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THE FLOWERS COLLCCIION Barney Corrigan’s Legacy— The Strange Tale of an Old Georgia Home The Last Affair at Pepper’s Grove j By LOLLIE BELLE BURTZ. Written for E7*» Sunnr South SHALL always think 8 «£ yon with , the mountains, Mr. John. You seem so strong and unchangeable —almost a part of them somehow; and I feel you have helped a long way to bring me back to health and happiness and the joy of living. “Do you remember that first day after Aunt and I came when X had crept out in the sunshine, and you passed and showed you passed an showed me the way to the spring in the hollow where the ferns were rank and the violets grew?" Dawson nodded. He remembered well tin childlike helplessness about her that tilled his heart with pity and drove away the diffidence which otherwise would have held Ills tongue. After that it was easy enough to talk to her of the moun tains he loved—to tell her of all she should see when her strength came hark and she could go further into the heart of the hills. He told her of the great si ac s and majestic silences: of the trim proud pines standing guard over the solitude; of the noisy little brook lulling Its secret of the wilds; and above .11 of the thin, delicious air which is elixir to starved and famished lungs. ’ Oh, if I could only get up there T be- lievo T should get well!” she .said with an eager sigh. "You can. and you will." he htid told her. and she had kept trying and trying until his words had come true. Above the bluff was the goal they sought—a stalely old house with the vide, airy galleries and Corinthian col- that marked the home of the '^n'he 1 vender of seeing suc& a Place in a mountain forest is enou lie..eve almost a . ith it " said the girl. have faith in the story Corrigan’s gold being hidden almost like hunting for it. • —-m—9• ■•■•••« By C. B. ROBERTS. Written for Bhe Suany South HE Ba isville fair «**»«.*5£ ° “ . , , ~l,*l “To In the Doorway Stood a Instead of Man With Staying Outstretched Arms. it seems ea or Barne; liero. I f'' Don’t you 1 "I am willing to be satisne >ld place,” answered ber corn- following her saze upward to "the one Dr. Oswald gave ed with the already come to me panion. lie hou me." “YeF r. faith in his am and what Dr Oswald! The old hermit and evo lutionist who lived here last?” that was Dr. Oswald. I hate creed, but I owe wbat I hope to be to him. lie and the woods and mountains have been nr only teachers.” ••But the success you are beginning gMn is in you. Have I not told you that it was your will which got hold of nm and made mo believe In my power to fight death and get well? You were so sure of It that I could not doubt. ‘ “While the spell of the heights is upon ns lefc me see if I can tell of the origin of the old house as you have told it to me. T have an especial reason for wish ing to tell the story well. "It was built ’way back In the forties hv one Major Charles Pembroke, a gallant gentleman, whose love for tne sweet heart of wild nature caused him to persevere until, in spite of the obstac les in the way. .a 1n«st68-Q Ul IsOitlS When he married^‘"^nabls resort abroad or to ■ * beautiful •>’ ‘"honeymoon; and each year e thereafter forth, two^weet- ;^.K n wUh f a°Jay Par^and made merry to their hearts’ contertt “But death came sturdy prime, and broken-hearted widow conld return to the seen shft the major in his his sun set while it that friend was John Daw-son, your grandfather But he came too /ate to learn place of the treasure which wa to be Ii«s. for when he reached the maiy n Barney was dead. Then the war bt/' e " ,he states came on, Mrs. pembr*,. and the old house was forgot’ On . at her fee t. his face turned to tl 1 * 1 ^’ the man had been listening; hat wa ’\ upon ‘he girl herself. L r W ° n ; She spoke ’ Dp there f betwe en them was invisible tic had been ever for a couple of monhs, and everything had p.ssed off without any jpa-ticularly untoward circumsthce. Even the unfriendiness between Major jisiah Pipkin and Colonel Wesley Blood- worth. yhich had its in ception during the gala days, had not developed any utvasy aspect—that is, it hid not up to the juncture when the things presently to be here, set down took place. The trou ble grew out of the award to Major Pipkin of the prize for the fattest hog. both gentlemen having entered at the fab’ samples of the animal and vege table products of the! respective farms, which were conducted for dr owners vicariously and as side affairs, for while liieir fathers before them had followed rural pursuits, they themselves had not elected to lead the life of out-and-out tillers of the ground. The active concern of Pipkin was the keeping of a store in Barrsville for the sale of “all kinds of hardware,” and Blood worth was chiefly occupied with his duties as superintendent of t ie one small line of railway. j It was necessarily n dost/ decision, for flic layman in porcine matters could have detected no different in print of corpulency between the two animals. Bad Colonel Bloodworth, fn commenting irr. the subject around town, made some Remarks that, reaching Pipkin, did not xactly please that gentleman. The re- ult was that they teased to speak. I lie two had bt rti close friends ever luce they were wys; they had always i.een to each ot“Josiah” and ’LM-Vt? ” _,ii> C-d’Asr W.urairi t ' .'nit 4y So'r, t> "!Zrnr. f r : ™ tatters selfish. Blood- * widower of long stand- possessed a some- and was easilv flatly an i in some woth, who wa ing and childl^,. wint choleric te lper Sot V? * 3ys,caI <*>»»*«* or both y.y * m Peafiment, and there was woi’S’s sptn e !n ° f , t,, ° T ,,ty ° f R!a ° J - for tlie natural JL^ r" Pk ,OR sub stitute el divers local topics, and the Central ho tel’s lumbering ’bus from the train with its four passengers--three commercial travellers and a visiting country attor ney, come to town to look after some cases—had just gone by, creaking from the want of axle grease, when around the corner, about a block off. abruptly appeared, walking leisurely down the street, the squat, portly, slightly-limping figure of Bloodworth. Simultaneously with their discovery of him. he described them, and he would have passed on quite oblivious, to all outward semblance, of their existence ex cept for one of those circumstances, tri fling in in themselves, which all along in the history of (he world have been fruit ful of far-reaching consequences and in the lives of Individuals have bad an In fluence analogous: when he had ap proached to within about 20 feet of the group lie suddenly slipped upon the fro zen snow and—very much against his in- elinatlon and In Spite of exertions In op position—came down upon the hard for mation with a jolt which seemed drastic enough to loosen his vertebrae and draw- taut every tendon in his anatomy. Theer was a laugh, quite audible, from the Pipkin assemblage, and while Blood worth was on the ground recuperating the major himself observed—perhaps wholly jocularly and meaning that only those Immediately about him should hear— “If Wes’ wasn't fatter'n that hog of his lie wouldn’t have fallen!" Alas! —for. whatever the intention, the colonel heard. He would have ignored the laughter, much as it aggravated his diseomforture; but the odium of the coarser insult, as he deemed it to he. was positively unbearable and enraged him to that supreme point where he forgot to do what he always did when anything went amiss—swear continuously for a space averaging a quarter of a minute. From the congested appearance of his ’•mintennnce no one would have been sur BTisoa.. to, ■ TT 1 '® the very next stead, picking up 'the W T-i}; variably carried and breathing hard and seething with Indignation too turbulent arose—with exceeding to describe, he lost he should again descend. "X ou all a cowa’c*. sub!” ho vocifer ated. paying of Lever bear to ret tU ‘ " •“cm was Invisible she belonged to the greatest " ap! f^ S p, ac "' her husband had neither h she sent Bar- }f their great bear to have loved so well go to ruin; so to u lo me world of - and culture lying beyond the hills- Oigot that he was poor and unknown' had never meant to speak. They but man and woman there—and he care for tine freshness. th r!ftv md had sav 'ed her The power of his eyes drew hers hack wilderness, and rom the hous servant*he knew never meant of the lonely life here, alary his masters widow gun his ISTK'i.-'i.-yjnf told marvelous tales ot hi. whfch they said he tept JM** < a about on the hillside.. fore to tel) you,” he said but my heart spoke to yours*lie- „ nothin have been gre-i t T hende<J - U wo “M«ot fellow citizens "to T ! ' Urpr,sln * lo their between them |£ T" ° f SOme possibility ^r’ ^fiTslion of the possioiHtj of a n;thing like Tanged encounter! -j t h fircarn words, a duel w|>,i d have been consid- rrrLtrVTV**!* ™ ^ the S tranti \ notions Df Don Quixote both ■ cause the probation was too 'slight •>ai because dueling, in the strictest ' ,!KP ’ belonged to t generation past and prear- in other I realized ft. i feel the difference between us. ] know T thing in return; but While nothin plnci •After UUlll a fife of toll and repress* . , v „i,l PorrtAV" cannot ask any- , . now since i-ou have learned my secret let me say it once-I you—with all my heart and soul T lov love you I know chill* December nltf* old » he had Hvcd-alone. t _ °^ d ° f v ne you see only the pre- he has raised yond broke family servants - jns him. but he sent the p ‘ ,a hid- frlcnd he had made in “^me- th a t lie might tell him when sumption of It. that I an Ignorant moun- taineer should raise my eyes to you. hut ^ 1th it all I am a man.” “You mlsjudf she said quickly, CONTINUED ON FOURTH PAGE. erurso r befallen during the ntv nfl I" : ° distinguish it from " . s P l vdeCissors for some years previous, neverrh*. ss two months' at?- erwards—following’ a iittlo moro a, t lug mere-chance episode that snrv.fi to recrudesce i-orman t unpl<asa:tness—came expected. It was late in Vo afternoon of a day tl’al had been cie weather. the the un ity of true winter Ma.jn: Fpklii for the moment is standing fn front of his store with three townsmen tl r lcs in tn way, uc — • . that he migm- >■'=*• , . . — or inree townsmen idle f. ropy of his Old southern home aboye the accumulation of^ ^ ... 1 } the crags looking out tipon the vallej. ^ . ..•-.*•+•*•*•* ‘ ‘ I li *.*•*•*•*•*•*•*•* *•** • * ‘ « ^ Rv attention to the othe- men but bristling up to Pipkin, who was . and of a spare physique, and bran dishing the stick like a gage of battle in tile Vicinity of bis former intimate's nose Having an idiosyncrasy of immediately repeating some of his utterances be at once reiterated-if possible, with aug mented vehemence and before the major could return n word: T say you ab a enwa'd, suh!” Just why be should have chosen that particular word—vehicle, rather than some other member of the vocabulary of invective which might have been more appropriate under the circumstances to carry to Pipkin knowledge of his 'dis pleasure. It is not possible to asseverate it is probable that be could not on spur of the moment think of other epithet which lie fancied lie as hateful to the add reseed. Pipkin, as we have given to understand, was of a pacific temperament—up to a certain point—averse fo fighting when it could bo avoided without sacrifice o' honor, and he always did his best to stave off actual hostilities. M’hile he could not refuse to take notice of this imputation, he would meet it. he decided with a response which would prevent trouble and at the same time enable him to retire with the integrity of his repu tation unimpaired. He did not mov« as he replied, very calmly: “You can prove, suh, whetiiah I am ah not!” Strangely enough, Pipkin's forbearance seemed to possess a mollifying attribute in its effect upon the colonel, who appar ently cooled off somewhat himself ami walked away—or maybe it was the ma jor’s words which nonplussed him and put him temporarily at a loss. When lie commenced to turn them over In his mind and reflected that he had no reason for believing that they were not intended to he construed as such a remark is usu ally construed, it struck him that they were very significant. Of course, when in the heat of anger lie had declared ab solutely against the major’s valor he had not anticipated getting a reply in terms which, although tatamount to a chal lenge from Pipkin, not only devolved upon himself the burden of proving— in only one Inferrable way—his accusa tion but of proving his own bravery, for both Pipkin and his companions who had witnessed the altercation, if lie, Blood worth. took no step, would have ample ground to believe that he himself h id shown the white feather in not desiring to fight. Indeed, he felt that he really had behaved most craven-like in depart ing so tamely. Being aware, however, of the inerraot fire of the major and that he certainly would not select any description of duel ing instrument but one which world shoot, and knowing his own utter fail ure as a marksman, he- f"lt xnat :t would be as if subscribing his own death wan ant to sending a challerge. But— there was no other course; he appro* Dated that, and ihe thought that the quicker he acted, and thereby - i nvive-1 the impression that he had backed out under Pipkin's unlntimidatable front, the tetter. A few hem’s laLer Colonel Bullwinkio, his friend, waited upon Major Pipkin with a cartel. As the epistolary experi ence of the writer had been restricted al most wholly to tiie r-’utine correspond ence Incident to bis railroad position— ••men nc m a o g.v-at number of years and which the minds of bis compeers conceived to be one of much prestige—the note was couched in the set phrases and embodied the ahridgo- ineut of official railroad comniun.cn- 110:1s: Josiah Pipkin. Sir- tion this ing to our c on beg to ad vis e that lent foi * me to meel ton.orn )\v m >rn ing 1 if that plac • • v.il. von. ( 7o!om ■1 Bull izefi to mah :o ■ill my beh n! f. Re spec u at 7 i - pper’ but the any would one to whom it was • rove. be agreeable to winkle i„- author- arrang-cments on t-fully. M' ESI. E Y B J-OCD WORTH. Whatever friends of eithu- party w, re permitted to see that missive—far from being amusing regarded -solely in re spect of its tenor—must have beer, hu morously moved by the sharp contra.-d between is severe formality and ti previous familiar intercourse subsisting betwixt the two men. In suggesting Pepper’s Grove—an iso lated citurip of woods a mile and a half out of town which had been originally a part of the Peppet famiiy estate au.t which throughout several changing- ershlps had retained its old name a: the penplo—Bloodworth was precedent. While nowadays during the summer, the hale of a picnic ground remembered when its seclusion and ap posite surroundings caused it to t>.- th» scene oi more tlmr 13) uvn- follC eyon purpo •persons still hvh ngumat • *!• • v • -t- • # ,... D # .j. # _ Oxenford, ? rseman a CONTINUED ON EAST PAGE. »„... # ... #8 ... a ... 4 . d- • ■**'+ • O v.se Oxenford's expres sion. Mary •was choice. She had always loved what was serene and pure and dainty since the davs when she wore socks and a big frilled hat and ac companied “Honest John" Petrie in his daily spin over Macomb’s Dam. Hon est John was not above stopping at various road houses for various whis kies, and he loudly boast- leave the child out- ghe was not of ihe sporting at John crlp- est John had dr, us plunging. When she w^d Mary of the pl?d himself f.n dress. She and want of ^styles that he* Incubus of f-rd was smitten took to tl* this new aspect soul loveiy with pair/ time. Mary.” he jfcnsii Mary went to the Normal of her. ^nsideration of her “You’y' 1 °thes are all right, said, trf e s well In ’em ’■ appear* 11 ^ of Oxenford and. You 1' unrese r'’ed anproba- Maf 1 to confide a great plea 0,1 d was down on his ed that he could side to hold the lines, afraid, by God! Oxenford’s first glimpse of her in front of one of these road houses^ was little of her visible except two smalt. was Ther l-,c-r gorgeou bat. and tlie tlor” 411 ' af iald lie was a ,.e loved to study things, j, to be able to do some- ,-'lf. something nice. She io the Normal School o be a teacher. *oke.d soberly at her. He fferent Ideas for her, but John, and School. When Mary graduated, Oxenford sent her the biggest floral horseshoe money could buy. Mary was appalled when she beheld it towering on her desk, but her white-gowned classmates fortunately did not understand Its significance, and thought her a whimsical little thing If Honest John had had his way, Mary would not have been wearing that unas suming little white dress. Mary’s father! How was he to tel! her that he had slopped for Honest John, and found him in no condition to come to Mary’s com mencement. Mary found Oxenford. when the as sembly broke up. leaning against a door way. big and silent, In an unusuallv gor geous waistcoat. She had left a -imun of classmates and classmates’ brothers to him. and i.:_ V\ liy, it don’t amount to anything” he said; “perhaps eight or nine hundred.” *t was a worthy lie, but it was no use Mary looked at him with bitter reproach I know of twenty-five hundred he owed you myself,” she said, "because he wn Writers ‘.3r , . 1 J J I , te,I . yOU . What 1 «•»» «*«>.” Said She rfl-onncr? dowl 1 L ‘ .7. ‘ T Oxenford. brightening. “I’ll take a half interest in him and run him that way ” ‘Oh. no.” objected Mary. “I couldn’t do that. told me “He paid It, lenly. “I ain’t out “Five thou*, protested Oxenford sul- nor gw*-uu “ Honest John’s stand for a little. — ». » *.r. ». grassy circle. ^ ^ to stand, nted him to put in a word with "‘Honesfjohn'onen "rove out _ to •*._ Hottest _ John Igugl^d .? Oxenford’s father, to whom he ^as Tt bis little girl should meditate to . rockicssly successful pKbts was absurd, something to < r on the turf. Sometimes h© brr ' ^ th roars of Homeric laueb- She was 6 and young Oxf but she suited him f' | ,I . m a Up-on the quiet.” said carry 1 falling Into the vernacular In her c jstfness. “Tell him you’re on the in- consciouf and J’ou w I’m - ,, lhM lus* 1 won’t give it up.” ultra gorgeous ^xenford put it that Kent sweet in spite of tne ci cry with which Honest John her, so she kept her odd iaiu. M 'jea‘J|i«» alltv aloof from the Mary, nearly 20, even then. He used see the colts. She nevei to stuck on it. way to Honest , and accepted his stum bling explanation about her father with a quivering mouth’. ’ WlUl It was not the last hurt Honest John was to cause her. for he plunged - eck esslj, sinking lower and lower, until ; a ™»et through his heal] to . a flt of drunken melancholia. , ter J P was aI1 over - Mary saw Oxen ford. She put aside his sympathy with a hardness quite unusual in her. * They say he owes you any amount of money. OxTe.” she said, her eves fill., "" 'f’ “ 1 want t0 »o over It with you I want to square everything.” J Oxenford looked at her hopelessly power to square, and inwardlv h-, Mal ' y t ; Ztip^ t0nK,,PS that bad 1 gh-en fier a thou’. Honest. Mary!” ..v . nl0re likely.” said Mary You ve so t t o take the horse. Oxl«.”‘ hat horse?” growled Oxenford. He was at a loss for the next move, If Marv insisted on considering herself in his • ebt. The bigness of mind that lifted mm out of commonness made It impos sible for him to force his love on her when she was handicapped by this ugty egacy. He knew she was fond of him but Ins large humility i fi d him to see nothing in this but the survival of her old childish fondness for the great fel low who had carried her about, her check against his stiff red curls. ’’The western horse. He's old.” Mary explained. Oxenford misunderstood her and flush ed uncomfortably. " l for S°t you were so down on racing,” said he. "Of course you wouldn’t want to be dragged Into it.” "It isn’t that.’ mns still two-year- “Dad lost thou sands on him, but he’s overtrained. 1 think lie’s a good one.” “I’ll take him and train him for you ” said Oxenford, beginning to get inter ested. "You are to take him and keep him ” said Mary, fiercely. “I never want to see or hear of a horse again. I hate racing and every filing connected with Oxenford winced. He found it easy to forgive her outburst, but it cut him "I’ve tried to se]i him, but tliev ‘sav he s r.o good.” said Mary, forlornly ••> eafi’t get anything for him.” Mary explained re morsefully. “Only I want to square lungs, Oxle. and you may lose on this , Henry Graves says Flittormouse will never be anything but an old selling- plater.” ‘Selling-plater himself!” said Oxenford hotly. ‘"Tried to get the horse from you f0P abo , ut three hundred, didn't he?” ‘i es. ’ Mary confessed. VVe II show Graves a thing or two,” Oxenford said grimly, "If yq U want to Ktve me half of Flittermousc.” (< Mar> sat in thought for some minutes. “I don’t see any other way out,” she said. ’All right, partner,” said Oxenford cheerfully. ”We'II pull enough out of our tirst race to make us square.** But Fllttermouse lost his first race. Mary, that sedate and dainty little lady, buist forth from her school room when the last of the wicked small boys she had been keeping in had clumped out. Rosy and hatless, she fell upon the newsboy who was shrieking the sporting extra under her school room window-. *!‘ ush ?d[ the paper between her hands . nd tossed It aside after one glance down he column. She and Oxenford were Heavy losers. ° PP ° d down 0,1 one of the tinv desks and sat for an hour or more blank ly staring at the wall. Between her and, ft 11 her Oxie had been well robbed. And now she had forced him into rim- a third-rate horse for her. She was fitting there when the janitor came In and began to raise the dust with a huge brush. Mary rose, stiff and sick and rold. She scribbled a little no te to Oxen- ‘°rd. but at the postbox withhold her n ?! n a. ’’He’ll be around tonight to tell me It’s a his fault, she told herself, w-ith for lorn humor. Oxenford did ii and urn up at 8 o’clock, big grave and troubled. lie knew- pre cisely now Mary was going t _ „ take it, and he was prepared for the fight of bis life. Mary kept him waiting some time She had taken a flat with two girls she knew. They were nice girls. One was big and brown and handsome, a stenographer to some important political man; the other a kindergartner, a wisp of a ’crea ture, elfish and humorous. They came in and entertained Oxenford. but tile good opinion they had previously entertained of him died. It is not easy to make small talk with a big man w-ho watches the door and scowls. Finally Mary made her appearance and they escaped gladlv She took her seat by the table, with a busi ness-like air, and looked across it at Oxenford. “Hard luck, wasn't it?” she said eheor- fullj, though her small features were dis figured with much crying. “I’ve been trying to figure out our losses, and I CONTINUED ON LAST PAGE