 
 people say you are unfriendly and critical and 
 inhospitable; and I have found you so dif- 
 ferent." 
 
 242 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 
 1 would never have dared to tell an Ameri- 
 can woman such a verdict of her neighbors. 
 To the German it was a matter of supreme 
 indifference. 
 
 " What care I what they say ? We are what 
 we are ! " 
 
 " It's a gossiping neighborhood," I continued, 
 with an affectation of plaintiveness. " They 
 say that Dr. von Baerensprung is an escaped 
 convict " 
 
 " Himmel ! " cried Mrs. Baumann, aghast. 
 
 " And that I am an adventuress — " I con- 
 tinued, gravely. 
 
 " Mein Gott ! " she exclaimed. 
 
 " And that Mr. Baumann takes opium and is 
 in such a stupor when he drives that he can't 
 raise his hat to people," I continued with relish. 
 
 " Nein, du Lieber — ! " cried the wife. " Nun 
 hort aber alles auf ! " 
 
 "So of course we can't go by what people 
 say," I continued, cheerfully. "Very likely 
 Mr. Peyton-Call also is maligned. At any 
 rate, Mrs. Baumann, I have no reason for drop- 
 ping his acquaintance. He is our landlord 
 and a pleasant neighbor." 
 
 I spoke very decidedly, but she was already 
 far away from my affairs. " Wilhelm und 
 opium ! " she muttered to herself indignantly ; 
 and she had still a heightened color when I 
 took my leave. 
 
 243 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 I had amused myself and was in a good 
 humor again. Mr. Baumann, when he heard 
 from his wife how I had taken his warnings, 
 was anything but that ; and presently came an 
 occurrence which put our relation to a greater 
 strain. 
 
 Archer and I had from twenty to thirty 
 pupils in our school, most of them of the poor- 
 white class. Though here was my chance to 
 work for my own people, I took more interest 
 in Karl and Trautchen Baumann, who were far 
 and away more alert and teachable. 1 found 
 it hard to class them with their dull and soft- 
 spoken little schoolmates. Karl, to be sure, 
 was often rough and unmanageable, the one 
 small rebel in all my school. Archer proposed 
 from time to time to whip the little fellow 
 soundly, but I had detrimental theories on 
 that subject and forbade the use of the fer- 
 ule. 
 
 It was just before the close of school on 
 Monday afternoon ; I was at my desk giving 
 out lessons when Mr. Peyton-Call appeared in 
 the open doorway. 
 
 "Is this — ah — the Caxton school?" he in- 
 quired with an impudent affectation of timid- 
 ity. I coldly bowed assent, wondering what 
 nonsense he was up to now, and the children 
 stared. He came in and looked about at the 
 bleak little place with some curiosity. 
 244 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 
 " Pardon me," he said, with a courteous air. 
 " I believe it is my official duty to inspect it." 
 
 Archer sent him a withering look from the 
 other end of the room where he was writing 
 on the blackboard. I could sympathize with 
 my younger brother's vexation. Mr. Peyton- 
 Call seemed to have come to ridicule us and 
 the work we were taking so seriously. 
 
 " Please be seated," I said, in manner frigidly 
 polite, " and pray feel free to hold an exami- 
 nation." 
 
 " That is the order, is it ? " he asked. " Will 
 you kindly call your first class in spelling." 
 
 I complied, and the children came creeping 
 forward rather reluctantly. It chanced that 
 Trautchen Baumann led the class, and her 
 brother Karl came next to her. 
 
 "Endeavor" said Mr. Peyton-Call to Traut- 
 chen ; she spelled it correctly. 
 
 " Next," said Mr. Peyton-Call. 
 
 " She spelled it right," snarled Karl. 
 
 " I know she did. I want to see whether 
 you can spell it," he explained, too lazy to think 
 of another word. 
 
 " Of course I can, after her," cried Karl, con- 
 temptuously. 
 
 Mr. Peyton-Call frowned slightly. 
 
 " Spell it then," he commanded. 
 
 "It ain't the right way to ask," muttered 
 Karl, rebelliously. " I want a new word." 
 245 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Karl, spell endeavor at once," said I. 
 
 " I won't," he yelled, with a gesture of de- 
 fiance. 
 
 " Is that the way you speak to your teacher ? " 
 asked Mr. Peyton-Call, sternly. " Hold out 
 your hand." 
 
 " You dassn't hit me," cried the child, an- 
 grily ; but he put out his palm and Mr. Peyton- 
 Call gave it a light cut with his riding-whip. 
 Karl let forth an indignant howl, Trautchen 
 burst into tears, and all the children tittered. 
 
 " I'm going home," wailed Karl. " Traut- 
 chen, bring my books. I'm going home." 
 
 " Certainly you are going home," I said, mus- 
 tering my severity. " Do you think I want 
 such a naughty, disrespectful boy in my school- 
 room ? " 
 
 " I'm going, too," sobbed Trautchen. " I'm 
 going with Karl." 
 
 She was too excited to listen to reason, and 
 I was glad to be rid of them both for the 
 moment. They took their books from their 
 desks, still sobbing bitterly, poor little things, 
 and marched off hand in hand. 
 
 Mr. Peyton-Call was contented with the mis- 
 chief he had done and declined to examine any 
 further. He remained while I dismissed the 
 school. A few children were "kept in" and 
 Archer set them their tasks. 
 
 " You saw a fine example of my discipline," 
 246 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 
 I remarked to our visitor as I put my desk in 
 order. 
 
 " I am shocked," he returned with mock 
 gravity. " I expected to find you ruling with 
 a rod of iron." 
 
 " To be frank," I returned, taking care that 
 the children should not hear me, " my sym- 
 pathies were entirely with Karl. He has never 
 before behaved so badly. You were very pro- 
 voking with your departure from tradition." 
 
 " As if I didn't know how to inspect schools ! " 
 he exclaimed. " It has been my chief profes- 
 sion and principal office for years." 
 
 " I thought you were chairman of the board." 
 
 " I am everything," he returned, nonchalant- 
 ly. " I can keep you in or put you out." 
 
 " Is this a threat? " I asked, with a slight laugh. 
 
 " No, indeed," he hastened to assure me. " I 
 merely hoped to make an effect. When I was 
 young, teachers used to be very gracious to 
 members of the board." 
 
 " I haven't been a teacher long enough to 
 learn such policy." 
 
 " I hope, Miss Dale, you will try to make up 
 this little deficiency in yourself before the 
 holidays," he said, airily. " We are otherwise 
 satisfied with you and should like to retain 
 you. We may give you an official examina- 
 tion before long on the ways and means of 
 conciliating school-trustees." 
 
 247 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 ", And the official examiner — " I began. 
 
 " I am he," he interrupted, smiling. " I am 
 everything." 
 
 He stood with one foot on the platform and 
 an arm on my desk, in an attitude of lounging 
 ease, evidently with no intention of departing 
 before I did. I arranged with Archer to stay 
 with the children and accepted Mr. Peyton- 
 Call's escort, being in some haste to get home, 
 and to call on Mrs. Baumann to talk over the 
 affair of Karl. 
 
 The Caxton school-house is back from the 
 road and a long narrow lane leads up to it. 
 Striding along this rapidly came Mr. Baumann, 
 his hat pulled down over a clouded and angry 
 face. He scarcely more than touched the brim 
 as he stopped before us. 
 
 " Miss Dale, Karl tells me he was whipped 
 in school." 
 
 " He was, Mr. Baumann, and I am sorry to 
 say he quite deserved it," I returned promptly. 
 
 " He told me everything that happened," 
 said Mr. Baumann, in an angered tone, " and I 
 have come to tell you that I disapprove en- 
 tirely of your treatment of my boy. I will not 
 put up with it." 
 
 What he had really come to say, I never 
 
 knew, of course. It is very improbable that 
 
 with his past friendly feeling for me and with 
 
 his usual good sense he would have spoken 
 
 248 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 
 ■with this display of temper had he not found 
 me in the company against which he had just 
 had me warned. 
 
 " Mr. Baumann, permit me to say that you 
 are addressing the wrong person," put in Pey- 
 ton-Call, in a cool, vibrating voice. " It was I 
 who whipped your boy ; and I will take pleas- 
 ure in thrashing you if you speak to this lady 
 again in that tone. If, as a parent, you have 
 any complaint to make of the school, you are 
 free to lay it before the board." 
 
 I was dismayed beyond measure as I looked 
 from one man to the other ; and as Mr. Bau- 
 mann was for the moment too furious to make 
 reply, I had a chamce to speak. 
 
 " Mr. Baumann has said nothing to annoy 
 me, Mr. Peyton-Call," I said, in a cold tone. 
 " You mistake the situation. And," I contin- 
 ued to Mr. Baumann, " I suppose I must ex- 
 pect unreasonable complaints from parents 
 who hear only the child's version before they 
 attack the teacher's policy. I confess, Mr. 
 Baumann, I expected more consideration from 
 you. I shall call on Mrs. Baumann to-night to 
 speak to her about Karl. Pie is very much 
 spoiled, very rude — but I am interested in him 
 and should hate to request that he be taken 
 from my school." 
 
 I have no doubt my assurance angered him 
 the more, but it left him nothing to say. I 
 249 
 
The Master of Caxtori 
 
 bowed and passed him at once and Mr. Peyton- 
 Call had to follow me. 
 
 " If you are exposed to that sort of thing, this 
 is the end of your teaching," he said, with heat. 
 
 " Never before," I returned, very much > 
 vexed. On what pretence did he mean to end 
 my teaching ? "I have never been exposed to 
 anything like it. My career ran smoothly till 
 it was complicated by official school-inspection." 
 
 " I trust that you won't let the matter trouble 
 you," said he. " I shall see this man " 
 
 " That is all that troubles me," I cried, with 
 irritation. " I don't want you to see the man. 
 What have you really to do with the matter, 
 Mr. Peyton-Call?" 
 
 "What is your idea of an escort ?" he de- 
 manded. " The fellow's tone was insufferable. 
 I am ashamed that I did not knock him down ; 
 but I hate to come to blows before a lady." 
 
 " Mr. Peyton-Call, you don't understand," I 
 said, more quietly, after we had walked as far 
 as the road. I took a less rapid pace and spoke 
 to him gravely. " Mr. Baumann had no idea 
 of insulting me. We are very good friends. 
 There is nothing more or less involved than a 
 standard of manners... You see a disrespect in 
 the tone of his voice — he would call it disre- 
 spect in you to come to the school to tease me. 
 I dislike one form as much as the other ; and 
 can easily forgive you both." 
 250 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 
 He looked as though I had struck him, and 1 
 felt a pang of unreasonable compunction ; but, 
 on the whole, it relieved me to have spoken 
 plainly. If I had hurt him sufficiently to make 
 him avoid me in future I had at least rid myself 
 of the disagreeable doubt as to why he had 
 approached me at all. I could leave unsolved 
 the puzzle as to why he had learned my story. 
 
 Meanwhile we walked on in hazardous si- 
 lence ; for silence fast builds a sort of intimacy 
 around participants. The formal and banter- 
 ing terms we had maintained till then were 
 broken. I was perplexed as to how they could 
 be reimposed. 
 
 In my door he held out his hand to me. 
 
 " I want to be forgiven," he said, with a win- 
 ning appeal. " Not in a group with Baumann, 
 but individually. Believe me, Miss Dale, this 
 is the first time I have had to apologize for "too 
 great ardor in performing my public duties." 
 
 This impudent reference to the farce at the 
 school provoked me. 
 
 " I shall forget all about my annoyance," I 
 said, coldly, and I gave him my hand. " Good- 
 by." 
 
 " Why not good-evening ? " he asked. " You 
 know you'll see me every day ; that is, I'll try 
 to see you every day." 
 
 " Suppose I ask you not to come," I sug- 
 gested, sternly. 
 
 251 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " I rely on your being just and merciful," 
 he^ exclaimed. " I have really not behaved so 
 badly as to deserve banishment." 
 
 I laughed rather vexedly at his airs and ad- 
 vised him to bring his language down from the 
 grandiloquent style when he talked to a mat- 
 ter-of-fact district-school teacher like myself. 
 
 " Will you remember me to your sister, Mrs. 
 Dale," he said in a subdued voice, and a look 
 which did not match it very well, " and tell her 
 I hope to call on her to-morrow ? " 
 
 And thus having conveyed to me that he did 
 not intend to be forbidden the house, he took 
 his formal leave. 
 
 I went to see Mrs. Baumann that very after- 
 noon. Her view of Mr. Peyton-Call's motive 
 for switching Karl was so absurd that I was 
 reluctantly forced to the defence of my school- 
 inspector, instead of voicing, as I had intended, 
 my entire disapproval of him. It passed my 
 comprehension how she could suppose a gen- 
 tleman would strike a child because he disliked 
 its father. I told her roundly that her boy, 
 around whom the household turned at home, 
 was an undistinguished unit in the mass of the 
 school-children. 
 
 " He knew him by his likeness to Wilhelm," 
 
 cried the injured mother, speaking German in 
 
 her excitement. " He hates Wilhelm, because 
 
 they are always opposed. If he did not hate 
 
 25a 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 
 Wilhelm personally he would have sold him 
 the mill. He needs the money, it is all to his 
 interest to sell ; but he sees a chance for play- 
 ing a malicious trick on Wilhelm by refusing 
 to sell, and his malice is more to him than his 
 debts. He knows Wilhelm is in trouble with 
 this dreadful Colonel Fanton about the land, 
 and he is glad of it. Whatever belongs to 
 Wilhelm he hates." 
 
 I was rather surprised at this view of the 
 matter, and had not the least faith that it was 
 correct. As far as I knew Peyton-Call, malice 
 was not in him. What astonished me still 
 more was that Mrs. Baumann, with all her list 
 of injuries, said nothing about the threat in 
 the lane. Whether Mr. Baumann was really 
 ashamed of his rude tone to me, or whether his 
 own roughness made him thick-skinned, he had 
 not even mentioned the matter to his wife. 
 
 " There is no talking to you to-day," I said 
 severely to Mrs. Baumann. " You must get 
 quiet and reasonable first. Where is Mr. Bau- 
 mann ? I want to talk with him." 
 
 She bade me, crossly enough, look him up in 
 the orchard, where he and Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung were grafting. I joined them out there, 
 and was greeted very gruffly by my host, with 
 the usual cordiality by his guest. 
 
 " I want to tell you, Mr. Baumann," I began, 
 with courage, " that you did me a great wrong 
 
 253 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 to-day, for which I think you will be sorry. 
 You might know, I think, that I was as irri- 
 tated as you could be that Mr. Peyton-Call 
 should stroll into my class-room, out of sheer 
 idleness, and worry the children with a farcical 
 examination, and end by striking one of them. 
 For a man who has analyzed Mr. Peyton-Call, 
 as you have done, I think it very curious that 
 you couldn't have put the blame entirely on 
 him and seen that I was at a disadvantage. 
 He was there for his own idle amusement, we 
 know, but he has the indubitable right to be 
 there when he pleases ; so if I had sided with 
 you instead of with him I should have only 
 made matters worse." 
 
 " Well, here is some good sense for you, Wil- 
 helm," said Dr. von Baerensprung. " Come, 
 confess you have been a bit of an ass. Fancy, 
 Miss Cassandra, these foolish people have it in 
 their heads that our lazy friend, Caxton, would 
 take the trouble to injure them where he could." 
 
 " And so he does," exclaimed Mr. Baumann, 
 bitterly. " What does it else mean, this insane 
 refusal to sell me the mill-site ? I would not 
 care, but I am already in the clutches of this 
 greedy Fanton. He pretends I have already 
 bought the head-water tract. He will sue me 
 for payment." 
 
 " Oh, Mr. Baumann, I am so sorry," I ex- 
 claimed, with real sympathy. I realized that 
 254 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Makes Trouble 
 
 this venture might involve the German's whole 
 capital. 
 
 " But Fanton has no case," said Dr. von 
 Baerensprung. 
 
 " He is a native here, and I am a stranger," 
 exclaimed Mr. Baumann. " He knows every 
 trick with the courts that can be played. It's 
 not the man who has the case who wins a law- 
 suit in Rolfe. More than likely I shall get 
 these square miles of desert foisted on me, and 
 be obliged to pay — and all the fault of this con- 
 founded Peyton-Call. Why won't he sell ? 
 You heard him, Miss Cassandra. The plot is 
 picturesque ; he has sentimental associations 
 with it. As if he were a prince who could 
 afford his whims. The devil take his arro- 
 gance ! His land is loaded with delinquent 
 taxes; in any other county in the South he 
 would be sold out, and he and his darkies 
 would starve ; and this is the way he meets a 
 business proposition ! " 
 
 Sorry as I felt for Mr. Baumann, I could not 
 but be amused and somewhat relieved at the 
 light weight he set upon the occurrence in the 
 lane. In truth, the man was so plagued by the 
 scrape in which he found himself that he could 
 think of nothing else. 
 
 Dr. von Baerensprung walked home with 
 me that evening, having set my escort, Archer, 
 to some work of his own. 
 
 255 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Now Wilhelm Baumann is going to reap 
 the bitter fruits of his unpopularity in Rolfe, I 
 fear," he said, rather gravely. " He really 
 stands little chance of getting justice done 
 him if he is involved with Colonel Fanton. It 
 is too bad, of course, that a man should have 
 to pay for refusing to be as pleasant-spoken as 
 his neighbors ; but there is a sort of rough jus- 
 tice in it, too. He has been unsympathetic 
 with the people of Rolfe ; they won't come to 
 his aid in witnessing against Colonel Fanton." 
 
 " Surely, he must be able to prove that he 
 has made no formal agreement to take the 
 land," I urged. " It can't be a matter of his 
 popularity as to whether he shall have justice ? " 
 
 " Well, as to proofs," returned Dr. von 
 Baerensprung, "there were letters, and they 
 haven't been kept; so as for Wilhelm Bau- 
 mann's proofs they are only worth what a 
 jury of twelve men of Rolfe, who do not like 
 him, will consider their value. I'm afraid it 
 will go hard with our friend. My advice is 
 that he shall take the land and pay without re- 
 sistance. In time Caxton will be in debt suf- 
 ficiently to be forced to sell. I don't like the 
 outlook, but it is Wilhelm's only chance." 
 
 256 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 
 THE FIRST BREAK 
 
 Archer had stood the examination that Dr. 
 von Baerensprung required and was to get his 
 reward, a month's stay in New York, when the 
 Christmas holidays closed the school. I had 
 let my friends, the Henry Remans, know that 
 my brother would be in the city, and they re- 
 sponded with invitations, cordial and urgent, 
 that Archer should make his stay with them. 
 This was incompatible with the work that Dr. 
 von Baerensprung meant him to do, and not in 
 any event what I wanted. The Remans lived 
 in luxury great enough to dazzle Archer ; and 
 feeling themselves under obligations to me, 
 who was out of their reach, they would have 
 petted Archer more than would have been 
 good for him. But I wanted my brother to 
 know the Remans. As it was my hope, openly 
 expressed to Archer, that he should ultimately 
 find work in New York, I gladly expected that 
 he should make my friends his own, and looked 
 forward gratefully to the help they were sure 
 to give him. 
 
 But happy as we were over the great oppor- 
 257 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 tunity, Archer and I both felt grave when on 
 the eve of his departure we locked the door 
 of Our little school-house, where we had worked 
 together. We both felt that a happy time had 
 ended, whatever of good was to befall. 
 
 " I wish you were going with me, Sister," he 
 exclaimed. " It looks like it would all be easy. 
 But I know I'm going to die of homesickness 
 up yonder, with neither you nor Bud. Bud, 
 he can't go with me. He's fixed in Rolfe for- 
 ever, I reckon, and that's the best thing for 
 him ; but you, Sister, don't rightly belong 
 here." 
 
 " Oh, Archer, I do belong here," I answered, 
 on the verge of tears. " I belong with Bud." 
 
 " Bud's pretty nearly worrying you to death 
 right now," continued Archer, in a lowered 
 voice. " Do you reckon I don't see how you 
 feel about him ? And Mr. Don is worrj'ing you, 
 too." 
 
 " Not in the least, Archer. Set your mind at 
 ease as to that." 
 
 " He had better not trouble you ! " exclaimed 
 my brother, hotly. 
 
 " Dear Archer, suppose you let me take care 
 of myself," I suggested. " I am older than 
 you, and a good deal more experienced ; and 
 you may rest assured that if I saw any reason 
 for dropping Mr. Peyton-Call's acquaintance, I 
 could do it without the least difficulty." 
 258 
 
The First Break 
 
 "Oh, I don't doubt that," he returned, 
 excitedly; "but I — blamed — I declare — sis- 
 ter " 
 
 " Out with it," I encouraged him. 
 
 " You are beginning to like him," he burst 
 forth, desperately. " He's more like the peo- 
 ple you've been used to. There's no one else 
 here " 
 
 " Remember, Archer, that I've been contrast- 
 ing him daily with Dr. von Baerensprung. 
 Do you think this poor Mr. Peyton-Call will 
 dazzle me when I compare him with our 
 friend ? " I asked, amused and pained at once. 
 
 " I know it ! And now Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung is going away — and you are fixing to 
 get outdone with Miss Virgie — and 'Bud's go- 
 ing to be a fool — and you're mighty nigh out 
 with the Baumanns because of that confounded 
 school trouble. And Lena is a nuisance at 
 home. You're going to get lonely. He'll be 
 around day after day, always the same, always 
 amusing. There's just one thing he's good for 
 in the world, and that is to wait. He'll wait 
 till he's the only person near you, and then 
 he'll — want to marry you." 
 
 I laughed at this, and then fell into a brown 
 study. The fact that the thought had entered 
 Archer's head was proof that he, like Bud, was 
 in no wise alive to the lowliness of our family. 
 Now I fancied Archer in New York, with his 
 
 239 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 handsome, eager face and assured air; intro- 
 duced as the assistant and pupil of the Frei- 
 herr von Baerensprung. Was it not more 
 than likely that Archer would quickly rise to a 
 success that would separate him forever from 
 his brothers; Bud and Lilbud in Rolfe, poor, 
 illiterate, the one married to a woman of the 
 lowest poor-white class ; and Archer in New 
 York, in intellectual circles, very possibly even 
 becoming a man of fashion ? Undoubtedly we 
 had certain traits, we Dales, to fit us for ease 
 and pleasure. 
 
 " Go with me, Sister," Archer begged. " We 
 can come back to see Bud in the spring." 
 
 " We could not come back heart and soul," 
 I returned. " If I went with you now, the fam- 
 ily would divide into three parts, and Bud 
 would be alone. Then my coming to Rolfe 
 would have been good for nothing but to scat- 
 ter my brothers, who lived so happily and con- 
 tentedly together." 
 
 " I reckon we needed to be scattered, Sister," 
 said Archer, thoughtfully. 
 
 " And you will really be better off for a 
 while to live with Dr. von Baerensprung than 
 if you and I set up house-keeping together," I 
 continued, cheerfully. " It costs a great deal 
 to live in New York, Archer, and you can't 
 earn enough at first to keep us both. You will 
 see that when you get there. I could work, 
 260 
 
The First Break 
 
 too, of course ; but you would be grieved to 
 see me in the struggle in the whirl which, for 
 yourself, you will enjoy. No, Son, we are 
 better off, all of us, to let you go with our good 
 friend. Perhaps your heart will cling more 
 loyally to Rolfe for my being here." 
 
 " Well, there's no doubt about that," he ex- 
 claimed, warmly. u The place where my beau- 
 tiful sister lives is home." 
 
 At his words a strange pang shot through 
 my heart, a pain for Bud. Here was the boy 
 he had adored, with his allegiance turned sud- 
 denly aside. " Son," whom Bud had " raised " 
 himself and gloried in, was not considering 
 Bud in this great change. I was jealous for 
 Bud, grieved for him, almost ready to push 
 back this affection of Archer's, which seemed 
 to be robbed from our eldest brother. 
 
 In truth, Bud's attitude toward Archer's 
 departure was one of silent disapproval. He 
 liked and trusted Dr. von Baerensprung as we 
 all did, but he saw in him no superiority to the 
 rest of us, set no particular value on his influ- 
 ence. It was well enough that Son was going 
 to work. Bud himself never loved to be idle. 
 But surely it was a career to teach the Caxton 
 school. Surely a man could get educated up 
 to the top notch without going among Yankees. 
 
 " Mr. Don thinks well of your going, Son," 
 Bud conveyed to his brother, by way of en- 
 
 261 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 couragement, when he himself found nothing 
 pleasant to say. And Archer set his teeth and 
 made no reply. The brothers had grown apart 
 in sympathy in the few months that I had 
 been between them. I tried to believe that, as 
 Archer had said, they " needed to be scattered." 
 
 " I know you won't let Archer grow away 
 from us too fast," I said to Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung, when I bade him good-by. 
 
 He shook his head, smilingly. 
 
 " He must grow a good deal nearer to his 
 home than he has been of late," he returned. 
 " It takes all that knowledge of the world can 
 do for a man to make him appreciative of Rolfe. 
 The highest flower of life is the social quality 
 which, here in Rolfe, blows wild like hedge- 
 roses. Archer has been glum, self-absorbed, 
 critical of his neighbors. The great city, with 
 its discipline, will knock that out of him. In 
 short, New York will improve his manners, to 
 the delight of your brother Bud." 
 
 It chanced that Mr. Peyton-Call was at our 
 house when Dr. von Baerensprung came to 
 make his farewell call, and I witnessed the 
 parting between the two men. 
 
 " We are sorry to see you go, sir," said the 
 gentleman of Rolfe. " You have done a great 
 deal for us here. I am not speaking of your 
 liberal instruction in matters scientific." 
 
 " No, I think not," interrupted the Freiherr, 
 262 
 
The First Break 
 
 laughing. " As far as forestry is concerned, I 
 have found you as conservative as an old cy- 
 press stump." 
 
 " But the pleasant point of view from which 
 you have regarded us has had its value," con- 
 tinued Peyton-Call. " There's never been a 
 good word, or a just one, spoken for Roife 
 from the outside world until you spoke it. 
 Now that we can claim that a foreigner of rank 
 and distinction has known us and approved 
 of us, we shall more gayly than ever defy the 
 world." 
 
 " Do so ! " cried Dr. von Baerensprung, 
 with great amusement. Then they shook each 
 other heartily by the hand. It was " Good-by, 
 Baerensprung!" and "May we meet again, 
 Caxton ! " and so they parted. 
 
 " That man," was Mr. Peyton-Call's com- 
 ment, when Dr. von Baerensprung had gone, 
 " has left us just in time. If he had stayed 
 a month longer in Rolfe he would have de- 
 stroyed all that he most delighted in." 
 
 I expressed surprise at this declaration. 
 
 " Because he is a philosopher ; because it's 
 his function to make one conscious of what 
 one is about," continued Mr. Peyton-Call, idly. 
 " See what his attitude has been toward us 
 here! He has said, 'You are the gayest, 
 and most shiftless, and most hopeless set of 
 people I have seen in my world-wide travels, 
 
 263 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 and I like you so. I am glad you won't take 
 any steps for your own improvement. You 
 are more picturesque unimproved. I tell you 
 all about forestry, but I am amused that you 
 can't or won't understand me. Go on, get 
 worse. It is a delightful spectacle to the dis- 
 interested observer.' This is practically Dr. 
 von Baerensprung's attitude toward Rolfe. 
 Don't you see, Miss Dale, how destructive it 
 is? No child can go on crying when it is 
 urged to cry, no one can laugh at command. 
 To see one's own no-'countness so cleverly 
 analyzed is to lose all comfort in it. In a little 
 more than a month Dr. von Baerensprung 
 would have had me at some sort of work my- 
 self. As I am the stronghold of the whole 
 loaferdom of the Rolfe plateau, my defection 
 might have shaken our society to its very 
 foundations. I declare, charming as I have 
 found him, I am mighty glad he has gone." 
 
 " Your parting words to Dr. von Baeren- 
 sprung were not very frank," I observed. 
 
 " Frankness," he returned, with a shadowy 
 smile, " is not among my vices." 
 
 The Baumanns sorely missed their genial 
 visitor. The children were less indulged, Mr. 
 Baumann less diverted from his business an- 
 noyances, and altogether the Kaffeetisch was 
 less cheerful than it had been before. I came 
 264 
 
The First Break 
 
 regularly, as usual, secure in the belief that 
 Mrs. Baumann, undemonstrative as she was, 
 was glad to have me ; but there was no great 
 pleasure in the occasions when Mr. Baumann 
 dilated upon the misfortune of living in Rolfe. 
 A good share of the abuse that he was wont to 
 heap upon Mr. Peyton-Call now fell upon Col- 
 onel Fanton. The latter's greed and cunning, 
 it appeared, were quite as characteristic of the 
 county as the former's indifference to business 
 matters. 
 
 Mrs. Baumann and I both kept still during 
 these tirades ; I took my clew from the wife, 
 though, indeed, I was ready enough to defy 
 the husband. All he said of Fanton's greed 
 and Peyton-Call's obstinacy might be true ; but 
 to take these as a daily text to inveigh against 
 my native county was a little hard to bear. 
 
 " Yes, I know what defiance you are swal- 
 lowing there, Miss Cassandra," said my host 
 one day, with unexpected astuteness. " You 
 must keep your eyes lowered if you really 
 want to pretend you hear me coolly. But you 
 are the very person I am talking to. You need 
 to have your eyes opened as to matters here in 
 Rolfe. You have the power to go away and 
 to take all your brothers with you and yet 
 you delight in staying here and letting them 
 acquire land and settle. Even Archer, I hear, 
 has had to promise to come back." 
 
 265 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " I don't understand, Mr. Baumann," I an- 
 swered him. " How have I the power to go 
 away or to take my brothers ? " 
 
 " Well, you are rich, you can play any game 
 you like with your life " 
 
 " I am not rich. How can I be rich ? " 
 
 " But it is told everywhere " 
 
 " People are mistaken." 
 
 " Your foster-mother " 
 
 " She left me a fortune under conditions I 
 could not fulfil, and I renounced it." 
 
 I had meant to keep this declaration in 
 reserve till it was true in letter as it was in 
 spirit. But I reflected that these people had 
 been particularly kind to me and I felt I owed 
 them a little confidence. I continued my ex- 
 planation. 
 
 " I came to Rolfe with only a few hundred 
 dollars, which in New York I should have 
 regarded as pocket-money, but which seems 
 to have gone far down here in the way of im- 
 proving our little establishment. It will all be 
 gone before long, and I shall depend entirely 
 on my teaching and on my brothers' support." 
 
 " Well, I confess you surprise me," said Mr. 
 Baumann, with a puzzled look ; " but this is 
 only recently, isn't it ? When you first came 
 here you were interesting yourself in land in- 
 vestments " 
 
 I smilingly shook my head. 
 266 
 
The First Break 
 
 " I certainly received the impression," Mr. 
 Baumann said, in a tone of defending himself, 
 " that you were interested in the reforestration 
 scheme of the Doctor' s " 
 
 " I was interested ; but only in the people who 
 were to be benefited. I tried to tell you I was 
 not a capitalist come South to invest money." 
 
 " I knew your primary interest was in your 
 family. I thought this would be your way of 
 benefiting them. You seemed to care for the 
 county so much." 
 
 " I do. I wish I had money to spend here. 
 I have positively none." 
 
 Mr. Baumann laughed a little bitterly. 
 
 " Well, it was in order to get ahead of you 
 that I was in such a hurry to go into the en- 
 terprise myself, and that's the reason I began 
 with Fanton before Peyton-Call got back to 
 Rolfe," he explained. " So now I am punished 
 for my avarice by being in this scrape. Well, 
 I am glad I did not go to the length of asking 
 you for a loan to help me out." 
 
 " I sincerely wish I could help you. If there 
 were any way in the world " 
 
 " There's no way, since you haven't the capi- 
 tal, Miss Cassandra; unless, perhaps, you 
 could persuade Peyton-Call to change his 
 mind and sell me the mill." 
 
 "Of course, I couldn't do that," I said, 
 
 quickly and coldly. 
 
 267 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Of course, I know you couldn't ; I made a 
 joke," he returned, rather curtly. It was plain 
 that he believed I could had I wanted to, and 
 I felt my blood rising. With forced com- 
 posure I changed the subject. 
 
 From that hour I felt a dislike for Mr. Bau- 
 mann's company, and avoided meeting him ; 
 but it was hard to go to the house without 
 seeing its master, and so, as Archer had pre- 
 dicted, the Baumanns became of less social 
 value to me. Almost imperceptibly our in- 
 timacy waned. 
 
 268 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 THE HOUSE AND THE NAME 
 
 It was the day before Christmas and I was 
 spending my time rather wearily and anxiously 
 with Lena alone. Bud had been all of every 
 day and some whole nights at the Court-house 
 that week. I knew he was both playing and 
 drinking — Lilbud admitted so much when he 
 came home late in the afternoon, having him- 
 self indulged to an unusual extent in social re- 
 laxation. 
 
 " He ain't gettin' what you might call regu- 
 lar Christmas drunk, Sis' Cassy," Lilbud reas- 
 sured me. " 'Tain't worth while for you to 
 worry yourself. He's just havin' a little fun 
 with the money Bob Kirkwin paid him over 
 for curing his mare of r'arin' in harness." 
 
 After supper Mr. Peyton-Call came in, look- 
 ing very cool and steady-eyed for a man who 
 was supposed to be leading the Christmas 
 revels at the Court-house. 
 
 " Where is Bud ? " I asked him. 
 
 " If Bud were only my brother," he returned, 
 with a shadowy smile, " I could aptly inquire, 
 am I his keeper?" 
 
 269 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " If he does not behave himself sensibly, it is 
 on your head," I answered, severely. "It is 
 you who have made a society man of him." 
 
 " That's a pretty grave charge ; if you will let 
 me set forth the mitigating circumstances " 
 
 " I would rather have you go to the Court- 
 house and send Bud home to me." 
 
 " He's not at the Court-house, he's with Vir- 
 gie," said Mr. Peyton-Call, serenely. " Quite 
 as sober as any of the young men in the party. 
 They have got up an impromptu dance for to- 
 night, my cousin and Miss Dyer and Blair 
 Lathrop. I am the bearer of an invitation to 
 yourself to attend. Here is Virgie's note." 
 
 I shook my head even before I opened and 
 read the missive, scribbled in pencil on a bit of 
 paper. 
 
 " Honey-Sweetness," Virgie addressed me. 
 "Come along with Don for a night full of fun. 
 We are going to dance and have a supper, and 
 they are all nice people and I have three chap- 
 eron's " (the last two words she had underlined 
 three times), "so that it will suit your New 
 York notions. Don't disappoint me ; I won't 
 enjoy myself a minute till I see you." (Signed) 
 " Virgie." 
 
 " How did Bud happen to go to a dance of 
 Miss Fanton's and Miss Dyer's ? " I asked, with 
 distress. 
 
 " Miss Fanton took particular pains to invite 
 270 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 him. Am I to have the pleasure of escorting 
 you, Miss Dale?" 
 
 " No, I thank you," I returned, decidedly. 
 " But if you can persuade Bud to come home, 
 Mr. Peyton-Call, you will be doing him and me 
 a great service." 
 
 " Unless you go with me I can't see Bud my- 
 self," he returned, in a regretful tone. " I am 
 under command not to show myself except as 
 your escort. But I shall take great pains to 
 send any message you may have for Bud by 
 someone who is not banished from Virgie's 
 dance." 
 
 " Oh, there is no use in that," I returned, cold- 
 ly, very much provoked at his facile evasion. 
 
 " Then there is no way in which I can serve 
 you?" he inquired, with an air of chagrin. 
 " And it is very plain that you are troubled." 
 
 " You must know why and how I am trou- 
 bled," I exclaimed. 
 
 " I thought it was because you feared Virgie 
 would be inconsiderate of Bud's right to his 
 own sanity, as is her way with men at times," 
 he returned. 
 
 " Yes, that's it," I said, not without surprise 
 to find myself talking on this subject with him 
 of all others. " Bud is so foolish already ; and 
 Virgie doesn't care. It amuses her." 
 
 " There is just one thing to do," he said, in a 
 tone grown suddenly as serious as my own, 
 
 271 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " and that is for you to come with me and take 
 control of this dance and of your brother and 
 your thoughtless friend. You know very well 
 how proud Bud will be of your appearance, 
 and you can absorb his attention. And if 
 Virgie wants to divert him, you are intimate 
 enough with her to interrupt her. Come, your 
 presence at this dance is positively necessary. 
 A fourth chaperon is needed." 
 
 There seemed good sense in this, and Mr. 
 Peyton-Call's manner was quite novel in its 
 sincerity. I still demurred. 
 
 " Perhaps I could persuade Bud to come 
 home," I said, half to myself. " He is always 
 so sweet and docile." 
 
 " Perhaps you can," he said, encouragingly. 
 " It is worth a trial." 
 
 " I hate to appear at a party here, however 
 informal," I continued, frowning a little. 
 
 " But Virgie assures you they are nice peo- 
 ple," said he. " She read her note to me." 
 
 " Virgie isn't nearly particular enough of her 
 company to suit my ideas," I returned, with a 
 rather sad laugh. " She seems to have a liking 
 for poor-whites." 
 
 He winced a little at the word, and then 
 laughed as if at himself. 
 
 " Take me as authority, then," he suggested, 
 with some bravado. " Surely I am aristocratic 
 enough to be trusted." 
 
 272 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 " It's possible," I returned, dryly. 
 
 " Do you want my pedigree ? " he asked, 
 with a touch of mockery, " or any proof that 
 my blood is deep indigo in color? I am a com- 
 petent judge of who is socially correct ; and I 
 assure you no one is invited to this dance who 
 doesn't claim to be of a first family. There are 
 a few men in any gathering who unfortunately 
 get drunk before the evening is over, but their 
 names are all right." 
 
 " I can't go," I ejaculated. " But I will send 
 a special message to Virgie, and she will leave 
 Bud alone." 
 
 " And Bud will then console himself in a way 
 you would hardly approve," he returned, inex- 
 orably. " Miss Dale, your going to this dance 
 is one of the hardships of your self-chosen 
 Rolfe career. You should brace your courage 
 to face it." 
 
 Reluctantly I went to my room to make a 
 change in my dress, and then said good-night 
 to Lena and Lilbud. They were so surprised 
 that Sister should be going to a party that I 
 was all the more out of humor with the situation. 
 
 Mr. Peyton-Call laughed as he took my 
 cloak to put it about me, and asked whether I 
 had ever thought, in New York, that I should 
 don this garment in a log-cabin. 
 
 " It's inappropriate," I admitted, and con- 
 tinued with intention, " but my personal things 
 
 273 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 being the only property I could call my own, I 
 naturally brought them all with me when I 
 came home to stay." 
 
 " I suppose that so long as you have such a 
 cloak as this to wrap about you you don't feel 
 the whole bitterness of your present poverty," 
 he suggested. 
 
 His tone was unmistakably sarcastic; but 
 why should he be sarcastic? He could not 
 know that I was misrepresenting things, that 
 the wretched business in New York still 
 dragged on, and I was still legally the heiress. 
 
 " I am not poor now, of course," I said, with 
 a careless air, " but shall be, shortly." 
 
 His eyes narrowed in characteristic fashion ; 
 for a moment we regarded each other watch- 
 fully. 
 
 " You are not poor now, but you will be 
 shortly ? " he repeated, slowly. " This is of 
 fascinating interest, because of its mystery." 
 
 " No mystery," I said, quietly. " I am not 
 poor now, because I've just drawn my teacher's 
 salary ; but as the school is closed for the win- 
 ter, I shall soon be without resources." 
 
 He looked baffled ; but laughed out, never- 
 theless. 
 
 " Rather than have you come upon the coun- 
 ty," he assured me, " I'll let Baumann's pro- 
 posed appropriation for another school-term 
 pass." 
 
 274 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 " I shall appreciate that with heartfelt grati- 
 tude," said I. 
 
 " You needn't," he returned, with venom. 
 " I only do it to save myself trouble. I believe 
 I am Commissioner of the Poor in Rolfe, and 
 you would be my first and only pauper. We 
 haven't any poor-house, and I should have to 
 consider where I could put you." 
 
 I laughed this off, and we went out into the 
 frosty, starlit night, to his buckboard. 
 
 " A pretty vehicle in which to take a belle to 
 a dance!" he observed, as he helped me in. 
 " If I'd had any warning I should have made 
 ready the old coach-and-four, in which my 
 mother used to attend the county functions in 
 all state. It stands there in the Caxton car- 
 riage-house, under a heavy veil of dust, but 
 still good for a grand occasion like the pres- 
 ent." 
 
 " Grand occasion ? It pleases you to mock 
 me," I returned. " A poor, distracted girl is 
 driving out into the black night to look for an 
 erring elder brother. In no sense am I going 
 to a dance ; but where are you turning, Mr. 
 Peyton-Call? Aren't we going to The Ter- 
 races ? " 
 
 He had taken the road toward the Court- 
 house as we left our place. 
 
 " The dance is to be at the biggest building 
 they can find near the Court-house," he re- 
 
 275 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 turned, " and there are to be four fiddlers, and 
 a French horn. You will be obliged to dance, 
 moreover, however melancholy your mood 
 and stern your errand. A girl who goes to a 
 dance with me is not permitted any great 
 amount of quiet." 
 
 " I don't dance," I returned, coldly. 
 
 " I will engage to teach you in a very few 
 minutes," he answered, with firmness. " I also 
 hope to cure you of the habit of fibbing, which, 
 I observe with pain, is growing on you of 
 late." 
 
 "The habit of fibbing!" I ejaculated. 
 " Please bear out that statement immediately, 
 Mr. Peyton-Call." 
 
 " They come to me," he said, affecting com- 
 plaint, " with every sort of tale of privation 
 and misery, all applying for relief from public 
 funds — oh, what am I talking about? Excuse 
 me, Miss Dale, for being absent-minded, I was 
 thinking of one of my public offices. It's my 
 duty to accuse people of misrepresenting their 
 case, and then to take it back with an apology." 
 
 This certainly sounded as if he knew at 
 least as much of my affairs as I did myself. 
 Absurd thought ! How, or where, and, above 
 all, why should he have learned them ? 
 
 " But I still accuse you of fraud in saying 
 you don't dance," he continued. 
 
 " I used to," I said, moodily. " I've no mind 
 276 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 to do it again. Indeed, I don't feel festive to- 
 night." 
 
 " But I do," he returned, with his accus- 
 tomed amiability, and then we drove in silence 
 in the fresh night wind. 
 
 The biggest building they had found near 
 the Court-house proved to be Caxton. I felt 
 considerable dismay when we turned in be- 
 tween the huge brick gate-posts and whirled 
 up the drive. The great white house I had 
 seen by glimpses from the road had repelled 
 me strangely. I had been affected by Virgie's 
 morbid attitude toward it, in the days when 
 she still expected to be its mistress. And now 
 to think that she had chosen to dance and 
 frolic there, so soon after breaking troth with 
 its master — ! Should I ever learn to under- 
 stand Virgie Fanton ? 
 
 Besides, I was provoked with Peyton-Call, 
 who had trickily evaded telling me the dance 
 was at his own house. Plainly he knew I 
 would have refused to go there upon any con- 
 sideration. I could now make no objection 
 without absurdity, and the situation did not 
 improve my humor. 
 
 The house was alight in its lower floor, music 
 floated forth to greet us, and the merry hum of 
 voices. As Mr. Peyton-Call helped me from 
 the carriage Virgie and a group of girls and 
 men came out of the lighted doorway. 
 
 277 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 "Just in time for the german, you-all," cried 
 some, and, " Well, Don, that took forever ! 
 Did you come by way of New Rome ? " and, 
 " Cassy, Honey-Sweetness, we're all waiting for 
 you ! " Bud's mellow voice sounded among the 
 rest — " Here you are, Sister ? That's right! " 
 
 I came slowly up the steps and shook hands 
 with this one and that one, feeling no great 
 heartiness. 
 
 " Yes, I've come. I could not well refuse 
 your invitation, Virgie," I said, with forced 
 cheerfulness. " You were not to enjoy a mo- 
 ment till I arrived, you know." 
 
 " No more she has," put in Bud. " Looks 
 like she was watching for you every moment." 
 
 " Tell you for a fact, Miss Cassandra," said 
 the animated Blair Lathrop, "you'll have to 
 stay here till noon to-morrow morning to make 
 up to us the time we've lost waiting for you. 
 Miss Virgie wouldn't let us have the german 
 till you got here." 
 
 " Well, let the fun begin now," I suggested, 
 rather ironically. 
 
 " You don't need to go to the dressing-room. 
 Dearest, you look scrumptious," cried Virgie, 
 gayly, dragging my cloak from my shoulders 
 as we stepped into the lighted hall. " Here, 
 Don, take Cassy's cape. Mind you don't lay it 
 in any of your hundred-year-old dust. I de- 
 clare, Cassy, we found this house in a scandal- 
 278 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 ous state. These lovely rooms haven't been 
 opened for months. But we got all the dar- 
 kies on the place in here to dust the floors, and 
 light the candles and hang the greens, and we 
 all helped, and we had the ball-rooms ready in 
 half an hour. Doesn't everything look fine ? " 
 
 I glanced about the stately rooms to the 
 right and left of the hall, the dark woodwork 
 and polished floors illuminated by scores of 
 candles. 
 
 " It must have looked like this," Virgie 
 whispered to me, " the night she danced her- 
 self to death. Do you think we shall see her 
 ghost to-night ? " 
 
 " Oh, Virgie, don't speak of it ! " I implored 
 her, with a little shudder. 
 
 There were many more people present than 
 I had expected. In their ardor to get a crowd 
 together the committee had not been as par- 
 ticular, I thought, as Virgie had wanted me to 
 believe, and I noted some present who had 
 probably not often seen the inside of Caxton. 
 It actually relieved me to find the company so 
 mixed, for it gave Bud far less distinction. 
 There was Buck Lanier, as thorough a young 
 tough as ever was countenanced by respect- 
 able people, who had laid his tobacco-chewing 
 and profanity aside and donned a scarlet neck- 
 tie to do honor to Virgie's impromptu dance ; 
 there were the Misses Tripp, three simpering 
 
 279 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 damsels in astonishing toilettes, whose father 
 kept the " hotel " at the Court-house, and whose 
 mother was as poor-white as any Dale in 
 Rolfe. In contrast to these were the high- 
 bred and high-spirited Miss Dyer and her 
 sister, Mrs. Blaylock, the latter one of Virgie's 
 three chaperons. There was Miss Lucy Call 
 herself, countenancing the affair with her own 
 acrid air of propriety. I had no definite cause 
 for disapproval of the party. 
 
 And now I was beset with invitations to 
 dance. Virgie was introducing one man after 
 another to me. We were the centre of a large 
 group in the hall. The music had begun 
 merrily in the great drawing-room. 
 
 "I reckon I'll have to have the first dance 
 myself, Sister," said Bud, genially. He had 
 taken his stand beside me and beamed with 
 delight at the attention I was receiving. 
 " Looks like that's the only way to keep the 
 peace." 
 
 " Go 'way from here, Bud, Miss Cassandra 
 don't want to waste her time on you," cried 
 one of the men, indignantly; and another pro- 
 tested that brothers had no rights that anyone 
 else was bound to respect. But I took Bud's 
 arm and together we circled away from the 
 crowd, across the polished floor of Caxton hall. 
 
 I was surprised and pleased in spite of my- 
 self at Bud's good waltzing. The whole 
 280 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 swarm of young people had already resolved 
 itself into dancing couples, and Bud steered 
 me steadily and gracefully among them, mak- 
 ing delighted comments himself on the style 
 of my waltzing and my general appearance. 
 
 " I declare, Sister, you get sweeter every 
 time I see you, I believe," he murmured, look- 
 ing down at me with pride. " And you move 
 like I don't know what kind of a feather. 
 Blamed if you don't beat Miss Virgie dancing ; 
 she's the kind that most slides away from you." 
 
 "Have you been dancing with her, Bud?" 
 
 He assented, with a look of dreamy content. 
 
 "I'm tired, Bud," I said, when we passed 
 into a smaller room, where we were alone and 
 I sank into a chair. " Let's talk a little, Brother. 
 I've missed you so these last days." 
 
 He stood before me and regarded me thought- 
 fully. 
 
 " Sister, this little table you're leaning your 
 arm on is where I played that night and won us 
 our home place," he said, with a slow smile. 
 " Somehow I never thought to see you sitting 
 here in Mr. Don's room." 
 
 I looked about me hurriedly ; yes, this was 
 Peyton-Call's study. The furniture had been 
 moved against the walls by the floor committee 
 in its ardor to get every possible inch of danc- 
 ing room, and one or two chairs had been set 
 upon the desk of the master of the house, with 
 
 2 Si 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 little respect for the order of his things. And 
 there, under the chair, I saw the work-basket 
 of his mother which Dr. von Baerensprung 
 had spoken of. The walls were lined with 
 books, most of them with old and handsome 
 bindings; there were a few gloomy engrav- 
 ings, and over the desk one glowing portrait 
 in pastel of a very beautiful young woman in 
 a low-cut gown. 
 
 " That's his mother," said Bud, when he saw 
 me look at the portrait. " I reckon she was 
 pretty nigh an angel, from the way he speaks 
 of her. I certainly do love to hear Don talk 
 about his mother. It looks like it does him so 
 much good." 
 
 "Just about the same kind of good. Bud," 
 said Peyton-Call, from the doorway, "as it 
 seems to do you to talk about your sister." 
 
 He came in, smiling, and put his arm over 
 Bud's shoulder; and so they stood before me 
 in great repose. 
 
 " It's the truth," assented Bud, looking into 
 my eyes. " I certainly do love to brag about 
 you, Lil' Cassy. Looks like when I come up 
 here to Caxton and see everything so fine and 
 grand I'd get green with jealousy of Don un- 
 less I had you at home to make our old ram- 
 shackle place as good as any Caxton." 
 
 Bud had always called our landlord Mr. Don. 
 Was the last step of his equality achieved ? 
 282 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 " I have a very silly brother," I said to Mr. 
 Peyton-Call, with an effort at lightness. 
 
 " There's no good reason why a brother 
 should be exempt," he returned, with a veiled 
 look. " But if a brother's pretty speeches are 
 going to turn your head, so that you commit 
 another such flaring injustice toward me as 
 dancing away like that, I shall take measures to 
 have him turned out." 
 
 " You've turned me out of Caxton several 
 times, Don, but that was when you were giv- 
 ing the party," said Bud, with a good-humored 
 laugh. " To-night I'm here with Miss Virgie, 
 and she's the only one who can send me 
 home." 
 
 " She was asking for you a minute ago, Bud," 
 he began in a casual tone. Instantly Bud was 
 aroused, his face flushed eagerly, and without 
 so much as a word or look toward his adored 
 sister he was out of the room and away. 
 
 " What do those young scamps mean by up- 
 setting my room in this fashion, confound 
 them!" exclaimed Mr. Peyton-Call, looking 
 about him. He seized the chairs on the desk, 
 and swung them back upon the floor. " They're 
 taking my invitation to make themselves at 
 home a bit too literally. I have a bachelor's 
 hatred of a commotion, Miss Dale." He 
 dragged forward a leather couch, and threw a 
 bear-skin rug to its place on the floor. " They 
 
 283 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 can come in here to flirt, but hanged if I let 
 them dance in here," he continued, with an in- 
 jured air. " They'll raise a dust that will choke 
 me for months." 
 
 His preoccupation with the order of his room 
 was all affected. He knew very well I had 
 risen angrily when he had sent Bud after Vir- 
 gie, and now he turned to me with a changed 
 air. 
 
 " Well," he said, in a humble tone. " I have 
 failed to please you, have I ? " 
 
 " You puzzle me greatly, Mr. Peyton-Call. I 
 am here to keep Bud away from Virgie, and 
 you thwart me." 
 
 " That's revenge," be explained. " You had 
 no right to dance away with Bud while I was 
 carrying your cloak to a place of safety. If 
 you'll make up your injustice now, I'll help 
 you play dragon for the rest of the night. If 
 you refuse me my rights, I'll torment you in 
 every possible manner. Now as to my rights, 
 the waltzes are all mine and the german is 
 mine ; and when they play those jiggy marches, 
 as at this moment, I say it is your duty and 
 your interest to sit still and talk to me. Unless 
 I am appeased, Miss Dale, there is no hope for 
 the success of your mission to-night. I shall 
 see that you don't lay eyes on either Bud or 
 Virgie for the whole of the evening." 
 
 " So these are your true colors ! " I exclaimed, 
 2S4 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 between indignation and involuntary laughter. 
 " Well, Mr. Peyton-Call, if I find I need your 
 help in the course of the evening, I'll consider 
 the matter of appeasing you. Just now I really 
 haven't time ; " and I was moving to the door 
 to follow Bud. 
 
 " One moment, Miss Dale," he begged, in an- 
 other tone. " I want to show you a likeness of 
 my mother." 
 
 I came back toward the desk, reluctantly. 
 
 " It is a very beautiful portrait," I said ; but 
 in truth it gave me only pain to look at it. 
 Virgie's accounts of the late Mrs. Peyton-Call 
 were all too vivid, and my knowledge that the 
 son adored the mother whom others would not 
 respect made it doubly hard to play the part 
 of admiration. 
 
 " I have a miniature here that is better — really 
 a fine piece of work, they tell me," he said, 
 opening a drawer of his desk. " Have you 
 ever interested yourself in miniatures, Miss 
 Dale?" 
 
 The question provoked me. It was another 
 one of his unwarranted references to the con- 
 ditions of my past life. 
 
 "You don't require a knowledge of art, I 
 hope, of the teachers of your district school ? " 
 I inquired. 
 
 " We've had some who were not qualified, I 
 suppose," he returned, " though really, I'm not 
 
 23 5 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 sure. I never got around to my duty of 
 school-inspection until you held the posi- 
 tion." 
 
 My temper rose and I was about to express 
 myself once for all on the subject of his school 
 inspectorship ; but he met my look with one of 
 such appeal, and he handed me the miniature 
 case so hastily, I refrained and bent my 
 flushed face over his mother's likeness. 
 
 She had been a daring, petulant beauty ; her 
 flaming red hair and her meeting brows be- 
 spoke her temperament. I could appreciate, 
 though with involuntary concern, the delicacy 
 with which the artist had done his work ; de- 
 picting his model's faults with uncompromising 
 fidelity ; showing her hard, eager greed for 
 pleasure, and her contempt for her fellow- 
 beings ; yet showing, too,* how brilliant and keen 
 and full of life she was. 
 
 And now I looked up at the pastel again to 
 wonder how I could have found it for a mo- 
 ment interesting. It was a portrait as one sees 
 a hundred, photographically perfect. Yet not 
 a hint of passion or pride in the lovely features ; 
 not a suggestion of all that the miniature dark- 
 ly declared. 
 
 " Which is the better likeness? " I asked Mr. 
 Peyton-Call, a little faintly. 
 
 "This!" he declared, and he held out his 
 hand for the miniature. I was almost startled ; 
 2S6 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 and yet, when I looked at his impassive 
 face, I told myself that my imagination had 
 been too active. The miniature, of course, 
 did not tell the same story to the devoted 
 son that it told to the cold and prejudiced 
 stranger. 
 
 " So far as my recollections go, the other 
 would be as good," he added, quietly, his eyes 
 on the picture in his hand. " I know my mother 
 only through these counterfeits ; my childish 
 recollections of her are very vague. For some 
 reason," he glanced at my face and then looked 
 down again. " For some reason my father 
 did not like this miniature and it was put away. 
 I have only recently resurrected it; but people 
 who knew her assure me it is a wonderful like- 
 ness. This other portrait," he looked up at it 
 and smiled rather sadly, " has been with me at 
 school and college. I have been brought up 
 like you, Miss Dale, among strangers, and had 
 an ideal, a dream of memory to cherish like 
 yourself. You remembered Bud's face, you 
 told me once ; I brooded over my mother's 
 likeness ; and we were both drawn home to 
 Rolfe — for good or ill." 
 
 "For ill, in my case," I exclaimed, rousing 
 myself ; " unless I find Bud now and persuade 
 him to come home." 
 
 " You won't do that," he said, and as he 
 closed the desk drawer on the miniature. " And 
 
 287 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 yet I'll engage to show you made no mistake 
 in coming back to us." 
 
 " Show me that I have made no mistake in 
 trusting you and Virgie," I said by way of ap- 
 peal. " Come with me now and help me." 
 
 " To the ends of the earth " 
 
 " Only as far as Bud ! " 
 
 He followed me into the hall. I looked 
 among the dancing couples, among the groups 
 of seated people. I asked Miss Lucy Call, I 
 asked the group of girls and men on the stairs. 
 I looked in the long piazzas front and back; 
 and even into the dining-room where the com- 
 mittee were spreading out the supper. I could 
 not find Virgie. And Bud, whom I was careful 
 not to mention in my questions, had also disap- 
 peared. 
 
 " You are too serious," protested Mr. Peyton- 
 Call, keeping beside me. 
 
 "That's a very grave charge," I returned, 
 pausing. We stood in a doorway, from where 
 I surveyed a line of rooms. 
 
 " I don't want you to stop," he said. " I 
 like to have you see my house while it is all 
 festively lighted and decked." 
 
 " It's a beautiful house," I said, wearily. " I 
 wish it were a little smaller." 
 
 " I wish it were only one log-cabin room," 
 said he. " Perhaps I shouldn't be so lonely in 
 it." 
 
 288 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 " And perhaps you wouldn't be able to make 
 other people so much trouble with it," I added, 
 still looking down the vista of rooms hoping 
 Virgie would appear among the dancers. 
 
 " It isn't my fault they come here to dance 
 and flirt," he said, aggrievedly. " I'm a quiet 
 man myself. I didn't invite them; I invited 
 no one but you." 
 
 " I think you missed the point of my remark," 
 I said, with frigid mien. 
 
 " I hope you didn't miss the point of mine," 
 he returned, affecting anxiety ; and when I 
 would not respond to this challenge he con- 
 tinued, more seriously : " I am in earnest. I 
 don't like to see my house filled with merry, 
 careless people. It seems inappropriate in 
 these rooms, usually so gloomy and quiet. 
 I should like to close them forever in mem- 
 ory of my poor young mother's last gaye- 
 ties." 
 
 I felt the pathos of this, and for once an- 
 swered him sympathetically. 
 
 " You should close them. You should go 
 away." 
 
 He smiled and shook his head. 
 
 " I'm chained to the duty of keeping this 
 house," he said. " My forebears left it to me 
 and me to it. They built it as great and fine as 
 they knew how, they filled it with everything 
 they believed valuable and beautiful through 
 
 289 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 several generations ; and then, as if by fate, the 
 other branches of the family died out and the 
 whole inheritance was concentrated upon me. 
 I now class myself as of equal importance with 
 the columns that hold up my piazza roof, and 
 feel that in my quiet way I, too, am useful." 
 
 I shook my head in disapproval. 
 
 " If I were to leave Rolfe I couldn't keep my 
 house," he continued, calmly. " It's only by 
 staying on the spot that I can ward off the 
 sheriff a while longer ; by dint of giving it my 
 sole attention I am able to prolong the fight ; 
 my debts are slowly but surely undermining 
 me, and great will be the fall of Caxton." 
 
 " And is it worth a whole life," I asked, grave 
 in spite of myself, " to postpone such an end ? " 
 
 " To postpone this end is the last chance of 
 my life," he returned, with a curious look. 
 " When my house is gone, all outward and visi- 
 ble signs that there was ever any good in the 
 Peyton-Galls will have vanished. I, the last of 
 them, am only a saddened and inefficient dream- 
 er. And if ever I dared," he continued in a 
 lowered tone and slowly, " to ask a woman to 
 love me, it is to these outward and visible signs 
 that I must point ; whatever my own short- 
 comings, my house and my name are worthy." 
 
 " It is a good thing you can feel so," I an- 
 swered him, steadily. " Family pride must 
 make for right action. If Virgie felt as you 
 290 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 do, poor Bud would not be here to-night ; and 
 I should not be here." 
 
 " And if you were not here," he declared, with 
 a certain heat, " I should not be trying to feign 
 a pride in my ancestry. I should be alone, ex- 
 piating their follies and their sins. You being 
 here, I make this poor attempt to impress you. 
 But you are thinking only of Bud's absurd little 
 tragedy ; and I am reduced to stage-setting 
 once more." 
 
 " At least you make a good setting for trag- 
 edy with your sombre air," I suggested, not in 
 the least liking this new phase in his attempts 
 at flirtation. 
 
 " I fear you mean to flatter me," he said, with 
 all his flippancy comfortably restored. 
 
 "What are you all wandering around like 
 this for ? " demanded Blair Lathrop, joining us 
 in the doorway. " Looks like one sees you in 
 every room at once." 
 
 "I am looking for Virgie," I explained. "I 
 must see her." 
 
 " Why don't you apply to me instead of trust- 
 ins: a no-'count, uninventive man like Don 
 here ? " he demanded. " I'll produce Miss 
 Virgie in three seconds by starting the music 
 for the german. She'll hear that in the re- 
 motest part of the garden." 
 
 He was off across the floor toward the musi- 
 cians. 
 
 291 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Now is your chance to learn to dance, Miss 
 Dale," proposed Mr. Peyton-Call, amiably. I 
 shook my head and went across the room to 
 Miss Lucy Call to sit down beside her on the 
 sofa. He came and stood before us. 
 
 "Have you found Virgie yet?" Miss Call 
 asked me, sympathetically. " What do you 
 want of her, Miss Cassandra ? " 
 
 That was precisely what I could not tell the 
 lady. I made a poor evasion and kept looking 
 eagerly toward the head of the room where the 
 dancers were forming. 
 
 " There is Virgie now," said Miss Call. 
 " Coming in from the piazza. And isn't that 
 your brother with her, Miss Cassandra?" 
 
 Mr. Peyton-Call sat down on the other side 
 of me. 
 
 "Do you see how things are going?" he 
 asked in a low voice. " The german is form- 
 ing, Bud and Virgie will join it as partners. 
 Now I'll bargain with you, Miss Dale. I'll en- 
 gage to make Virgie dance with someone else, if 
 you will dance with me." 
 
 " Oh, hurry," I exclaimed, impatiently. 
 
 He promptly left me, and 1 watched with 
 mingled anxiety and amusement his manoeuvres 
 with the young people at the other end of the 
 room. First he spoke aside to Bud, and Bud 
 dove away into the piazza as if gone to fetch 
 something. I noticed that Virgie looked after 
 292 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 him. Then the master of Caxton interfered 
 with Blair Lathrop's arrangement of the line. 
 Blair appeared to expostulate. Virgie presently 
 took up the matter, and was apparently flinging 
 her orders about, waving her little white hand 
 disdainfully. The music played gayly through- 
 out, the other dancers impatiently beat time, 
 some of them broke ranks and whirled away in 
 a waltz till the leaders should settle their dif- 
 ficulties. 
 
 " What are you-all fussing about up there ? " 
 Miss Lucy Call demanded of two that passed 
 us. " Why don't you begin? " 
 
 They stopped and joined us. 
 
 " Don is on his high horse ; he's teasing them 
 all," explained the girl, laughing. 
 
 " It's just wasting time," growled the young 
 man. 
 
 And now the ranks that had formed at the 
 head of the room were entirely dispersed, and 
 Virgie and the two men stood there alone, still 
 apparently discussing the question. Presently 
 Mr. Peyton-Call turned away and left them 
 with an air of telling them to have it their own 
 way. Blair Lathrop clapped his hands and the 
 music stopped; and he made a speech to the 
 expectant young people who were pausing in 
 groups of two throughout the room. 
 
 "All of you-all listen!" cried Blair. "Miss 
 Virgie and I are going to lead one german in 
 
 293 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 the good old-fashioned way, without apy inno- 
 vations ; and your host of Caxton is going to 
 lead another, with the most preposterous figures 
 and formation that mortal man has ever pro- 
 posed. He's going to have his out on the lawn ; 
 so whoever wants to join him, please go along 
 and get out of our way, Now, Uncle Lindon, 
 give us that music from the beginning again, 
 will you ? " 
 
 A burst of merriment from the crowd, a burst 
 of music, and the german was finally begun. 
 Mr. Peyton-Call made his way back to me, 
 laughter in his eyes. 
 
 "And Bud?" I inquired. 
 
 " I sent him to ascertain whether Buck Lanier 
 was sober enough to join the dance," he re- 
 turned in a low voice, " rather relying on the 
 contrary. Bud is probably at present engaged 
 in leading him home. It will be the first time 
 in all the years of his life that Buck Lanier has 
 made himself really useful. He will engage your 
 brother at least an hour ; and that hour, Miss 
 Dale, you will devote to me. First we will 
 dance." 
 
 I politely declined. I liked to watch the 
 others. He sat down and affected great airs of 
 disappointment. Miss Lucy Call was no use 
 to me ; she would watch the dancing ; she would 
 not talk to me ; and I had to parry Mr. Peyton- 
 Call's skilful attacks upon the firmness of my 
 294 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 purpose. He pleaded and teased and threat- 
 ened ; and I was in too good-humor with him 
 for the way he had taken care of Bud, and re- 
 mained gracious. But we were conspicuous 
 there, the only seated figures on that side of 
 the room. As the dancers swept by they mer- 
 rily called to us to join in; they accused Mr. 
 Peyton-Call of the sulks because his scheme 
 for the german had fallen through ; they 
 accused me of not knowing a good floor 
 and good music when I saw it ; they finally 
 accused us both of being entirely too much 
 absorbed in conversation. Thus taunted and 
 tempted at once, I presently consented to 
 dance. 
 
 The next moment I was caught in the delight 
 of it, and never had another scruple until it was 
 all over. The Rolfe County young people 
 danced with spirit and precision. In and out 
 of the maze of figures, promenading, circling, 
 changing partners, all went off with a swing 
 and a perfection that spoke of long and devoted 
 practice. And when the musicians struck up 
 " Dixie," a very shout arose from them all ; 
 they caught up the air, singing and whistling, 
 and where there had been spirit before there 
 was now the abandon of romping children. 
 
 " Hooray ! Hooray ! 
 Away down South in Dixie ! " 
 
 295 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 they sang around me, eyes flashing, hands clap- 
 ping — a merry, metrical din. 
 
 " Ole Missus married Bill, de weaber, 
 William was a gay deceiber," 
 
 hummed Virgie beside me ; and 
 
 " Look away ! Look away ! " 
 
 roared the chorus, 
 
 "Look away down South in Dixie ! " 
 
 It was the first time I had ever really heard 
 my national air. It fairly carried me away — 
 I sang with the rest. 
 
 " Do you take your stand in Dixie land, and 
 live and die here ? " my partner murmured, and 
 I laughed in assent. 
 
 In truth, there is no tune like it to stir the 
 blood. It carries us out into the sunny, broad 
 streets. When it begins with 
 
 " Dixie land is the land of cotton," 
 
 something is coming at a lively, quick step ; 
 with a dash and a clang and a cheer, it has ar- 
 rived ! We are out in the broad, sunny streets 
 with the marching crowd, the fife pierces us 
 with reckless joy. 
 
 " Away ! Away ! Away down South in Dixie ! " 
 
 And we are whirled about among the excited, 
 cheering people, then getting our breath at the 
 
The House and the Name 
 
 outskirts of the crowd and catching sight of 
 the rustling live-oaks and sound of the chorus 
 of a thousand mocking-birds. They, too, are 
 singing Dixie as if their throats would split. 
 Sunlight and wind and the crowd are now 
 dancing to it with a good double-shuffle, 
 jolly blacks in the lead, white boys and girls 
 following them with merry imitation, each and 
 all beating syncopation with the nonchalance 
 that is the despair of the unrhythmical. There 
 is still something coming, something dashing 
 and brilliant beyond words ; to see it we are 
 content to be swayed in the crowded streets or 
 to lean perilously over window-sills and bal- 
 conies. Now the cheers are continuous, for 
 here they are, the Dixie boys, tramping defi- 
 antly, their bright eyes roaming to the right 
 and left under the shade of their large gray 
 hats. The people cheer madly, and sing in a 
 very transport. Up to the heights of reckless- 
 ness, on to the brink of danger, down to the 
 springs of passion — where will the merry mad- 
 dening tune not lead the boys of Dixie? 
 
 Hear the Philistine little toot of "Yankee 
 Doodle." Thin, rapid, jarring, pounding, it 
 crashes its way through our melody — no height 
 or depth here, no swing or fervor ! It is a fi- 
 nite, futile little tune, concerning itself only 
 with getting its hero to town on his rough- 
 trotting pony, his feather quivering nervously 
 
 297 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 as he jolts along. That accomplished, the tune 
 is dead — has fairly extinguished itself. Not so 
 with "Dixie," instinct with love or life ; for 
 scarcely is it ended, the sweet long emphasis 
 on " South " still sounding, when one hears 
 the roll and the tramp of the first part return- 
 ing, and one begins again with " land of cot- 
 ton " : 
 
 " Ole times dyar am not forgotten — " 
 
 Suddenly the music stopped. We were in 
 the midst of a figure. Blair Lathrop's voice 
 once more resounded through the hall, address- 
 ing us all. 
 
 " We're one lady short ! " he cried. " Let 
 every man secure his own original partner and 
 let's see who is missing." 
 
 Alas ! it proved to be his own partner who 
 was missing. And I saw Buck Lanier's scarlet 
 neck-tie, like a danger signal, far at the other 
 end of the room ; so Bud was not with him. 
 
 " My own original partner, may I bring you 
 some supper?" Mr. Peyton-Call asked me. 
 
 " No," I answered, quite discouraged. " You 
 may take me home." 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 
 MR. PEYTON-CALL HAS TACT 
 
 It was an inauspicious event for the new 
 year that' I quarrelled with Virgie on its morn- 
 ing. Poor Bud for the first time had spoken to 
 me of her favor, had shown me in his exultation 
 a ribbon she had given him at the dance. In 
 vain I had warned him, urged him not to be 
 deceived. He showed resentment and dismay 
 at my manner of receiving his confidence. 
 When he left me after our first misunderstand- 
 ing, I broke down in tears. Virgie found me 
 so when she came in to bring me some New 
 Year's cakes of her own baking ; and very com- 
 ical was her amazement to see me with stream- 
 ing eyes. There was questioning, coaxing, en- 
 treating. Virgie was bound to know what had 
 come over her Honey-Sweetness. Finally I 
 grew calm enough to speak to her on the sub- 
 ject nearest my heart. 
 
 "It is you who are tormenting me, Virgie, 
 because you are cruelly playing with Bud," I 
 told her. 
 
 " Foolishness ! " she exclaimed, lightly. " It 
 299 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 isn't cruel, I suppose, to natter a man a little. 
 They like it." 
 
 " Virgie, he doesn't understand you ; he is 
 taking it seriously," I urged. 
 
 " Nonsense ! Nothing in the world but fool- 
 ishness," she repeated. " Nobody takes me se- 
 riously. Nobody but a Yankee like you would 
 dream of taking me seriously." 
 
 " I'm not a Yankee," I returned, wrathfully. 
 
 "Then, as Mammy would say, you ain't 
 bright," she replied, with a malicious smile. 
 " Only Yankees or insane people would think I 
 mean anything when I flirt a little." 
 
 " I don't care what you mean, I care what 
 Bud thinks," said I, " — and 1 know he thinks 
 impossible things just now. And I want you 
 to drop him before you utterly break his heart." 
 
 " Tell you for a fact, Pudd'n' Pie, I'm getting 
 that used to Bud's devotion I wouldn't miss it 
 for anything in this world," she said, with en- 
 gaging frankness. " You must admit that he's 
 mighty good-looking." 
 
 " Virgie, have you no conscience ? " 
 
 " Not the least bit in the world ! Never had 
 any ! Don't want any. It makes people mighty 
 tiresome " 
 
 " Virgie, you are always kind. You never 
 hurt people willingly. Only in this one way 
 you think that suffering doesn't matter." 
 
 " Well, I reckon it doesn't matter much," she 
 300 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Has Tact 
 
 returned, carelessly. " I reckon it won't hurt 
 Bud to sigh a little. Think of the poor girls 
 that are probably in love with his black eyes 
 right now. I aim to go for the handsome men, 
 Cassy, and bring them low ; because they're 
 always vain, and usually flirts themselves, and 
 so I revenge the other girls." 
 
 "Bud isn't like that," I said, indignantly. 
 "He is perfectly honest and gentle and simple. 
 If he heard you talk this way he wouldn't un- 
 derstand you." 
 
 " I talk in a different way to him," she an- 
 swered, with an incomprehensible look. " I'm 
 right curious when I'm with Bud." 
 
 Then I really grew stern and bade her choose 
 between Bud and me ; and as she very promptly 
 left me, it appeared the choice was not difficult 
 to make. 
 
 For a few days I was too angry with Virgie 
 to miss her company ; she was on my mind 
 night and da}'. Then I began to discover what 
 great changes had come into my life in con- 
 sequence of my break with her. I found my- 
 self looking for her coming hour after hour ; 
 I found myself feeling her absence with un- 
 reasonable pain. 
 
 And Bud, my loving, gentle brother, had 
 grown shy and cold with me. I had no access 
 to his confidence, no opportunity to regain it. 
 He was hurt to the depths at the wrong he felt 
 
 301 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 I had done Virgie. Slow to wrath, Bud was 
 as slow to forgive. From now on he was more 
 away from home than ever. 
 
 Whether chiefly through Baumann or 
 through Peyton-Call, the appropriation to con- 
 tinue the school till spring had been made, and 
 I had at least the solace of outside work when 
 I grew too unhappy over my separation from 
 Bud. But for weeks my only happy hours were 
 over Archer's letters. 
 
 As I had expected, the Remans had received 
 him with great kindness. It seemed as if they 
 could not do enough for him. All the time he 
 was not engaged in " lifting encyclopedias " 
 for Dr. von Baerensprung he was seeing New 
 York with his " new cousins " and making 
 warm friends, it seemed, of the whole family. 
 He was fairly intoxicated over all he saw and 
 heard. I laughed till I cried over some of his 
 naive accounts to me as to how they lived in 
 New York. 
 
 Meanwhile I had the added satisfaction of 
 a running comment on Archer's rapid de- 
 velopment in letters from Mr. Henry Reman 
 as well as from Dr. von Baerensprung. My 
 " little brother " was growing in sense and 
 bearing every day. His employer regretted 
 that his use for Archer would end with the 
 month of January ; he should have liked to keep 
 302 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Has Tact 
 
 him with him indefinitely. Mr. Henry Reman 
 also seemed to find Archer companionable, 
 was impressed with his astuteness, hinted of 
 having work for him himself. 
 
 Archer asked in every letter about Bud and 
 sent him messages. I always read the letters 
 aloud to the whole family. Bud sometimes 
 listened with attention and evident pleasure, 
 but more often he was distracted and self-ab- 
 sorbed. The poor fellow's thoughts were run- 
 ning in an ever-narrowing channel. The next 
 fox-hunt and the next church service were alike 
 eagerly anticipated, for nothing had signifi- 
 cance except the sight of Virgie. 
 
 At the end of January, on as bright and mild 
 a day as the sunny South affords, Bud came 
 from the Court-house in the middle of the 
 morning with a letter packet to me so unusually 
 large that he took it to be something of impor- 
 tance. And so it proved, indeed. The con- 
 tents were letters and enclosures from Mr. Re- 
 man and Archer, part of them of most pleasant 
 content and part of them of intensely vexatious 
 import. For the first and pleasant piece of 
 news I learned that Mr. Reman had decided to 
 educate Archer and to employ him. Here was 
 a cause for great rejoicing and Archer's half- 
 homesick, half-jubilant letter to me and Bud in 
 which he went through the form of asking our 
 
 303 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 advice, was a very touching bit of reading. 
 But I had no pleasure in my brother's affairs 
 that day, for the other letters and enclosures 
 too closely concerned me ; or rather, not me 
 at all, but my neighbor, Peyton-Call. 
 
 To my disgust and mortification it was 
 proved to me beyond a shadow of doubt that 
 my one flash of suspicion in regard to his inter- 
 est in me had been well-founded. He had in- 
 vestigated for himself the legal status of my 
 private affairs ; he had inquired minutely into 
 the question whether at any stage I could 
 check the proceedings I had launched myself 
 and change my mind about renouncing Mrs. 
 Reman's legacy. He and his lawyers had at- 
 tempted to gain their information without 
 attracting any notice ; chance had put Mr. 
 Reman, who represented my foster-mother's 
 legal heirs, upon the track of the adventurer, 
 and chance had led him to mention the matter 
 to Archer, who since he had been in New York 
 had learned all my story. My astute younger 
 brother, stimulated by his mistrust and dislike 
 of Peyton-Call, had promptly supplied data for 
 the identification of the unknown adventurer 
 and also a full explanation of his motives. 
 Now I had the doubtful satisfaction of such 
 proofs of friendship as Mr. Reman's letter 
 afforded. 
 
 " My dear Cassandra," he wrote, " the en- 
 304 
 
Mr Peyton-Call Has Tact 
 
 closures from our lawyers speak for them- 
 selves. 1 only want to add, by way of apology 
 for troubling you with this disgusting business, 
 that we, your warm friends, feel justified in 
 showing some anxiety in your behalf. That 
 you have thrown aside our name, that you are 
 still refusing to let us help you except in this 
 slight assistance to your fine young brother, 
 all this does not prevent our regarding our- 
 selves as your natural protectors. You are so 
 absolutely unworldly, so impulsive in your af- 
 fections, that you are just the kind of girl to 
 be deceived by the low cunning of others. 
 Archer has told me enough about this man 
 Peyton-Call for me to realize that his cupidity 
 may be very profoundly concealed. That sort 
 of man may be really dangerous. I suppose it 
 hurts your pride to have me imply he could be 
 dangerous to you. 1 am sure that by this time 
 you are relieved from the impertinence of his 
 attentions, as the matter that interests him is 
 now settled at last. You will see by the en- 
 closures from your attorney that the last step 
 is complete of that act which puts us under 
 lifelong obligation to you. Though this mer- 
 cenary schemer is settled, you still should un- 
 derstand the situation so that his withdrawal 
 may not puzzle you." 
 
 I was perhaps as grateful for this letter as 
 any other girl would have been : as for an ab- 
 
 305 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 surd effusion from Archer, written in similar 
 tone, angry as I was it made me laugh. I re- 
 plied to his letter with more art than honesty, 
 affecting a high disdain of their tempest in a 
 tea-pot. 
 
 " I am surprised you should be wasting your 
 time, so valuable for study just now, over these 
 matters which do not concern you," I wrote 
 my brother. " Remember, dear, others are 
 paying for your tuition and you owe them 
 your best application. As for Mr. Peyton- 
 Call's attitude toward me, your letters have 
 made me no great revelation. I've had to do 
 with that kind of man before, and long ago I 
 understood our neighbor of Caxton. The sit- 
 uation is not as tragic as it appears to your in- 
 experience. It does not touch my dignity or 
 my honor in the least. We should feel only 
 pity for the poor fellow who is ready for any 
 desperate means to save his house. Some day 
 you will be more charitable toward the under- 
 dogs in the fight of life ; for people whose 
 whole inheritance is bad, materially and spir- 
 itually. The wonder with this man is, not that 
 he has mean impulses, but where he gets 
 so many nobler traits. He presents some of 
 the finest flowers of virtue in the perfection of 
 his courtesies, his self-command, his temper- 
 ance in the midst of temptations, and above all 
 in his sincere devotion to an ideal. A man 
 306 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Has Tact 
 
 who adores the memory of his mother as he 
 does is not wholly bad, you know. 
 
 " Now please drop this subject altogether 
 and attend to your work. Give me a more 
 complete account of your daily duties ; we 
 are deeply interested in every word you write 
 about yourself." 
 
 Having finished this bit of composition with 
 frowning brow and close-set lips, I walked my 
 room to get control over my agitation. Shame 
 and scorn and indignation swept over me in 
 waves. I recalled every hint I had received 
 from Peyton-Call himself as to where his inter- 
 est lay. In truth, he seemed scarcely to have 
 taken the trouble to be cautious. His inquiry 
 concerning my age, his direct question the 
 morning we were riding, his gibes at my pre- 
 tence of poverty on Christmas night, and on that 
 night his frank avowal to me of his debts and the 
 dedication of his life to preserve his house — all 
 this had been boldly plain. It looked as though 
 he had half scorned to dissemble. Even in his 
 relation to Virgie, so far as I had observed, 
 he had made no serious pretence of love. 
 She, too, had been chosen in cool calculation, 
 relinquished again without regret when he had 
 something better in view. Insufferable effront- 
 ery ! 
 
 But though I raged awhile, I was not hard 
 hit, and presently I could congratulate myself 
 
 307 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 on the elasticity of my humor. My kind cous- 
 in's characterization of me as unworldly, im- 
 pulsively affectionate, requiring warning against 
 designing men, was really quite as mirth-pro- 
 voking as poor Archer's excited little letter; 
 and my own feeling defence of Peyton-Call, 
 when I re-read it, seemed the most screamingly 
 funny of the whole collection. 
 
 After I was sufficiently cooled I went to Bud 
 with the first and pleasant part of my mail and 
 read him the letters. 
 
 " What do you think about Archer's staying 
 in New York ? " I asked him. 
 
 " You know what's right, Sister," he returned, 
 moodily. 
 
 "It is right he should stay where he can 
 make the most of himself," I answered, with 
 decision. 
 
 "All right, Sister, you write him he must 
 stay. He's your boy now, and you have the 
 say-so about him. He used to be my boy. It's 
 right lonely home without him." 
 
 Wrought up as I was, Bud's words hurt me 
 cruelly. I walked away out under the oaks 
 and down to the spring, battling with tears. 
 The sun was at noon, the winter day was balmy 
 as in April. There were the joyous robins in 
 the holly-trees, I had remembered since I 
 was a child. Under that arbor of green and 
 rubied branches I knelt down at the edge of 
 308 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Has Tact 
 
 the sunken hogshead of the spring. I mirrored 
 my face in the water as I had so often with Bud 
 when we were little, and fell into a sad revery. 
 
 Quietly scrutinizing my face, I admitted to 
 myself some bitter truths. My coming home 
 had been a weary mistake, the good of it all 
 elusive. Though I was a Dale, though the 
 outline of my brow, the set of my mouth re- 
 called so vividly the look oi each of my three 
 brothers, I was a stranger among them and out 
 of place. Better have stayed in New York 
 among my tiresome duties, in my false relations 
 to the world, and at least have had a home 
 to dream of as ideal ! Here I only made 
 trouble. Pain for Bud, mischief for Virgie, 
 meanness for Peyton-Call had followed fast on 
 my arrival. Wearily I bent still further over 
 the clear round water mirror. My eyes looked 
 back pathetically enough as if to ask — "Why 
 should a poor girl blame herself for having 
 been homesick and having come home ? " 
 
 The stiff little holly-leaves snapped and 
 crackled softly over my head, stirred in the 
 passing air ; a robin laughed mockingly above 
 me. I was at heart a little child again, dream- 
 ing old dreams by the spring. Bud should 
 have been beside me, his dark eyes looking up 
 into mine from that cool depth 
 
 "Vanity of vanities, all is vanity!" came a 
 voice, and there was a footfall behind me. 
 
 309 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Then in the water mirror appeared the face of 
 the master of Caxton. He had caught hold of 
 a branch overhead and so bent over me. His 
 reflection appeared ever so far below mine. 
 
 " Don't move," he begged. 
 
 I had no intention of moving. A heat had 
 passed into my face which I feared to let him 
 see lest he should not understand it aright. I 
 counted on his not noticing it in the depths of 
 the spring. 
 
 " On the contrary, I must ask you to move," 
 I said to him, lightly and coldly. " You are 
 disturbing me in some very serious reflections.'' 
 
 " I am sure I can help you," he returned with 
 his accustomed ease of impudence. " I can 
 witness quite as well as your fairy mirror that 
 you are just as beautiful as when you came to 
 Rolfe." 
 
 I thought to myself : " What ? Hasn't the 
 loss of my fortune detracted from my charm ? " 
 Aloud I affected a tone of chagrin. " I was 
 anxiously looking for some improvement. I 
 had great hopes of country air and a care-free 
 life." 
 
 " We must devise some cares for you," he 
 suggested. " Who is safe if you grow any 
 more dazzling ? " 
 
 Now I became a little cross. Why couldn't 
 the man leave me alone when he was done with 
 me? 
 
 310 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Has Tact 
 
 " I must ask you to curb your tongue a little, 
 Mr. Peyton-Call," I said. " Remember, you 
 are no longer on your own land and you can be 
 shown off the premises." 
 
 He laughed, dropped on his knee beside me, 
 and bent far over the spring. 
 
 " Miss Dale, why have you been crying ? " he 
 demanded, with a sudden change of tone. 
 
 " There is no reason on the wide earth why I 
 should tell you," I returned. 
 
 " Now, if I can give you a reason, will you 
 tell me?" 
 
 " It would have to be a mighty good one." 
 
 I was half-consciously fascinated by the study 
 of his face in the water. There seemed to be 
 no embarrassment in our looking at each other 
 through our reflection in the spring. It was 
 the first time I had seen his face in the light of 
 all I knew about his character. I wondered, 
 half-idly, whether I could have read cunning 
 and avarice in his features before I knew him. 
 
 "The reason why you should tell me is very 
 good," he said, slowly. " I am your only friend 
 in Rolfe. Virgie is in disgrace with you ; you 
 have frightened Bud out of your sight ; you 
 have sent away Archer, and you didn't keep 
 Baerensprung ; you have failed to cultivate 
 Mrs. Lena. In short, I repeat, you haven't a 
 friend besides me." 
 
 " Well, isn't that enough to make me cry ? " 
 311 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 I asked, with a nervous attempt at humor ; and 
 then a sort of fury for experimentation pos- 
 sessed me and I continued, without much cau- 
 tion : " moreover, my trouble to-day is outside 
 the pale of your sympathetic condolence. I've 
 been vexed by the content of some letters from 
 New York." 
 
 " About Archer, I suppose," he said, with a 
 steady look that rather took me aback. I had 
 expected him to flinch a little. 
 
 " From Archer," I returned, in a tone of as- 
 sent. " And about — business." 
 
 " I believe you dislike business," he said, 
 amiably, " about as much as I do." 
 
 " Rather more, I fancy," I returned, and I 
 felt my color rising. 
 
 " Not more," he said. " I, too, have had let- 
 ters by the Northern mail this morning — letr 
 ters that take a whole weight of business from 
 my shoulders. I feel an inexpressible relief. I 
 wish from my heart " — he looked suddenly up 
 from the water and faced me with a swift ear- 
 nestness — " that you could share this relief." 
 
 I rose quickly to my feet, without accepting 
 the proffer of his hand. The slight was marked 
 — he set his lips as if in pain. 
 
 " Friends should be valued by their devo- 
 tion," he began. 
 
 "Believe me, Mr. Peyton-Call," I cut in 
 coldly, " I have sounded yours to its depths. 
 
 312 
 
Mr. Peyton-Call Has Tact 
 
 I know on what it has been based, I know 
 how far it will go." 
 
 " I don't understand you," he said, with a 
 bleak look. " But I am accustomed to your 
 disfavor as a salamander to the flames. If you 
 would but once take me seriously long enough 
 to let me gain some assurance " 
 
 " More assurance ? " I asked him. 
 
 " I have been modest till now," he declared, 
 unflinchingly, " but I'll be so no longer. Miss 
 Dale, you must know my heart. Will you 
 marry me ? " 
 
 Though I knew his heart, I never before had 
 realized the heights of his skill. He had but 
 that morning been enlightened on the useless- 
 ness of wooing me ; but he would fain with- 
 draw in dignity and grace, let it appear that I 
 myself had ended our relations. I was really 
 grateful for this tact. He had chosen a mo- 
 ment for his offer when I was least graciously 
 disposed, when my answer would be the most 
 decisive. He had even refrained from lying 
 words, making no declaration of love. 
 
 All this flashed through my mind as I chose 
 the words for my answer. I respected his poor 
 barricade of dignity — I made it as formally con- 
 siderate as it was brief. 
 
 313 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 SPRING MOODS 
 
 If Virgie missed me half as much as I missed 
 her throughout that winter, she could not have 
 been happy with all her gayeties. That she did 
 miss me and repent of her share of our quarrel 
 I had several proofs. Bud spoke of it once and 
 delivered me a kind of oral message from 
 her ; I was so indignant at the means she had 
 chosen to approach me that I would make no 
 response. Another time Mr. Peyton-Call — 
 who still came to the house, contending that his 
 rejection as a suitor should not injure his stand- 
 ing as a friend — brought me a second overture 
 of peace. It was a message to the effect that 
 if Honey-Sweetness was to turn bitter and 
 Pudd'n'-Pie was to disagree with her, there was 
 no further balm in life. To this I responded 
 with an affectionate note, telling her how deep- 
 ly I missed her, how I longed to see her ; how 
 sure I felt that her warm heart and loyalty to 
 me would let her promise now the one thing I 
 wanted, the one thing on which our friendship 
 could again be based. 
 
 After sending this note I looked hopefully 
 314 
 
Spring Moods 
 
 during several days for Virgie's coming. I 
 was heavily disappointed. She was evidently 
 in no mind to make me the required promise. 
 
 A little later 1 received a formal invitation to 
 a dance at The Terraces, and enclosed there- 
 with a scribbled card from Virgie, sweet and 
 warm and naughty as herself. She was sick at 
 heart for a sight of her lovely green-spangled 
 dragon ; wouldn't I come and dragon her 
 and love her again ? Nobody loved her now. 
 Wouldn't I spend the night, and stay a week, 
 and live always with my devoted friend, Virgie. 
 
 To this I responded in the same way as be- 
 fore, and this was her last effort at reconcili- 
 ation. 
 
 One day Bud came home with a look on his 
 face that fairly broke my heart to see. I 
 thought that Virgie had brought her cruel 
 play to the usual end. Alas, Bud's hopes 
 were not crushed yet. He was white and 
 still only because Virgie had left Rolfe for 
 a time to visit in New Rome. Bud could 
 not follow her; he looked with blank dis- 
 may on the long weeks of separation ; but he 
 told me, when I gentty questioned him, that 
 Virgie had most sweetly bidden him good-by 
 and hoped he would not forget her till she 
 came back. She had also sent her dear love 
 and her good-byes to me, with the message 
 that Rolfe was not endurable now that Cassy 
 
 315 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 hated her, and she must go away to try to for- 
 get about it. 
 
 We had bitter cold weather that February. 
 Snows which in that section were considered 
 deep enforced a vacation upon the school-chil- 
 dren and myself. I was busy enough at home, 
 for both Pearl and Lena were demoralized by 
 the cold, and could scarcely be drawn from hud- 
 dling over the fire all day long. 
 
 Bud was at home, restless and impatient ; his 
 heart was in New Rome. For all that he was 
 more like himself toward me after the long 
 days' contact when I had the opportunity of 
 showing him how I longed for a sign of his 
 goodwill and trust. As in the early summer, 
 he now busied himself with carpentry work 
 for me ; and though he worked more and 
 talked less than in those first happy days, I 
 noted with deep content that he liked to "see 
 me near him. Our " good-nights " and " good- 
 mornings" were once more pleasant. He was 
 once more the real head of the house, reinforc- 
 ing my authority with his own, in quiet league 
 with me for the forming of Lena, confidential 
 with me on the subject of Lilbud's shortcom- 
 ings. He showed much sweetness and tact in 
 regard to my relation with Peyton-Call, whom 
 he soon understood I did not want to see alone. 
 
 " I reckon Don cusses me out right much," 
 he said, regretfully. " I certainly do hate to 
 316 
 
Spring Moods 
 
 break him up like that, talking horse to him, 
 when he comes to court you." 
 
 " He isn't courting me, as you call it, Bud," 
 I explained. " He comes because he lacks 
 other amusement. He hasn't the least idea of 
 being serious." 
 
 And I tried to instil a judicious amount of 
 poison in my good brother's mind on the gen- 
 eral subject of flirtation. Bud was indignant, 
 and rated me so soundly that I was almost 
 tempted to read him those letters from New 
 York which had so completely exposed his 
 hero, Don of Caxton. In a more generous 
 mood, however, I burned all that ugly proof of 
 Peyton-Call's mercenary intentions, and for- 
 gave him wholly for the past. 
 
 Though Bud and I had such frank and in- 
 timate conversations, the one thing that lay 
 nearest to our hearts we never mentioned to 
 each other. With that shadow of Virgie be- 
 tween us, do what we could, we were never 
 our old happy selves together. Bud smiled 
 as lovingly as ever ; but a quiet look of pain 
 had settled between his eyes and never left 
 him. He was rarely gay now ; he was older, 
 more determined, and, strangest of all, he had 
 learned the use of scorn. Lena and Pearl were 
 openly afraid of him ; Lilbud had little or 
 nothing to say at the family table and was rare- 
 ly with us at the sitting-room fire at night. 
 
 317 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 We two would sit whole evenings out in si- 
 lence, Bud staring into the flames, I scarcely 
 able to sew, my eyes were so much upon his 
 brooding face. It was then I came to realize 
 how beautiful he was, even with the glow and 
 sparkle of his former good-humor gone from 
 him. 
 
 And yet as the ground froze deeper and the 
 sleet made havoc in the forests without, we 
 were growing happier again, warming each 
 other's hearts with renewed kindnesses. Vir- 
 gie's visit to New Rome bade fair to prolong 
 itself for months. She was going out a great 
 deal, so rumor told us ; she was gay as never 
 before, making many conquests, flirting many 
 pretty dresses and fans, turning the heads and 
 breaking the hearts of the whole town. I let 
 Bud hear these things and he received them 
 with a languid air ; I began to believe his 
 hopes were dying within him. I yearned to 
 comfort him, I gave him every proof of my 
 devotion ; the short winter days and the lone 
 winter evenings we spent in quiet and consol- 
 ing companionship. 
 
 But the cold withdrew, the house was once 
 more open, my school work recommenced, and 
 spring was in the air. Bud was presently off 
 and away. The house could not hold him in 
 the revival of all his restlessness and longing. 
 Our relations remained affectionate, but we 
 318 
 
Spring Moods 
 
 seemed to see less of each other than ever be- 
 fore. After the sweet promise of those winter 
 days I was more desperately lonely than be- 
 fore. 
 
 The world was waking up around me, as 
 spring advanced. The children in school were 
 more affectionate, home was more cheerful. 
 Pearl sang throughout the day, Lena had fall- 
 en into the habit of laughing and chatting 
 much as she worked or idled, Lilbud went to 
 field with great content, talked of his crops, 
 talked of improvements, sat at the table with 
 a brighter face ; in him appeared some of the 
 complacency and good-humor that had been 
 Bud's. All seemed to be growing into their 
 own ways joyfully without any reference to 
 whether I myself was cheerful or sad. Since 
 my moods did not count, I suppose I gave 
 them play. Pearl, who daily walked with 
 me to and from school, inquired of me one 
 day : 
 
 " Miss Cassy, what makes you do like you do 
 do ? " in a tone that partook of reproach. Upon 
 my questions* she revealed to me that I had 
 fallen into the way of walking with my eyes 
 on the ground, that I talked only at table, and 
 that I had the general air of a person who was 
 " seekin'." 
 
 " I know white folks don't get 'ligion that a 
 way," she apologized ; " but it sho' do look like 
 
 319 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 yo' mind was gropplin' afteh de kingdom 
 comin'." 
 
 I made efforts at a more spirited demeanor 
 after that, and, conscious that it was an effort, 
 grew inwardly more desolate. My school work 
 was not hard enough and long enough to ocr 
 cupy my energy in full, now that the spring 
 work in the fields withdrew a great number 
 of my pupils. I spent the lengthening after- 
 noons at home in doing Lena's neglected 
 work, or in writing long, cheerful letters to 
 Archer — which always made me feel particu- 
 larly blue. 
 
 Sometimes Peyton-Call would stop at the 
 school and ask to accompany me home. If I 
 hesitated to accept his escort he would make 
 half-humorous, half-pathetic protestations of 
 his resolve not to annoy me in any way. When, 
 then, I had dismissed Pearl he would propose a 
 walk through the woods, a sight of the branch 
 swollen by spring freshets, or a stroll up to 
 Fair Hill. On the sunny piazza steps of that 
 deserted house, whence we looked over forests 
 and fields to The Terraces and to Caxton, I 
 used to sit and dream away in retrospect over 
 all I had learned since I had come to Rolfe. 
 In the final conclusion it always came to this : 
 what I had done had best been left undone ; 
 what I had learned was chiefly to subdue my 
 love of power and action. 
 320 
 
Spring Moods 
 
 Or we would stand on the banks of the brawl- 
 ing, chafing stream, iron-red with the clay it 
 had washed from the hills about its sources. 
 There I would moralize quietly, even smilingly, 
 on its course and on my own. I, like the mill- 
 stream, had lost my head ; like it I had swept 
 away the barriers on which my usefulness de- 
 pended, and had been since then inconstant, 
 unreliable, unserviceable. 
 
 It seemed mockingly appropriate that my 
 companion in these hours of contemplation 
 should be the man who had added the most 
 jarring note in all the discords of my life. His 
 deceit, his hidden meanness had wounded me, 
 not deeply perhaps, but lastingly. I had for- 
 given him : I even believed him capable of bet- 
 ter feeling now. Certainly he acted consist- 
 ently with the r61e he had assumed. Still it 
 added a sombre tone to my thoughts to be re- 
 minded by his presence of one more evil inci- 
 dent to my coming home. 
 
 The spring woods, sunny, leafless, and sweet- 
 scented, were my quiet consolation. I gathered 
 none of the fragile flowers that had already 
 begun to appear; I even passed them unno- 
 ticed until my companion pointed them out. 
 What pleased me was the hushed rustling of 
 the dead leaves underfoot, the tranquil stillness 
 of all nature when we stood quiet. 
 
 And Peyton-Call left my moody silences un- 
 321 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 remarked, gave me the whole satisfaction of feel- 
 ing myself alone. He himself fell easily into 
 an hour's silence, serenely idle and content. 
 Whether we sat or stood or walked there 
 was never a hasty, graceless movement from 
 him, or an irrelevant remark. He belonged 
 to the open woods, harmonized in figure and 
 bearing with every scene. The days when 
 he had posed for my notice were happily 
 over; he had grown impersonal, low-voiced, 
 calm. 
 
 Slowly his personality grew restful to me. I 
 needed him when he was absent. 
 
 My school closed at the end of March, and 
 now we were in the very heyday of spring. 
 None of the children breathed their relief more 
 freely than I on the last day of dismissal. Now 
 came a week of comparative idleness for me. 
 Lena had taken to gardening, she and Lilbud 
 were out-of-doors all day ; Bud was horse- 
 training in Lennox once more. I found noth- 
 ing to do, nothing to interest me, and I grew 
 amazingly restless and hungry for a change. 
 If Virgie had been at home I should have gone 
 to her without a scruple. My disapproval of 
 her was worn threadbare. I was inclined to 
 resent the trouble Bud had been to me in a sort 
 of reaction against my long self-accusation. I 
 was ready for some kind of excitement, some 
 kind of play, after my long brooding; and 
 322 
 
Spring Moods 
 
 Peyton-Call took the occasion to reassume his 
 old attitude toward me. 
 
 It was a mad April ; gay, sunny days ; clouds 
 and storms ; long, cold nights ; and after them 
 mornings fairly stolen from summer, so warm 
 and idle and green they were ; the season 
 played on me for mischief. Though I believed 
 Mr. Peyton-Call finally sincere as far as his light 
 nature allowed, still I stifled conscience, and 
 amused myself in a wholly reprehensible contest 
 with him. Instead of dismissing him promptly 
 as I had before, I undertook to tell him that he 
 did not know his own mind ; that sheer idleness 
 and obstinacy had kept him at his game of de- 
 votion. Needless to say, he was entirely ready 
 for this sort of a battle ; with skill and cunning 
 he both defended himself and attacked me ; 
 and having once for all denied myself the use 
 of my one great weapon against him, I was 
 not particularly successful in maintaining my 
 charge. I began to scent danger, and tried 
 to withdraw ; and he threw aside his non- 
 sense and for the second time asked for my 
 hand. 
 
 " Our whole discussion has been beside the 
 question, Mr. Peyton-Call," I finally declared. 
 " Whether you are serious or not, you have my 
 last answer. I don't want to be married " 
 
 " But I do," he objected. " You ought not 
 to decide for me in that radical way." 
 
 323 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Then only I took the decisive step of banish- 
 ing him from my presence altogether. 
 
 " You'll be sorry for this, if I die of it," he 
 cried between resentment and sorrow as he de- 
 parted. I laughed very easily ; and as soon as 
 he was out of sight I began to feel inexpressibly 
 bored. 
 
 324 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 
 COLONEL FANTON IS CHECKED 
 
 It chanced that I had not been to visit the 
 Baumanns for ten days or more, and I was un- 
 aware of the complication of their affairs till 
 I was surprised one afternoon by a call from 
 Mrs. Baumann. She drove up with Karl in 
 the buggy, and alighted at my door in a very 
 excited and unhappy frame of mind. She was 
 on her way to the Court-house, where the case 
 between her husband and Colonel Fanton in 
 regard to the head-water purchase had been 
 on trial that morning. Mr. Baumann had 
 promised to come home himself at noon, or 
 else to send a message as to how the case had 
 gone ; he had done neither. The wife's anxi- 
 ety would not let her rest ; she feared for her 
 Wilhelm's safety among all those dreadful men. 
 
 In vain I tried to laugh away her absurd 
 fears; she insisted that Rolfe County people 
 were but half-civilized ; that under the guise of 
 justice the court helped scoundrels to fleece 
 honest people; that furthermore there was 
 much hard drinking on court days, as Wilhelm 
 had often told her, and a great deal of fighting ; 
 
 325 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 that Wilhelm would be furious if the case went 
 against him and would talk out his mind, and 
 that then these fire-eating Southerners would 
 be more than likely to draw their pistols, which 
 they carried always loaded, and shoot him down 
 like a dog. 
 
 So now Mrs. Baumann was thither bound to 
 know the worst. My offer to go with her was 
 promptly accepted. Indeed, she had thrown 
 herself upon my sympathy and aid in a man- 
 ner that was very surprising in a person of her 
 usual frigid independence. I reflected between 
 amusement and pity on her child-like ignorance, 
 and the mistrust she had of her surroundings. 
 She was not even at home in the wagon, a timid 
 driver herself, afraid to trust me with the reins. 
 
 Throughout the drive she kept up a flow of 
 dismal speculation. If the case had gone 
 against Wilhelm their capital was gone. Why 
 would men insist upon speculations ? Why had 
 Dr. von Baerensprung ever started the unhappy 
 reforestration scheme? If, on the other hand, 
 Mr. Baumann had by any miracle received jus- 
 tice at the hands of the court, he must have 
 been delayed or injured in a fight with that 
 monster, Colonel Fanton. 
 
 " It is far more likely, Mrs. Baumann, that 
 
 the case is not decided yet," I suggested. " If 
 
 the hours announced were in the morning, it is 
 
 probable that the court didn't saunter together 
 
 326 
 
Colonel Fanton is Checked 
 
 till some time after dinner. I think your going 
 down there is all nonsense, and that Mr. Bau- 
 mann won't be at all glad to see you." 
 
 " Papa will be mad," Karl joined in, shrewdly. 
 " Everything makes him mad nowadays." 
 
 " Hush, Karl, we grown people are talking 
 now," I said to my saucy pupil. Mrs. Bau- 
 mann looked recklessly resolved to face her 
 husband's wrath, rather than to endure any 
 longer the torment of uncertainty. 
 
 To go to the Court-house on a week-day was 
 a disagreeable experience for myself. I had 
 been to the monthly services in the chapel 
 there, but those were the only occasions when 
 I had exposed myself to the curious gaze of 
 the public. To-day there were scores of 
 wagons, mules, and saddle-horses hitched along 
 the fences of the several roads that led to 
 the county-seat. There was a picturesque and 
 rather tough-looking crowd of countrymen 
 scattered in groups about the court-green and 
 before the stores of the main street, a good 
 many others were already riding and driving 
 away. I looked with some interest on the scene 
 in which I knew my brothers had so often taken 
 part. This was the place of horse-trading, and 
 of every sort of social intercourse among the 
 men of Rolfe. 
 
 " I don't see any women. Do you think we 
 can go up ? " asked Mrs. Baumann, timidly. 
 
 327 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Of course we can go wherever we have any 
 business," I answered, rather crossly. " Every- 
 one here probably knows us, and knows we 
 have a reason for being here." 
 
 I took the reins from her, and drove on to 
 the court-house gate. As far as I could see, 
 not a man in the whole vicinity but was per- 
 fectly well-behaved, sober, and indifferent to 
 our movements. To Mrs. Baumann this driv- 
 ing up among them was a wild and almost 
 wicked adventure. She was positively pale, 
 and when an acquaintance of mine approached 
 the buggy and raised his hat in cheerful greet- 
 ing she gave a frightened little gasp. 
 
 He was a man I had met at the dance. I 
 could not remember his name to introduce him 
 to Mrs. Baumann ; but I bowed to him and 
 asked him whether the court had adjourned. 
 
 " About half an hour ago, Miss Dale ; but I 
 reckon no one has gone home yet. Do you 
 want to see anybody ? Shall I call anybody out 
 to the buggy ? " 
 
 " We want to speak to Mr. Baumann," I said, 
 looking at his wife. 
 
 " Oh, I reckon he's in there yet," said my 
 acquaintance, politely. " Let me go find him 
 for you. Or won't you 'light and come into 
 one of the offices? There's nobody much in- 
 side." 
 
 I thought that would be best, and we de- 
 328 
 
Colonel Fanton is Checked 
 
 scended from our carriage and left it to Karl's 
 care. 
 
 " Do you know how the case has been de- 
 cided?" I asked our guide as we went up the 
 brick walk and up the dirty steps into the great 
 white-columned portico. 
 
 " Well, I reckon it ain't been decided yet," 
 he answered with some hesitation, and I in- 
 ferred that things were going against Mr. Bau- 
 mann. 
 
 " You-all wait in here," he said, courteously, 
 flinging open a door to the right as we entered 
 the hall. " I reckon Mr. Baumann is in Mr. 
 Dickson's room. Mr. Dickson is his lawyer, 
 ain't he? " 
 
 Mrs. Baumann nodded and our friend de- 
 parted. 
 
 We were in a bare office with two or three 
 closed desks and the general look of disuse. 
 The chairs were too dusty to sit down, and I 
 walked about idly looking at the State and 
 county maps which decorated the bare plaster 
 walls. Mrs. Baumann stood rigid and nervous 
 in the centre of the room, listening for the com- 
 ing of her lord and master. 
 
 I was anticipating a disagreeable scene be- 
 tween them and resented having to witness 
 it. At the same time my heart ached in pity 
 for my unfortunate friends. I very well knew 
 that Mr. Baumann had meant to put his whole 
 
 329 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 capital into the enterprise his friend had pointed 
 out to him. 
 
 But I was to be spared the scene after all; 
 Mr. Baumann's voice was heard in the hall 
 before he entered. His wife rushed forth to 
 meet him. There was a short sharp inter- 
 change of words, strong feelings modified on 
 both sides by the presence, presumably, of Mr. 
 Dickson, who mingled soothing English ex- 
 planations and encouragement with the Ger- 
 man of the client and his wife. Then the three 
 withdrew to a room across the hall and closed 
 themselves in. 
 
 There was considerable movement in the 
 room over my head. A good many men were 
 coming down the stairway in the hall, and I 
 judged the court's formal adjournment was 
 only now followed by a general dispersing. 
 
 It provoked me that Mrs. Baumann should 
 have left me alone, and I withdrew to the shel- 
 ter of one of the window embrasures so as not 
 to be noticed from the hall. Someone had seen 
 me, nevertheless. I was suddenly startled to 
 hear a man call out cheerfully on the stairs : 
 
 " Don, oh, Donald ! Donald Peyton-Call ! 
 There's a lady in your office I reckon has been 
 waitin' for you for some time." 
 
 " Where's my office ? " came the voice 
 I dreaded to hear. " Why the devil didn't 
 someone send for me ? Where's that no'-count 
 330 
 
Colonel Fanton is Checked 
 
 nigger that ought to be around here? Which 
 is my office, anyhow ? " 
 
 Someone must have directed him, there was 
 a concert of short laughs from the men who 
 overheard him, and thus ushered Peyton-Call 
 hurried in upon me. When I turned to face 
 him, he stopped short as if electrified and an 
 unaffected radiance flashed over his face. 
 
 " Cassandra ! " he exclaimed, in a voice vi- 
 brating with feeling. A wave of pity and self- 
 reproach swept over me. I might have thought 
 of this chance, might have considered him 
 enough to have avoided this meeting. Now, 
 by his looks, his hopes were flaming high and 
 I must dash them. 
 
 " I didn't know this was your office, Mr. Pey- 
 ton-Call," I said, as gently as I could. He came 
 up to me and his face fell as he met my eyes. 
 
 " Won't you shake hands ? " he asked, rather 
 plaintively. " It's a weary lifetime since I 
 have seen you." 
 
 I laughed and gave him my hand readily 
 enough. 
 
 "How do you do?" I asked, cheerfully. 
 He wanted to retain my hand ; I shook my 
 head and drew it away. 
 
 " I'm not at all well," he answered my ques-. 
 tion, dismally enough. " I don't expect to live 
 my dog's life much longer. I've spent my time 
 trying to drown my sorrow in hard drink." 
 
 33i 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 He wanted to play on me to show some con- 
 cern, and I prudently maintained an air of great 
 indifference. As a matter of fact, my heart sank 
 a little. 
 
 " I'm here with Mrs. Baumann," I explained, 
 by way of changing the subject. "We are 
 very anxious about the outcome of Mr, Bau- 
 mann's case with Colonel Fanton." 
 
 " What's up between them ? " inquired Pey- 
 ton-Call. 
 
 " What, don't you know ? " I asked, with 
 surprise. " Haven't you been in court to- 
 day?" 
 
 " No, indeed, I've been playing seven-up in 
 Blair Lathrop's office ever since last night," 
 he answered, moodily. " I don't know what 
 time of the day it is, I haven't slept in so long. 
 When I first saw you I thought it was about 
 sunrise " 
 
 I cut him short. "You surely know that 
 your refusal to sell to Mr. Baumann the mill- 
 site has drawn him into his present trouble, 
 and " 
 
 He looked so startled at my statement, and 
 it seemed so out of character for him to be 
 startled that the words died on my lips in my 
 surprise. 
 
 " I wish you would tell me more about this, 
 Miss Dale," he said in rather an unnatural voice, 
 and he stepped nearer to me. " There's so 
 332 
 
Colonel Fanton is Checked 
 
 much litigation of every kind in Rolfe, you 
 know, that no one can keep up with the cases 
 which do not concern him." 
 
 It was obvious, however, that Mr. Peyton- 
 Call felt himself concerned in this ; and more- 
 over, that he wished to conceal the extent of 
 his interest. 
 
 "Dr. von Baerensprung when he was here 
 worked out a scheme — " I began ; he nodded. 
 "Did you understand about it, Mr. Peyton- 
 Call?" I asked, astonished. 
 
 " Perfectly," he answered, too intent for once 
 to play his r61e of indolent indifference. " Fan- 
 ton's land was to be reforested and thus my 
 water-power restored. How is Baumann in- 
 volved ? He must have wanted to go into it ; 
 but didn't he give it up when he found I 
 wouldn't sell?" 
 
 " He had been unwise enough to go to Col- 
 onel Fanton first," I explained, "who claims 
 that he agreed to take the land and is suing 
 him for payment. The truth is, Mr. Baumann 
 had made his offer to Colonel Fanton con- 
 ditional on your selling ; but he is having diffi- 
 culty in proving that. Colonel Fanton's prac- 
 tice in litigation " 
 
 " I understand perfectly," said Peyton-Call, 
 slowly, and my wonderment grew to see that 
 the color was rising to his face and his eyes 
 narrowing dangerously. " Colonel Fanton 
 
 333 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 thinks he can realize something on that land 
 once more — after all." 
 
 " He will, unless someone comes to Mr. Bau- 
 mann's aid." 
 
 " Since it was my refusal to sell which brought 
 your German friend into his scrape," said Pey- 
 ton-Call with a return of his usual careless air, 
 " I suppose it is my place to drag him out of it 
 again." 
 
 " That would be just," 1 observed. 
 
 " I don't care in the least about being just," 
 he said, quickly. " If I serve him, it is only be- 
 cause you are interested in him." 
 
 " You must not do it on any such grounds," 
 I protested. " I won't be in any way responsi- 
 ble for your selling the mill-site against your 
 better judgment." 
 
 If he could thereby earn an approving smile, 
 he stated, he would give the mill away and 
 throw in Caxton ; but I need not fear any re- 
 sponsibility in this case, the question of selling 
 the mill need not enter at all. 
 
 " If I can stop Colonel Fanton's suit, and so 
 let Baumann out without a loss, isn't that all 
 that is wanted ? " he asked, and I assented. 
 "Colonel Fanton is probably still about the 
 court-house," he continued ; " I will see him at 
 once and arrange the whole business in a very 
 few minutes, I hope." 
 
 " Can you not tell me what you mean to do?" 
 334 
 
Colonel Fanton is Checked 
 
 I inquired, with a secret alarm I could not have 
 explained. The set, hard curves about Pey- 
 ton-Call's mouth recalled his mother's likeness 
 vividly. 
 
 " I have a sort of claim on the land in ques- 
 tion," he explained, politely. " It once belonged 
 to my father, and he sold it to Colonel Fanton 
 under a restriction. It isn't a matter of the 
 least value or importance " (why, then, did Mr. 
 Peyton-Call speak of it almost breathlessly), 
 "but it will present exactly the right sort of 
 obstacle, just at this point, to Colonel Fanton's 
 getting rid of the land." 
 
 He took up his hat he had thrown upon a 
 chair and paused a moment. 
 
 " It ought to be set down to my credit," he 
 suggested, " that I am leaving you now to serve 
 you." 
 
 " You aren't serving me, but a neighbor to 
 whom, perhaps, you owe something by way of 
 reparation." 
 
 " I am doing it solely for you," he returned, 
 obstinately. " I don't love my neighbor. If 
 you won't let me do it for you, I won't do it at 
 all." 
 
 " Do it for me, then," I said, with an invol- 
 untary laugh, and then I added, gravely, " but 
 I need not remind you of the first rule of chiv- 
 alry — to serve without a thought of reward." 
 
 He bowed slightly and quickly left the room. 
 
 335 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 In the hall I heard him hail Blair Lathrop to 
 inquire Colonel Fanton's whereabouts. 
 
 " He's up yonder in the court-room teaching 
 Judge Casewell all about law," returned that 
 light-hearted youth with a laugh ; and I heard 
 Mr. Peyton-Call run up the stairs. An impulse 
 possessed me, and I stepped into the doorway 
 of the room just as Blair Lathrop was passing. 
 He stopped to greet me and shake hands with 
 me. 
 
 " What's your business 'round these parts, 
 Miss Cassandra ? " he inquired. " I hope and 
 trust that if you've come to consult a lawyer 
 I'm to be the happy man. I haven't had a 
 client, not in two years and seven months." 
 
 "I'm sorry I am not a client; I have come 
 with Mrs. Baumann and I'm trying to admire 
 your court-house while I wait for her," I ex- 
 plained ; and then I remembered a passage in 
 Mrs. Reman's diary, and added : " Aren't 
 there some paintings here to be seen by visi- 
 tors?" 
 
 " Certainly, up in the court-room — old por- 
 traits — hand-painted, done in oil, ante-bellum 
 — only thing saved when the old court-house 
 was burned," he returned, readily. " Come with 
 me, Miss Cassandra. I'm proud to show you 
 our treasures of art." 
 
 I followed my guide accordingly, and we 
 went upstairs. When we entered the big bare 
 336 
 
Colonel Fanton is Checked 
 
 room, with its worn desks and bleak bare plank 
 floor, my eye sought out the group of men near 
 the window. Colonel Fanton was seated with 
 an open law-book on his knees, of which he was 
 turning the leaves, and behind his chair stood 
 Peyton-Call and another man, apparently inter- 
 ested in the book also. There were several 
 other people in the room, a colored man sweep- 
 ing in the far end, the clerk of the court arrang- 
 ing some papers at his desk, and two country- 
 men squatting on the edge of the judge's plat- 
 form engaged in loud and cheerful conversation 
 on the profit and loss in raising mules. 
 
 " I'm a layman, gentlemen, but I've picked 
 up right much law in the course of my life," I 
 heard Colonel Fanton say pleasantly to the men 
 behind his chair, and then the talk of the mule 
 owners drowned the rest of his speech. 
 
 Blair Lathrop led me along the western wall 
 of the room where the smoky old portraits 
 hung and told me in turn who they were. We 
 passed out of range of the mule-raisers' discus- 
 sion, and I heard Peyton-Call's cool, low voice 
 very distinctly. 
 
 " Someone told me downstairs, Colonel Fan- 
 ton, that you're going to sell that big timber- 
 tract south of you to Baumann." 
 
 " Well, I reckon I have sold it, Don," re- 
 turned Colonel Fanton, easily. " I've had a 
 little trouble " 
 
 337 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Here Blair Lathrop asked me what I thought 
 of the beauty of one of his own ancestors who 
 figured before me in a mighty wig. In re- 
 sponding I lost some more of the interesting 
 talk in the window. The next words I caught 
 were from Peyton-Call again. 
 
 "... the old agreement of purchase 
 under which you bought that land of my father 
 there was a restriction against the removal of 
 the timber, wasn't there ? " 
 
 Blair Lathrop heard the words as plainly as 
 I did, a remark he was about to make to me 
 died on his lips, he uttered instead a faint 
 whistle of amazement and turned to look at the 
 group in the window. The two men on the 
 steps likewise had heard, checked their own 
 talk, and turned with curious interest to listen. 
 
 " Of course," continued Peyton-Call, in a 
 pleasant and courteous tone, " there must have 
 been a clause in that agreement providing for 
 the perpetuation of that restriction in case of a 
 sale." 
 
 Colonel Fanton had arisen and faced the 
 other with rather a blank expression on his 
 face. The third man had fallen back a few 
 steps and leaned in the window, where he formed 
 a motionless silhouette. Peyton-Call had placed 
 his foot on the rung of the chair Colonel Fan- 
 ton had left, and leaning on the back tipped 
 it forward with a negligent air, while he con- 
 338 
 
Colonel Fanton is Checked 
 
 tinued to talk with a drawl a shade more lazy 
 in his voice than was natural to him. 
 
 " If you were going to hold the land I 
 shouldn't care about the contract, of course," 
 he said, amiably. " My interests, I know, are 
 always safest in your hands, Colonel Fanton. 
 But if a stranger like Baumann is to own the 
 tract I want my rights secured." 
 
 " Well, Don, I don't know anything about 
 the contract," said Colonel Fanton in rather a 
 raised voice. 
 
 Blair whistled softly once more ; the two men 
 sitting on the platform exchanged glances. 
 
 " As to that, neither do I," returned Mr. Pey- 
 ton-Call. " I suppose it is lost. It seems to 
 me I have heard it was lost. But can't you re- 
 member the terms? I think my uncle, who 
 told me about it, said the terms were very 
 simple. It was only a slight restriction on the 
 cutting of the timber, wasn't it ? I supposed, 
 of course, you would have it all in your head. 
 You're a lumberman, and I'm not, Colonel 
 Fanton." 
 
 " No, Don, I don't remember a word about 
 it, and that's a fact," said Colonel Fanton, in a 
 cool tone of regret. " If I ever did sign such 
 a paper at all " 
 
 " Oh, I have proof that it once existed, quite 
 sufficient for the court," returned Peyton-Call, 
 quickly. 
 
 339 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 For a moment they eyed each other steadily. 
 You could have heard a pin drop in the court- 
 room. The negro janitor had become affected 
 by the nerwpusly charged atmosphere and 
 stood with op'en mouth looking at the motion- 
 less group of men. 
 
 " Well, what are you going to do ?" inquired 
 Colonel Fanton, with a menacing growl in his 
 voice. 
 
 "What do you think ought to be done?" 
 asked the other, with the air of cordially de- 
 ferring to the older man. " Don't you advise 
 me to try to recover the terms of the old agree- 
 ment or restriction, so that it can be re-estab- 
 lished before the land changes hands? You 
 have so much better a business-head than I, 
 Colonel Fanton, that I feel in this case the 
 practical suggestion should come from you." 
 
 " My suggestion is very practical, Don," re- 
 turned Colonel Fanton, with a rather saturnine 
 manner of benevolence. " I advise you to leave 
 this business alone from the start. You'll gain 
 nothing, and you may make yourself as well 
 as me a great deal of trouble. Your interest 
 won't suffer when Baumann gets the land, be- 
 cause his only idea is reforestation." 
 
 " Reforestration ! " echoed Mr. Peyton-Call, 
 with exquisitely feigned surprise. " I am not 
 aware that the land needs reforestration. It's 
 well timbered, isn't it? " 
 34° 
 
Colonel Fanton is Checked 
 
 There was a suppressed explosion of laughter 
 on the part of Blair Lathrop. The silhouette in 
 the window moved uneasily. The mule-owners 
 rose to their feet in their excitement to hear 
 the battle wage so hot ; and around the firmly 
 closed lips of Peyton-Call there hovered a 
 mocking smile. 
 
 At the same time a dangerous flush had 
 spread over the face of the older man. He 
 stood there before a heartless tribunal, con- 
 fronted without warning with the startling in- 
 telligence that what he believed he had done 
 in secret was known and talked about in all his 
 little world. More than that, the man he had 
 wronged from childhood, and to whom he had 
 since desired to make reparation, was con- 
 scious and coolly scornful of it all. 
 
 I reflected that this was Virgie's father and 
 my heart sank in pain and shame at this scene, 
 so unmistakably an exposure. And I had 
 willed it ! I still willed it ; the German and his 
 family must be spared, justice must be done 
 toward him who was so insatiably greedy of 
 his neighbor's goods. Yet tears filled my eyes 
 as I witnessed the older man's confusion. 
 
 " I think the best way for us to establish the 
 terms of the old agreement, Colonel Fanton," 
 said his antagonist, steadily, " would be for me 
 to bring a friendly suit against you. What 
 do you say? If we can prove the paper is 
 
 341 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 lost, there may be found witnesses to the 
 terms." 
 
 " Take care, Don, take care," cried the other, 
 and anger rumbled in his voice like advancing 
 thunder. "You might know me well enough 
 — you-all know me well enough " (he ad- 
 dressed his witnesses here with the air of defy- 
 ing all the world), " to know I won't stand any 
 fooling. If anything you do, Don, interferes 
 with or delays my suit against Baumann, I — 
 shall — not — regard it — in — a friendly light." 
 
 He spoke with a real menace. Peyton-Call 
 returned his look with a stony stare of con- 
 tempt, but still maintained his farcical cour- 
 tesy. 
 
 " Of course, I could never feel anything but 
 friendly toward you, Colonel Fanton," he. said, 
 with a slight inclination of the head. " I see 
 no reason why my slight claim, coming in at 
 this point, should interfere with your deal. 
 At worst, it can only delay your suit a few 
 days." 
 
 " So you persist in getting into my way, do 
 you ? " thundered the other. 
 
 " Colonel Fanton, I would not be in your way 
 — not for anything in this world," returned 
 Peyton-Call, with a mocking bow. He stepped 
 aside with an air of deference, and drew his 
 chair from before the other as if to leave him a 
 free passage to the door. 
 342 
 
Colonel Fanton is Checked 
 
 Before the group could disperse I slipped 
 out and away, very unwilling to be caught 
 eavesdropping by Peyton-Call. My escort was 
 so transfixed with interest at what had occurred 
 that he had forgotten all about me. I paused 
 in the shadow of the stairs, uncertain where to 
 go. Now Colonel Fanton stamped down past 
 me, and I noted an ugly look of decision on his 
 face ; then followed the three nearer witnesses 
 to the scene by the window. They talked ea- 
 gerly in low voices as they went down the stairs 
 together. 
 
 " Don's awake at last, and that old cur- 
 mudgeon is caught in his own tracks," said one, 
 with a chuckle. 
 
 " This will let Baumann out fast enough," 
 observed another. 
 
 " What you reckon struck Don to show so 
 much spunk? Didn't think he had it in him ! " 
 
 " Oh, he won't fight it through, he's too damn 
 lax and lazy. He just took a notion, that's all. 
 I wonder if somebody has been talking to him 
 and opening his eyes." 
 
 And they passed on down and out of my 
 hearing. I heard Peyton-Call's laugh, and 
 feared to be seen on the stairs after all ; the 
 Baumanns stepped out of Mr. Dickson's office 
 just in time for me to join them. Blair Lathrop 
 came hurrying after me, full of apologies for 
 not following me from the court-room. 
 
 343 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Now, I want to show you the old iron safe 
 that has a dent in it made by a Yankee shell," 
 he said, still under the impression that I was 
 sightseeing. " It's a great dent ! You must 
 see it. It's in Judge Casewell's room." 
 
 But I thanked him, bade him good-evening, 
 and followed my silent friends, the Baumanns, 
 out to the court-house gate. 
 
 344 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 
 A STORMY EVENING 
 
 SOMEWHAT to my surprise I found that Mr. 
 Baumann expected to drive home with us in 
 the buggy. I was to perch on Mrs. Baumann's 
 knee, Karl was to crouch down in front. The 
 absurd sight of the four of us preparing to en- 
 ter a one-seated vehicle naturally attracted at- 
 tention. Mr. Peyton-Call promptly appeared 
 to beg for the privilege of taking me home. 
 
 " Ei, das kommt ja sehr gelegen," said the as- 
 tonishing German woman, the same who had 
 not so long ago warned me against this very 
 company. Now that her husband's comfort in 
 getting home was involved, she deliberately 
 turned me over to this escort, quite regardless 
 of the fact that I was still an " alone-standing 
 young girl." 
 
 " Will you drive or walk, Miss Dale ? " asked 
 Peyton-Call. " I have no rig here, but I can 
 send over to Caxton instantly." And his voice 
 pleaded. " Be gracious ! Don't refuse ! " 
 
 " If you don't mind walking over with me, 
 Mr. Peyton-Call," I responded, a little uncer- 
 tainly—telling myself that there really was no 
 room in the Baumanns' carriage. 
 
 345 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 And so we were alone again and I was glad 
 of the touch, of belated cold in the air of the 
 falling night, for it made it appropriate to walk 
 fast. We crossed the fields in front of Caxton. 
 The house looked greater and statelier as the 
 shadows in its porches deepened ; once or 
 twice my companion looked toward it and 
 turned to me as if about to speak, changed his 
 mind, apparently, and walked beside me with 
 eyes on the ground and silent. We entered 
 the dim spring woods, warmer than the wind- 
 swept field and full of evening fragrances ; we 
 passed on down toward our glen to take the 
 shortest way home. 
 
 For once it was not my own mood that im- 
 posed silence between us ; I would rather have 
 talked on indifferently, but something of deep 
 dejection, almost of perplexity, in Peyton-Call's 
 manner bound my tongue. 
 
 In the middle of the glen he almost startled 
 me by stopping and saying, abruptly : 
 
 " Here is the spot where you first — fright- 
 ened me." 
 
 I remembered the tree, the moss where Dr. 
 von Baerensprung and I had played at making 
 parks. I remembered how Caxton had come 
 down toward us through the sunlit glen, with 
 his russet hunting-coat and red hair, a pict- 
 ure done in flaming colors. How indifferently 
 I had admired his appearance then! Nowa- 
 346 
 
A Stormy Evening 
 
 days, as I realized with a light shock, I made a 
 point of not looking at him. 
 
 " Why don't you ask me how you frightened 
 me ? " he demanded, complainingly, like a child 
 when you blunder at his game. 
 
 "Howdidl?" 
 
 " I see, Miss Dale, that you want me to tell 
 you the story of my life," he said, cheering up. 
 
 " Dear me, no, Mr. Peyton-Call ! " 
 
 " But I can't explain how you frightened me 
 except by telling you the story of my life." 
 
 I made some cold-hearted remark about there 
 being so little time in life for adequate explana- 
 tions ; and in spite of his protest I hurried our 
 pace a little. Between the spring and the house 
 we met Bud. 
 
 " Lil' Cassy, I was gettin' uneasy about you," 
 he said in a warmer tone than usual, and I 
 think he was glad to find me with Peyton-Call. 
 " Lena told me you went with the Baumanns, 
 and I had met them on the road. They might 
 have stopped by and told us you were all right. 
 How are you, Don ; I'm mighty glad to see 
 you. Ain't it turned cold? Do you reckon 
 the boys will want to go fishing in the morn- 
 ing? Come up, Don, and have supper with us." 
 
 " Pray do, Mr. Peyton-Call," 1 added, when 
 he waited for my consent; and I was sadly 
 amused to realize how soon was broken my 
 resolve to see no more of him. 
 
 347 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 In the house his silent mood had vanished ; 
 he was gay and cynical as I had never seen him. 
 Bud was stimulated ; the two kept up at table 
 a flow of mocking stories, taking off the absurd 
 scenes about the court-house, yarning of jovial 
 times on hunts and fishing excursions, exposing 
 every tricky horse-dealer in the county, and 
 finally, when material for making fun of their 
 neighbors failed them, baiting each other with 
 extraordinary * malice. I had never realized 
 before on what good terms they were, • how 
 many experiences* they had in common. It was 
 a pleasure to see Bud strung up to his highest 
 social pitch once more ; to see Lilbud beam 
 with enjoyment of all he understood, and Lena 
 convulsed with laughter over things she did 
 not; but our visitor's gayety was forced and 
 reckless, and pained me more and more. 
 
 When supper was over we were supposed to 
 retire all together to the sitting-room ; but my 
 family mysteriously and completely disap- 
 peared, and my guest and I found ourselves 
 alone in the fire-lit room. I was not minded, 
 however, to undergo any further strain. 
 
 " 1 should ask you to sit down ; but why 
 should we make each other gloomy this even- 
 ing ? " I said, gently and frankly. 
 
 " Cassandra, let me stay," he begged. 
 
 " I must ask you to give me my title, Mr. 
 Peyton-Call." 
 
 348 
 
A Stormy Evening 
 
 "Which one? Lil' Cassy ? Honey-Sweet- 
 ness ? " he asked, tentatively. " Neither of them 
 suit you. You're not little and you aren't in 
 the least sweet." 
 
 " You are ungrateful. I try to be kind," I 
 returned, as usual succumbing to his impu- 
 dence with a laugh. 
 
 " Then you'll let me stay, Miss Dale," he 
 pleaded. " Just one hour ! Think how big 
 and dark and lonely my house is to-night ! " 
 
 " Why can't you be sensible ! " I said, with 
 a suppressed sigh. I knew something myself 
 of the boredom of being alone. " Be seated, 
 Mr. Peyton-Call ; " and I took the shade from 
 the lamp on the table. 
 
 "Don't light that," he protested. "What 
 an extravagance, with this blaze on the hearth ! 
 Will you never get over your multi-million- 
 naire habits ? I don't wonder you shrink from 
 becoming a poor man's wife." 
 
 I explained that I wanted to sew. 
 
 "You shall not sew," he declared, firmly. 
 " This hour is mine. I intend to tell you the 
 story of my life. I was born in Rolfe " 
 
 " One minute, pray," I interrupted. " I can 
 sew and listen, can't I ? " 
 
 " I know what sort of listening you would 
 do," he said, disdainfully. " Words won't de- 
 scribe your unconcern for me when you have 
 your work in hand ; I am ten times outweighed 
 
 349 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 by the dish-towel you are hemming. No, Miss 
 Dale, if you insist on sewing I shall withhold 
 my really thrilling autobiography and read 
 you " — he made a pass at his pocket with a 
 wicked laugh — " some verses of my own com- 
 posing." 
 
 " What a threat ? " I ejaculated, and took the 
 seat he placed for me in the firelight. He 
 stood against the mantel with his arm upon it, 
 as Bud had stood that first morning and looked 
 at Virgie. A flood of recollections, of sad anx- 
 ieties assailed me. Poor Bud with his vain 
 hopes ! Poor feather-brained Virgie, who could 
 not see what a treasure of devotion she flung 
 to the winds ! And alas ! for us two, subtly, 
 inextricably bound to torment each other. 
 
 The pause grew long. " Begin," I said light- 
 ly. " You were born in Rolfe ? Your father 
 and mother were poor but honest ? " 
 
 Crash ! went a vase from the mantel to the 
 floor, knocked off by a sudden twitch of Mr. 
 Peyton-Call's arm. 
 
 " I am desolate ! " he exclaimed, kneeling to 
 pick up the pieces. " How could I be so awk- 
 ward? And this, I take it, is one of Mrs. 
 Lena's wedding presents. Will she ever for- 
 give me ? " 
 
 " It's my vase ; and don't be troubled about 
 it, Mr. Peyton-Call," I said ; and then because 
 of his evident surprise as he held the pink and 
 350 
 
A Stormy Evening 
 
 green fragment in the firelight, I added : " Bud 
 gave it to me, but he will get me another like it." 
 
 " How you do love Bud ! " he exclaimed, as 
 he placed the broken pieces on the shelf. 
 
 " Shouldn't I love him ! My gentle, big- 
 hearted brother ! " 
 
 " That has nothing to do with it ! " he de- 
 clared, throwing himself into a chair. " Bud 
 worships you; and you are harsh and have no 
 heart at all. It's just a mutual admiration so- 
 ciety between all you Dales ; and the rest of 
 us, who so sensibly and so keenly see each 
 other's faults, how we pity and despise you in 
 your fond blindness ! " 
 
 " Upon my word, Mr. Peyton-Call, I would 
 almost rather hear your verses," I said, reach- 
 ing for the match-box. 
 
 " Ah, I wish I had prepared some ! " he ex- 
 claimed, with venom. " Wouldn't I punish 
 you ! " 
 
 " What is the use," I asked in a reasonable 
 tone, " of our sitting here and cavilling ? You 
 had much better go home and play cards with 
 someone." 
 
 " I was born in Rolfe— " he said, hurriedly, 
 in narrative tone. I laughed and leaned back 
 in my chair again. 
 
 " I was born in Rolfe," he repeated, more 
 slowly; "but my mother was born in New 
 England." 
 
 35i 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 A peculiarly sombre shadow seemed to fall 
 upon us with this mention of his mother ; was 
 it a ring of pain in his voice ? I turned my 
 face toward him, startled into attention now ; 
 his own was in shadow. He continued, qui- 
 etly. 
 
 " Her family are curious people. I shall 
 never understand them, I suppose. Rich for 
 generations, but frugal, almost mean ; cold in 
 intercourse, long-winded and tiresome of speech, 
 or else taciturn beyond belief; common-sense 
 is their religion ; I veritably believe they have 
 no better ; and one after another as the boys of 
 the tribe mature they become keen, bold, silent 
 business men, and one after another they get 
 rich on their own account ; it being family pol- 
 icy for the parents to give nothing to their 
 children except shrewd advice. The women 
 of the family, one and all, have Work which 
 they spell with a capital W. They rise early 
 and take trains. Besides this reprehensible 
 worthiness, the Powltons are distinguished by 
 a contempt for their fellow-beings, a snobbish- 
 ness which passes understanding. Have I 
 made the impression, Miss Dale, that I de- 
 scend, on my mother's side, from the most dis- 
 agreeable tribe that a community ever allowed 
 to wax strong in its midst ? " 
 
 I was not deceived by his attempt at a light 
 tone — he was mocking and bitter ; and now a 
 352 
 
A Stormy Evening 
 
 sort of heat slowly grew on him as he con- 
 tinued. 
 
 " Every family has a changeling in the course 
 of its generations, I suppose ; my mother was a 
 horror and surprise to her kinspeople, as she 
 developed without the characteristic Powlton 
 traits. She wasn't cold, she wasn't correct, she 
 wasn't industrious, she wasn't frugal ; she was 
 a high-spirited, hot-tempered, generous child ; 
 and they gave her a harsh rearing, thwarted 
 her, corrected her, denied her, shamed her; 
 and she grew more unmanageable and more 
 daring and more beautiful to spite them. Out 
 of such a home as that she escaped into mar- 
 riage with my father ; and as he was a slave- 
 holder, my grandfather — that pious and thrifty 
 abolitionist — made haste to disinherit her ; 
 which, as it gave him much satisfaction and my 
 parents no pain whatever, was a very fortunate 
 occurrence." 
 
 He turned a little, and the firelight fell on 
 his face. His brow was contracted, his lips 
 set. It was almost as though in talking of 
 them the traits of his mother's people were 
 written in his face— the energy, the gloom, the 
 contempt of life's sweetness. 
 
 " You can see that my mother would natur- 
 ally enter Rolfe sunshine like a butterfly broken 
 out of its cocoon. Here she found everything 
 she had been starved of— admiration, freedom, 
 
 353 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 money to throw away, slaves with which to 
 play at tyranny, and my father, the most de- 
 voted of husbands. She found herself more 
 beautiful and better educated than the women 
 she came among, and she had the childish de- 
 light of making them jealous ; everything 
 tempted her to fling herself, heart and soul, 
 into a life of pleasure." 
 
 He paused and I still watched his face, al- 
 most breathless in my attention. And now a 
 change came over it — it softened in expression. 
 For a flashing moment he looked like Virgie. 
 
 " If you, Miss Dale," he said, in a low voice, 
 " should hear of my mother from outsiders that 
 she was vain and extravagant and too eager 
 for pleasure, would you not understand ? " 
 
 " Everyone would understand," I said, gent- 
 ly. " You should not speak so — pain yourself 
 so needlessly. You ought not to let a morbid 
 thought grow on you." 
 
 He looked up with a curious smile. 
 
 " No, I won't let it grow," he said ; " and for- 
 give me if I make too great a claim on your 
 sympathy. I undertook to tell you about my- 
 self ; and in true modern style I must explain 
 my fate by the character of my parent, and lay 
 that again at the door of fate. But I was an 
 orphan at the age of five," he continued, in a 
 lighter tone, " and transplanted for the greater 
 part of the year from my native Rolfe ; so there 
 
 354 
 
A Stormy Evening 
 
 comes in the corrective influence of environ- 
 ment. I now skip about twenty-five years " 
 
 "But why do you skip so much?" I asked. 
 
 " Because nothing very interesting happened 
 to me," he explained, "until I met you." 
 
 " You needn't finish then," I said, hurriedly. 
 " I know all the rest." 
 
 " Pardon me, you really don't," he said, with 
 a mirthless laugh. " I have kept a part of it 
 secret. It relates to my own faults." 
 
 And now I comprehended what he was about. 
 He was approaching the issue between us ; he 
 meant to confess or explain or excuse his inter- 
 est in my fortune. 
 
 " I don't mean I've kept my faults a secret," 
 he continued, " though, of course, I have tried 
 very hard. But there is something behind my 
 general worthlessness which throws the real 
 shadow." And then, suddenly, he rose to his 
 feet and stood before me. " I could have won 
 you, Cassandra," he exclaimed, " except for this 
 shadow which you have seen and not under- 
 stood. I must tell you now, even if it revolts 
 you the more from the idea of ever bearing my 
 name. I can't carry the burden any longer." 
 
 " Tell me, then," I said, almost voicelessly. 
 My heart was failing me. I thought I could 
 scarcely endure him to confess that he had 
 been the mercenary schemer, the cold-blooded 
 fortune-hunter. 
 
 355 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " My mother, as I told you," he began slowly, 
 "passionately loved the life that only money 
 could give her " 
 
 Indignation and amazement forced an ex- 
 clamation from me. Did he mean to show me 
 that he had inherited his vice of avarice, and 
 in this poor-spirited fashion evade some of the 
 blame ? 
 
 " What do you suspect? " he demanded, quick- 
 ly, sharply. 
 
 " I can't listen," I gasped. 
 
 " And I find I can't tell you," he said, with a 
 sad laugh. " I thought I should have the cour- 
 age; — but human nature has its limitations. 
 And why should I waste my golden opportu- 
 nity. I should use every minute of this hour to 
 tell you how I have loved you since the first 
 minute that I saw you." 
 
 " I won't hear that," I cried, with an access of 
 anger, and instinctively I rose to my feet and 
 stepped back from him. For him to dare, al- 
 most in the same moment with his first purpose 
 of confession, to try to blind me now, to lead 
 my suspicions away from the truth — it was 
 more than I could calmly suffer. 
 
 " You shall hear the truth," he declared. " I 
 loved you then; neither was it a sin beyond 
 pardon, as your horror implies. I had known 
 for a long time that Virgie didn't care for me, 
 that our betrothal was a game she meant to 
 356 
 
A Stormy Evening 
 
 end ; and I tried, in spite of that, to believe my- 
 self faithful to the sweetheart of my boyhood. 
 But after I saw you — I couldn't." 
 
 " I will believe that you care for me now in a 
 way that honors me," I answered him steadily 
 and sternly, " if you will take back this last un- 
 meaning piece of flattery. You did not care for 
 me from the first. Do you suppose I was unsen- 
 sitive and dull enough to be deceived by your 
 behavior last fall and last winter? Do you 
 think I could take seriously your perfectly hol- 
 low courtesies " 
 
 " Ah, I know what you mean," he said, with a 
 sigh. " You have always felt I was not sincere ; 
 there is the shadow again! And I can't find 
 courage to explain." 
 
 " Good-night, Mr. Peyton-Call," I said, coldly. 
 " This discussion is a great mistake ; our meet- 
 ing at all is a mistake. We shall both be too 
 sensible to let it occur again." 
 
 " I'm not so sensible," he cried ; and then, 
 with a touch of his native boldness, "and I 
 don't believe you are ! " I felt the angry blood 
 mount to my cheeks. " Pity alone should 
 move you," he pleaded, humble again in time 
 to save himself from the descent of my wrath. 
 
 " I do pity you," I said, scornfully. " You 
 want to be true and your inveterate habit 
 of pretence makes you unable to speak the 
 truth." 
 
 357 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 "What do you mean?" he cried, flaring up 
 angrily in his turn. 
 
 " You think to impress me with all this futile 
 nonsense about loving me at first sight!" 
 
 He stepped nearer. 
 
 " If a man told me I lied, I could knock him 
 down or shoot him," he said, in a grave and 
 gentle tone of remonstrance. " With you, I 
 suppose, I shall only be permitted to ' sass back ' ; 
 and I would say, Cassandra, that if you want to 
 impress me that you are stonily indifferent to 
 me " — here his mischief broke through and he 
 laughed — " you shouldn't show jealousy ! " and 
 he swiftly laid his hand on my hair and bent 
 back my head to kiss me. I cried out and we 
 fell apart; to do him justice, he was white as a 
 sheet. 
 
 " On my soul," he protested, faintly " I 
 thought you had relented." 
 
 My rage died down at seeing him so stricken. 
 
 " I will forgive that, if you will go now, and 
 never come again," I said, mastering myself; 
 " and if you will confess before you go, that I 
 did not accuse you unjustly. Confess that in 
 your heat to persuade me you have let your- 
 self say things here that were not true." 
 
 " What wasn't true ? " he demanded, hotly, 
 his color all restored. 
 
 " Confess that your first interest in me was 
 the farthest removed from love." 
 358 
 
A Stormy Evening 
 
 " It was plain, old-fashioned love-at-first-sight, 
 like my father's before me," he cried, resent- 
 fully. " Plague take your Yankee raising, if 
 you can't understand that ! I didn't care what 
 you were or who you were. If you had ever 
 taken the trouble to think of me a moment, 
 you would know without my telling you that I 
 never was a snob. From the day that Virgie 
 set me free I have hoped to win you." 
 
 Bold and splendid lying that ! And how clev- 
 erly he dodged the point about my fortune to 
 assure me of what I knew, that he disregarded 
 my lowly origin. My temper in all my life 
 never left me so completely as now, and I dis- 
 missed Peyton-Call with one wordless gesture. 
 
 And he, cold and white now, assured me 
 steadily he would not annoy me again. 
 
 So he was gone for the second time ; and I 
 tried to learn in the next few days how to carry 
 anguish and mask it under serenity. 
 
 359 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
 
 BROCADE AND SACKCLOTH 
 
 It surely is set down to Lilbud and Lena's 
 credit against the Day of Reckoning the pa- 
 tience with which they endured Bud and me 
 that following week. My elder brother and I 
 were both plunged in different phases of the 
 self-same woe. He was in a fever because it 
 was rumored that Virgie had betrothed her- 
 self in New Rome ; I was tormented with vain 
 regrets; and though we both kept quiet, our 
 tragic airs must have been insufferable. Cer- 
 tainly, I had no patience with Bud's forlorn 
 mien, and he told me, with brotherly frankness, 
 how unbecoming it was to me to look " peaked." 
 
 " I reckon you've been and snubbed Don 
 again, and this time you're sorry," he added, 
 with cruel insight. " You'll do that once too 
 often, Sister ; he's mighty devoted, but he's 
 proud as Lucifer." 
 
 I wished desperately that nature had made 
 me, also, a little proud. I seemed for the first 
 few days in which Peyton-Call kept his prom- 
 ise of leaving me alone, to lack all spirit. Then 
 I rallied a little, and when we chanced to pass 
 360 
 
Brocade and Sackcloth 
 
 each other on the road, I was able to bow for- 
 mally and meet the cold look with which he ac- 
 companied his salute with perfect composure. 
 We met again in the chapel after Sunday ser- 
 vice and repeated our correct little scene. I 
 began to think I was coming out of the matter 
 as easily as he could be, with all his pride. 
 
 Meanwhile I heard the news that there was 
 a hitch in Colonel Fanton's suit against Bau- 
 mann, and there had been a delay ; that it was 
 even likely that the whole matter would be 
 quietly dropped, and my German friend be re- 
 leased from his embarrassment. Lilbud could 
 tell me little more than I already knew. There 
 was something to do about " an old claim of 
 Mr. Don's," and Lilbud said evasively that it 
 "wa'n't easy to explain." Very obviously it 
 was a disagreeable subject. 
 
 Two days before Virgie's return was an- 
 nounced Bud rode out of Rolfe. He told no 
 one where he was going ; he bade us a short 
 good-by and took the Lennox road. I could 
 explain it in only one way. Bud's eyes had 
 been opened ; he was riding directly away 
 from his temptation. His pluck and decision 
 enspirited me. I was resolved to take life on 
 a high plane once more, to have done with all 
 foolishness. 
 
 And I would be reconciled to Virgie. Not 
 for Bud, not for anyone would I longer miss 
 
 361 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 her friendship if she was willing, as I was, to 
 renew it. I wrote her a note of welcome and 
 sent it to The Terraces the eve of her arrival. 
 With eagerness, but with scarcely a misgiving, 
 I awaited her response. 
 
 I had not long to wait. Earlier in the day 
 than I had thought she would be home a mount- 
 ed colored boy brought me Virgie's reply. 
 
 " Dearest," it read : " You make me so happy 
 with your first kind words in so long. I would 
 fly to you to thank you and kiss you, Honey- 
 Sweetness, but I have the house full of com- 
 pany, and as they are only down for one night 
 I must give them a jolly time. I have fixed 
 for a surprise for them and for you, my Cas- 
 sy. We are all going to dress up and have a 
 big ball just among the house party and Blair 
 and the Dyers. I'll send the carriage for 
 you at seven, I want you to come early and 
 help me dress. I must see you alone " (the 
 last words underscored). " I don't want you 
 to have an escort, because Don can't come. I 
 have lots of extra men up here, one very nice 
 one I hope you'll like, so mind you come alone. 
 Lovingly, faithfully, Virgie." 
 
 I pondered over this note ; it evidently was 
 meant to exclude Bud. Virgie did not know he 
 was out of the county or she would not have 
 taken this trouble ; moreover, I knew that such 
 an exclusion would go against the grain with 
 362 
 
Brocade and Sackcloth 
 
 her, whatever her sensible resolve of dropping 
 my poor brother. 
 
 And I was furthermore displeased at her 
 strong hint that I would naturally come with 
 Peyton-Call. Altogether the note was like Vir- 
 gie herself, puzzling, reassuring, warm, cold- 
 hearted, all the contradictions at once. 
 
 But to see her alone was what I myself most 
 urgently desired. I accordingly put off Blair 
 Lathrop, who called in the afternoon to ask to 
 escort me to The Terraces. I promised him 
 any number of dances, however, and that he 
 should see me home. 
 
 " I suppose you and Miss Virgie will need 
 about three hours before the dance begins to 
 tell each other your secrets," he asked, sarcas- 
 tically. 
 
 " About so much time," I assented. 
 
 " You find out, will you, whether it's true 
 what everyone says, that she's engaged to that 
 ridiculous fellow Harris, and then tell me ? " 
 
 " Of course, I'll tell you everything," I as- 
 sured him, sarcastic in my turn. 
 
 " You'd better not tell her everything," he 
 suggested. " She left the men of Rolfe to 
 your tender mercies when she went away, and 
 if you confess how you treated them she'll be 
 righteously wrathful." 
 
 " My conscience is fairly clear," I began. 
 
 " Clear, is it? " he interrupted. " How about 
 363 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Don ? He does nothing nowadays but at- 
 tend to business. It's a sign that he's going 
 insane." 
 
 "Your own sanity is perfect, I know, Mr. 
 Lathrop," I suggested. " Does it mean you 
 never attend to business ?" 
 
 " Never mind ! " he returned, vaguely. " You 
 can sass me, but wait till Miss Virgie gets hold 
 of you. Since the day she jilted Don he's be- 
 come a special favorite of hers." 
 
 I felt vaguely that there was a sort of par- 
 allelism here ; it was only since the day I had 
 finally dismissed him that I myself had thought 
 favorably of Donald Peyton-Call. 
 
 " Uncle Price," the Fantons' old coachman, 
 called for me early in the evening ; and dressed 
 in the gown Virgie liked best, prepared to meet 
 her with love and humility, I drove in state to 
 The Terraces. 
 
 The lamps were yet unlit when I arrived ; the 
 dying sunset was in the great rooms. In honor 
 of Virgie's return the house had been decked 
 with green and with the early flowering 
 branches of the spring woods. White dog- 
 wood spread its star-like splendor in the hall ; 
 and from the parlor, which had been so close 
 and carpety all winter, now streamed the be- 
 wildering scent and rosy light of the swamp 
 azalea. 
 
 I had scarcely set foot in the hall where Miss 
 364 
 
Brocade and Sackcloth 
 
 Lucy Call received me, when Virgie's voice 
 called from upstairs : " Is it Cassy? Oh, make 
 haste, Sweetest, make haste ! I can't wait." 
 
 We met with tears and kisses after our four 
 months' estrangement. The separation seemed 
 a bitter mistake. Each asked and each granted 
 forgiveness ; neither had, perhaps, a very clear 
 recollection of the principles for which we had 
 contended. 
 
 Finally Virgie drew me from the dark hall, 
 where we had embraced and whispered awhile, 
 into her candle-lit chamber. There was Miss 
 Page Whittacre, dressing before the mirror. 
 
 " You-all know each other," said Virgie, and 
 our greeting was very cordial. " I won't in- 
 troduce Cassy to those other girls till they are 
 dressed, for fear if they see this lovely gown of 
 hers they won't be satisfied with what I have 
 loaned them." 
 
 " As usual, Miss Dale, Virgie is lending all 
 her pretty clothes to her company," Miss 
 Whittacre explained to me. " I don't know 
 what in the world she is going to wear herself ; 
 she makes out like she has a whole trousseau 
 stored away somewhere." 
 
 " Nobody knows my resources," said Virgie, 
 lightly, and she knelt down before her great 
 dark wardrobe. 
 
 " These girls, Julia and Anna Moore, came 
 unexpectedly to visit me yesterday, when I 
 
 365 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 was getting ready to come over here with Vir- 
 gie," Miss Whittacre continued to me ; " and, 
 of course, Virgie insisted on bringing us all 
 along together, and promised them all ball- 
 dresses and slippers and fans and everything 
 they lacked." 
 
 " I bribed them with promises or I should 
 have lost Page," put in Virgie, carelessly, " and 
 that is the reason I must give them my best 
 things and wear some old thing myself — some 
 very old thing." 
 
 She was drawing forth a large pasteboard 
 box, and I realized what she was about. 
 
 " Virgie, let me go home and get you some- 
 thing of mine," I said, hastily. " There's plenty 
 of time." 
 
 She looked up at me, and her eyes were 
 dancing. 
 
 " Oh, no, there wouldn't be time," she said, 
 very decidedly ; " besides, I have just what I 
 want right here." 
 
 She lifted the lid of the box, and disclosed 
 the gown of Donald Peyton-Call's mother — 
 the gown in which she had last danced, and in 
 which she had died. 
 
 " You won't wear that ! " I cried, appeal- 
 ingly. 
 
 " Indeed, I shall. I am perfectly delighted 
 to have an excuse to wear it," she returned, 
 obstinately. " Look, Page ! Isn't it lovely ? " 
 366 
 
Brocade and Sackcloth 
 
 She lifted it, and shook out the heavy rose- 
 colored brocade. Page clasped her hands rap- 
 turously, and demanded to know all about it. 
 
 " Can't tell you now," returned Virgie, with 
 a short laugh. " It gives Cassy a chill. She is 
 so superstitious." 
 
 " Virgie, don't wear it," I urged. 
 
 " Why not ? Don isn't coming. It's the 
 only chance of my life to wear it," she re- 
 turned lightly, as she spread out the several 
 pieces of the garment upon her bed. 
 
 " Oh, did it belong to your Cousin Lucia ? I 
 wouldn't wear it, Virgie ! " protested Page. 
 
 " How do you know that Mr. Peyton-Call 
 won't come ? " I asked her. 
 
 " Because I didn't ask him," she answered, 
 flashing a smile at me ; then, passing close be- 
 side me she murmured, wickedly : " Did I get 
 you here on false pretences, Honey ? " 
 
 " Why didn't you ask Donald ? " exclaimed 
 Page, with astonishment. " I thought you and 
 he were perfectly good friends again." 
 
 " Indeed we are — almost brother and sister," 
 returned Virgie, flinging her head about before 
 the glass as she arranged her soft hair. " 'Tis 
 papa and Don who are out, for a wonder. I 
 don't understand it. Papa has always been 
 perfectly devoted to him. I certainly was sur- 
 prised when he told me not to invite Don to 
 the house. Of course, that won't last long ; I 
 
 367 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 couldn't stand it. Don is my dear, sweet 
 cousin, I must see him around, and besides " 
 
 She broke off artfully, and flashed another 
 laughing look at me. 
 
 " I expect you to live at The Terraces this 
 summer, Cassy," she said, with a little gush of 
 warmth. " We must make up for this long 
 separation now." 
 
 " I shall probably not come again at all,' ' I 
 said, with temper. 
 
 " Then I shall be obliged to come and live 
 with you," she returned, in tranquil singing 
 tone. " How would Lena and Bud and Lilbud 
 like that?" 
 
 How artfully she flung the significant name 
 between the two indifferent ones ! — and with- 
 out giving me a chance to reply she ran from 
 the room, saying she must look after her guests 
 across the hall. 
 
 "Virgie really should not wear this," said 
 Page Whittacre, who was still admiring the 
 gown. " Old things ought to be respected." 
 She was turning it over with little sighs of 
 pleasure. " And how heavy to dance in ! I 
 wonder at Virgie. I'm sure, among all her 
 clothes she has something more suitable." 
 
 For my part, the thing touched me so pain- 
 fully I could not speak of it. I felt I should 
 not show Miss Whittacre the whole strength 
 of my objection. Perhaps the occasion had 
 368 
 
Brocade and Sackcloth 
 
 really uncovered the superstition in my nature. 
 The shining folds on the bed menaced evil to 
 my eyes. 
 
 I turned the subject, offered to tie Miss 
 Whittacre's ribbons, and we chatted casually 
 before the glass until Virgie returned. 
 
 " Now you-all must make haste and help me 
 to get into this," she cried, and hurried to her 
 dressing as if afraid of a renewal of our pro- 
 tests. " I have to be pinned into this thing, 
 it most doubles on me. But when I'm all 
 fixed it will be lovely. I've tried it on be- 
 fore." 
 
 Page Whittacre good-humoredly lent her 
 aid. I would not touch the dress, but looked 
 on in disapproval. 
 
 "Fix it so I can get out of it alone," com- 
 manded Virgie. 
 
 " I can't do that," said Page, who was work- 
 ing at the waist-band. " The skirt's so heavy 
 I'm bound to put in these big pins. I'll help 
 you get out of it to-night." 
 
 " No," cried Virgie, pulling away with un- 
 wonted petulance. " I want to be able to get 
 out of it all alone, and at a moment's notice. I 
 may not be in the mood to wear it the whole 
 evening," she added, more sweetly. " You-all 
 don't know. Perhaps I'll dance a part of my- 
 self out of existence to-night. The dress is a 
 
 kind of haunt." 
 
 369 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Well, I'll try," said Page, looking grave at 
 the allusion to the gown's history. " But if it 
 slips and you find yourself dancing in your 
 petticoats, remember I warned you." 
 
 " How it swishes around me like water, as if 
 I were the queen of the sea," cried Virgie, in a 
 little gush of ecstasy. When I saw how real 
 was her delight in the beautiful garment, I 
 somewhat relented in my displeasure. After 
 all, it was but to destroy the old, unhallowed 
 association with that gown for Virgie to dance 
 happily in it till she was tired of her whim. 
 
 " I'll drown the sound of the river when I 
 dance, and the river will be jealous," cried 
 Virgie, rustling her train. " Never mind, old 
 Tannegee, this is the end of it all. I'll never 
 taunt you with brocades again." 
 
 I went to the window, and raised the sash. 
 The noise of the rushing waters came up 
 through the garden trees. 
 
 " You won't drown that wild noise with any 
 swish of silk, Virgie," said I. " How loud and 
 full it is ! " 
 
 " The river is very high, it is still singing its 
 spring song," said Virgie. " Every year it does 
 the same, and I look forward to these exciting 
 days all winter long. The river and I are re- 
 lated, we always get high together, and I can't 
 bear to be away from The Terraces when that 
 day-and-night music is playing. That is the 
 370 
 
Brocade and Sackcloth 
 
 reason I wouldn't stay any longer in New 
 Rome. ' I must get back to my Tannegee,' I 
 said to myself ;— and I pretended to the Har- 
 rises that I had a sweetheart in Rolfe, and was 
 pining to see him again." 
 
 She seemed to me to be talking out of her 
 natural strain. In truth, if her own image in 
 the glass affected her, she could be forgiven 
 some excitement. The rose-colored silk was 
 marvellously becoming to the fragile girl, and 
 the very richness and antiquated elegance of 
 the dress made her look peculiarly fresh and 
 child-like. 
 
 " Virgie, you are lovely ! " cried Page, with 
 unwilling enthusiasm, standing off to view the 
 result of her deft pinning and folding. " It is a 
 good thing that you didn't have this with you 
 in New Rome." 
 
 " Please don't hint to Cassy what I have told 
 you about my doings in New Rome," said Vir- 
 gie, in mock alarm. " I don't tell her the kind 
 of things I tell you, my gentle Page." 
 
 " I am sure you wish you were in my place, 
 Miss Whittacre, to be spared the recitals," I 
 suggested. 
 
 " I do indeed," she responded, with a proper 
 tone of severity ; " I am tired to death of Vir- 
 gie's flirtations." 
 
 " Page, you evermore put on airs, you hum- 
 bug ! " said Virgie, carelessly. " You laughed 
 
 37* 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 till you liked to have cried when I told you 
 about Mr. Harris." 
 
 Page admitted reluctantly that this par- 
 ticular account of Virgie's had been very 
 amusing. 
 
 " I made it amusing," cried Virgie, with a 
 sudden note of weariness in her voice. " I am 
 that witty I can make the most dismal thing 
 amusing — even my last few weeks in New 
 Rome. Think of it, Cassy, I had three propo- 
 sals in four weeks." 
 
 " I wish you could have found it in your 
 heart to accept one of them," I ejaculated. 
 
 " One of them ? " echoed Virgie, with a re- 
 turn of all her flippancy. " I accepted them all 
 — provisionally — is that the word ? " 
 
 " I declare, Virgie, you are most too bad," 
 exclaimed Page Whittacre, indignantly, throw- 
 ing down her paper of pins and taking up her 
 fan. " I am going over to the other girls." 
 
 She left the room while her hostess laughed 
 gayly ; but she had no sooner closed the door 
 behind her than Virgie turned to me with 
 drooping lips. 
 
 " Cassy, talk to me, let me feel ground under 
 my feet once more," she said with soft appeal, 
 coming to my side. We leaned arm in arm out 
 of the window sill, looking out into the fresh 
 spring night and she went on, murmuring : 
 " Isn't it curious how intensely disagreeable a 
 372 
 
Brocade and Sackcloth 
 
 proposal of marriage is, when it comes ? You 
 expect it to be a delightful excitement. I felt 
 so faint and tired and disgusted with those men, 
 one after another. What business had they to 
 fall in love with me? Nothing in the world 
 but impertinence. Besides, I have my opinion 
 of men who care for me when they have only 
 seen me at dances and on evening calls. I'm 
 not myself then, am I Cassy ? The real Virgie 
 is a much nicer girl, isn't she? Now the right 
 man will love me by daylight, in my own home, 
 when I am busy and sensible and look after the 
 servants and the horses and the visitors. The 
 right man will think me most beautiful in my 
 old riding-habit all splashed with mud when I 
 come in from the run " 
 
 The honeysuckle in the garden below us 
 flung up its perfume with the fresh breeze from 
 the roaring river waters. Far away over hazy 
 lines of forest was gathered the light of the 
 coming moon. 
 
 Virgie bent farther out of the window, her 
 eyes searched in the blackness of the terraced 
 garden. I bent too, and thought I descried 
 the figure of a man under the yew-trees. It 
 was very indistinct. Virgie raised a white 
 arm in the light from the window, almost as if 
 to make a signal. 
 
 " Do you see anyone ? " I demanded of her. 
 
 She laughed softly. 
 
 373 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " No, indeed ! Do you reckon Don is out 
 there, Cassy ? " 
 
 "Why should he be?" I asked, crossly 
 enough. 
 
 "Why should anybody be out there?" she 
 inquired in a tone of having triumphed over 
 me. " And then again, why shouldn't anybody 
 be there ? 'Tis a beautiful garden ! I'm going 
 out there myself to walk in the moonlight 
 when everyone is dancing happily. Don't fol- 
 low me, Cassy, I shall want to be alone. If 
 you come after me I shall throw you over the 
 terrace into the river." Her voice grew 
 sweeter, she laid her head caressingly against 
 mine. " And if you are drowned, poor Donald 
 will die," she continued, playfully. " I will be 
 kind to my cousin, I won't drown his lady- 
 love " 
 
 " Virgie, you are strange to-night," I said, 
 with an attempt at coldness. 
 
 " Cassy, you make me a stranger," she re- 
 turned, with sudden feeling. " Why do you 
 refuse to tell me about Donald? " 
 
 " There is nothing to tell." 
 
 " Honey, you may not be lying, but as Mam- 
 my Juliet would say, you certainly are telling 
 what ain't. I know all about Don's courting 
 you. I've had — news." 
 
 " If you know so much, why do you ask ? " 
 1 said, wearily. " Don't tease me, Virgie ! " 
 374 
 
Brocade and Sackcloth 
 
 " No, I won't," she said, with a burst of ten- 
 derness. " But tell me one, just one thing, 
 Cassy ; hasn't Don any chance ? " 
 
 " He doesn't want it, fortunately," I returned. 
 Alas, my tone was too indifferent by all odds. 
 So much for play-acting ! Virgie instantly read 
 my secret pain. 
 
 " So you've quarrelled ! " she exclaimed. 
 " Well, I reckon I know what that means ; both 
 of you turned to ice for a time ! 'Taint worth 
 while for you to deny it, Cassy. I know your 
 mean tempers." 
 
 I was silent, ashamed, and miserable. Sud- 
 denly Virgie flung her arms around my neck. 
 
 "Sister! I'm so happy to-night!" she whis- 
 pered. " I want you to be happy, too, Lil* 
 Cassy ! " 
 
 Her lips were pressed against mine, her tears 
 were on my face. 
 
 "Virgie, what makes you happy?" I de- 
 manded, frightened to the depths of my soul. 
 
 " Haven't they told you ; hasn't it been talked 
 about?" she demanded, whisperingly. "I'm 
 engaged." 
 
 " Then it's true ? " 
 
 " Yes, it's true." 
 
 Alas ! Poor Bud ! 
 
 " Virgie, who is it ? " I asked, trying to speak 
 
 joyfully. 
 
 " He's downstairs," she returned, her voice 
 
 375 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 full of mischief. " He's come all the way from 
 New Rome after me. You look around, when 
 you go down, and pick out the happiest-looking 
 man, and that'll be he. And don't you tell 
 anybody, Cassy ; I want to announce it myself, 
 in my own way ! " 
 
 She kissed me again and again, and then ran 
 out of the room. 
 
 376 
 
CHAPTER XXII 
 
 THE PARLEY 
 
 When I went downstairs the members of 
 Virgie's house-party were assembled, ready to 
 go in to supper. I met no less than three men 
 who had followed Virgie from New Rome, and 
 among them I looked in vain for the signs of 
 her certain preference. Mr. Harris was decid- 
 edly handsome, and Mr. Larouche was amus- 
 ing, and Mr. Tarwell had a distinguished bear- 
 ing ; but Harris I thought very slow, and 
 Larouche had the air of being somewhat fast, 
 and as for Mr. Tarwell, he was nearer Colonel 
 Fanton's age than Virgie's, and in feature he 
 was rather more than plain. Moreover, none 
 of the three looked beatific, as Virgie had 
 prophesied. I was greatly puzzled and not in 
 the least pleased. 
 
 "Which one do you like best?" Virgie 
 whispered to me, as the men and girls fol- 
 lowed Miss Lucy Call's lead to the dining- 
 room. 
 
 " Mr. Harris," I said at a venture, thinking it 
 
 must be he. 
 
 " Mercy me ! What taste ! " returned Virgie ; 
 
 377 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 yet she laughed delightedly as she whirled 
 away from me. 
 
 Colonel Fanton was not himself that evening ; 
 he sat at the head of the table and attempted 
 to make pleasant remarks to the young people 
 nearest him ; but I noticed he made the same 
 pleasant remarks again and again ; and there 
 was a deepening of the furrow between his 
 eyes. All the attention I could spare from ob- 
 serving Virgie's three lovers, I bestowed upon 
 her father. His evident uneasiness affected me. 
 I cast about for every sort of cause. Was he 
 unhappy over Virgie's betrothal? Certainly 
 he was not very responsive to Mr. Tarwell, who 
 tried amiably to draw his host into conversa- 
 tion ; nor to Mr. Larouche, whose funny stories 
 he did not in the least understand. 
 
 Perhaps, like Miss Lucy Call, whom I had 
 heard roundly scolding Virgie about it, he was 
 displeased his daughter should be wearing that 
 gown. Perhaps he had his own associations 
 with that rose-colored brocade. Did he know 
 that pinned in the bodice was a paper which 
 by rights belonged to him ? 
 
 Virgie's dress occupied all her guests in turn. 
 It was the topic of the supper-table. The men 
 declared she had stepped out of an old portrait ; 
 the girls thought it " too sweet and pretty for 
 anything in this world ! " And after supper, 
 when the Blaylocks, and Dyers, and Blair La- 
 378 
 
The Parley 
 
 throp arrived, the exclamations and questions 
 began again. 
 
 '« Yes, it's old ! Yes, it has a story," Virgie 
 told them. " I'm not going to tell you-all about 
 it, 'taint worth while to ask me questions. 
 Now, are you-all ready to begin the ball ?" 
 
 But though " Uncle Lindon " was there to 
 play with his fellow-musicians, and though the 
 house was alight and the floors cleared, the 
 dancing did not proceed with any great spirit. 
 It was a balmy, moonlit night and the guests, 
 for that great house, were few. They scattered 
 in the piazzas and the terraced garden for the 
 most part. Only here and there a couple cir- 
 cled through the empty rooms. The talk and 
 laughter, scattered as it was, scarcely disturbed 
 the quiet of the house. 
 
 Our gray-haired leader of the orchestra was 
 discouraged. 
 
 " 'Pears like you-all ain't feelin' very spry," 
 he called to Virgie as she came sweeping down 
 the hall alone, her train rustling magnificently. 
 " I reckon ydu'se fixed up too fine to dance, 
 Miss Virgie." 
 
 "We're all enjoying ourselves in our own 
 way, Uncle Lindon," returned Virgie, cheerily. 
 It was obvious what was the entertainment of 
 the evening to her; she had her eyes on her 
 own sweet image in the long mirror of the 
 hall. " You just keep right on playing. They're 
 
 379 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 listening to you through the piazza windows. 
 That's just the way I want them to do to- 
 night." 
 
 " I never saw such a slow crowd in all my 
 days," Blair Lathrop confided to me. " I'd 
 never know I was in Rolfe. Let's you and me 
 show them a little waltzing, Miss Cassy. Let's 
 start on the front piazza, south end, and waltz 
 through every room and wind up at the north 
 end at the back piazza." 
 
 I was listlessly complacent and we entered 
 upon the exploit ; the piazzas were long, the 
 rooms were many, and Blair conscientiously 
 did every corner of every room. By the time 
 we reached our goal, the extreme end of the 
 piazza that led along the east wing of the house, 
 I was out of breath. 
 
 " That was a good, thorough job of dancing," 
 declared Blair with pride as we sat down in 
 the moonlight on the steps to rest. " And it 
 was done by Rolfers, that's the main point, as 
 I mean to make plain to the New Rome del- 
 egation." 
 
 Page Whittacre and Mr. Tarwell now ap- 
 proached us from the garden. 
 
 " What ? Is that forlorn music still going 
 on in there ? " inquired Page. 
 
 "We really should go in and dance," said 
 Mr. Tarwell. " Miss Fanton will surely be 
 hurt if we ignore the ball ! " 
 380 
 
The Parley 
 
 " Better try to emulate us," Blair proposed, 
 and then he bragged of our feat accomplished. 
 They were attracted by the idea and waltzed 
 away to see whether they could equal us. 
 
 " That man's ugly enough to stop a clock," 
 said Blair, looking after Mr. Tarwell. " Tell 
 me, Miss Cassy, is he the one f " 
 
 " I don't know," I said with distress. 
 
 " Great day in the mornin' ! A sweet, pretty 
 girl like Miss Virgie ! " exclaimed Blair in dis- 
 approval. " Before I'd let her take an old 
 charred stump like Tarwell, I'd marry her my- 
 self." 
 
 " Perhaps it's Mr. Harris," I suggested. 
 
 " That bank of moss ? Never with my con- 
 sent," said Blair, firmly. " I reckon Miss Vir- 
 gie'll be obliged to go up to New Rome and 
 bring down another lot for us to select from. 
 Certainly we can't admit that young horse- 
 jockey Larouche into the genteel and exclusive 
 society of Rolfe, can we ? " 
 
 " I never found Rolfe very exclusive," I 
 observed, with a suppressed sigh. 
 
 " Go away from here, Miss Cassy ! You're 
 putting on airs. What's troubling you to- 
 night, anyway ? Never saw you so forlorn ! 
 Is it because you don't like the way Miss Vir- 
 gie is switching around in your dress ?" 
 " " My dress ? It isn't mine," I gasped. 
 
 « Don't tell me, I know better," he returned, 
 381 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 shrewdly. " You-all are mighty apt to think 
 a man has no observation ; but I can see plain 
 as anything that dress was built for a taller 
 woman than Miss Virgie. Besides, I remem- 
 ber your wearing it at Caxton." 
 
 " So much for your observation. I wore a 
 blue gown." 
 
 "A sort of pinky blue, wasn't it?" he 
 coaxed, a little put out. 
 
 " Plain, everyday, light blue." 
 
 " Well, your scarf was pink," he declared, 
 " the one you lent Don." 
 
 " Mr. Lathrop ! " 
 
 " It's been on his desk ever since Christmas 
 until just this last week ; so I thought he'd given 
 it back," explained Blair, with the relish of the 
 practised mischief-maker. "You're right cu- 
 rious about lending your things, Miss Cassy ; 
 after you've let people have them you don't 
 seem to like for them to enjoy them. Now 
 Miss Virgie looks mighty sweet in your dress, 
 and your scarf seemed to suit Don exactly. I 
 walked in on him one night when he had his 
 head down on the desk, sitting there all alone, 
 and your scarf " 
 
 " I'm going in now," I cut him short and rose. 
 
 " Miss Cassy, I declare I'll behave myself," 
 he promised humbly, rising also. " And if you 
 want your scarf back, I'll get it for you. Don 
 is coming up here to-night." 
 382 
 
The Parley 
 
 " Surely not," I exclaimed. " Virgie says he 
 is not asked." 
 
 " Not to the dance ; but he has a special invi- 
 tation from Colonel Fanton to come up here 
 and allow himself to be chewed up." 
 
 " What do you mean ? " I asked, uneasily. 
 
 "What an interest you are taking ! " observed 
 the malicious Blair. 
 
 " You know I heard the beginning of their 
 quarrel in the Court-house," I returned, " and 
 it concerned my friends, the Baumanns." 
 
 " Well, the row is reaching its climax to-night 
 in a private interview. Colonel Fanton leads 
 us to believe he is going to finish Don up — " 
 Blair laughed easily — " grind him to fine pow- 
 der and scatter him under the rose-bushes in 
 the garden yonder." 
 
 I sat down on the steps again, thus giving my 
 lively companion all the invitation he needed 
 to talk on. 
 
 " You remember, Miss Cassy, it's all about a 
 lost paper, an old agreement?" he asked. 
 " Don insists that the terms must be re-estab- 
 lished before that land changes hands. You 
 saw enough, I reckon, to realize that any inves- 
 tigation of that business would be mighty dis- 
 agreeable to Colonel Fanton. Now he's told 
 Don that he has the means of checking this 
 investigation." 
 
 " Do you suppose he really has ? " I asked. 
 383 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 " Oh, he has something up his sleeve — no 
 doubt of that," returned Blair, easily. " But 
 the joke of the thing is that Don can't be hurt. 
 He's mighty nigh invulnerable." 
 
 " Invulnerable ! " 
 
 " Of course you haven't found him so. I 
 meant about business matters. You see how 
 Colonel Fanton can be made to squirm when 
 you touch his property interests ; but Don's 
 that poor you can't take anything away from 
 him." 
 
 " He loves his house." 
 
 " Well, now, he told me once he hated it," 
 said Blair, in a lower voice. " He said he 
 keeps it open merely for the convenience of the 
 family ghosts. You know, Miss Cassy, the 
 darkies say his mother dances there on moon- 
 light nights. Do you know the story about 
 her; how she died " 
 
 " Yes, yes. I can't bear to hear it," I ex- 
 claimed. 
 
 " You're right ! It's a mighty ugly way 
 people have got into, talking about Mrs. Pey- 
 ton-Call," said Blair, regretfully. " I wouldn't 
 have Don know it for anything in this world. 
 But as for Colonel Fanton — " Blair laughed 
 again — " he can prove, if he likes, that he can 
 smash Don up and sell him out. It won't move 
 Don. He's got that idea of helping Baumann 
 stuck crossways in his head — I never saw him 
 384 
 
The Parley 
 
 so ' sot.' Of course, he's just as sweet and cool 
 as gourd-water about it. You ought to have 
 heard him tell Colonel Fanton this morning 
 that if he doesn't withdraw from his suit the 
 investigation begins to-morrow, you'd have 
 thought, by his manner, he was inviting the 
 Colonel to waltz." 
 
 " And then Colonel Fanton threatened ? " 
 
 " Yes, he was furious," returned Blair, with 
 enjoyment. " ' I'd like,' " says he, " ' to present 
 one last consideration to you, sir.' Don was 
 most happy to consider anything. ' Not here,' 
 says Colonel Fanton, with you know what kind 
 of a wave of his hand. ' Come to my office, sir, 
 to-night, sir, at nine o'clock, sir, and I hope to 
 convince you, sir, that you'd better keep out of 
 my way, sir." 
 
 Blair was waving his hand about in mon- 
 key imitation of the older man and I checked 
 him. It was just in time, for Colonel Fanton 
 at the very moment came down the piazza 
 toward us. 
 
 He asked us with perfunctory cordiality 
 whether we were enjoying the moonlight, and 
 when we had responded politely he entered his 
 office, the end room of the wing by the piazza 
 door before which we were standing. He lit 
 his lamp in there behind us, then came and 
 closed the door, and drew the window-shade. 
 
 " All the preparations for a pitched bat- 
 385 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 tie," murmured Blair. "But don't go, Miss 
 Cassy," as I rose and moved away. " We 
 aren't in danger of eavesdropping for an hour 
 yet. Don's appointment is at nine o'clock; 
 and I will say for him, he is never too early 
 anywhere." 
 
 I paused then, and tried to collect myself. 
 For the first moment I had been too much 
 startled at the thought of meeting Peyton-Call 
 by accident to realize the full weight of all I 
 had heard. Now I rapidly reviewed it and 
 drew my conclusions. 
 
 There was to be a " pitched battle " ; Colonel 
 Fanton had " something up his sleeve " ; he 
 hoped to convince Donald Peyton-Call that it 
 would be to his own disadvantage to investi- 
 gate the question of the lost agreement. 
 
 And there was one and only one vulnerable 
 point in Peyton-Call's armor of indifference ; 
 he cared nothing for his lands, nothing for the 
 praise of his fellows — but he adored his dead 
 mother. 
 
 And I had seen a paper which proved this 
 mother had had business relations with the 
 tricky Colonel Fanton. The receipt for a large 
 sum of money from Colonel Fanton was hidden 
 in the bodice Virgie was wearing to-night. 
 
 Mrs. Peyton-Call had needed money for her 
 gayeties; there was little she had to sell. 
 Colonel Fanton had wanted a certain paper 
 386 
 
The Parley 
 
 destroyed— and though it was her son's whole 
 inheritance ! 
 
 Blair's easy joking was suddenly become un- 
 endurable to me. I excused myself and went 
 upstairs, meaning to take refuge with my puz- 
 zled and dismal thoughts in Virgie's room. I 
 found her door locked; some of the girls, I 
 suppose, had retired to " talk secrets " together. 
 
 A sense of loneliness, absolute helplessness, 
 oppressed me as I lingered in the dim-lit upper 
 hall of The Terraces that evening. Here I 
 was in a house full of strangers ; Virgie the 
 strangest of all in her new happiness remote 
 from me and mine ; and poor Peyton-Call was 
 coming into this house alone, as into a hostile 
 camp, to receive a blow that must nearly de- 
 stroy him ; and I who knew what threatened him 
 should be unable to warn him, to shield him, to 
 lift one finger in his behalf. Here I must fret 
 away the hour in the bare upper hall, and hear 
 the mocking dance-music from below. 
 
 All Colonel Fanton wanted was money. The 
 poison he had for his young neighbor was 
 merely in self-defence. Peyton-Call was in the 
 way of Colonel Fanton's making a deal, there- 
 fore he must be crushed. Anyone with money 
 could have stepped between " 
 
 But why had I not money ? I had given it 
 away, to be sure ; but my friends, the Henry 
 Remans, would they not be generous with me? 
 
 387 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Even as I formulated my new idea I hurried 
 downstairs to seek out Colonel Fanton in his 
 office ; not by the big central staircase, but into 
 the wing and down by a way that let me into 
 the back piazza, once more at the office-door. 
 There I knocked and was bidden enter. 
 
 Colonel Fanton was amazed to see me, and 
 not particularly glad, for the moment. He 
 looked at the clock and so did I. It was a 
 quarter of the hour. 
 
 " I know you have an appointment, Colonel 
 Fanton, and my business is about just that," 
 said I. " I shall take only a few minutes of 
 your time." 
 
 He placed a chair for me with great polite- 
 ness, made some remarks intended to be flat- 
 tering about a lovely girl's forsaking the dance 
 and the companions of her own age to delight 
 him with her presence, etc. I remained grave 
 and waited till he had finished. 
 
 " I have a proposition to make to you, but 
 before I begin I must ask you, Colonel Fanton, 
 to regard it as a secret," I said. " If anyone in 
 the world besides yourself were to learn that I 
 have interested myself in the matter, it might 
 be highly disagreeable for me. You will pres- 
 ently see the reason for that." 
 
 He protested that his discretion was abso- 
 lutely perfect ; and I was gratified to note that 
 I had already his whole attention. I liked 
 388 
 
The Parley 
 
 Colonel Fanton less at this moment than ever 
 before. At his own desk, in the shabby office 
 room, with a lowering expression on the face 
 he turned to me, he looked altogether hard. 
 
 " I am wondering, Colonel Fanton, whether 
 you would be open to a business proposition 
 concerning that land about which you are su- 
 ing Mr. Baumann," I began. " I think I could 
 engage to find you a purchaser if you will let 
 Mr. Baumann go for the present." 
 
 Colonel Fanton pursed his lips and eyed me 
 doubtfully. 
 
 " The Baumanns are very good friends of 
 mine," I said, by way of explanation. 
 
 " Then why don't you arrange with Bau- 
 mann? He doesn't really want the land," said 
 Colonel Fanton, astutely. 
 
 " Of course no one wants the land," I re- 
 turned, getting a little confused on my line of 
 attack. " The point now is not so much to 
 help Baumann as to get you to withdraw from 
 this suit." 
 
 " Everyone seems to want me to withdraw 
 from this suit," he observed, with an air of be- 
 ing very shrewd. 
 
 " Precisely ; you must withdraw. You will 
 be forced to withdraw," I said quickly. " Why 
 not do it in time, Colonel Fanton, while you 
 can do so with profit to yourself? " 
 
 " My dear young lady, profit is a thing one 
 389 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 likes to see beforehand. What is your propo- 
 sition ? " 
 
 " I should state that I have no money of my 
 own, Colonel Fanton ; but I have friends who 
 feel themselves greatly in my debt. If you 
 will keep the land till I can represent it to 
 them as the good investment that it really is — " 
 Colonel Fanton here began to shake his head 
 with a slow business-like smile which so put 
 me out that I could scarcely continue ; " I 
 don't mean that you shall believe me without 
 proof of this. I have plenty of letters at home 
 which will show you exactly how I stand with 
 my friends. Again and again, they have offered 
 to do something for me, for my brothers, or for 
 the community where I have chosen my home ; 
 as for their wealth and credit, it is easy for you 
 to investigate that for yourself. I only ask 
 you to take the time to do it before you — take 
 any further steps." 
 
 " I am in no hurry myself," Colonel Fanton 
 assured me, blandly. " Another party is push- 
 ing the matter to an issue. He is attempting 
 to interfere with my suit against Baumann, and 
 I am reluctantly forced to proceed, in a manner, 
 against him also. For this reason only am I 
 anxious to get the whole matter settled as soon 
 as possible." 
 
 " I ask you, then, to concede to the demands 
 of this other party and let your case against Bau- 
 390 
 
The Parley 
 
 mann drop," said I. " Upon my word, Colonel 
 Fanton, you shall not be at any monetary loss. 1 
 will positively find you another buyer for your 
 land." (He smiled incredulously.) " I know 
 all about Dr. von Baerensprung's reforestra- 
 tion scheme, and can present it to my friends 
 as a safe investment ; or he will do so for me, 
 he is still in New York." 
 
 "You feel that this representation will be 
 sufficient to them ? " asked Colonel Fanton. 
 " You feel sure they will consider it a safe in- 
 vestment ? " 
 
 " I am sure ; but they'll even take a large risk 
 to oblige me. Our relations in that respect 
 are — peculiar." 
 
 " Very," he returned, sceptically. " But even 
 if you have these peculiarly obliging friends, 
 Miss Cassandra, it's a little hard to believe 
 they would go into this. Where is the certain- 
 ty of returns ? This idea of that German pro- 
 fessor always seemed to me pret-ty visionary." 
 (Here came the waving hand.) " But even if 
 they'll believe in that, as you do, there's the 
 mill-site can't be bought. If Baumann couldn't 
 buy it, nobody can. We have a saying in the 
 county, the Calls are mighty 'sot.' That you 
 are aware, ma'am, is the darky word for deter- 
 mined. Don Peyton-Call, I am pained to say, 
 is ' sot.' " Colonel Fanton nodded with a smile 
 half-indulgent, half-disapproving, and repeated 
 
 391 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 » 
 
 softly, as if testing the word to himself, 
 " sot ! " 
 
 " Then," I said firmly, " he will be immova- 
 ble in his resolve to prevent your foisting this 
 land on Baumann." 
 
 " Not immovable in this particular case, I 
 think," said Colonel Fanton, with a note of 
 danger in his tone. It roused my wrath. 
 
 " You mean you can move him ? You mean 
 you are armed against him ? " I demanded, in 
 a lowered voice. 
 
 Colonel Fanton looked considerably startled. 
 Instinctively we both arose from our chairs and 
 faced each other. 
 
 " What do you know ? " he demanded al- 
 most breathlessly. The question involuntarily 
 slipped from him. 
 
 " I know the whole story. I know your con- 
 nection, Colonel Fanton, with the disappear- 
 ance of that old agreement with the elder Pey- 
 ton-Call," I said, and now my voice trembled 
 with terror at what I found myself doing. It 
 had not been my remote intention to bait Colo- 
 nel Fanton. I had been carried away by ex- 
 citement and temper. 
 
 And he ? He was perhaps a shade paler, but 
 he faced me with a brazen dignity, and pom- 
 pously poured forth nonsense. 
 
 " You say, ma'am, you know my so-called 
 connection, ma'am, with the supposed disap- 
 392 
 
The Parley 
 
 pearance of a paper which never existed, 
 ma'am ? Then I assume you are also aware 
 who was really accountable for the disappear- 
 ance of said paper ; and you'll be moreover 
 aware, ma'am, that I am quite capable of tak- 
 ing care of myself with my knowledge of the 
 actual facts, ma'am ; my knowledge of the actual 
 facts ! " 
 
 " Yes," I returned, hotly. " I know that Mrs. 
 Peyton-Call succumbed to the temptation of 
 your bribe, that she secretly sold the paper to 
 you ; that you destroyed it and straightway 
 violated the terms, making a large fortune by 
 cutting bare the headwater tract of the Peyton 
 branch." 
 
 " Very well, ma'am," he cried, with a bold- 
 ness that surprised me. " You may know this 
 story, in which there isn't one word of truth, 
 and others may know it ; but there is one who 
 doesn't know it yet ; and you may be sure that 
 when he learns it, it will spoil his pleasure in 
 having his old claim on that timber tract pub- 
 licly investigated." 
 
 " So this old secret about his mother is your 
 whole weapon against him to-night ? " I asked, 
 wrathfully. 
 
 " It is, ma'am, since you put it that way ! " 
 he returned, with a snarl much like an irate 
 dog on a chain. 
 
 " What will you take to lay down this 
 
 393 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 weapon ? " I asked. " I can raise any sum of 
 money — if you will give me time," 
 
 He stood still a moment ; I thought he was 
 considering the matter. Then he shook his 
 head and remarked, in a more amiable tone than 
 he had been using, that a bird in hand was 
 worth two in the bush. 
 
 And so I, who could have bought this man 
 ten times over in days gone by, who could still 
 command his price with a stroke of my pen, I 
 was entirely helpless. In New York my re- 
 jection of a great fortune was but yesterday 
 legally complete ; here in Rolfe I was the poor 
 sister of the Dales, with no credit; and my 
 word was wind to the business man. 
 
 " Colonel Fanton, you have always appeared 
 to feel particularly kindly toward your neigh- 
 bor, your wife's young cousin," I said, changing 
 my tone to one more gentle. " Through all 
 these years you have been atoning for the 
 wrong you did him as a child by — speaking 
 well of him upon every occasion." 
 
 " 1 certainly have been good to Don," he ad- 
 mitted stupidly, and I thought he seemed soft- 
 ened. I continued without scruple to flatter 
 him, sure of the principle that a man feels him- 
 self most firmly bound by his own past kind- 
 nesses. 
 
 " You have stood by him and defended him 
 when everyone else was hostile in criticism," 
 
 394 
 
The Parley 
 
 I continued. " You were always his business 
 adviser. You meant to be his father " 
 
 "Yes, and I'm willing yet," he assented, 
 thoughtfully. " I'm hoping Virgie will change 
 her mind again and marry Don. Her mother 
 changed her mind six times about me." 
 
 " And in that case," I added, keeping under 
 my own dismay at the suggestion, " in case he 
 ever becomes a member of your family, how 
 you would regret having hurt him as you have 
 planned to hurt him to-night! And what is 
 it for? A miserable sum of money, wrung 
 from a poor foreigner ; a profit made on land 
 from which you have once already made enor- 
 mous profit ! " 
 
 Alas! I had struck the wrong note. Col- 
 onel Fanton's face lit up with pleasure at the 
 thought of fleecing his foreign neighbor; at 
 the thought of making a double profit on his 
 land. 
 
 " All most true, most true, Miss Cassandra ! " 
 he said, rocking his head regretfully. " But I 
 never let sentiment interfere with business, 
 ma'am." 
 
 Meanwhile I had forgotten all about narrow- 
 ly watching the clock, as had been my inten- 
 tion. We were interrupted by a light rap on 
 the door ; it was immediately opened, and Pey- 
 ton-Call appeared on the threshold. He start- 
 ed slightly at seeing me, then coldly bowed, 
 
 395 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 and was about to withdraw with an apology 
 for disturbing us. 
 
 " Come in, come in," called Colonel Fanton, 
 hastily. " Miss Cassandra and I are through." 
 
 The other may have seen by my face how 
 little satisfied I was with the result of my in- 
 terview. He begged to be excused for half an 
 hour, he would go out into the garden to smoke 
 and rest ; he had been riding fast. 
 
 " Business first, smoking afterward, Don," 
 said the older man, sharply. " Come in." 
 
 So I was actually dismissed. I murmured 
 good-night and moved to the door ; the master 
 of Caxton held it open for me with his own 
 courtly inclination. I dared not glance a sec- 
 ond time at his impassive face. 
 
 396 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 A GAUGE OF HAPPINESS 
 
 But as I was passing out I came abruptly 
 upon Virgie, and she was in such a startling 
 guise and company that I involuntarily stepped 
 back as though I had seen a ghost. 
 
 She was in her dark riding-habit who had 
 been so lately flaunting her rose brocade ; and 
 the ball-gown she had taken off trailed over her 
 arm. Behind her stood Bud — Bud, who was 
 supposed to be twenty miles away in Lennox. 
 His face was set and white with excitement, 
 his eyes brilliant as I had never seen them. 
 
 " Don't go, Cassy, we want to see you," com- 
 manded Virgie, " and hasn't Don just gone in 
 there, and where's papa ? We want to see you 
 all three. Come in, Bud, and close the door." 
 
 Her notes were high and clear and trem- 
 bling ; when she entered into the lighted room 
 I saw her face set in new lines of resolution. 
 With a certain hasty care she spread the shin- 
 ing gown upon the table over books and papers 
 while we stood in expectant wonder. Then 
 she faced her father with bravely lifted head. 
 
 " Papa, I've come to confess ; I aimed to 
 
 397 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 elope with Bud to-night — " and not heeding 
 her father's exclamation of wrathful surprise 
 she continued — " but while I was dressing I 
 thought about how outdone you-all would be, 
 and how it would hurt your feelings, papa, and 
 I changed my mind ; so I made Bud come in 
 here to confess everything." 
 
 With slow turnings of the head and looks of 
 wonder we all consulted each other's eyes ; but 
 Virgie had no air of being demented, she con- 
 tinued, in a calmer tone : 
 
 " Besides, I want to give back his mother's 
 dress to Don and ask him to forgive my wear- 
 ing it this once. It's the end of my being friv- 
 olous and selfish now." She laid her nervous 
 little hands on the gown and folded it as she 
 talked. " I'm ashamed, Don ; Cassy made me 
 ashamed, of trailing it around like this. It was 
 in my mother's keeping and in mine, but now 
 I give it back to you. You care for old things, 
 I know." 
 
 Her cousin stepped up and half mechanically 
 helped her to fold the silk. He seemed dazed, 
 as indeed we all were. To see the two so 
 strangely engaged was like a scene in a dream. 
 
 " But this is really papa's," said Virgie, sud- 
 denly, " I'll take it out." 
 
 I almost cried aloud when I saw her unpin- 
 ning the bit of paper from among the laces of 
 the bodice. 
 
 398 
 
A Gauge of Happiness 
 
 " There's no use keeping things from people 
 they belong to," she said, as she turned with 
 the paper to her father. " Now this dress— 
 I've always wanted it for my own, to wear 
 when I pleased, but now I see it wasn't meant 
 for me. It would be a ridiculous gown for 
 Bud's wife." 
 
 Now I really cried out, and Colonel Fanton 
 thundered "What?" Bud stepped forward 
 and took his stand by Virgie's side. 
 
 " This is yours, papa," said Virgie, maintain- 
 ing her calm, and she laid the bit of paper on 
 the top of her father's desk. " And you needn't 
 look so surprised because I say I'm going to 
 marry Bud. I promised him in New Rome 
 when he came after me, and I have told all these 
 men who are here in the house I was engaged 
 to somebody else, so it's perfectly fair. I aim 
 to be a good girl after this, because Bud is per- 
 fectly good and never lies. And that's the 
 reason I wouldn't go off to-night without tell- 
 ing you and Cassy. So now — good-by, papa ! " 
 
 Her tone dropped to a winning and childlike 
 appeal. 
 
 "My daughter— I forbid it— that's all," 
 gasped poor Colonel Fanton, waving his hand 
 to sweep Bud off the face of the earth. 
 
 " Don't you know it's not worth while to for- 
 bid it ? " said Virgie, in a sweet tone of argu- 
 ment, and she put both her arms around her be- 
 
 399 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 wildered father's neck and kissed him on the 
 cheek. Then she came to me. 
 
 " Cassy, sister ! " she cried, with a little sob 
 and a laugh, "good-night! And excuse us for 
 not inviting you to the wedding. 'Tisn't the 
 way of the Dales, you know, to have any great 
 doings. Mr. Wykof's going to marry us at his 
 own house, and his wife's our witness and we 
 really don't want the family." 
 
 " Miss Cassandra," cried the father, appealing 
 to me in his desperation. 
 
 "Virgie! Bud! Think a little! Take a 
 little time ! Give us a little time ! " I urged, 
 not very conscious of what I was saying. 
 
 " All foolishness to think ! " declared Virgie. 
 " What was it you said of me once ? My heart's 
 bound in triple brass. I jump without think- 
 ing." 
 
 " You're right, Virgie, don't think," said her 
 cousin in a low voice as she turned to him, 
 and he took her hand. " Go along and marry 
 your sweetheart ; and Bud, old man, bring 
 your bride to Caxton and stay with me." 
 
 " Don, I knew you'd stand by us," cried Vir- 
 gie, with a little gush of tears. He swept her 
 up and kissed her. Colonel Fanton groaned at 
 the sight and pointed at them and nodded dis- 
 mally as if to say — " this is what / had planned." 
 Bud, too, was disturbed in view of the caress 
 and involuntarily stepped forward. 
 400 
 
A Gauge of Happiness 
 
 " Oh, go away from here, you silly," scolded 
 Virgie, when she turned and noted her lover's 
 jealousy. " Isn't Don going to be our brother? " 
 
 " Looks like I can't stand it, though," said 
 poor Bud, helplessly. 
 
 Donald Peyton-Call laughed and put Bud's 
 and Virgie's hands together and pushed them 
 gently to the door. 
 
 " No more talk now, we're busy," he told 
 them ; " go and get married first, and come and 
 tell us about it afterward." 
 
 "Don, I forbid you, sir," thundered Colonel 
 Fanton, only fairly coming to his wits, now that 
 Virgie was out of the room. " I forbid your 
 sustaining my daughter in her disobedience 
 and folly." 
 
 " 'Tain't worth while, papa ! " came Virgie's 
 singing call from without. " Good-night, you- 
 all, good-night!" 
 
 And Bud's mellow voice echoed hers, " Good- 
 night, Li'l Cassy and Don. Good-night ! " 
 
 Colonel Fanton made for the door. Peyton- 
 Call laid a light restraining hand on his arm. 
 
 "You know your daughter, sir," he sug- 
 gested. 
 
 The father groaned again and turned. Then 
 his eye fell on me where I stood still, trans- 
 fixed. His face lit up at finding someone he 
 could blame. 
 
 "Well, ma'am, are you satisfied with what 
 401 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 you have done, ma'am ? " he demanded wrath- 
 fully. " Before you came to this here county of 
 Rblfe, ma'am, we had standards, we had tra- 
 ditions of what was becoming to a lady, ma'am, 
 and my daughter, she was conscious of her 
 place, ma'am. She observed the customs of the 
 society to which she was raised " 
 
 " Till, like her mother before her," cut in 
 Peyton-Call, " she fell in love with a promising 
 young fellow of a less exalted social position, 
 and married him in the face of a great deal of 
 foolish opposition on the part of her family. I 
 am not mistaken, am I, Colonel Fanton ? Wasn't 
 it in this way that my cousin, Virgie's mother, 
 married you?" 
 
 Colonel Fanton looked at him with mute 
 rage. 
 
 " Will you please apologize to Miss Dale for 
 the tone of your address ? " continued Peyton- 
 Call, stonily, "and take back your statement 
 that she is to blame, even in the remotest 
 manner, for what has occurred ? " 
 
 " I don't blame Miss Cassandra," said Colonel 
 Fanton, rather hurriedly. It was very obvious 
 he read a threat in the other man's face. " I 
 beg Miss Cassandra's pardon. I was hasty, I 
 was distracted in my natural melancholy over 
 the departure of my only child. I'll say more, 
 Miss Cassandra ; if my daughter must go her 
 headlong way, I am at least thankful she has 
 402 
 
A Gauge of Happiness 
 
 for a friend and sister a person of your elegant 
 education." 
 
 I bowed in acknowledgment of this extraor- 
 dinary compliment, and turned to the door, still 
 open. Then I remembered with a pang the 
 business that had first brought me here and 
 that had been so startlingly interrupted. 
 
 " Colonel Fanton," I said, by way of a last 
 effort. " Doesn't your daughter's marriage to 
 my brother give my wishes a little more weight 
 with you ? I beg you will hear me further on 
 the subject we have been discussing." 
 
 " Miss Cassandra, as I have already told you, 
 I can't let sentiment interfere with business," 
 returned Colonel Fanton, firmly. It was as- 
 tonishing how quickly the natural melancholy 
 of the distracted father was merged in the 
 hardness of the man of affairs. " But here's 
 Peyton-Call right at hand. Why don't you try 
 to move him ? If you can persuade him to get 
 out of my way in regard to this suit, I'll gladly 
 agree not to trouble him." 
 
 I was aghast. So much for trusting to the 
 discretion of a man like Fanton ! This was the 
 way he kept his promise of absolute secrecy. 
 There I stood, burning with anger and con- 
 fusion, and Peyton-Call's eyes searching my 
 face. A slight color had mounted into his 
 own. 
 
 " Miss Dale would not be so inconsistent, I 
 403 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 think," he said, coldly ; " after interesting me 
 in Baumann's case herself, she would hardly 
 interfere again, just at the moment when I am 
 gaining a point for her protege." 
 
 " She has found out things since which have 
 made her change her mind. You're her pro- 
 tfgd now, Don," said this dreadful Colonel 
 Fanton, with a short, stupid laugh. Between 
 dread and wrath I could not utter a word. I 
 was a helpless prey to Peyton-Call's gaze. 
 
 " Do I understand that Miss Dale has learned 
 that Colonel Fanton is mysteriously threaten- 
 ing me," he asked, slowly, " and, in her kind- 
 ness, has attempted to ward off the blow ? " 
 
 " That's exactly it, Don," said Colonel Fan- 
 ton. "She's been here asking me to let you 
 off ; and I want to do it, damn it all ! I don't 
 want to bother you, Don ! I can remember 
 old times " (his voice wavered) " when I had 
 hopes you would become my son. But not for 
 you nor anybody — " (he was his harsh, stub- 
 born self again and ended snarlingly) " will I 
 let go of Baumann. You drop this business of 
 investigating that old agreement — or I'll finish 
 you up ! " 
 
 " I join my appeal to Colonel Fanton *s, Mr. 
 Peyton-Call," I said, faintly. " I wish you 
 would withdraw from the business you entered 
 upon, as I understood, only to do me a favor. 
 It will no longer be a favor. I see my way 
 404 
 
A Gauge of Happiness 
 
 clear to helping Baumann myself, if he has to 
 take the land. And I'm not willing you should 
 be troubled any further. I should feel respon- 
 sible." 
 
 " Ah, that's it, is it?" he said softly, and defi- 
 ance blazed in his eyes ; he was in the frame of 
 mind to take everything wrong. " I under- 
 stand your motive, Miss Dale, in withdrawing 
 your request that I shall help your friends ; but 
 I am not in the habit of reconsidering matters 
 of this kind. The matter has become wholly 
 impersonal; I am interested in it for its own 
 sake, and you are absolutely free from the least 
 obligation to me. Moreover, I will say to 
 quiet your scruples, that I am not in the least 
 afraid of Colonel Fanton's hidden trump. He 
 thinks he has a secret of which the revelation 
 will crush me, but — " he turned toward the 
 other with an access of mingled wrath and dis- 
 dain, " — I have known it for years ! " 
 
 Colonel Fanton dropped heavily into his 
 office-chair and stared witlessly at the younger 
 man, who now walked slowly up to him. 
 
 "Where is Virgie's paper?" inquired Pey- 
 ton-Call, in a low voice ; and he saw it on the 
 desk and snatched it up and looked at it. 
 Then he tossed it down to Colonel Fanton 
 with contempt. 
 
 " Saves you a verbal confession, doesn't it? " 
 he muttered. "Our business for to-night is 
 
 405 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 over, Colonel Fanton, if this is all you had to 
 tell me." 
 
 He turned again toward me. My face must 
 have been white ; at any rate, he read my hor- 
 ror and paled himself. 
 
 " Do you know it — too ? " he asked, falter- 
 ingly. 
 
 I covered my face with my hands ; but when 
 he strode toward me, pity steadied my nerve, 
 and I looked up to answer him. 
 
 " Virgie once showed me that bit of paper—" 
 I began. 
 
 "And Virgie, too?" he cried, with an un- 
 speakably bitter laugh. 
 
 " No, not Virgie ; only I understood," I an- 
 swered, sorrowfully. 
 
 " Ah, how easy it was for anyone to under- 
 stand ! " he exclaimed. " And wasn't it inter- 
 esting, Miss Dale, to make a study of me, to 
 understand me and my pitiful life of lies ? " 
 
 I shook my head, struggling with tears. 
 
 " So that's the reason you've been tolerant — 
 and scornful," he continued, in a voice to ex- 
 clude Colonel Fanton at the other side of the 
 room. "You knew the miserable secret over 
 which I was standing guard. You knew why 
 I was conservative to stupidity ; you knew 
 why I posed as a swaggering loafer!" He 
 flung out the words with the force of long 
 pent-up disgust. 
 
 406 
 
A Gauge of Happiness 
 
 " No, no ! " I protested, faintly. 
 
 " I say yes ! " he returned, hogy. " It's sim- 
 ple enough, isn't it? I knew that the first step 
 of progress in my native county would raise 
 a clamor about that mill, that water-power. 
 Men are living who knew all about my father's 
 hopes for that property ; all about his contract 
 with Colonel Fanton. People have ^gossipped 
 in private for all these years" over Colonel 
 Fanton's timber speculations. How easy for 
 those gossips to go a step farther and inquire 
 how Colonel Fanton came to dare it ! But my 
 absolute worthlessness and laziness was a sort 
 of explanation, and I was doing my best to sup- 
 ply it in full. Now you understand, I suppose, 
 my horror when I saw in you the capitalist 
 and in Baerensprung the keen promoter " 
 
 I seemed to grow suddenly a little giddy 
 and reached for the back of a chair. There I 
 leaned and looked at the floor, and tried to col- 
 lect my scattered wits. Had I understood it 
 fully? Had I now the whole explanation of 
 why Peyton-Call had investigated my claims 
 on the rejected fortune ? 
 
 He addressed himself to Colonel Fanton once 
 more, speaking quietly again. 
 
 " But I am through with it all, I mean to let 
 the law take its course," he said. " You can't 
 keep a secret from people who have a right to 
 know it. I've been shielding your outrage, 
 
 407 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 Colonel Fanton, as well as my poor mother's 
 weakness ; 'and you, are you actually secure 
 enough to be willing to dare public censure ? 
 Are you willing to let this whole matter come 
 up in the courts on a chance of making another 
 profit on that land ? Colonel Fanton, I can see 
 where the first temptation for all this came in. 
 You were poor when you went into that lum- 
 ber speculation after the war. But now, if you 
 take unfair advantage of this foreigner, what 
 name will you give your act ? " 
 
 " Don, don't talk like that," groaned the older 
 man. " I've had a pretty hard night of it al- 
 ready, my boy. You know I've always been 
 your friend, Don. I reckon I've been hasty on 
 this Baumann matter. I tell you for a fact, I 
 was chiefly vexed because you insisted on get- 
 ting into my way. And I don't see yet why 
 you give a hang about the German, Don. He 
 never was a friend of yours." 
 
 " I am not in the least interested in Bau- 
 mann," returned Peyton-Call ; " I'm not in this 
 business for personal reasons at all. It's because 
 -I've decided to suppress you, Colonel Fanton, in 
 theanterest of the community, that I mean to 
 nght this matter through. Whatever it costs 
 I'll face. I'll save my poor mother's reputation 
 as far as I can honorably save it ; and when it 
 comes to that, the men of the community know 
 better thanlo speak ill of her while I am alive. 
 
 4"S 
 
A Gauge of Happiness 
 
 The dead are forgiven at last ; but your case is 
 different, sir. You are still active in over- 
 reaching your neighbors, and you are going to 
 be exposed." 
 
 " No need, no need, Don, I'll withdraw," 
 cried Colonel Fanton, brokenly. " You must 
 bear with me, Son ; Virgie's leaving me like 
 this has mighty nigh upset me and I've been 
 a little hasty. But I'll withdraw my suit 
 against Baumann. I'll send word to Carson 
 to-night." 
 
 " Thank you, sir," said Peyton-Call, quietly. 
 Then he stepped impulsively forward and of- 
 fered the other his hand. With a pitiful eager- 
 ness the older man took it and wrung it. 
 
 " You're a good boy, Don ! A generous 
 boy," he said, and choked a little. " You're 
 like your father, Don ! " 
 
 I fled from the room to find a retreat where 
 I could give way to tears. The piazza was de- 
 serted of guests, the music was still. From the 
 dining-room came the gay talk and laughter of 
 those to whom Miss Lucy Call was serving re- 
 freshments. As I passed the window I heard* 
 someone exclaim that she hadn't laid eyes on 
 Virgie this ever so long. 
 
 I stepped down into the moonlit garden walk 
 and paced up and down and calmed myself. 
 Then I saw Peyton-Call coming out of the of- 
 fice and turning down toward the steps. Not a 
 
 400 
 
The Master of Caxton 
 
 look he cast along the piazza to see where I 
 had gone. fg/ 
 
 I felt I had hardly breath enough to call his 
 name, but I made him hear, and he came back 
 toward me with his cruel air of formal polite- 
 ness. What could he do for Miss Dale ? 
 
 " I want to thank you for helping my friends," 
 I said, with no great assurance, " I'm sorry it 
 has cost you pain." 
 
 " A lady's thanks are always worth earning," 
 he returned, with heartless gallantry, " but this 
 case is peculiar. I was asked to serve without 
 reward, and I can't accept your thanks." 
 
 I knew him now, his whole pride and his 
 stubborn, breaking heart. I could plainly feel 
 how he was defying me. And to this mood of 
 his I had to dare my confession. 
 
 "There's something besides my thanks; I 
 have an explanation to offer," I said, humbly. 
 
 " I am unhappily clear on everything that 
 concerns me," he returned. " I want nothing 
 explained." 
 
 " Then you know why I took you for a fort- 
 une-hunter?" I demanded, desperately. 
 
 At that he lost his nerve and flared up. 
 
 "Did you ?" he cried, fiercely- 
 
 "Yes, I did. When you iipSrestigated my 
 claims in New York to satisfy yourself I was not 
 your dangerous capitalist, my friends there were 
 
 warning me against the wily adventurer " 
 
 410 
 
A Gauge of Happiness 
 
 " And you believed them ? " he asked, threat- 
 eningly. 
 
 " Yes, I did, Donald, and it nearly broke my 
 heart." 
 
 " Served you right ! " he cried, bitterly, as he 
 seized both my hands. 
 
 On the lower terrace, close over the brawling, 
 moonlit river we walked up and down, and 
 slowly, haltingly I endeavored to set right the 
 wrong I had committed. Donald kept his hand 
 on mine, his eyes on my face, but would not 
 help me by a single word. In that rushing 
 quiet of breeze and waters not a sound reached 
 us from the house. I had a solemn sense of re- 
 moteness from the world. For good or ill we 
 two were isolated from all others, dependent 
 upon each other for every ray of happiness till 
 death should part us ; and here we were in the 
 first hour after love's confession, he hurt and 
 embittered, I uncertain and afraid. 
 
 The warm scent of the boxwood came over 
 me in waves, and up the river, in the gap, the 
 moonlight fell on the clay bluffs, the gold-red 
 soil of my native Rolfe. Above them stood the 
 dark pines, and over them the northern star 
 hung low and pale in the lighted sky. Yes, I 
 was at home in my beloved South ! The hope 
 of my childhood was fulfilled. Was it not a 
 gauge of future happiness ? 
 
 411 
 
Miss Brooks's Former Novel 
 
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 WARRANT 
 
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