362 files changed, 23136 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6833f05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+* text=auto
+*.txt text
+*.md text
diff --git a/25070-8.txt b/25070-8.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e8b031
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-8.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6321 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Opp, by Alice Hegan Rice
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Mr. Opp
+
+Author: Alice Hegan Rice
+
+Release Date: April 14, 2008 [EBook #25070]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. OPP ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Wilson and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: "He read impressively"]
+
+
+
+
+MR. OPP
+
+
+BY
+ALICE HEGAN RICE
+
+Author of "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch,"
+"Lovey Mary," "Sandy," etc.
+
+
+With Illustrations
+by LEON GUIPON
+
+
+NEW YORK
+THE CENTURY CO.
+1909
+
+
+
+
+Copyright, 1908, 1909, by
+The Century Co.
+
+
+_Published, April, 1909_
+
+
+THE DE VINNE PRESS
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+                                            PAGE
+  "He read impressively"           _Frontispiece_
+
+  "'Don't leave me'"                          45
+
+  "'Why, Mr. Opp, I'm not old enough'"       129
+
+  "It was Mr. Opp saying his prayers"        197
+
+  "'Oh, my God, it has come'"                263
+
+  "'Can't nobody beat me making skirts'"     319
+
+
+
+
+MR. OPP
+
+
+
+
+I
+
+
+"I hope your passenger hasn't missed his train," observed the ferryman
+to Mr. Jimmy Fallows, who sat on the river bank with the painter of his
+rickety little naphtha launch held loosely in his hand.
+
+"Mr. Opp?" said Jimmy. "I bet he did. If there is one person in the
+world that's got a talent for missing things, it's Mr. Opp. I never seen
+him that he hadn't just missed gettin' a thousand dollar job, or
+inventin' a patent, or bein' hurt when he had took out a accident
+policy. If he did ketch a train, like enough it was goin' the wrong
+way."
+
+Jimmy had been waiting since nine in the morning, and it was now well
+past noon. He was a placid gentleman of curvilinear type, short of limb
+and large of girth. His trousers, of that morose hue termed by the
+country people "plum," reached to his armpits, and his hat, large and
+felt and weather-beaten, was only prevented from eclipsing his head by
+the stubborn resistance of two small, knob-like ears.
+
+"Mr. Opp ain't been back to the Cove for a long while, has he?" asked
+the ferryman, whose intellectual life depended solely upon the crumbs of
+information scattered by chance passers-by.
+
+"Goin' on two years," said Mr. Fallows. "Reckon he's been so busy
+formin' trusts and buyin' out railways and promotin' things generally
+that he ain't had any time to come back home. It's his step-pa's funeral
+that's bringin' him now. The only time city folks seem to want to see
+their kin folks in the country is when they are dead."
+
+"Ain't that him a-comin' down the bank?" asked the ferryman, shading
+his eyes with his hands.
+
+Mr. Fallows, with some difficulty, got to his feet.
+
+"Yes, that's him all right. Hustlin' to beat the band. Wonder if he
+takes me for a street car."
+
+Coming with important stride down the wharf, and whistling as he came,
+was a small man of about thirty-five. In one hand he carried a large
+suit-case, and in the other a new and shining grip. On both were
+painted, in letters designed to be seen, "D. Webster Opp, Kentucky."
+
+In fact, everything about him was evidently designed to be seen. His new
+suit of insistent plaid, his magnificent tie sagging with the weight of
+a colossal scarf-pin, his brown hat, his new tan shoes, all demanded
+individual and instant attention.
+
+The only insignificant thing about Mr. Opp was himself. His slight,
+undeveloped body seemed to be in a chronic state of apology for failing
+properly to set off the glorious raiment wherewith it was clothed. His
+pock-marked face, wide at the temples, sloped to a small, pointed chin,
+which, in turn, sloped precipitously into a long, thin neck. It was Mr.
+Opp's eyes, however, that one saw first, for they were singularly vivid,
+with an expression that made strangers sometimes pause in the street to
+ask him if he had spoken to them. Small, pale, and red of rim, they
+nevertheless held the look of intense hunger--hunger for the hope or the
+happiness of the passing moment.
+
+As he came bustling down to the water's-edge he held out a friendly hand
+to Jimmy Fallows.
+
+"How are you, Jimmy?" he said in a voice freighted with importance.
+"Hope I haven't kept you waiting long. Several matters of business come
+up at the last and final moment, and I missed the morning train."
+
+Jimmy, who was pouring gasolene into a tank in the launch, treated the
+ferryman to a prodigious wink.
+
+"Oh, not more'n four or five hour," he said, casting side glances of
+mingled scorn and admiration at Mr. Opp's attire. "It is a good thing
+it was the funeral you was tryin' to get to instid of the death-bed."
+
+"Oh, that reminds me," said Mr. Opp, suddenly exchanging his air of
+cheerfulness for one of becoming gravity--"what time is the funeral
+obsequies going to take place?"
+
+"Whenever we git there," said Jimmy, pushing off the launch and waving
+his hand to the ferryman. "You're one of the chief mourners, and I'm the
+undertaker; there ain't much danger in us gettin' left."
+
+Mr. Opp deposited his baggage carefully on the seat, and spread his coat
+across the new grip to keep it from getting splashed.
+
+"How long was Mr. Moore sick?" he asked, fanning himself with his hat.
+
+"Well," said Jimmy, "he was in a dangerous and critical condition for
+about twenty-one years, accordin' to his own account. I been seein' him
+durin' that time on a average of four times a day, and last night when
+I seen him in his coffin it was the first time the old gentleman failed
+to ask me to give him a drink on account of his poor health."
+
+"Is Ben there?" asked Mr. Opp, studying a time-table, and making a note
+in his memorandum-book.
+
+"Your brother Ben? Yes; he come this mornin' just before I left. He was
+cussin' considerable because you wasn't there, so's they could go on and
+git through. He wants to start back to Missouri to-night."
+
+"Is he out at the house?"
+
+"No; he's at Your Hotel."
+
+Mr. Opp looked up in surprise, and Jimmy chuckled.
+
+"That there's the name of my new hotel. Started up sence you went away.
+Me and old man Tucker been running boardin'-houses side by side all
+these years. What did he do last summer but go out and git him a sign as
+big as the side of the house, and git Nick Fenny to paint 'Our Hotel' on
+it; then he put it up right across the sidewalk, from the gate clean
+out to the road. I didn't say nothin', but let the boys keep on
+a-kiddin' me till the next day; then I got me a sign jus' like his, with
+'Your Hotel' on it, and put it up crost my sidewalk. He'd give a pretty
+if they was both down now; but he won't take his down while mine is up,
+and I ain't got no notion of taking it down."
+
+"Yes," said Mr. Opp, absently, for his mind was still on the time-table;
+"I see that there's an accommodation that departs out of Coreyville in
+the neighborhood of noon to-morrow. It's a little unconvenient, I'm
+afraid, but do you think you could get me back in time to take it?"
+
+"Why, what's yer hurry?" asked Jimmy, steering for mid-stream. "I
+thought you'd come to visit a spell, with all them bags and things."
+
+Mr. Opp carelessly tossed back the sleeve of the coat, to display more
+fully the name on the suit-case. "Them's drummers' samples," he said
+almost reverently--"the finest line of shoes that have ever been put
+out by any house in the United States, bar none."
+
+"Why, I thought you was in the insurance business," said Jimmy.
+
+"Oh, no; that was last year, just previous to my reporting on a
+newspaper. This"--and Mr. Opp tried to spread out his hands, but was
+slightly deterred by the size of his cuffs--"this is the chance I been
+looking for all my life. It takes brains and a' educated nerve, and a
+knowledge of the world. I ought to create considerable capital in the
+next few years. And just as soon as I do"--and Mr. Opp leaned earnestly
+toward Jimmy, and tapped one finger upon the palm of his other
+hand--"just as soon as I do, I intend to buy up all the land lying
+between Turtle Creek and the river. There's enough oil under that there
+ground to ca'm the troubled waters of the Pacific Ocean. You remember
+old Mr. Beeker? Well, he told me, ten years ago, that he bored a well
+for brine over there, and it got so full of black petroleum he had to
+abandon it. Now, I'm calculating on forming a stock company,--you and
+Mr. Tucker, I and old man Hager, and one or two others,--and buying up
+that ground. Then we'll sink a test well, get up a derrick and a'
+engine, and have the thing running in no time. The main thing is a
+competent manager. You know I'm thinking seriously of taking it myself?
+It's too big a proposition to run any risks with."
+
+"Here, say, wait a minute; how long have you had this here shoe job?"
+Jimmy caught madly at the first fact in sight to keep him from being
+swept away by the flood of Mr. Opp's oily possibilities.
+
+"I taken it last week," said Mr. Opp; "had to go all the way to Chicago
+to get my instructions, and to get fitted out. My territory is a
+specially important one; four counties, all round Chicago."
+
+"I was in Chicago oncet," said Jimmy, his eyes brightening at the
+memory. "By golly! if the world is as big in every direction as it is in
+that, she's a whopper!"
+
+The wind, freshening as they got under way, loosened the canvas
+overhead, and Mr. Opp rose to buckle it into place. As he half knelt in
+the bow of the boat, he lifted his face to the cool breeze, and took a
+deep breath of satisfaction. The prosaic river from Coreyville to the
+Cove was the highway he knew best in the world. Under the summer
+sunshine the yellow waters lost their sullen hue, and reflected patches
+of vivid red and white from the cottages and barns that dotted the
+distant shore.
+
+"I don't consider there's any sceneries in the country that'll even
+begin to compare with these here," Mr. Opp announced, out of the depths
+of his wide experience. "Just look at the sunshine pouring forth around
+the point of the island. It spills through the trees and leaks out over
+the water just like quicksilver. Now, that's a good thought! It's
+perfectly astounding, you might say surprising, how easy thoughts come
+to me. I ought to been a writer; lots of folks have said so. Why, there
+ain't a day of my life that I don't get a poem in my head."
+
+"Shucks!" observed Jimmy Fallows. "I'd as lief read figgers on a
+tow-boat as to read poetry. Old man Gusty used to write poetry, but he
+couldn't get nobody to print it, so he decided to start a newspaper at
+the Cove and chuck it full of his own poems. He bought a whole printin'
+outfit, and set it up in Pete Aker's old carpenter shop out there at the
+edge of town, opposite his home. But 'fore he got his paper started he
+up and died. Yes, sir; and the only one of his poems that he ever did
+git in print was the one his wife had cut on his tombstone."
+
+Mr. Opp was not listening. With his head bared and his lips parted he
+was indulging in his principal weakness. For Mr. Opp, it must be
+confessed, was given to violent intoxication, not from an extraneous
+source, but from too liberal draughts of his own imagination. In
+extenuation, the claims of genius might be urged, for a genius he
+unquestionably was in that he created something out of nothing. Out of
+an abnormal childhood, a lonely boyhood, and a failure-haunted manhood,
+he had managed to achieve an absorbing career. Each successive
+enterprise had loomed upon his horizon big with possibilities, and
+before it sank to oblivion, another scheme, portentous, significant, had
+filled its place. Life was a succession of crises, and through them he
+saw himself moving, now a shrewd merchant, now a professional man, again
+an author of note, but oftenest of all a promoter of great enterprises,
+a financier, and man of affairs.
+
+While he was thus mentally engaged in drilling oil-wells, composing
+poetry, and selling shoes, Jimmy Fallows was contemplating with
+fascinated wonder an object that floated from his coat pocket. From a
+brown-paper parcel, imperfectly wrapped, depended a curl of golden hair,
+and it bobbed about in the breeze in a manner that reduced Mr. Fallows
+to a state of abject curiosity.
+
+So intent was Jimmy upon his investigation that he failed to hold his
+course, and the launch swung around the end of the island with such a
+sudden jerk that Mr. Opp took an unexpected seat.
+
+As he did so, his hand touched the paper parcel in his pocket, and
+realizing that it was untied, he hastily endeavored, by a series of
+surreptitious manoeuvers, to conceal what it contained. Feeling the
+quizzical eye of his shipmate full upon him, he assumed an air of
+studied indifference, and stoically ignored the subterranean chuckles
+and knowing winks in which Mr. Fallows indulged.
+
+Presently, when the situation had become poignant, Mr. Opp observed that
+he supposed the funeral would take place from the church.
+
+"I reckon so," said Jimmy, reluctantly answering to the call of the
+conversational rudder. "I told the boys to have a hack there for you and
+Mr. Ben and Miss Kippy."
+
+"I don't think my sister will be there," said Mr. Opp, with dignity;
+"she seldom or never leaves the house."
+
+"Reckon Mr. Ben will have to take keer of her now," said Jimmy; "she
+surely will miss her pa. He never done a lick of work since I knowed
+him, but he was a nice, quiet old fellow, and he certainly was good to
+pore Miss Kippy."
+
+"Mr. Moore was a gentleman," said Mr. Opp, and he sighed.
+
+"Ain't she got any kin on his side? No folks except you two
+half-brothers?"
+
+"That's all," said Mr. Opp; "just I and Ben."
+
+"Gee! that's kind of tough on you all, ain't it?"
+
+But the sympathy was untimely, for Mr. Opp's dignity had been touched in
+a sensitive place.
+
+"Our sister will be well provided for," he said, and the conversation
+suffered a relapse.
+
+Mr. Opp went back to his time-tables and his new note-book, and for the
+rest of the trip Jimmy devoted himself to his wheel, with occasional
+ocular excursions in the direction of Mr. Opp's coat pocket.
+
+
+
+
+II
+
+
+Lying in the crook of the river's elbow, with the nearest railroad
+eighteen miles away, Cove City, familiarly known as the Cove, rested
+serenely undisturbed by the progress of the world. Once a day, at any
+time between sundown and midnight, it was roused from its drowsiness by
+the arrival of the mail-boat, and, shaking itself into temporary
+wakefulness, sat up and rubbed its eyes. This animation was, however, of
+short duration, for before the packet had whistled for the next landing,
+the Cove had once more settled back into slumber.
+
+Main Street began with a shabby, unpainted school-house, and following
+dramatic sequence, ended abruptly in the graveyard. Two cross-streets,
+which had started out with laudable ideas of independence, lost courage
+at Main Street and sought strength in union; but the experiment was not
+successful, and a cow-path was the result. The only semblance of
+frivolity about the town was a few straggling cottages on stilts of
+varying height as they approached the river; for they seemed ever in the
+act of holding up their skirts preparatory to wading forth into the
+water.
+
+On this particular summer afternoon Cove City was less out of crimp than
+usual. The gathering of loafers that generally decorated the empty boxes
+piled along the sidewalk was missing. The old vehicles and weary-looking
+mules which ordinarily formed an irregular fringe along the hitching
+rail were conspicuously absent. A subdued excitement was in the air, and
+at the slightest noise feminine heads appeared at windows, and masculine
+figures appeared in doorways, and comments were exchanged in low tones
+from one side of the street to the other. For the loss of a citizen,
+even a poor one, disturbs the surface of affairs, and when the event
+brings two relatives from a distance, the ripples of excitement increase
+perceptibly.
+
+Mr. Moore had been a citizen-in-law, as it were, and had never been
+considered in any other light than poor Mrs. Opp's widower. Mrs. Opp's
+poor widower might have been a truer way of stating it, but even a town
+has its parental weaknesses.
+
+For two generations the Opp family had been a source of mystery and
+romance to the Cove. It stood apart, like the house that held it, poor
+and shabby, but bearing a baffling atmosphere of gentility, of
+superiority, and of reserve.
+
+Old women recalled strange tales of the time when Mrs. Opp had come to
+the Cove as a bride, and how she refused to meet any of the townspeople,
+and lived alone in the old house on the river-bank, watching from hour
+to hour for the wild young husband who clerked on one of the river
+steamers. They told how she grew thin and white with waiting, and how,
+when her two boys were small, she made them stand beside her for hours
+at a time, watching the river and listening for the whistle of his boat.
+Then the story went that the gay young husband stopped coming
+altogether, and still she watched and waited, never allowing the boys
+out of her sight, refusing to send them to school, or to let them play
+with other children. By and by word was brought that her husband had
+been killed in a quarrel over cards, and little Mrs. Opp, having nothing
+now to watch for and to wait for, suddenly became strangely changed.
+
+Old Aunt Tish, the negro servant, was the only person who ever crossed
+the threshold, and she told of a strange life that went on behind the
+closely curtained windows, where the sunlight was never allowed to
+enter, and lamps burned all day long.
+
+"Yas, 'm," she used to say in answer to curious questionings; "hit's jes
+like play-actin' all de time. The Missis dress herself up, an' 'tend
+like she's a queen or a duke or somethin', an' dat little D. he jes
+acts out all dem fool things she tells him to, an' he ain't never bein'
+hisself at all, but jes somebody big and mighty and grand-like."
+
+When the boys were half-grown, a stranger appeared in the Cove, a dapper
+little man of about fifty in a shabby frock-coat and a shabbier high
+hat, kind of face and gentle of voice, but with the dignity of conscious
+superiority. The day of his arrival he called upon Mrs. Opp; the second
+day he took a preacher with him and married her. Whatever old romance
+had led to this climax could only be dimly guessed at by the curious
+townspeople.
+
+For two years Mr. Moore fought for the mind of his old sweetheart as he
+had long ago fought for her heart. He opened the house to the sunshine,
+and coaxed the little lady back into the world she had forgotten. The
+boys were sent to school, the old games and fancies were forbidden.
+Gradually the color returned to her cheeks, and the light to her eyes.
+
+Then little Kippy was born, and happiness such as seldom comes to one
+who has tasted the dregs of life came to the frail little woman in the
+big four-poster bed. For ten days she held the baby fingers to her
+heart, and watched the little blossom of a maid unfold.
+
+But one black night, when the rain beat against the panes, and the moan
+of the river sounded in her ears, she suddenly sat up in bed: she had
+heard the whistle of _his_ boat! Full of dumb terror she crept to the
+window, and with her face pressed against the glass she waited and
+watched. The present was swallowed up in the past. She was once more
+alone, unloved, afraid. Stealthily snatching a cloak, she crept down
+into the garden, feeling her way through the sodden grass, and the
+jimpson weed which the rain had beaten down.
+
+And ever since, when children pass the house on their way to school,
+they peep through the broken fence rails, and point out to one another,
+in awed tones, the tree under which Miss Kippy's mother killed herself.
+Then they look half-fearfully at the windows in the hope of catching a
+glimpse of Miss Kippy herself.
+
+For Kippy had had a long illness in her thirteenth year which left her
+with the face and mind of a little child, and kindly, shabby Mr. Moore,
+having made the supreme effort of his life, from this time on ceased to
+struggle against the weakness that for half a lifetime had beset him,
+and sought oblivion in innocuous but perpetual libations. The one duty
+which he recognized was the care of his invalid daughter.
+
+As soon as they were old enough, the boys launched their small craft and
+set forth to seek their fortunes. Ben, with no cargo on board but his
+own desires, went west and found a snug and comfortable harbor, while D.
+Webster, the hope of his mother and the pride of the town, was at
+thirty-five still putting out to sea, with all sail set, only to find
+himself again and again aground on the sandbars of the old familiar
+Cove.
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+
+Jimmy Fallows, being the boastful possessor of the fleetest horse in
+town, was the first to return from the funeral. Extricating himself with
+some difficulty from the narrow-seated buggy, he held out his hand to
+Mrs. Fallows. But that imposing lady, evidently offended with her jovial
+lord, refused his proffered aid, and clambered out over the wheel on the
+other side.
+
+Mrs. Fallows, whose architectural effects were strictly perpendicular,
+cast a perpetual shadow of disapproval over the life partner whom it had
+pleased Providence to bestow upon her. Jimmy was a born satirist; he
+knew things are not what they seem, and he wickedly rejoiced thereat. To
+his literal, pious-minded wife he at times seemed the incarnation of
+wickedness.
+
+Sweeping with dignity beneath the arching sign of Your Hotel, she took
+her seat upon the porch, and, disposing her sable robes about her,
+folded her mitted hands, and waited to see the people return from the
+funeral.
+
+Jimmy, with the uncertain expression of one who is ready to apologize,
+but cannot remember the offense, hovered about uneasily, casting
+tempting bits of conversational bait into the silence, but failing to
+attract so much as a nibble of attention.
+
+"Miss Jemima Fenny was over to the funeral from Birdtown. Miss Jim is
+one of 'em, ain't she?"
+
+There was no response.
+
+"Had her brother Nick with her. He's just gettin' over typhoid fever;
+looks about the size and color of a slate pencil. I bet, in spite of
+Miss Jim's fine clothes, they ain't had a square meal for a month.
+That's because she kept him at school so long when he orter been at
+work. He did git a job in a newspaper office over at Coreyville not
+long 'fore he was took sick. They tell me he's as slick as a onion about
+newspaper work."
+
+Continued silence; but Jimmy boldly cast another fly:
+
+"Last funeral we had was Mrs. Tucker's, wasn't it? Old man Tucker was
+there to-day. Crape band on his hat is climbin' up; it'll be at high
+mast ag'in soon."
+
+Dense, nerve-racking silence; but Jimmy made one more effort:
+
+"The Opps are coming back here to-night to talk things over before Ben
+goes on to Missouri. He counts on ketchin' the night boat. It won't give
+him much time, will it?"
+
+But Mrs. Fallows, unrelaxed, stared fixedly before her; she had taken
+refuge in that most trying of all rejoinders, silence, and the fallible
+Jimmy, who waxed strong and prospered upon abuse, drooped and languished
+under this new and cruel form of punishment.
+
+It was not until a buggy stopped at the door, and the Opp brothers
+descended, that the tension was in any way relieved.
+
+Jimmy greeted them with the joy of an Arctic explorer welcoming a relief
+party.
+
+"Come right on in here, in the office," he cried hospitably; "your
+talkin' won't bother me a speck."
+
+But Ben abruptly expressed his desire for more private quarters, and led
+the way up-stairs.
+
+The low-ceiled room into which he ushered D. Webster was of such a
+depressing drab that even the green and red bed-quilt failed to disperse
+the gloom. The sole decoration, classic in its severity, was a large
+advertisement for a business college, whereon an elk's head grew out of
+a bow of ribbon, the horns branching and rebranching into a forest of
+curves and flourishes.
+
+The elder Opp took his seat by the window, and drummed with impatient
+fingers on the sill. He was small, like his brother, but of a compact,
+sturdy build. His chin, instead of dwindling to a point, was square and
+stubborn, and his eyes looked straight ahead at the thing he wanted,
+and neither saw nor cared for what lay outside. He had been trying ever
+since leaving the cemetery to bring the conversation down to practical
+matters, but D. Webster, seizing the first opportunity of impressing
+himself upon his next of kin, had persisted in indulging in airy and
+time-destroying flights of fancy.
+
+The truth is that our Mr. Opp was not happy. In his secret heart he felt
+a bit apologetic before the material success of his elder brother. Hence
+it was necessary to talk a great deal and to set forth in detail the
+very important business enterprises upon which he was about to embark.
+
+Presently Ben Opp looked at his watch.
+
+"See here," he interrupted, "that boat may be along at any time. We'd
+better come to some decision about the estate."
+
+D. Webster ran his fingers through his hair, which stood in valiant
+defense of the small bald spot behind it.
+
+"Yes, yes," he said; "business is business. I'll have to be off myself
+the very first thing in the morning. This funeral couldn't have come at
+a more unfortunate time for me. You see, my special territory--"
+
+But Ben saw the danger of another bolt, and checked him:
+
+"How much do you think the old house is worth?"
+
+D. Webster drew forth his shiny note-book and pencil and made elaborate
+calculations.
+
+"I should say," he said, as one financier to another, "that including of
+the house and land and contents of same, it would amount to the whole
+sum total of about two thousand dollars."
+
+"That is about what I figured," said Ben; "now, how much money is in the
+bank?"
+
+D. Webster produced a formidable packet of letters and papers from his
+inside pocket and, after some searching, succeeded in finding a
+statement, which set forth the fact that the Ripper County Bank held in
+trust one thousand dollars, to be divided between the children of Mary
+Opp Moore at the death of her husband, Curtis V. Moore.
+
+"One thousand dollars!" said Ben, looking blankly at his brother, "Why,
+for heaven's sake, what have Mr. Moore and Kippy been living on all
+these years?"
+
+D. Webster moved uneasily in his chair. "Oh, they've managed to get
+along first rate," he said evasively.
+
+His brother looked at him narrowly. "On the interest of a thousand
+dollars?" He leaned forward, and his face hardened: "See here, have you
+been putting up cash all this time for that old codger to loaf on? Is
+that why you have never gotten ahead?"
+
+D. Webster, with hands in his pockets and his feet stretched in front of
+him, was blinking in furious embarrassment at the large-eyed elk
+overhead.
+
+"To think," went on Ben, his slow wrath rising, "of your staying here in
+Kentucky all these years and handing out what you made to that old
+sponger. I cut loose and made a neat little sum, married, and settled
+down. And what have you done? Where have you gotten? Anybody that would
+let himself be imposed upon like that deserves to fail. Now what do you
+propose to do about this money?"
+
+Mr. Opp did not propose to do anything. The affront offered his business
+sagacity was of such a nature that it demanded all his attention. He
+composed various denunciatory answers with which to annihilate his
+brother. He hesitated between two courses, whether he should hurl
+himself upon him in righteous indignation and demand physical
+satisfaction, or whether he should rise in a calm and manly attitude and
+wither him with blighting sarcasm. And while the decision was pending,
+he still sat with his hands in his pockets, and his feet stretched
+forth, and blinked indignantly at the ornate elk.
+
+"The estate," continued Ben, contempt still in his face, "amounts at
+most to three thousand dollars, after the house is sold. Part of this,
+of course, will go to the maintenance of Kippy."
+
+At mention of her name, Mr. Opp's gaze dropped abruptly to his brother's
+face.
+
+"What about Kippy? She's going to live with you, ain't she?" he asked
+anxiously.
+
+Ben Opp shook his head emphatically. "She certainly is not. I haven't
+the slightest idea of burdening myself and family with that
+feeble-minded girl."
+
+"But see here," said Mr. Opp, his anger vanishing in the face of this
+new complication, "you don't know Kippy; she's just similar to a little
+child, quiet and gentle-like. Never give anybody any trouble in her
+life. Just plays with her dolls and sings to herself all day."
+
+"Exactly," said Ben; "twenty-five years old and still playing with
+dolls. I saw her yesterday, dressed up in all sorts of foolish toggery,
+talking to her hands, and laughing. Aunt Tish humors her, and her father
+humored her, but I'm not going to. I feel sorry for her all right, but
+I am not going to take her home with me."
+
+D. Webster nervously twisted the large seal ring which he wore on his
+forefinger. "Then what do you mean," he said hesitatingly--"what do you
+want to do about it?"
+
+"Why, send her to an asylum, of course. That's where she ought to have
+been all these years."
+
+Mr. Opp, sitting upon the small of his back, with one leg wrapped
+casually about the leg of the chair, stared at him for a moment in
+consternation, then, gathering himself together, rose and for the first
+time since we have met him seemed completely to fill his checked
+ready-made suit.
+
+"Send Kippy to a lunatic asylum!" he said in tones so indignant that
+they made his chin tremble. "You will do nothing whatever of the kind!
+Why, all she's ever had in the world was her pa and Aunt Tish and her
+home; now he's gone, you ain't wanting to take the others away from her
+too, are you?"
+
+"Well, who is going to take care of her?" demanded Ben angrily.
+
+"I am," announced D. Webster, striking as fine an attitude as ever his
+illustrious predecessor struck; "you take the money that's in the bank,
+and leave me the house and Kippy. That'll be her share and mine. I can
+take care of her; I don't ask favors of nobody. Suppose I do lose my
+job; I'll get me another. There's a dozen ways I can make a living.
+There ain't a man in the State that's got more resources than me. I got
+plans laid now that'll revolutionize--"
+
+"Yes," said Ben, quietly, "you always could do great things."
+
+D. Webster's egotism, inflated to the utmost, burst at this prick, and
+he suddenly collapsed. Dropping limply into the chair by the table, he
+held his hand over his mouth to hide his agitation.
+
+"There's--there's one thing," he began, swallowing violently, and
+winking after each word, "that I--I can't do--and that's to leave
+a--sister--to die--among strangers."
+
+And then, to his mortification, his head went unexpectedly down upon his
+arms, and a flood of tears bedimmed the radiance of his twenty-five-cent
+four-in-hand.
+
+From far down the river came the whistle of the boat, and, in the room
+below, Jimmy Fallows removed a reluctant ear from the stove-pipe hole.
+
+"Melindy," he said confidentially, entirely forgetting the late frost,
+"I never see anybody in the world that stood as good a show of gittin'
+the fool prize as that there D. Opp."
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+
+The old Opp House stood high on the river-bank and gazed lonesomely out
+into the summer night. It was a shabby, down-at-heel, dejected-looking
+place, with one side showing faint lights, above and below, but the
+other side so nailed up and empty and useless that it gave the place the
+appearance of being paralyzed down one side and of having scarcely
+enough vitality left to sustain life in the other.
+
+To make matters worse, an old hound howled dismally on the door-step,
+only stopping occasionally to paw at the iron latch and to whimper for
+the master whose unsteady footsteps he had followed for thirteen years.
+
+In the front room a shaded lamp, turned low, threw a circle of light on
+the table and floor, leaving the corners full of vague, uncertain
+shadows. From the wide, black fireplace a pair of rusty and battered
+andirons held out empty arms, and on the high stone shelf above the
+opening, flanked on each side by a stuffed owl, was a tall, square-faced
+clock, with the hour-hand missing. The minute-hand still went on its
+useless round, and behind it, on the face of the clock, a tiny schooner
+with all sail set rocked with the swinging of the pendulum.
+
+The loud ticking of the clock, and the lamentations of the hound
+without, were not the only sounds that disturbed the night. Before the
+empty fireplace, in a high-backed, cane-bottomed chair, slept an old
+negress, with head bowed, moaning and muttering as she slept. She was
+bent and ashen with age, and her brown skin sagged in long wrinkles from
+her face and hands. On her forehead, reaching from brow to faded turban,
+was a hideous testimony to some ancient conflict. A large, irregular
+hole, over which the flesh had grown, pulsed as sentiently and
+imperatively as a naked, living heart.
+
+A shutter slammed sharply somewhere in the house above, and something
+stirred fearfully in the shadow of the room. It was a small figure that
+crouched against the wall, listening and watching with the furtive
+terror of a newly captured coyote--the slight figure of a woman dressed
+as a child, with short gingham dress, and heelless slippers, and a
+bright ribbon holding back the limp, flaxen hair from her strange,
+pinched face.
+
+Again and again her wide, frightened eyes sought the steps leading to
+the room above, and sometimes she would lean forward and whisper in
+agonized expectancy, "Daddy?" Then when no answer came, she would
+shudder back against the wall, cold and shaking and full of dumb
+terrors.
+
+Suddenly the hound's howling changed to a sharp bark, and the old
+negress stirred and stretched herself.
+
+"What ails dat air dog?" she mumbled, going to the window, and shading
+her eyes with her hand. "You'd 'low to hear him tell it he done heared
+old master coming up de road."
+
+That somebody was coming was evident from the continued excitement of
+the hound, and when the gate slammed and a man's voice sounded in the
+darkness, Aunt Tish opened the door, throwing a long, dim patch of light
+out across the narrow porch and over the big, round stepping-stones
+beyond.
+
+Into the light came Mr. Opp, staggering under the load of his baggage,
+his coat over his arm, his collar off, thoroughly spent with the events
+of the day.
+
+"Lord 'a' mercy!" said Aunt Tish, "if hit ain't Mr. D.! I done give you
+up long ago. I certainly is glad you come. Miss Kippy's jes carrying on
+like ever'thing. She ain't been to baid for two nights, an' I can't do
+nothin' 't all wif her."
+
+Mr. Opp deposited his things in a corner, and, tired as he was, assumed
+an air of authority. It was evident that a man was needed, a person of
+firmness, of decision.
+
+"I'll see that she goes to bed at once," he said resolutely. "Where is
+she at?"
+
+"She's behind de door," said Aunt Tish; "she's be'n so skeered ever
+sence her paw died I can't do nothin' wif her."
+
+"Kippy," said Mr. Opp, sternly, "come out here this minute."
+
+But there was no response. Going to the corner where his coat lay, he
+took from the pocket a brown-paper parcel.
+
+"Say, Kippy," he said in a greatly mollified tone, "I wish you would
+come on out here and see me. You remember brother D., don't you? You
+ought to see what I brought you all the way from the city. It's got blue
+eyes."
+
+At this the small, grotesque figure, distrustful, suspicious, ready to
+take flight at a word, ventured slowly forth. So slight she was, and so
+frail, and so softly she moved, it was almost as if the wind blew her
+toward him. Every thought that came into her brain was instantly
+reflected in her hypersensitive face, and as she stood before him
+nervously plucking her fingers, fear and joy struggled for supremacy.
+Suddenly with a low cry she snatched the doll from him and clasped it to
+her heart.
+
+Meanwhile Aunt Tish had spread a cloth on the table and set forth some
+cold corn dodger, a pitcher of foaming butter-milk, and a plate of cold
+corned beef. The milk was in a battered pewter pitcher, but the dish
+that held the corn bread was of heavy silver, with intricate chasings
+about the rim.
+
+Mr. Opp, with his head propped on his hand, ate wearily. He had been up
+since four o'clock that morning, and to-morrow he must be up at daybreak
+if he was to keep his engagements to supply the dealers with the
+greatest line of shoes ever put upon the market. Between now and then he
+must decide many things: Kippy must be planned for, the house gone over,
+and arrangements made for the future. Being behind the scenes, as it
+were, and having no spectator to impress, he allowed himself to sink
+into an attitude of extreme dejection. And Mr. Opp, shorn of the
+dignity of his heavily padded coat, and his imposing collar and tie, and
+with even his pompadour limp upon his forehead, failed entirely to give
+a good imitation of himself.
+
+As he sat thus, with one hand hanging limply over the back of the chair,
+he felt something touch it softly, dumbly, as a dog might. Looking down,
+he discovered Miss Kippy sitting on the floor, close behind him,
+watching him with furtive eyes. In one arm she cradled the new doll, and
+in the other she held his coat.
+
+Mr. Opp patted her cheek: "Whatever are you doing with my coat?" he
+asked.
+
+Miss Kippy held it behind her, and nodded her head wisely: "Keeping it
+so you can't go away," she whispered. "I'll hold it tight all night.
+To-morrow I'll hide it."
+
+"But I'm a business man," said Mr. Opp, unconsciously straightening his
+shoulders. "A great deal of responsibility depends on me. I've got to be
+off early in the morning; but I'm coming back to see you real
+often--every now and then."
+
+Miss Kippy's whole attitude changed. She caught his hand and clung to
+it, and the terror came back to her eyes.
+
+"You mustn't go," she whispered, her body quivering with excitement.
+"It'll get me if you do. Daddy kept It away, and you can keep It away;
+but Aunt Tish can't: she's afraid of It, too! She goes to sleep, and
+then It reaches at me through the window. It comes down the chimney,
+there--where you see the brick's loose. Don't leave me, D. Hush, don't
+you hear It?"
+
+Her voice had risen to hysteria, and she clung to him, cold and shaken
+by the fear that possessed her.
+
+Mr. Opp put a quieting arm about her. "Why, see here, Kippy," he said,
+"didn't you know It was afraid of me? Look how strong I am! I could kill
+It with my little finger."
+
+"Could you?" asked Miss Kippy, fearfully.
+
+"Yes, indeed," said Mr. Opp. "Don't you ever be scared of anything
+whatsoever when Brother D.'s round. I'm going to take care of you from
+now on."
+
+"This me is bad," announced Miss Kippy; "the other me is good. Her name
+is Oxety; she has one blue eye and one brown."
+
+"Well, Oxety must go to bed now," said Mr. Opp; "it must be getting
+awful late."
+
+But Miss Kippy shook her head. "You might go 'way," she said.
+
+Finding that he could not persuade her, Mr. Opp resorted to strategy:
+"I'll tell you what let's me and you do. Let's put your slippers on your
+hands."
+
+This proposition met with instant approval. It appealed to Miss Kippy as
+a brilliant suggestion. She assisted in unbuttoning the single straps
+and watched with glee as they were fastened about her wrists.
+
+[Illustration: "'Don't leave me'"]
+
+"Now," said Mr. Opp, with assumed enthusiasm, "we'll make the slippers
+walk you up-stairs, and after Aunt Tish undresses you, they shall walk
+you to bed. Won't that be fun?"
+
+Miss Kippy's fancy was so tickled by this suggestion that she put it
+into practice at once, and went gaily forth up the steps on all fours.
+At the turn she stopped, and looked at him wistfully:
+
+"You'll come up before I go to sleep?" she begged; "Daddy did."
+
+Half an hour later Aunt Tish came down the narrow stairway: "She done
+gone to baid now, laughin' an' happy ag'in," she said; "she never did
+have dem spells when her paw was round, an' sometimes dat chile jes as
+clear in her mind as you an' me is."
+
+"What is it she's afraid of?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+Aunt Tish leaned toward him across the table, and the light of the lamp
+fell full upon her black, bead-like eyes, and her sunken jaws, and on
+the great palpitating scar.
+
+"De ghosties," she whispered; "dey been worriting dat chile ever' chance
+dey git. _I_ hear 'em! Dey wait till I take a nap of sleep, den dey
+comes sneakin' in to pester her. She says dey ain't but one, but I hears
+heaps ob 'em, some ob 'em so little dey kin climb onder de crack in de
+door."
+
+"Look a-here, Aunt Tish," said Mr. Opp, sternly, "don't you ever talk a
+word of this foolishness to her again. Not one word, do you hear?"
+
+"Yas, sir; dat's what Mr. Moore allays said, an' I _don't_ talk to her
+'bout hit, I don't haf to. She done knows I know. I been livin' heah
+goin' on forty years, sence 'fore you was borned, an' you can't fool me,
+chile; no, sir, dat you can't."
+
+"Well, you must go to bed now," said Mr. Opp, looking up at the clock
+and seeing that it was half-past something though he did not know what.
+
+"I never goes to baid when I stays here," announced Aunt Tish; "I sets
+up in de kitchen an' sleeps. I's skeered dat chile run away; she 'low
+she gwine to some day. Her paw ketched her oncet gittin' in a boat down
+on de river-bank. She ain't gwine, while I's here, no sir-ee! I never
+leaves her in de daytime an' her paw never leaves her at night, dat is,
+when he's livin'."
+
+After she had gone, Mr. Opp ascended the stairway, and entered the room
+above. A candle sputtered on the table, and in its light he saw the
+wide, four-poster bed that had been his mother's, and in it the frail
+figure of little Miss Kippy. Her hair lay loose upon the pillow, and on
+her sleeping face, appealing in its helplessness, was a smile of perfect
+peace. The new doll lay on the table beside the candle, but clasped
+tightly in her arms was the coat of many checks.
+
+For a moment Mr. Opp stood watching her, then he drew his shirt-sleeve
+quickly across his eyes. As he turned to descend, his new shoes creaked
+painfully and, after he had carefully removed them, he tiptoed down,
+passed through the sitting-room and out upon the porch, where he sank
+down on the step and dropped his head on his arms.
+
+The night was very still, save for the croaking of a bullfrog, and the
+incessant scraping of a cedar-tree against the corner of the roof. From
+across the river, faint sparks of light shone out from cabin windows,
+and, below, a moving light now and then told of a passing scow. Once a
+steamboat slipped weirdly out of the darkness, sparkling with lights,
+and sending up faint sounds of music; but before the waves from the
+wheel had ceased to splash on the bank below, she was swallowed up in
+the darkness, leaving lonesomeness again.
+
+Mr. Opp sat staring out into the night, outwardly calm, but inwardly
+engaged in a mortal duel. The aggressive Mr. Opp of the gorgeous raiment
+and the seal ring, the important man of business, the ambitious
+financier, was in deadly combat with the insignificant Mr. Opp, he of
+the shirt-sleeves and the wilted pompadour, the delicate, sensitive,
+futile Mr. Opp who was incapable of everything but the laying down of
+his life for the sake of another.
+
+A dull line of light hovered on the horizon, and gradually the woods on
+the opposite shore took shape, then the big river itself, gray and
+shimmering, with streaks on the water where a snag broke the swift
+current.
+
+"Mr. D.," he heard Aunt Tish calling up the back stairs, "you better git
+out of baid; hit's sun-up."
+
+He rose stiffly and started back to the kitchen. As he passed through
+the front room, his eyes fell upon his new suit-case full of the
+treasured drummers' samples. Stooping down, he traced the large black
+letters with his finger and sighed deeply.
+
+Then he got up resolutely and marched to the kitchen door.
+
+"Aunt Tish," he said with authority, "you needn't mind about hurrying
+breakfast. I find there's very important business will keep me here in
+the Cove for the present."
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+
+There were two methods of communication in Cove City, both of which were
+equally effective. One was the telephone, which from a single, isolated
+case had developed into an epidemic, and the other, which enjoyed the
+dignity of precedence and established custom, was to tell Jimmy Fallows.
+
+Both of these currents of information soon overflowed with the news that
+Mr. D. Webster Opp had given up a good position in the city, and
+expected to establish himself in business in his native town. The nature
+of this business was agitating the community at large in only a degree
+less than it was agitating Mr. Opp himself.
+
+One afternoon Jimmy Fallows stood with his back to his front gate,
+suspended by his armpits from the pickets, and conducted business after
+his usual fashion. As a general retires to a hill-top to organize his
+forces and issue orders to his subordinates, so Jimmy hung upon his
+front fence and conducted the affairs of the town. He knew what time
+each farmer came in, where the "Helping Hands" were going to sew, where
+the doctor was, and where the services would be held next Sunday. He was
+coroner, wharf-master, undertaker, and notary, and the only thing in the
+heavens above or the earth below concerning which he did not attempt to
+give information was the arrival of the next steamboat.
+
+As he stood whittling a stick and cheerfully humming a tune of other
+days, he descried a small, alert figure coming up the road. The pace was
+so much brisker than the ordinary slow gait of the Cove that he
+recognized the person at once as Mr. Opp. Whereupon he lifted his voice
+and hailed a boy who was just vanishing down the street in the opposite
+direction:
+
+"Nick!" he called. "Aw, Nick Fenny! Tell Mat Lucas that Mr. Opp's
+uptown."
+
+Connection being thus made at one end of the line, he turned to effect
+it at the other. "Howdy, Brother Opp. Kinder dusty on the river, ain't
+it?"
+
+"Well, we _are_ experiencing considerable of warm weather at this
+juncture," said Mr. Opp, affably.
+
+"Mat Lucas has been hanging round here all day," said Jimmy. "He wants
+you to buy out a half-interest in his dry-goods store. What do you think
+about it?"
+
+"Well," said Mr. Opp, thrusting his thumbs into the armholes of his
+waistcoat, "I am considering of a great variety of different things. I
+been in the dry-goods business twice, and I can't say but what it ain't
+a pretty business. Of course," he added with a twinge, "my specialty are
+shoes."
+
+"Yes," said Jimmy; "but the folks here all gets their shoes at the drug
+store. Mr. Toddlinger's been carrying a line of shoes along with his
+pills and plasters ever sence he went into business."
+
+Mr. Opp looked up at the large sign overhead. "If you and Mr. Tucker
+wasn't both in the hotel business, I might be thinking of considering
+that."
+
+This proposition tickled Jimmy immensely. Chuckles of amusement agitated
+his rotund figure.
+
+"Why don't you buy us both out?" he asked. "We could sell out for
+nothing and make money."
+
+"Why, there's three boarders sitting over at Our Hotel now," said Mr.
+Opp, who rather fancied himself in the rôle of a genial host.
+
+"Yes," said Jimmy. "Old man Tucker's had 'em hanging out on the line all
+morning. I don't guess they got strength enough to walk around much
+after the meals he give 'em."
+
+"Of course," said Mr. Opp, wholly absorbed in his own affairs, "this is
+just temporarily for the time being, as it were. In a year or so, when
+my financial condition is sorter more established in a way, I intend to
+put through that oil-wells proposition. The fact that I am aiming at
+arriving to is what would you think the Cove was at present most in need
+of?"
+
+"Elbow-grease," said Jimmy, promptly. "The only two things that we ain't
+got that a city has, is elbow-grease and a newspaper."
+
+For a moment there was a silence, heavy with significance. Mr. Fallows's
+gaze penetrated the earth, while Mr. Opp's scanned the heavens; then
+they suddenly looked at each other, and the great idea was born.
+
+An editor! Mr. Opp's whole being thrilled responsive to the call. The
+thought of dwelling above the sordid bartering of commercial life, of
+being in a position to exercise those mental powers with which he felt
+himself so generously endowed, almost swept him off his feet. He had
+been a reporter once; for two golden weeks he had handed in
+police-court reports that fairly scintillated with verbal gems plucked
+at random from the dictionary. But the city editor had indicated as
+kindly as possible that his services were no longer required, vaguely
+suggesting that it was necessary to reduce the force; and Mr. Opp had
+assured him that he understood perfectly, and that he was ready to
+return at any future time. That apprenticeship, brief though it was,
+served as a foundation upon which Mr. Opp erected a tower of dazzling
+possibilities.
+
+"What's the matter with you takin' Mr. Gusty's old printin'-shop and
+startin' up business for yourself?" asked Jimmy.
+
+"Do you reckon she'd sell it?" asked Mr. Opp, anxiously.
+
+"Sell it?" said Jimmy. "Why, she's 'most ready to give it away to keep
+from having to pay Pete Aker's rent for the shop. Say--Mr. Gall--up," he
+called up the street to a man who was turning the corner, "is Mrs. Gusty
+at home?"
+
+The man, thus accosted, turned and came toward them.
+
+"Who is Mr. Gallop?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+"He's the new telephone girl," said Jimmy, with relish; "ain't been here
+but a month, and he's doing the largest and most profitable trade in
+tending to other folks's business you ever seen. Soft! Why, he must 'a'
+been raised on a pillow--He always puts me in mind of a highly educated
+pig: it sorter surprises and tickles you to see him walkin' round on his
+hind legs and talking like other people. Other day one of the boys, just
+to devil him, ast him to drive his team out home. I liked to 'a' died
+when I seen him tryin' to turn the corner, pullin' 'Gee' and hollerin'
+'Haw' with every breath. Old mules got their legs in a hard knot trying
+to do both at once, and the boys says when Gallop got out in the country
+he felt so bad about it he got down and 'pologized to the mules. How
+'bout that, Gallop--did you!" he concluded as the subject of the
+conversation arrived upon the scene.
+
+The new-comer, a plump, fair young man, who held one hand clasped
+affectionately in the other, blushed indignantly, but said nothing.
+
+"This here is Mr. Opp," went on Jimmy; "he wants to see Mrs. Gusty. Do
+you know whether he will ketch her at home or not?"
+
+Mr. Gallop was by this time paying the tribute of many an admiring
+glance to every detail of Mr. Opp's costume, and Mr. Opp, realizing
+this, assumed an air of cosmopolitan nonchalance, and toyed
+indifferently with his large watch-fob.
+
+When Mr. Gallop's admiration and attention had become focused upon Mr.
+Opp's ring, he suddenly turned on the faucet of his conversation, and
+allowed such a stream of general information to pour forth that Mr. Opp
+quite forgot to look imposing.
+
+"Mrs. Gusty telephoned early this morning to Mrs. Dorsey that she would
+come over and help her make preserves. Mrs. Dorsey got a big load of
+peaches from her father across the river. He's been down with the
+asthma, and had to call up the doctor twice in the night. And the doctor
+couldn't get the right medicine in town, and had me call up the city.
+They are going to send it down on the _Big Sandy_, but she's stuck in
+the locks, and goodness knows when she'll get here. She's--"
+
+"Excuse me," interrupted Mr. Opp, politely but firmly, "I've got to see
+Mrs. Gusty on very important business. Have you any idea whatsoever of
+when she will return back home?"
+
+"Yes," said Mr. Gallop, eager to oblige. "She's about home by this time.
+Miss Lou Diker is making her a dress, and she telephoned she'd be by to
+try it on 'bout four o'clock. I'll go up there with you, if you want me
+to."
+
+"Why don't you drive him!" suggested Jimmy. "You can borrow a pair of
+mules acrost the street."
+
+"Mr. Opp," said Mr. Gallop, feelingly, as they walked up Main Street, "I
+wouldn't treat a' insect like he treats me."
+
+"Oh, you mustn't mind Jimmy," said Mr. Opp, kindly; "he always sort of
+enjoys a little joke as he goes along. Why, I wouldn't be at all
+surprised if he even made a joke on me sometime. How long have you been
+in Cove City?"
+
+"Just a month," said Mr. Gallop. "It must look awful little to you,
+after all the big cities you been used to."
+
+Mr. Opp lengthened his stride. "Yes," he said largely; "quite small,
+quite little, in fact. No place for a business man; but for a
+professional man, a man that requires leisure to sort of cultivate his
+brain and that means to be a influence in the community, it's a good
+place, a remarkably good place."
+
+A hint, however vague, dropped into the mind of Mr. Gallop, caused
+instant fermentation. From long experience he had become an adept at
+extracting information from all who crossed his path. A preliminary
+interest, a breath or two of flattery by way of anesthetic, and his
+victim's secret was out before he knew it.
+
+"Reckon you are going up to talk insurance to Mrs. Gusty," he ventured
+tentatively.
+
+"No; oh, no," said Mr. Opp. "I formerly was in the insurance business,
+some time back. Very little prospects in it for a man of my nature. I
+have to have a chance to sorter spread out, you know--to use my own
+particular ideas about working things out."
+
+"What is your especial line?" asked Mr. Gallop, deferentially.
+
+"Shoe--" Mr. Opp began involuntarily, then checked
+himself--"journalism," he said, and the word seemed for the moment
+completely to fill space.
+
+At Mrs. Gusty's gate Mr. Gallop stopped.
+
+"I guess I ought to go back now," he said regretfully; "the telephone
+and telegraph office is right there in my room, and I never leave them
+day or night except just this one hour in the afternoon. It's awful
+trying. The farmers begin calling each other up at three o'clock in the
+morning. Say, I wish you'd step in sometime. I'd just love to have you.
+But you are so busy and got so many friends, you won't have much time
+for me, I guess."
+
+Mr. Opp thought otherwise. He said that no matter how pressed he was by
+various important duties, he was never too busy to see a friend. And he
+said it with the air of one who confers a favor, and Mr. Gallop received
+it as one who receives a favor, and they shook hands warmly and parted.
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+
+Mr. Opp, absorbed in the great scheme which was taking definite form in
+his mind, did not discover until he reached the steps that some one was
+lying in a hammock on the porch.
+
+It was a dark-haired girl in a pink dress, with a pink bow in her hair
+and small bows on the toes of her high-heeled slippers--the very kind of
+person, in fact, that Mr. Opp was most desirous of avoiding.
+
+Fortunately she was asleep, and Mr. Opp, after listening in vain at the
+door for sounds of Mrs. Gusty within, tiptoed cautiously to the other
+end of the porch and took his seat on a straight-backed settee.
+
+Let it not for a moment be supposed that Mr. Opp was a stranger to the
+fascinations of femininity. He had been inoculated at a tender age, and
+it had taken so completely, so tragically, that he had crept back to
+life with one illusion sadly shattered, and the conviction firm within
+him that henceforth he was immune. His attitude toward the subject
+remained, however, interested, but cautious--such as a good little boy
+might entertain toward a loaded pistol.
+
+As he sat very straight and very still on the green settee, he tried to
+compose his mind for the coming interview with Mrs. Gusty. Directly
+across the road was Aker's old carpenter-shop, a small, square,
+one-story edifice, shabby, and holding out scant promise of journalistic
+possibilities. Mr. Opp, however, seldom saw things as they were; he saw
+them as they were going to be. Before five minutes had elapsed he had
+the shop painted white, with trimmings of red, new panes in the windows,
+ground glass below and clear above, an imposing sign over the door, and
+the roadway blocked with eager subscribers. He would have to have an
+assistant, of course, some one to attend to the general details; but he
+would have charge of everything himself. He would edit a paper,
+comprehensive in its scope, and liberal in its views. Science, art,
+religion, society, and politics would all be duly chronicled. Politics!
+Why, his paper would be an organ--an organ of the Democratic Party!
+
+At the thought of being an organ, Mr. Opp's bosom swelled with such
+pride that his settee creaked, and he glanced apprehensively toward the
+other end of the porch.
+
+The young lady was still asleep, with her head resting on her bare arm,
+and one foot hanging limply below her ruffled petticoat.
+
+Suddenly Mr. Opp leaned forward and viewed her slipper with interest. He
+had recognized the make! It was xxx-aa. He had carried a sample exactly
+like it, and had been wont to call enthusiastic attention to the curve
+of the instep and the set of the heel. He now realized that the effect
+depended entirely on the bow, and he seriously considered writing to the
+firm and suggesting the improvement.
+
+In the midst of his reflections the young lady stirred and then sat up.
+Her hair was tumbled, and her eyes indicated that she had been indulging
+in recent tears. Resting her chin on her palms, she gazed gloomily down
+the road.
+
+Mr. Opp, at the other end of the porch, also gazed gloomily down the
+road. The fact that he must make his presence known was annihilated by
+the yet more urgent fact that he could think of nothing to say. A
+bumblebee wheeled in narrowing circles above his head and finally
+lighted upon his coat-sleeve. But Mr. Opp remained immovable. He was
+searching his vocabulary for a word which would gently crack the silence
+without shattering it to bits.
+
+The bumblebee saved the situation. Detecting some rare viand in a crack
+of the porch midway between the settee and the hammock, and evidently
+being a bibulous bee, it set up such a buzz of excitement that Mr. Opp
+looked at it, and the young lady looked at it, and their eyes met.
+
+"Excuse me," said Mr. Opp, rather breathlessly; "you was asleep, and I
+come to see Mrs. Gusty, and--er--the fact is--I'm Mr. Opp."
+
+At this announcement the young lady put her hand to her head, and by a
+dexterous movement rearranged the brown halo of her hair, and twisted
+the pink bow into its proper, aggressive position.
+
+"Mother'll--be back soon,"--she spoke without embarrassment, yet with
+the hesitation of one who is not in the habit of speaking for
+herself,--"I--I--didn't know I was going to sleep."
+
+"No," said Mr. Opp; then added politely, "neither did I." Silence again
+looming on the horizon, he plunged on: "I think I used to be in the
+habit of seeing you when you was--er--younger, didn't I?"
+
+"Up at the store." She smiled faintly. "You bought me a bag of pop-corn
+once with a prize in it. It was a breastpin; I've got it yet."
+
+Mr. Opp scowled slightly as he tried to extract an imaginary splinter
+from his thumb. "Do you--er--attend school?" he asked, taking refuge in
+a paternal attitude.
+
+"I'm finished," she said listlessly. "I've been going to the Young
+Ladies' Seminary at Coreyville."
+
+"Didn't you taken to it?" asked Mr. Opp, wishing fervently that Mrs.
+Gusty would return.
+
+"Oh, yes," said his companion, earnestly. "I love it; I was a special. I
+took music and botany and painting. I was in four concerts last year and
+played in the double duets at the commencements." During the pause that
+followed, Mr. Opp considered various names for his newspaper. "Mother
+isn't going to let me go back," the soft, drawling voice continued; "she
+says when a girl is nineteen she ought to settle down. She wants me to
+get married."
+
+Mr. Opp laid "The Cove Chronicle" and "The Weekly Bugle" aside for
+further consideration, and inquired politely if there was any special
+person whom Mrs. Gusty desired for a son-in-law.
+
+"Oh, no," said the girl, indifferently; "she hasn't thought of anybody.
+But I don't want to get married--yet. I want to go back to the seminary
+and be a music teacher. I hate it here, every bit of it. It's so
+stupid--and lonesome, and--"
+
+A break in her voice caused Mr. Opp to postpone a decision of the day on
+which his paper was to be published, and to give her his undivided
+attention. Distress, even in beauty, was not to be withstood, and the
+fact that she was unusually pretty had been annoying Mr. Opp ever since
+she had spoken to him. As she turned her head away and wiped her eyes,
+he rose impulsively and moved toward her:
+
+"Say, look a-here now, you ain't crying, are you?" he asked.
+
+She shook her head in indignant denial.
+
+"Well--er--you don't seem exactly happy, as you might say," suggested
+Mr. Opp, boldly.
+
+"I'm not," she confessed, biting her lip. "I oughtn't to talk to you
+about it, but there isn't anybody here that would understand. They think
+I'm stuck up when I talk about books and music and--and other kind of
+people. They just keep on doing the same stupid things till they get old
+and die. Only mother won't even let me do stupid things; she says I
+bother her when I try to help around the house."
+
+"Can't you sew or make mottoes or something?" asked Mr. Opp, very vague
+as to feminine accomplishments.
+
+"What's the use?" asked the girl. "Mother does everything for me. She
+always says she'd rather do it than teach me how."
+
+"Don't you take to reading?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+"Oh, yes," she said; "I used to read all the time down at school; but
+there never is anything to read up here."
+
+The editor-elect peopled the country with similar cases, and he
+immediately saw himself as a public benefactor supplying starved
+subscribers with a bountiful repast of weekly news.
+
+"Won't you sit down?" asked the girl, interrupting his reflections. "I
+don't know what can be keeping mother."
+
+Mr. Opp looked about for a chair, but there was none. Then he glanced at
+his companion, and saw that she was holding aside her pink skirt and
+evidently offering him a seat beside her in the hammock. He advanced a
+step, retreated, then weakly capitulated. Sitting very rigid, nursing
+his hat on his knees, and inserting his forefinger between his neck and
+his collar as if to breathe better, he remarked that it was getting
+warmer all the time.
+
+"This isn't anything to what it will be later," said the girl; "it keeps
+on getting hotter and dustier all the time. I don't believe there's such
+a stupid, poky, little old place anywhere else in the world. You ought
+to be mighty glad you don't live here."
+
+Mr. Opp cleared his throat with some dignity. "I expect to remain here
+permanent now. I--well--the truth is, I have decided to operate a
+newspaper here."
+
+"No!" cried the girl, incredulously. "Not in the Cove!"
+
+"In the Cove," repeated Mr. Opp, firmly. "There's great need here for a
+live, enterprising newspaper. It's a virgin field, you might say. There
+never was a place that needed a public voice more. My paper is going to
+be a voice that hears all sides of a question; it's going to appeal to
+the aged and the young and all them that lies between."
+
+"It will be mighty grand for us!" said his companion, with interest.
+"When is it going to start?"
+
+Definite plans being decidedly nebulous, Mr. Opp wisely confined himself
+to generalities. He touched casually on his remarkable fitness for the
+work, his wide experience, his worldly knowledge. He hinted that in time
+he expected to venture into even deeper literary waters--poetry, and a
+novel, perhaps. As he talked, he realized that for the second time that
+day he was looked upon with approval. Being accepted at his own estimate
+proved a new and exhilarating sensation.
+
+It was pleasant on the wide porch, with the honeysuckle shutting out the
+sun, and the long, yellow blossoms filling the air with fragrance. It
+was pleasant to hear the contented chuckle of the hens and the sleepy
+hum of the bees, and the sound of his own voice; but most of all it was
+pleasant, albeit disconcerting, to glance sidewise occasionally and find
+a pair of credulous brown eyes raised to his in frank admiration. What
+if the swing of the hammock was making him dizzy and one foot had gone
+to sleep? These were minor considerations unworthy of mention.
+
+"And just to think," the girl was saying, "that you may be right across
+the road! I won't mind staying at home so much if you'll let me come
+over and see you make the newspaper."
+
+"You might like to assist sometime," said Mr. Opp, magnanimously, at the
+same time cautiously removing a fluttering pink ribbon from his knee. "I
+could let you try your hand on a wedding or a 'bituary, or something
+along that line."
+
+"Oh, really?" she cried, her eyes brightening. "I'd just love to. I can
+write compositions real nice, and you could help me a little."
+
+"Yes," agreed Mr. Opp; "I could learn you to do the first draft, and I
+could put on the extra touches."
+
+So engrossed did they become in these plans that they did not hear the
+click of the gate, or see the small, aggressive lady who came up the
+walk. She moved with the confident air of one who is in the habit of
+being obeyed. Her skirt gave the appearance of no more daring to hang
+wrong than her bonnet-strings would have presumed to move from the exact
+spot where she had tied them under her left ear. Her small, bright eyes,
+slightly crossed, apparently saw two ways at once, for on her brief
+journey from the gate to the porch, she decapitated two withered
+geraniums on the right, and picked up a stray paper and some dead leaves
+on the left.
+
+"Guin-never!" she called sharply, not seeing the couple on the porch,
+"who's been tracking mud in on my clean steps?"
+
+The girl rose hastily and came forward. "Mother," she said, "here's Mr.
+Opp."
+
+Mrs. Gusty glanced up from one to the other, evidently undecided how to
+meet the situation. But the hesitancy was not for long; Mr. Opp's
+watch-fob, glittering in the sunlight, symbolized such prosperity that
+she hastily extended a cordial hand of welcome.
+
+"You don't mean to tell me Guin-never has been keeping you out here on
+the porch instead of taking you in the parlor? And hasn't she given you
+a thing to drink? Well, just wait till I get my things off and I'll fix
+a pitcher of lemonade."
+
+"Let me do it, Mother," said Guinevere, eagerly; "I often do it at
+school."
+
+"I'd hate to drink what you make," said Mrs. Gusty, waving her aside.
+"You show Mr. Opp in the parlor. No; I'll open the shutters: you'd get
+your hands dirty." She bustled about with that tyrannical capability
+that reduces every one near it to a state of helpless dependence.
+
+The parlor was cool and dark, and Mr. Opp felt around for a chair while
+the refractory shutter was being opened. When at last a shaft of light
+was admitted, it fell full upon a sable frame which hung above the
+horse-hair sofa, and inclosed a glorified certificate of the births,
+marriages, and deaths in the house of Gusty. Around these written data
+was a border realistically depicting the seven ages of man and
+culminating in a legend of gold which read
+
+        From the Cradle to the Grave.
+
+While Mr. Opp was standing before this work of art, apparently deeply
+interested, he was, in reality, peeping through a crack in the shutter.
+The sunlight was still filtering through the honeysuckle vines, making
+dancing, white patches on the porch, the bees were humming about the
+blossoms, and Miss Guinevere Gusty was still sitting in the hammock, her
+chin in her palms, gazing down the road.
+
+When Mrs. Gusty returned, she bore a glass pitcher of lemonade, a plate
+of crisp gingersnaps, and a tumbler of crushed ice, all of which rested
+upon a tray which was covered with her strawberry centerpiece, a mark of
+distinction which, unfortunately, was lost upon her guest.
+
+Mr. Opp, being a man of business, plunged at once into his subject,
+presenting the matter so eloquently and using so much more persuasion
+than was necessary that he overshot the mark. Mrs. Gusty was not without
+business sagacity herself, and when Mr. Opp met a possible objection
+before it had ever occurred to her, she promptly made use of the
+suggestion.
+
+"Of course," said Mr. Opp, as a final inducement, "I'd be glad to run
+in some of Mr. Gusty's poetical pieces from time to time."
+
+This direct appeal to her sentiment so touched Mrs. Gusty that she
+suggested they go over to the shop at once and look it over.
+
+For a moment after the door of his future sanctum was thrown open Mr.
+Opp was disconcerted. The small, dark room, cluttered with all manner of
+trash, the broken window-panes, the dust, and the cobwebs, presented a
+prospect that was far from encouraging; but after an examination of the
+presses, his courage revived.
+
+After a great deal of talk on Mr. Opp's part, and some shrewd bargaining
+on Mrs. Gusty's, the stupendous transaction was brought to a close, to
+the eminent satisfaction of both parties.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was late that night before Mr. Opp retired. He sat in the open window
+of his bedroom and looked out upon the river. The cool night air and the
+quiet light of the stars calmed the turmoil in his brain. Gradually the
+colossal schemes and the towering ambitions gave way to an emotion to
+which the editor-elect was by no means a stranger. It was a little
+white-faced Fear that lurked always in a corner of his heart, and could
+be kept down only by brave words and aggressive deeds.
+
+He sat with his trembling knees hunched, and his arms awkwardly clasped
+about them, an absurd atom in the great cosmic order; yet the soul that
+looked out of his squinting, wistful eyes held all the potentialities of
+life, and embodied the eternal sadness and the eternal inspiration of
+human endeavor.
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+
+It is no small undertaking to embark in an untried ship, upon unknown
+waters, in the teeth of opposing gales. But Mr. Opp sailed the sea of
+life as a valiant mariner should, self-reliant, independent, asking
+advice of nobody. He steered by the guidance of his own peculiar moral
+compass, regardless of the rough waters through which it led him.
+
+Having invested the major portion of his savings in the present venture,
+it was necessary to begin operations at once; but events conspired to
+prevent him. Miss Kippy made many demands upon his time both by day and
+night; she had transferred her affection and dependence from her father
+to him, and he found himself sorely encumbered by this new
+responsibility. Moreover, the attitude of the town toward the innovation
+of a newspaper was one of frank skepticism, and it proved a delicate and
+arduous task to create the proper public sentiment. In addition to these
+troubles, Mr. Opp had a yet graver matter to hinder him: with all his
+valor and energy he was suffering qualms of uncertainty as to the proper
+method of starting a weekly journal.
+
+To be sure, he had achieved a name for the paper--a name so eminently
+satisfactory that he had already had it emblazoned upon a ream of office
+paper. "The Opp Eagle" had sprung full-syllabled from his teeming brain,
+and had been accepted over a hundred competitors.
+
+But naming the fledgling was an easy matter compared with getting it out
+of the nest; and it was not until the instalment of his competent staff
+that Mr. Opp accomplished the task.
+
+This important transaction took place one morning as he sat in his new
+office and struggled with his first editorial. The bare room, with the
+press in the center, served as news-room, press-room, publication
+office, and editorial sanctum. Mr. Opp sat at a new deal table, with one
+pen behind his ear, and another in his hand, and gazed for inspiration
+at the brown wrapping-paper with which he had neatly covered the walls.
+His mental gymnastics were interrupted by the appearance at the door of
+Miss Jim Fenton and her brother Nick.
+
+Miss Jim was an anomaly in the community, being by theory a spinster,
+and by practice a double grass-widow. Capable and self-supporting, she
+attracted the ne'er-do-wells as a magnet attracts needles, but having
+been twice induced to forego her freedom and accept the bonds of
+wedlock, she had twice escaped and reverted to her original type and
+name. Miss Jim was evidently a victim of one of Nature's most economical
+moods; she was spare and angular, with a long, wrinkled face surmounted
+by a scant fluff of pale, frizzled hair. Her mouth slanted upward at
+one corner, giving her an expression unjustly attributed to coquetry,
+when in reality it was due to an innocent and pardonable pride in an
+all-gold eye-tooth.
+
+But it was her clothes that brought misunderstanding, misfortune, and
+even matrimony upon Miss Jim. They were sent her by the boxful by a
+cousin in the city, and the fact was unmistakable that they were clothes
+with a past. The dresses held an atmosphere of evaporated frivolity;
+flirtations lingered in every frill, and memories of old larks lurked in
+every furbelow. The hats had a jaunty list to port, and the colored
+slippers still held a dance within their soles. One old bird of paradise
+on Miss Jim's favorite bonnet had a chronic wink for the wickedness he
+had witnessed.
+
+It was this wink that attracted Mr. Opp as he looked up from his arduous
+labors. For a disconcerting moment he was uncertain whether it belonged
+to Miss Jim or to the bird.
+
+"Howdy, Mr. Opp," said the lady in brisk, businesslike tones. "I was
+taking a crayon portrait home to Mrs. Gusty, and I just stopped in to
+see if I couldn't persuade you to take my brother to help you on the
+newspaper. You remember Nick, don't you?"
+
+Mr. Opp glanced up. A skeleton of a boy, with a shaven head, was peering
+eagerly past him into the office, his keen, ferret-like eyes devouring
+every detail of the printing-presses.
+
+"He knows the business," went on Miss Jim, anxiously pulling at the
+fingers of her gloves. "He's been in it over a year at Coreyville. He
+wants to go back; but I ain't willing till he gets stronger. He ain't
+been up but two weeks."
+
+Mr. Opp turned impressively in his revolving chair, the one luxury which
+he had deemed indispensable, and doubtfully surveyed the applicant. The
+mere suggestion of his leaning upon this broken reed seemed ridiculous;
+yet the boy's thin, sallow face, and Miss Jim's imploring eyes, caused
+him to hesitate.
+
+"Well, you see," he said, with thumbs together and his lips pursed,
+after the manner of the various employers before whom he had stood in
+the past, "we are just making a preliminary start, and we haven't
+engaged our staff yet. I am a business man and a careful one. I don't
+feel justified in going to no extra expense until 'The Opp Eagle' is, in
+a way, on its feet."
+
+"Oh, that's all right," said the boy; "I'll work a month for nothing.
+Lots of fellows do that on the big papers."
+
+Miss Jim plucked warningly at his sleeve, and Mr. Opp, seeing that
+Nick's enthusiasm had led him beyond his depth, went gallantly to the
+rescue.
+
+"Not at all," he said hastily; "that ain't my policy. I think I might
+contrive to pay you a small, reasonable sum down, and increase it in
+ratio as the paper become more prosperous. Don't you think you better
+sit down?"
+
+"No, sir; I'm all right," said the boy, impatiently. "I can do 'most
+anything about a paper, setting type, printing, reporting, collecting,
+'most anything you put me at."
+
+Such timely knowledge, in whatever guise it came, seemed Heaven-sent.
+Mr. Opp gave a sigh of satisfaction.
+
+"If you feel that you can't do any better than accepting the small sum
+that just at present I'll have to offer you, why, I think we can come to
+some arrangement."
+
+"That's mighty nice in you," said Miss Jim, jerking her head forward in
+order to correct an undue backward gravitation of her bonnet. "If ever
+you want a crayon portrait, made from life or enlarged from a
+photograph, I'll make you a special price on it. I'm just taking this
+here one home to Mrs. Gusty; she had it done for Guin-never's birthday."
+
+Miss Jim removed the wrappings and disclosed a portrait of Miss
+Guinevere Gusty, very large as to eyes and very small as to mouth. She
+handed it to Mr. Opp, and called attention to its fine qualities.
+
+"Just look at the lace on that dress! Mrs. Fallows picked a whole
+pattern off on her needles from one of my portraits. And did you notice
+the eyelashes; you can actually count 'em! She had four buttons on her
+dress, but I didn't get in but three; but I ain't going to mention it to
+Mrs. Gusty. Don't you think it's pretty?"
+
+Mr. Opp, who had been smiling absently at the portrait, started
+guiltily. "Yes," he said confusedly; "yes, ma'am, I think she is." Then
+he felt a curious tingling about his ears and realized, to his
+consternation, that he was blushing.
+
+"She's too droopin' a type for me," said Miss Jim, removing an ostrich
+tip from her angle of vision; then she continued in a side whisper:
+"Say, would you mind making Nick take this bottle of milk at twelve
+o'clock, and resting a little? He ain't as strong as he lets on, and he
+has sort of sinking spells 'long about noon."
+
+Receiving the bottle thus surreptitiously offered, and assisting the
+lady to gather up her bundles, Mr. Opp bowed her out, and turned to face
+the embarrassing necessity of giving instructions to his new employee.
+He was relieved to find, however, that the young gentleman in question
+possessed initiative; for Nick had promptly removed his coat, and fallen
+to work, putting things to rights with an energy and ability that caused
+Mr. Opp to offer up a prayer of heartfelt gratitude.
+
+All the morning they worked silently, Mr. Opp toiling over his
+editorial, with constant references to a small dictionary which he
+concealed in the drawer of the table, and Nick giving the presses a
+thorough and much-needed overhauling.
+
+At the noon-hour they shared their lunch, and Mr. Opp, firm in the
+authority invested in him by Miss Jim, demanded that Nick should drink
+his milk, and recline at length upon the office bench for twenty
+minutes. It was with great difficulty that Nick was persuaded to submit
+to this transferred coddling; but he evidently realized that
+insubordination at the start of his career would be fatal, and,
+moreover, his limbs ached and his hands trembled.
+
+It was in the intimacy of this, their first, staff meal, that they
+discussed the policy of the paper.
+
+"Of course," said Mr. Opp, "we have got a vast undertaking in front of
+us. For the next few months we won't scarcely have time to draw a
+natural breath. I am going to put every faculty I own on to making 'The
+Opp Eagle' a fine paper. I expect to get here at seven o'clock A.M., and
+continue to pursue my work as far into the midnight hours as may need
+be. Nothing in the way of pleasure or anything else is going to pervert
+my attention. Of course you understand that my mind will be taken up
+with the larger issues of things, and I'll have to risk a dependence on
+you to attend to the smaller details."
+
+"All right," said Nick, gratefully; "you won't be sorry you trusted me,
+Mr. Opp. I'll do my level best. When will we get out the first issue?"
+
+"Well--er--the truth is," said Mr. Opp, "I haven't, as you might say,
+accumulated sufficient of material as yet. You see, I have a great many
+irons in the fire, and besides opening up this office, I am the
+president of a company that's just bought up twenty acres of ground
+around here. The biggest oil proposition--"
+
+"Yes, sir," interrupted Nick; "but don't you think we could get started
+in two weeks, with the ads and the contributors' letters from other
+counties, and a story or two I could run in, and your editorial page?"
+
+"I've got two advertisements," said Mr. Opp; "but I don't intend to rest
+content until every man in the Cove has got a card in. Now, about these
+contributors from other counties?"
+
+"I can manage that," said Nick. "I'll write to some girl or fellow I
+know in the different towns, and ask them to give me a weekly letter.
+They sign themselves 'Gipsy' or 'Fairy' or 'Big Injun' or something
+like that, and tell what's doing in their neighborhood. We'll have to
+fix the letters up some, but they help fill in like everything."
+
+Mr. Opp's spirits rose at this capable coöperation.
+
+"You--er--like the name?" he asked.
+
+"'The Opp Eagle'?" said Nick. "Bully!"
+
+Such unqualified approval went to Mr. Opp's head, and he rashly broke
+through the dignity that should hedge about an editor.
+
+"I don't mind reading you some of my editorial," he said urbanely; "it's
+the result of considerable labor."
+
+He opened the drawer and took out some loosely written pages, though he
+knew each paragraph by heart. Squaring himself in his revolving-chair,
+and clearing his throat, he addressed himself ostensibly to the
+cadaverous youth stretched at length before him, but in imagination to
+all the southern counties of the grand old Commonwealth of Kentucky.
+
+His various business experiences had stored such an assorted lot of
+information in his brain that it was not unlike a country store in the
+diversity of its contents. His style, like his apparel, was more ornate
+and pretentious than what lay beneath it. There were many words which he
+knew by sight, but with which he had no speaking acquaintance. But Mr.
+Opp had ideals, and this was the first opportunity he had ever had to
+put them before his fellow-men.
+
+"The great bird of American Liberty," he read impressively, "has soared
+and flown over the country and lighted at last in your midst. 'The Opp
+Eagle' appears for the first time to-day. It is no money scheme in which
+we are indulging; we aim first and foremost to fulfil a much-needed want
+in the community. 'The Opp Eagle' will tell the people what you want to
+know better and at less expense than any other method. It will aim at
+bringing the priceless gems of knowledge within the reach of everybody.
+For what is bread to the body if you do not also clothe the mind
+spiritually and mentally?
+
+"We will boom this, our native, city. If possible, I hope to get the
+streets cleaned up and a railroad, and mayhap in time lamp-posts. This
+region has ever been known for its great and fine natural resources, but
+we have been astounded, you might say astonished, in recent visits to
+see its naked and crude immensities, which far exceeds our most sanguine
+expectations. So confident are we that a few of our most highly
+respectable citizens have, at the instigation of the Editor of 'The Opp
+Eagle,' bought up the land lying between Turtle Creek and the river, and
+as soon as a little more capital has been accumulated, intend to open up
+a oil proposition that will astonish the eyes of the natives!
+
+"In all candor, we truly believe this favored region of ours to have no
+equal in underground wealth nowhere upon this terrestrial earth, albeit
+we are not of globe-trotter stock nor tribe. We will endeavor to induce
+the home people to copy after the wise example of a few of our leading
+citizens and buy up oil rights before the kings of Bonanzas from the
+Metropolitan cities discover our treasure and wrench it from our grasp.
+'The Opp Eagle' will, moreover, stand for temperance and reform. We will
+hurl grape and cannister into the camps of the saloonatics until they
+flee the wrath to come. Will also publish a particular statement of all
+social entertainments, including weddings, parties, church socials, and
+funerals. In conclusion, would say that we catch this first opportunity
+to thank you in collective manner herein for the welcome you have
+ordained 'The Opp Eagle.'"
+
+Mr. Opp came to a close and waited for applause; nor was he
+disappointed.
+
+"Gee! I wish I could write like that!" said Nick, rising on his elbow.
+"I can do the printing all right, and hustle around for the news; but I
+never know how to put on the trimmings."
+
+Mr. Opp laid a hand upon his shoulder; he was fast developing a
+fondness for the youth.
+
+"It's a gift," he said sympathetically, "that I am afraid, my boy,
+nobody can't learn you."
+
+"Can I come in?" said a voice from outside, and Mr. Gallop peeped around
+the open door.
+
+"Walk in," cried Mr. Opp, while Nick sprang to his feet. "We are just by
+way of finishing up the work at hand, and have a few minutes of spare
+leisure."
+
+"I just wanted to know if you'd help us get up a town band," said Mr.
+Gallop. "I told the boys you'd be too busy, but they made me come. I
+asked Mr. Fallows if you was musical; but I wouldn't repeat what he
+said."
+
+"Oh, Jimmy is just naturally humoristic," said Mr. Opp. "Go along and
+tell me what he remarked."
+
+"Well," said Mr. Gallop, indignantly, "he said you was a expert on the
+wind-pipe! Mr. Tucker, I believe it was, thought you used to play the
+accordion."
+
+"No," said Mr. Opp; "it was the cornet. I was considerable of a
+performer at one time."
+
+"Well, we want you for the leader of our band," said Mr. Gallop. "We are
+going to have blue uniforms and give regular concerts up on Main
+Street."
+
+Nick Fenny began searching for a pencil.
+
+"You know," went on Mr. Gallop, rapidly, "the last show boat that was
+here had a calliope, and there's another one coming next week. All I
+have to do is to hear a tune twice, then I can play it. Miss Guin-never
+Gusty is going up to Coreyville next week, and she says she'll get us
+some new pieces. She's going to select a plush self-rocker for the
+congregation to give the new preacher. They're keeping it awful secret,
+but I heard 'em mention it over the telephone. The preacher's baby has
+been mighty sick, and so has his mother, up at the Ridge; but she's got
+well again. Well, I must go along now. Ain't it warm?"
+
+Before Mr. Opp had ceased showing Mr. Gallop out, his attention was
+arrested by the strange conduct of his staff. That indefatigable youth
+was writing furiously on the new wall-paper, covering the clean brown
+surface with large, scrawling characters.
+
+Mr. Opp's indignation was checked at its source by the radiant face
+which Nick turned upon him.
+
+"I've got another column!" he cried; "listen here:
+
+"'A new and handsome Show Boat will tie up at the Cove the early part of
+next week. A fine calliope will be on board.'
+
+"'Miss Guinevere Gusty will visit friends in Coreyville soon.'
+
+"'The new preacher will be greatly surprised soon by the gift of a fine
+plush rocking-chair from the ladies of the congregation.'
+
+"'The infant baby of the new preacher has been sick, but is better
+some.'
+
+"'Jimmy Fallows came near getting an undertaking job at the Ridge last
+week, but the lady got well.'
+
+"And that ain't all," he continued excitedly; "I'm going out now to get
+all the particulars about that band, and we'll have a long story about
+it."
+
+Mr. Opp, left alone in his office, made an unsuccessful effort to resume
+work. The fluttering of the "Eagle's" wings preparatory to taking flight
+was not the only thing that interfered with his power of concentration.
+He did not at all like the way he felt. Peculiar symptoms had developed
+in the last week, and the quinine which he had taken daily had failed to
+relieve him. He could not say that he was sick,--in fact, he had never
+been in better health,--but there was a strange feeling of restlessness,
+a vague disturbance of his innermost being, that annoyed and puzzled
+him. Even as he tried to solve the problem, an irresistible impulse
+brought him to his feet and carried him to the door. Miss Guinevere
+Gusty was coming out of her gate in a soft, white muslin, and a chip hat
+laden with pink roses.
+
+"Anything I can do for you up street?" she called across pleasantly to
+Mr. Opp.
+
+"Why, thank you--no, the fact is--well, you see, I find it necessary for
+me to go up myself." Mr. Opp heard himself saying these words with great
+surprise, and when he found himself actually walking out of the office,
+leaving a large amount of unfinished work, his indignation knew no
+bounds.
+
+"The sun is awful hot. Ain't you goin' to wear a hat?" drawled Miss
+Guinevere.
+
+Mr. Opp put his hand to his head in some embarrassment, and then assured
+her that he very often went without it.
+
+They sauntered slowly down the dusty road. On one side the trees hedged
+them in, but on the other stretched wide fields of tasseled corn over
+which shimmered waves of summer heat. White butterflies fluttered
+constantly across their path, and overhead, hidden somewhere in the
+branches, the birds kept up a constant song. The August sun, still high
+in the heavens, shone fiercely down on the open road, on the ragweed by
+the wayside, on the black-eyed Susans nodding at the light; but it fell
+most mercilessly of all upon the bald spot on the head of the
+unconscious Mr. Opp, who was moving, as in an hypnotic state, into the
+land of romance.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+
+By all the laws of physics, Mr. Opp during the months that ensued,
+should have stood perfectly still. For if ever two forces pulled with
+equal strength in opposite directions, love and ambition did in the
+heart of our friend the editor. But Mr. Opp did not stand still; on the
+contrary, he seemed to be moving in every direction at once.
+
+In due time "The Opp Eagle" made its initial flight, and received the
+approbation of the community. The first page was formal, containing the
+editorial, a list of the subscribers, a notice to tax-payers, and three
+advertisements, one of which requested "the lady public to please note
+that the hats put out by Miss Duck Brown do not show the wire composing
+the frame."
+
+But the first page of the "Eagle" was like the front door of a house:
+when once you got on the other side of it, you were in the family, as it
+were, formality was dropped, and an easy atmosphere of familiarity
+prevailed. You read that Uncle Enoch Siller had Sundayed over at the
+Ridge, or that Aunt Gussy Williams was on the puny list, and frequently
+there were friendly references to "Ye Editor" or "Ye Quill Driver," for
+after soaring to dizzy heights in his editorials, Mr. Opp condescended
+to come down on the second page and move in and out of the columns, as a
+host among his guests.
+
+It is painful to reflect what would have been the fate of the infatuated
+Mr. Opp in these days had it not been for the faithful Nick. Nick's
+thirst for work was insatiable; he yearned for responsibility, and was
+never so happy as when gathering news. He chased an item as a dog might
+chase a rat, first scenting it, then hunting it down, and after
+mutilating it a bit, proudly returning it to his master.
+
+Mr. Opp was enabled, by this competent assistance, to spare many a
+half-hour in consultation with Miss Guinevere Gusty concerning the
+reportorial work she was going to do on the paper. The fact that nobody
+died or got married delayed all actual performance, but in order to be
+ready for the emergency, frequent calls were deemed expedient.
+
+It became part of the day's program to read her his editorial, or
+consult her about some social item, or to report a new subscriber, his
+self-esteem meanwhile putting forth all manner of new shoots and
+bursting into exotic bloom under the warmth of her approval.
+
+Miss Gusty, on her part, was acquiring a new interest in her
+surroundings. In addition to the subtle flattery of being consulted, she
+was the recipient of daily offerings of books, and music, and drugstore
+candy, and sometimes a handful of flowers, carefully concealed in a
+newspaper to escape the vigilant eye of Jimmy Fallows.
+
+On several occasions she returned Mr. Opp's calls, picking her way
+daintily across the road, and peeping in at the window to make sure he
+was there.
+
+It was at such times that the staff of "The Opp Eagle" misconducted
+itself. It objected to a young woman in the press-room; it disapproved
+of the said person sitting at the deal table in confidential
+conversation with the editor; it saw no humor in her dipping the pencils
+into the ink-well, and scrawling names on the new office stationery; and
+when the point was reached that she moved about the office, asking
+absurd questions and handling the type, the staff could no longer endure
+it, but hastened forth to forget its annoyance in the pursuit of
+business.
+
+Moreover, the conduct of the chief, as Nick was pleased to call Mr. Opp,
+was becoming more and more peculiar. He would arrive in the morning, his
+pockets bristling with papers, and his mind with projects. He would
+attack the work of the day with ferocious intensity, then in the midst
+of it, without warning, he would lapse into an apparent trance, his
+hands in his pockets, his eyes on the ceiling, and such a smile on his
+face as one usually reserves for a camera.
+
+Nick did not know that it was the song of the siren that was calling Mr.
+Opp, who, instead of lashing himself to the mast and steering for the
+open sea, was letting his little craft drift perilously near the rocky
+coast.
+
+No feature of the proceedings was lost upon Mrs. Gusty. She applied the
+same method to her daughter that she did to her vines, tying her firmly
+to the wall of her own ability, and prescribing the direction and length
+to which she should grow. The situation would need pruning later, but
+for the present she studied conditions and bided her time.
+
+Meanwhile the "Eagle" was circling more widely in its flight. Mr. Opp's
+persistent and eloquent articles pertaining to the great oil wealth of
+the region had been reinforced by a favorable report from the laboratory
+in the city to which he had sent a specimen from the spring on Turtle
+Creek. Thus equipped with wings of hope, and a small ballast of fact,
+the "Eagle" went soaring on its way, and in time attracted the attention
+of a party of capitalists who were traveling through the State,
+investigating oil and mineral possibilities.
+
+One epoch-making day, the editor was called up over the long-distance
+telephone, and, after answering numerous inquiries, was told that the
+party expected to spend the following night in the Cove.
+
+This important event took place the last of November, and threw the town
+into great excitement. Mr. Opp received the message early in the
+morning, and immediately set to work to call a meeting of the Turtle
+Creek Land Company.
+
+"This here is one of the most critical moments in the history of Cove
+City," he announced excitedly to Nick. "It's a most fortunate thing that
+they've got me here to make the preliminary arrangements, and to sort of
+get the thing solidified, as you might say. I'll call a meeting for
+eleven o'clock at Your Hotel. You call up old man Hager and the
+preacher, and I will undertake to notify Jimmy Fallows and Mr. Tucker."
+
+"The preacher ain't in town; he's out at Smither's Ridge, marrying a
+couple. I got the whole notice written out beforehand."
+
+"Well, tear it up," said Mr. Opp. "I've engaged a special hand to do all
+weddings and funerals."
+
+Nick looked hurt; this was the first time his kingdom had been invaded.
+He kicked the door sullenly.
+
+"I can't get the preacher if he's out at Smither's Ridge."
+
+"Nick," said Mr. Opp, equally hurt, "is that the way for a subordinate
+reporter to talk to a' editor? You don't seem to realize that this here
+is a very serious and large transaction. There may be hundreds of
+dollars involved. It's a' awful weight of responsibility for one man.
+I'm willing to finance it and conduct the main issues, but I've got to
+have the backing of all the other parties. Now it's with you whether
+the preacher gets there or not."
+
+"Shall I hunt up Mat Lucas, too?" asked Nick as he started forth.
+
+"No; that's my branch of the work: but--say--Nick, your sister will have
+to be there; she owns some shares."
+
+"All right," said Nick; "her buggy is hitched up in front of Tucker's.
+I'll tell her to wait till you come."
+
+Mr. Opp was not long in following. He walked down the road with an
+important stride, his bosom scarcely able to accommodate the feeling of
+pride and responsibility that swelled it. He was in a position of trust;
+his fellow-citizens would look to him, a man of larger experience and
+business ability, to deal with these moneyed strangers. He would be
+fair, but shrewd. He knew the clever wiles of the capitalists; he would
+meet them with calm but unyielding dignity.
+
+It was in this mood that he came upon Miss Jim, who was in the act of
+disentangling a long lace scarf from her buggy whip. Her flushed face
+and flashing eyes gave such unmistakable signs of wrath that Mr. Opp
+glanced apprehensively at the whip in her hand, and then at Jimmy
+Fallows, who was hitching her horse.
+
+"Howdy, Mr. Opp," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet a gentleman, after
+what I've seen."
+
+"I hope," said Mr. Opp, "that our friend here ain't been indulging in
+his customary--"
+
+"It ain't Mr. Fallows," she broke in sharply; "it's Mr. Tucker. He ain't
+got the feeling of a broomstick."
+
+"Now, Miss Jim," began Jimmy Fallows in a teasing tone; but the lady
+turned her back upon him and addressed Mr. Opp.
+
+"You see this portrait," she said angrily, pulling it out from under the
+seat. "It took me four weeks, including two Sunday afternoons, to make
+it. I begun it the second week after Mrs. Tucker died, when I seen him
+takin' on so hard at church. He was cryin' so when they took up the
+collection that he never even seen the plate pass him. I went right
+home and set to work on this here portrait, thinking he'd be glad and
+willing to buy it from me. Wouldn't you, if you was a widower?"
+
+Mr. Opp gazed doubtfully at the picture, which represented Mr. Tucker
+sitting disconsolately beside a grave, with a black-bordered
+handkerchief held lightly between his fingers. A weeping-willow drooped
+above him, and on the tombstone at his side were two angels supporting
+the initials of the late Mrs. Tucker.
+
+"Why, Miss Jim," insisted Fallows, "you're askin' too much of old man
+Tucker to expect him to keep on seein' a tombstone when he's got one eye
+on you and one eye on the Widow Gusty. He ain't got any hair on top of
+his head to part, but he's took to partin' it down the back, and I seen
+him Sunday trying to read the hymns without his spectacles. He started
+up on 'Let a Little Sunshine In' when they was singing 'Come, ye
+Disconsolate.' You rub out the face and the initials on that there
+picture and keep it for the nex' widower. Ketch him when he's still
+droopin'. You'll get your money back. Your mistake was in waiting too
+long."
+
+"Speaking of waiting," said Mr. Opp, impatiently, "there's a call
+meeting of the Turtle Creek Land Co. for this morning at eleven at Your
+Hotel. Hope it's convenient, Jimmy."
+
+"Oh, yes," said Jimmy; "we got more empty chairs at Your Hotel than
+anything else. What's the meeting for? Struck gold?"
+
+Mr. Opp imparted the great news.
+
+"Oh, my land!" exclaimed Miss Jim, "will they be here to-day?"
+
+"Not until to-morrow night," explained Mr. Opp. "This here meeting this
+morning is for the stock-holders only. We got to kinder outline our
+policy and arrange a sort of basis of operation."
+
+"Well," said Miss Jim, "I'll take the portrait up to Mrs. Gusty's and
+ask her to take care of it for me. I don't know as I can do the face
+over into somebody else's, but I can't afford to lose it."
+
+It was afternoon before the stock-holders could all be brought together.
+They assembled in the office of Your Hotel in varying states of mind
+ranging from frank skepticism to intense enthusiasm.
+
+Mr. Tucker represented the conservative element. He was the rich man of
+the town, with whom economy, at first a necessity, had become a luxury.
+No greater proof could have been desired of Mr. Opp's persuasive powers
+than that Mr. Tucker had invested in a hundred shares of the new stock.
+He sat on the edge of his chair, wizen, anxious, fidgety, loaded with
+objections, and ready to go off half-cocked. Old man Hager sat in his
+shadow, objecting when he objected, voting as he voted, and prepared to
+loosen or tighten his purse-strings as Mr. Tucker suggested.
+
+Mat Lucas and Miss Jim were independents. They had both had sufficient
+experience in business to know their own minds. If there was any money
+to be made in the Cove or about it, they intended to have a part in it.
+
+Mr. Opp and the preacher constituted the Liberal party. They furnished
+the enthusiasm that floated the scheme. They were able to project
+themselves into the future and prophesy dazzling probabilities.
+
+Jimmy Fallows, alone of the group, maintained an artistic attitude
+toward the situation. He was absolutely detached. He sat with his chair
+tilted against the door and his thumbs in his armholes, and treated the
+whole affair as a huge joke.
+
+"The matter up for immediate consideration," Mr. Opp was saying
+impressively, "is whether these here gentlemen should want to buy us
+out, we would sell, or whether we would remain firm in possession, and
+let them lease our ground and share the profits on the oil."
+
+"Well, I'm kinder in favor of selling out if we get the chance," urged
+Mr. Tucker in a high, querulous voice. "To sell on a rising market is
+always a pretty good plan."
+
+"After we run up ag'in' them city fellows," said Mat Lucas, "I'll be
+surprised if we git as much out as we put in."
+
+"Gentlemen," protested Mr. Opp, "this here ain't the attitude to assume
+to the affair. To my profoundest belief there is a fortune in these here
+lands. The establishment of 'The Opp Eagle' has, as you know, been a
+considerable tax on my finances, but everything else I've got has gone
+into this company. It's a great and glorious opportunity, one that I
+been predicting and prophesying for these many years. Are we going to
+sell out to this party, and let them reap the prize? No; I trust and
+hope that such is not the case. In order to have more capital to open up
+the mines, I advocate the taking of them in."
+
+"I bet they been advocating the taking of us in," chuckled Jimmy.
+
+"Well, my dear friends, suppose we vote on it," suggested the preacher.
+
+"Reach yer hand back there in the press, Mr. Opp, and git the
+lead-pencil," said Jimmy, without moving.
+
+"The motion before the house," said Mr. Opp, "is whether we will sell
+out or take 'em in. All in favor say 'Aye.'"
+
+There was a unanimous vote in the affirmative, although each member
+interpreted the motion in his own way.
+
+"Very well," said Mr. Opp, briskly; "the motion is carried. Now we got
+to arrange about entertaining the party."
+
+Mr. Tucker, whose brain was an accommodation stopping at each station,
+was still struggling with the recent motion when this new thought about
+entertainment whizzed past. The instinct of the landlord awoke at the
+call, and he promptly switched off the main line and went down the side
+track.
+
+"Gallop was here while ago," Jimmy was saying, with a satisfied glance
+at Mr. Tucker; "said they wanted me to take keer of 'em. I'll 'commodate
+all but the preachers. If there are any preachers, Mr. Tucker kin have
+'em. I have to draw the line somewheres. I can't stand 'em
+'Brother-Fallowsing' me. Last time the old woman corralled one and
+brought him home, he was as glad to find me to work on as she'd 'a' be'n
+to git some fruit to preserve. 'Brother,' he says, reaching out for my
+hand, 'do you ever think about the awful place you are going to when you
+die?' 'You bet,' says I; 'I got more friends there than anywhere.'" And
+Jimmy's laugh shook the stove-pipe.
+
+"How many gentlemen are coming to-morrow?" asked Miss Jim, who was
+sitting in a corner as far as possible from Mr. Tucker.
+
+"Ten," said Jimmy. "Now, you wouldn't think it, but this here hotel has
+got six bedrooms. I've tooken care of as many as twenty at a time, easy,
+but I'll be hanged if I ever heard of such foolishness as every one of
+these fellers wantin' a room to hisself."
+
+"I've got three rooms empty," said Mr. Tucker.
+
+"Well, that leaves one over," said Mat Lucas. "I'd take him out home,
+but we've got company, and are sleeping three in a bed now."
+
+Mr. Opp hesitated; then his hospitality overcame his discretion.
+
+"Just consider him my guest," he said. "I'll be very pleased to provide
+entertainment for the gentleman in question."
+
+Not until the business of the day was over, and Mr. Opp was starting
+home, did he realize how tired he was. It was not his duties as an
+editor, or even as a promoter, that were telling on him; it was his
+domestic affairs that preyed upon his mind. For Mr. Opp not only led a
+strenuous life by day, but by night as well. Miss Kippy's day began with
+his coming home, and ended in the morning when he went away; the rest of
+the time she waited.
+
+Just now the problem that confronted him was the entertainment of the
+expected guest. Never, since he could remember, had a stranger invaded
+that little world where Miss Kippy lived her unreal life of dreams.
+What effect would it have upon her? Would it be kinder to hide her away
+as something he was ashamed of, or to let her appear and run the risk of
+exposing her deficiency to uncaring eyes? During the months that he had
+watched her, a fierce tenderness had sprung up in his heart. He had
+become possessed of the hope that she might be rescued from her
+condition. Night after night he patiently tried to teach her to read and
+to write, stopping again and again to humor her whims and indulge her
+foolish fancies. More than once he had surprised a new look in her eyes,
+a sudden gleam of sanity, of frightened understanding; and at such times
+she would cling to him for protection against that strange thing that
+was herself.
+
+As he trudged along, deep in thought, a white chrysanthemum fell at his
+feet. Looking up, he discovered Miss Guinevere Gusty, in a red cloak and
+hat, sitting on the bank with a band-box in her lap.
+
+His troubles were promptly swallowed up in the heart-quake which
+ensued; but his speech was likewise, and he stood foolishly opening and
+shutting his mouth, unable to effect a sound.
+
+"I am waiting for the packet to go down to Coreyville," announced Miss
+Gusty, straightening her plumed hat, and smiling. "Mr. Gallop says it's
+an hour late; but I don't care, it's such a grand day."
+
+Mr. Opp removed his eyes long enough to direct an inquiring glance at
+the heavens and the earth. "Is it?" he asked, finding his voice. "I been
+so occupied with business that I haven't scarcely taken occasion to note
+the weather."
+
+"Why, it's all soft and warm, just like spring," she continued, holding
+out her arms and looking up at the sky. "I've been wishing I had time to
+walk along the river a piece."
+
+"I'll take you," said Mr. Opp, eagerly. "We can hear the whistle of the
+boat in amply sufficient time to get back. Besides, it is a hour late."
+
+She hesitated. "You're real sure you can get me back?"
+
+"Perfectly," he announced. "I might say in all my experience I never
+have yet got a lady left on a boat."
+
+Miss Guinevere, used to being guided, handed him her band-box, and
+followed him up the steep bank.
+
+The path wound in and out among the trees, now losing itself in the
+woods, now coming out upon the open river. The whole world was a riot of
+crimson and gold, and it was warm with that soft echo of summer that
+brings some of its sweetness, and all of its sadness, but none of its
+mirth.
+
+Mr. Opp walked beside his divinity oblivious to all else. The sunlight
+fell unnoticed except when it lay upon her face; the only breeze that
+blew from heaven was the one that sent a stray curl floating across her
+cheek. As Mr. Opp walked, he talked, putting forth every effort to
+please. His burning desire to be worthy of her led him into all manner
+of verbal extravagances, and the mere fact that she was taller than he
+caused him to indulge in more lofty and figurative language. He captured
+fugitive quotations, evolved strange metaphors, coined words, and poured
+all in a glittering heap of eloquence before her shrine.
+
+As he talked, his companion moved heedlessly along beside him, stopping
+now and then to gather a spray of goldenrod, or to gaze absently at the
+river through some open space in the trees. For Miss Guinevere Gusty
+lived in a world of her own--a world of vague possibilities, of
+half-defined longings, and intangible dreams. Love was still an abstract
+sentiment, something radiant and breathless that might envelop her at
+any moment and bear her away to Elysium.
+
+As she stooped to free her skirt from a detaining thorn, she pointed
+down the bank.
+
+"There's some pretty sweet-gum leaves; I wish they weren't so far down."
+
+"Where?" demanded Mr. Opp, rashly eager to prove his gallantry.
+
+"'Way down over the edge; but you mustn't go, it's too steep."
+
+"Not for me," said Mr. Opp, plunging boldly through the underbrush.
+
+The tree grew at a sharp angle over the water, and the branches were so
+far up that it was necessary to climb out a short distance in order to
+reach them. Mr. Opp's soul was undoubtedly that of a knight-errant, but
+his body, alas! was not. When he found himself astride the slender,
+swaying trunk, with the bank dropping sharply to the river flowing
+dizzily beneath him, he went suddenly and unexpectedly blind. Between
+admiration for himself for ever having gotten there, and despair of ever
+getting back, lay the present necessity of loosening his hold long
+enough to break off a branch of the crimson leaves. He tried opening one
+eye, but the effect was so terrifying that he promptly closed it. He
+pictured himself, a few moments before, strolling gracefully along the
+road conversing brilliantly upon divers subjects; then he bitterly
+considered the present moment and the effect he must be producing upon
+the young lady in the red cloak on the path above. He saw himself
+clinging abjectly to the swaying tree-trunk, only waiting for his
+strength or the tree to give away, before he should be plunged into the
+waters below.
+
+"That's a pretty spray," called the soft voice from above; "that one
+above, to the left."
+
+Mr. Opp, rallying all his courage, reached blindly out in the direction
+indicated, and as he did so, he realized that annihilation was imminent.
+Demonstrating a swift geometrical figure in the air, he felt himself
+hurling through space, coming to an abrupt and awful pause when he
+struck the earth. Perceiving with a thrill of surprise that he was still
+alive, he cautiously opened his eyes. To his further amazement he found
+that he had landed on his feet, unhurt, and that in his left hand he
+held a long branch of sweet-gum leaves.
+
+"Why, you skinned the cat, didn't you?" called an admiring voice from
+above. "I was just wondering how you was ever going to get down."
+
+Mr. Opp crawled up the slippery bank, his knees trembling so that he
+could scarcely stand.
+
+"Yes," he said, as he handed her the leaves; "those kind of athletic
+acts seem to just come natural to some people."
+
+"You must be awful strong," continued Guinevere, looking at him with
+approval.
+
+Mr. Opp sank beside her on the bank and gave himself up to the full
+enjoyment of the moment. Both hands were badly bruised, and he had a dim
+misgiving that his coat was ripped up the back; but he was happy, with
+the wild, reckless happiness of one to whom Fate has been unexpectedly
+kind. Moreover, the goal toward which all his thought had been rushing
+for the past hour was in sight. He could already catch glimpses of the
+vision beautiful. He could hear himself storming the citadel with magic
+words of eloquence. Meanwhile he nursed the band-box and smiled dumbly
+into space.
+
+From far below, the pungent odor of burning leaves floated up, and the
+air was full of a blue haze that became luminous as the sun transfused
+it. It enveloped the world in mystery, and threw a glamour over the
+dying day.
+
+"It's so pretty it hurts," said the girl, clasping her hands about her
+knees. "I love to watch it all, but it makes the shivers go over
+me--makes me feel sort of lonesome. Don't it you?"
+
+Mr. Opp shook his head emphatically. It was the one time in years that
+down in the depths of his soul he had not felt lonesome. For as Indian
+summer had come back to earth, so youth had come back to Mr. Opp. The
+flower of his being was waking to bloom, and the spring tides were at
+flood.
+
+A belated robin overhead, unable longer to contain his rapture, burst
+into song; but Mr. Opp, equally full of his subject, was unable to utter
+a syllable. The sparkling eloquence and the fine phrases had evaporated,
+and only the bare truth was left.
+
+Guinevere, having become aware of the very ardent looks that were being
+cast upon her, said she thought the boat must be about due.
+
+"Oh, no," said Mr. Opp; "that is, I was about to say--why--er--say, Miss
+Guin-never, do you think you could ever come to keer about me?"
+
+Guinevere, thus brought to bay, took refuge in subterfuge. "Why--Mr.
+Opp--I'm not old enough for you."
+
+"Yes, you are," he burst forth fervently. "You are everything for me:
+old enough, and beautiful enough, and smart enough, and sweet enough. I
+never beheld a human creature that could even begin to think about
+comparing with you."
+
+Guinevere, in the agitation of the moment, nervously plucked all the
+leaves from the branch that had been acquired with such effort. It was
+with difficulty that she finally managed to lift her eyes.
+
+"You've been mighty good to me," she faltered, "and--and made me lots
+happier; but I--I don't care in the way you mean."
+
+"Is there anybody else?" demanded Mr. Opp, ready to hurl himself to
+destruction if she answered in the affirmative.
+
+"Oh, no," she answered him; "there never has been anybody."
+
+[Illustration: "'Why, Mr. Opp, I'm not old enough'"]
+
+"Then I'll take my chance," said Mr. Opp, expanding his narrow chest.
+"Whatever I've got out of the world I've had to fight for. I don't mind
+saying to you that I was sorter started out with a handicap. You know my
+sister--she's a--well, a' invalid, you might say, and while her pa was
+living, my fortunes wasn't what you might call as favorable as they are
+at present. I never thought there would be any use in my considering
+getting married till I met you, then I didn't seem able somehow to
+consider nothing else. If you'll just let me, I'll wait. I'll learn you
+to care. I won't bother you, but just wait patient as long as you say."
+And this from Mr. Opp, whose sands of life were already half-run! "All I
+ask for," he went on wistfully, "is a little sign now and then. You
+might give me a little look or something just to keep the time from
+seeming too long."
+
+It was almost a question, and as he leaned toward her, with the sunlight
+in his eyes, something of the beauty of the day touched him, too, just
+as it touched the weed at his feet, making them both for one
+transcendent moment part of the glory of the world.
+
+Guinevere Gusty, already in love with love, and reaching blindly out for
+something deeper and finer in her own life, was suddenly engulfed in a
+wave of sympathy. She involuntarily put out her hand and touched his
+fingers.
+
+The sun went down behind the distant shore, and the light faded on the
+river. Mr. Opp was almost afraid to breathe; he sat with his eyes on the
+far horizon, and that small, slender hand in his, and for the moment the
+world was fixed in its orbit, and Time itself stood still.
+
+Suddenly out of the silence came the long, low whistle of the boat. They
+scrambled to their feet and hurried down the path, Mr. Opp having some
+trouble in keeping up with the nimbler pace of the girl.
+
+"I'll be calculatin' every minute until the arrival of the boat
+to-morrow night," he was gasping as they came within sight of the wharf.
+"I'll be envyin' every--"
+
+"Where's my band-box?" demanded Guinevere. "Why, Mr. Opp, if you haven't
+gone and left it up in the woods!"
+
+Five minutes later, just as the bell was tapping for the boat to start,
+a flying figure appeared on the wharf. He was hatless and breathless,
+his coat was ripped from collar to hem, and a large band-box flapped
+madly against his legs as he ran. He came down the home-stretch at a
+record-breaking pace, stepped on board as the gang-plank was lifted,
+deposited his band-box on the deck, then with a running jump cleared the
+rapidly widening space between the boat and the shore, and dropped upon
+the wharf.
+
+He continued waving his handkerchief even after the boat had rounded
+the curve, then, having edited a paper, promoted a large enterprise,
+effected a proposal, and performed two remarkable athletic stunts all in
+the course of a day, Mr. Opp turned his footsteps toward home.
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+
+The next day dawned wet and chilly. A fine mist hung in the trees, and
+the leaves and grasses sagged under their burden of moisture. All the
+crimson and gold had changed to brown and gray, and the birds and
+crickets had evidently packed away their chirps and retired for the
+season.
+
+By the light of a flickering candle, Mr. D. Webster Opp partook of a
+frugal breakfast. The luxurious habits of the Moore household had made
+breakfast a movable feast depending upon the time of Aunt Tish's
+arrival, and in establishing the new régime Mr. Opp had found it
+necessary to prepare his own breakfast in order to make sure of getting
+to the office before noon.
+
+As he sipped his warmed-over coffee, with his elbows on the red
+table-cloth, and his heels hooked on the rung of the chair, he recited
+to himself in an undertone from a very large and imposing book which was
+propped in front of him, the leaves held back on one side by a
+candlestick and on the other by a salt-cellar. It was a book which Mr.
+Opp was buying on subscription, and it was called "An Encyclopedia of
+Wonder, Beauty, and Wisdom." It contained pellets of information on all
+subjects, and Mr. Opp made it a practice to take several before
+breakfast, and to repeat the dose at each meal as circumstances
+permitted. "An editor," he told Nick, "has got to keep himself
+instructed on all subjects. He has got to read wide and continuous."
+
+As a rule he followed no special line in his pursuit of knowledge, but
+with true catholicity of taste, took the items as they came, turning
+from a strenuous round with "Abbeys and Abbots," to enter with fervor
+into the wilds of "Abyssinia." The straw which served as bookmark
+pointed to-day to "Ants," and ordinarily Mr. Opp would have attacked
+the subject with all the enthusiasm of an entomologist. But even the
+best regulated minds will at times play truant, and Mr. Opp's had taken
+a flying leap and skipped six hundred and thirty-two pages, landing
+recklessly in the middle of "Young Lochinvar." For the encyclopedia, in
+its laudable endeavor not only to cover all intellectual requirements,
+but also to add the crowning grace of culture, had appended a collection
+of poems under the title "Favorites, Old and New."
+
+Mr. Opp, thus a-wing on the winds of poesy, had sipped his tepid coffee
+and nibbled his burnt toast in fine abstraction until he came upon a
+selection which his soul recognized. He had found words to the music
+that was ringing in his heart. It was then that he propped the book open
+before him, and determined not to close it until he had made the lines
+his own.
+
+Later, as he trudged along the road to town, he repeated the verses to
+himself, patiently referring again and again to the note-book in which
+he had copied the first words of each line.
+
+At the office door he regretfully dismounted from Pegasus, and
+resolutely turned his attention to the business of the day. His desire
+was to complete the week's work by noon, spend the afternoon at home in
+necessary preparation for the coming guest, and have the following day,
+which was Saturday, free to devote to the interest of the oil company.
+
+In order to accomplish this, expedition was necessary, and Mr. Opp,
+being more bountifully endowed by nature with energy than with any other
+quality, fell to work with a will. His zeal, however, interfered with
+his progress, and he found himself in the embarrassing condition of a
+machine which is geared too high.
+
+He was, moreover, a bit bruised and stiff from the unusual performances
+of the previous day, and any sudden motion caused him to wince. But the
+pain brought recollection, and recollection was instant balm.
+
+It was hardly to be expected that things would deviate from their usual
+custom of becoming involved at a critical time, so Mr. Opp was not
+surprised when Nick was late and had to be spoken to, a task which the
+editor always achieved with great difficulty. Then the printing-press
+had an acute attack of indigestion, and no sooner was that relieved than
+the appalling discovery was made that there were no more good "S's" in
+the type drawer.
+
+"Use dollar-marks for the next issue," directed Mr. Opp, "and I'll wire
+immediate to the city."
+
+"We're kinder short on 'I's' too," said Nick. "You take so many in your
+articles."
+
+Mr. Opp looked injured. "I very seldom or never begin on an 'I,'" he
+said indignantly.
+
+"You get 'em in somehow," said Nick. "Why, the editor over at Coreyville
+even said 'Our Wife.'"
+
+"Yes," said Mr. Opp, "I will, too,--that is--er--"
+
+The telephone-bell covered his retreat.
+
+"Hello!" he answered in a deep, incisive voice to counteract the effect
+of his recent embarrassment, "Office of 'The Opp Eagle.' Mr. Toddlinger?
+Yes, sir. You say you want your subscription stopped! Well, now, wait a
+minute--see here, I can explain that--" but the other party had
+evidently rung off.
+
+Mr. Opp turned with exasperation upon Nick:
+
+"Do you know what you went and did last week?" He rose and, going to the
+file, consulted the top paper. "There it is," he said, "just identical
+with what he asserted."
+
+Nick followed the accusing finger and read:
+
+"Mr. and Mrs. Toddlinger moved this week into their new horse and lot."
+
+Before explanations could be entered into, there was a knock at the
+door. When it was answered, a very small black boy was discovered
+standing on the step. He wore a red shirt and a pair of ragged trousers,
+between which strained relations existed, and on his head was the brim
+of a hat from which the crown had long since departed. Hanging on a
+twine string about his neck was a large onion.
+
+He opened negotiations at once.
+
+"Old Miss says fer you-all to stop dat frowin' papers an' sech like
+trash outen de winder; dey blows over in our-all's yard."
+
+He delivered the message in the same belligerent spirit with which it
+had evidently been conveyed to him, and rolled his eyes at Mr. Opp as if
+the offense had been personal.
+
+Mr. Opp drew him in, and closed the door. "Did--er--did Mrs. Gusty send
+you over to say that?" he asked anxiously.
+
+"Yas, sir; she done havin' a mad spell. What's dat dere machine fer?"
+
+"It's a printing-press. Do you think Mrs. Gusty is mad at me?"
+
+"_Yas, sir_," emphatically; "she's mad at ever'body. She 'lows she gwine
+lick me ef I don't tek keer. She done got de kitchen so full o'
+switches hit looks jes lak outdoors."
+
+"I don't think she would really whip you," said Mr. Opp, already feeling
+the family responsibility.
+
+"Naw, sir; she jes 'low she gwine to. What's in dem dere little
+drawers?"
+
+"Type," said Mr. Opp. "You go back and tell Mrs. Gusty that Mr. Opp says
+he's very sorry to have caused her any inconvenience, and he'll send
+over immediate and pick up them papers."
+
+"You's kinder skeered of her, too, ain't you?" grinned the ambassador,
+holding up one bare, black foot to the stove. "My mammy she sasses back,
+but I runs."
+
+"Well, you'd better run now," said Mr. Opp, who resented such insight;
+"but, see here, what's that onion for?"
+
+"To 'sorb disease," said the youth, with the air of one who is
+promulgating some advanced theory in therapeutics; "hit ketches it 'stid
+of you. My pappy weared a' onion fer put-near a whole year, an' hit
+'sorbed all de diseases whut was hangin' round, an' nary a one never
+teched him. An' one day my pappy he got hongry, an' he et dat dere
+onion, an' whut you reckon? He up an' died!"
+
+"Well, you go 'long now," said Mr. Opp, "and tell Mrs. Gusty just
+exactly verbatim what I told you. What did you say was your name?"
+
+"Val," said the boy.
+
+Mr. Opp managed to slip a nickel into the dirty little hand without
+Nick's seeing him. Nick was rather firm about these things, and
+disapproved heartily of Mr. Opp's indiscriminate charities.
+
+"Gimme nudder one an' I'll tell you de rest ob it," whispered Val on the
+door-step.
+
+Mr. Opp complied.
+
+"Valentine Day Johnson," he announced with pride; then pocketing his
+prize, he vanished around the corner of the house, forgetting his office
+of plenipotentiary in his sudden accession of wealth.
+
+Once more peace settled on the office, and Mr. Opp was engrossed in an
+article on "The Greatest Petroleum Proposition South of the Mason and
+Dixon Line," when an ominous, wheezing cough announced the arrival of
+Mr. Tucker. This was an unexpected catastrophe, for Mr. Tucker's day for
+spending the morning at the office was Saturday, when he came in to pay
+for his paper. It seemed rather an unkind trick of Fate's that he should
+have been permitted to arrive a day too soon.
+
+The old gentleman drew up a chair to the stove, then deliberately
+removed his overcoat and gloves.
+
+It was when he took off his overshoes, however, that Mr. Opp and Nick
+exchanged looks of despair. They had a signal code which they habitually
+employed when storms swept the office, but in a calm like this they were
+powerless.
+
+"Mighty sorry to hear about that uprisin' in Guatemala," said Mr.
+Tucker, who took a vivid interest in foreign affairs, but remained quite
+neutral about questions at home.
+
+Mr. Opp moved about the office restlessly, knowing from experience that
+to sit down in the presence of Mr. Tucker was fatal. The only chance of
+escape lay in motion. He sharpened his pencils, straightened his desk,
+and tied up two bundles of papers while Mr. Tucker's address on the
+probable future of the Central American republics continued. Then Mr.
+Opp was driven to extreme measures. He sent himself a telegram. This
+ruse was occasionally resorted to, to free the office from unwelcome
+visitors without offending them, and served incidentally to produce an
+effect which was not unpleasant to the editor.
+
+Scribbling a message on a telegraph-blank procured for the purpose from
+Mr. Gallop, Mr. Opp handed it secretly to Nick, who in turn vanished out
+of the back door only to reappear at the front. Then the editor, with
+much ostentation, opened the envelop, and, after reading the contents,
+declared that he had business that would require immediate action. Would
+Mr. Tucker excuse him? If so, Nick would hold his coat.
+
+"But," protested Mr. Tucker, resisting the effort to force him into his
+overcoat, "I want to talk over this oil business. We don't want to take
+any risks with those fellows. As I was a-saying to Mr. Hager--"
+
+"Yes," said Mr. Opp, taking his own hat from a nail, and apparently in
+great haste, "I know, of course. You are exactly right about it. We'll
+just talk it over as we go up-street," and linking his arm through Mr.
+Tucker's, he steered him up the muddy channel of Main Street, and safely
+into the harbor of Our Hotel, where he anchored him breathless, but
+satisfied.
+
+Having thus disposed, to the best of his ability, of his business for
+the week, Mr. Opp turned his attention to his yet more arduous domestic
+affairs. The menu for the guest's dinner had weighed rather heavily upon
+him all day, for he had never before entertained in his own home. His
+heart had been set on turkey; but as that was out of the question, he
+compromised on a goose, adhering tenaciously to the cranberry sauce.
+
+It was easier to decide on the goose than it was to procure it, and some
+time was consumed in the search. Mr. Opp brought all his mental powers
+to bear on the subject, and attacked the problem with a zeal that
+merited success.
+
+When he reached home at noon with his arm full of bundles, Aunt Tish met
+him with lamentations.
+
+"Dey ain't but one clean table-cloth, an' hit's got a hole in hit, an' I
+can't find no sheets to put on de company baid, an' dere ain't three
+cups an' saucers in de house what belongs to theyselves. I shorely doan
+know what you thinkin' 'bout, Mr. D., to go an' ast company fer. We-all
+never does hab company. An' Miss Kippy she be'n habin' a sort er spell,
+too, cryin' to herself, an' won't tell me whut's de matter."
+
+Mr. Opp shook the raindrops from his hat-brim, and laid the goose
+tenderly on the table; then he stepped inside the dining-room door, and
+stood watching the childish figure that sat on the floor before the
+fire. She was putting artificial flowers on her head, and every time
+they fell off, she dropped her head on her knees and sobbed softly to
+herself. Again and again she made the experiment, and again and again
+the faded roses came tumbling into her lap.
+
+"I'll fix 'em," said Mr. Opp, coming up behind her; "don't you cry about
+it, Kippy; I can make them stay, easy." He searched around in the
+clothes-press until he found a paper box, which he tied securely upon
+Miss Kippy's head.
+
+"Now try it," he cried; "put the flowers on your head; they'll stay."
+
+Timidly, as if afraid of another disappointment, she tried, and when the
+flowers were caught in the box, she gave a sigh of satisfaction and
+delight.
+
+"Well, sence I j'ined de church!" exclaimed Aunt Tish, who had been
+watching proceedings from the doorway; then she added, as Mr. Opp came
+into the hall: "Hit beats my time de way you handles dat pore chile.
+Sometimes she got jes good sense as you an' me has. She ast me t'other
+day if she wasn't crazy. I 'lowed no indeedy, dat crazy folks was lock
+up in a lunatic asylum. An' she says 'Where?' 'Up at Coreyville,' I say.
+She went on playin' jes as nice and happy. De chile's all right ef she
+don't git a fool notion; den dey ain't nobody kin make out what she
+wants inceptin' you. She been cryin' over dem flowers ever sence
+breakfast."
+
+"Why didn't you come after me?" demanded Mr. Opp.
+
+"Jes to tie a box on her haid?" asked Aunt Tish. "Lor', I thought you
+was busy makin' dem newspapers."
+
+"So I am," said Mr. Opp, "but whenever Miss Kippy gets to crying, I want
+you to come direct after me, do you hear? There ain't anything more
+important than in keeping her from getting worried. Now, let's have a
+look at that there table-cloth."
+
+All afternoon Mr. Opp encountered difficulties that would have
+disheartened a less courageous host. With the limited means at hand it
+seemed impossible to entertain in a manner befitting the dignity of the
+editor of "The Opp Eagle." But Mr. Opp, though sorely perplexed, was not
+depressed, for beneath the disturbed surface of his thoughts there ran
+an undercurrent of pure joy. It caused him to make strange, unnatural
+sounds in his throat which he meant for song; it made him stop every now
+and then in his work to glance tenderly and reminiscently at the palm of
+his right hand, once even going so far as to touch it softly with his
+lips. For since the last sun had set there had been no waking moment but
+had held for him the image of a golden world inhabited solely by a pair
+of luminous eyes, one small hand, and, it must be added, a band-box.
+
+Through the busy afternoon Mr. Opp referred constantly to his watch, and
+in spite of the manifold duties to be performed, longed impatiently for
+evening to arrive. At five o'clock he had moved the furniture from one
+bedroom to another, demonstrated beyond a possibility of doubt that a
+fire could not be made in the parlor grate without the chimney smoking,
+mended two chairs, hung a pair of curtains, and made three errands to
+town. So much accomplished, he turned his attention to the most
+difficult task of all.
+
+"Kippy," he said, going to the window where she was gleefully tracing
+the course of the raindrops as they chased down the pane. "Stop a
+minute, Kippy. Listen; I want to talk to you."
+
+Miss Kippy turned obediently, but her lips continued the dumb
+conversation she was having with the rain.
+
+"How would you like," said Mr. Opp, approaching the subject cautiously,
+"to play like you was a grown-up lady--just for to-night, you know?"
+
+Miss Kippy looked at him suspiciously, and her lips stopped moving.
+Heretofore she had resisted all efforts to change her manner of dress.
+
+"There's a gentleman a-coming," continued Mr. Opp, persuasively; "he's
+going to remain over till to-morrow, and Aunt Tish is cooking that
+large goose for him, and I've been fixing up the spare room. We are all
+endeavoring to give him a nice time. Don't you want to dress up for
+him?"
+
+"Will it make him glad?" asked Miss Kippy.
+
+Mr. Opp expiated on the enjoyment it would give the unknown guest to see
+Kippy in the blue merino dress which Aunt Tish had gotten out of Mrs.
+Opp's old trunk up-stairs.
+
+"And you'll let Aunt Tish arrange your hair up like a lady?" went on Mr.
+Opp, pushing the point.
+
+"Yes," said Miss Kippy, after a moment, "Oxety will. She will make him
+glad."
+
+"Good!" said Mr. Opp. "And if you will sit nice and quiet and never say
+a word all through supper, I'll get you a book with pictures in it,
+representing flowers and things."
+
+"Roses?" asked Miss Kippy, drawing a quick breath of delight; and when
+Mr. Opp nodded, she closed her eyes and smiled as if heaven were within
+sight. For Miss Kippy was like a harp across which some rough hand had
+swept, snapping all the strings but two, the high one of ecstasy and the
+low one of despair.
+
+At six o'clock Mr. Opp went up to make his toilet. The rain, which had
+been merely rehearsing all day, was now giving a regular performance,
+and it played upon the windows, and went trilling through the gutters on
+the roof, while the old cedar-tree scraped an accompaniment on the
+corner of the porch below. But, nothing daunted, Mr. Opp donned his
+bravest attire. Cyclones and tornadoes could not have deterred him from
+making the most elaborate toilet at his command. To be sure, he turned
+up the hem of his trousers and tied a piece of oilcloth securely about
+each leg, and he also spread a handkerchief tenderly over his pink
+necktie; but these could be easily removed after he heard the boat
+whistle.
+
+He dressed by the light of a sputtering candle before a small mirror the
+veracity of which was more than questionable. It presented him to
+himself as a person with a broad, flat face, the nose of which appeared
+directly between his eyes, and the mouth on a line with the top of his
+ears. But he made allowances for these idiosyncrasies on the part of the
+mirror; in fact, he made such liberal allowances that he was quite
+satisfied with the reflection.
+
+"I'll procure the hack to bring the company back in," he said to Aunt
+Tish rather nervously as he passed through the kitchen. "You assist Miss
+Kippy to get arranged, and I'll carry up the coal and set the table
+after I return back home. I can do it while the company is up in his
+room."
+
+All the way into town, as he splashed along the muddy road, he was
+alternately dreading the arrival of one passenger, and anticipating
+joyfully, the arrival of another. For as the time approached the
+impending presence of the company began to take ominous form, and Mr.
+Opp grew apprehensive.
+
+At the landing he found everything dark and quiet. Evidently the packet
+was unusually late, and the committee appointed to meet it and conduct
+the guests to their various destinations was waiting somewhere uptown,
+probably at Your Hotel. Mr. Opp paused irresolute: his soul yearned for
+solitude, but the rain-soaked dock offered no shelter except the slight
+protection afforded by a pile of empty boxes. Selecting the driest and
+largest of these, he turned it on end, and by an adroit adjustment of
+his legs, succeeded in getting inside.
+
+Below, the river rolled heavily past in the twilight, sending up tiny
+juts of water to meet the pelting rain. A cold, penetrating mist clung
+to the ground, and the wind carried complaining tales from earth to
+heaven. Everything breathed discomfort, but Mr. Opp knew it not.
+
+His soul was sailing sunlit seas of bliss, fully embarked at last upon
+the most magic and immortal of all illusions. Sitting cramped and numb
+in his narrow quarters, he peered eagerly into the darkness, watching
+for the first lights of the _Sunny South_ to twinkle through the gloom.
+And as he watched he chanted in a sing-song ecstasy:
+
+    "She is coming, my own, my sweet;
+      Were it ever so airy a tread,
+    My heart would hear her and beat,
+      Were it earth in an earthy bed;
+    My dust would hear her and beat,
+      Had I lain for a century dead;
+    Would start and tremble under her feet,
+      And blossom in purple and red."
+
+
+
+
+X
+
+
+When Miss Guinevere Gusty tripped up the gang-plank of the _Sunny South_
+late that afternoon, vainly trying to protect herself from the driving
+rain, she was met half-way by the gallant old captain.
+
+Tradition had it that the captain had once cast a favorable eye upon her
+mother; but Mrs. Gusty, being cross-eyed, had looked elsewhere.
+
+"We are a pudding without plums," he announced gaily, as he held the
+umbrella at an angle calculated to cause a waterspout in the crown of
+her hat--"not a lady on board. All we needed was a beautiful young
+person like you to liven us up. You haven't forgotten those pretty tunes
+you played for me last trip, have you?"
+
+Guinevere laughed, and shook her head. "That was just for you and the
+girls," she said.
+
+"Well, it'll be for me and the boys this time. I've got a nice lot of
+gentlemen on board, going down to your place, by the way, to buy up all
+your oil-lands. Now I know you are going to play for us if I ask you
+to."
+
+"My goodness! are they on this boat?" asked Guinevere, in a flutter. "I
+am so glad; I just love to watch city people."
+
+"Yes," said the captain; "that was Mr. Mathews talking to me as you came
+aboard--the one with the white beard. Everything that man touches turns
+to money. That glum-looking young fellow over there is his secretary.
+Hinton is his name; curious sort of chap."
+
+Guinevere followed his glance with eager interest. "The solemn one with
+the cap pulled over his eyes?" she asked.
+
+The captain nodded. "All the rest are inside playing cards and having a
+good time; but he's been moping around like that ever since they got on
+board. I've got to go below now, but when I come back, you'll play some
+for me, won't you?"
+
+Guinevere protested violently, but something within her whispered that
+if the captain was very insistent she would render the selection which
+had won her a gold medal at the last commencement.
+
+Slipping into the saloon, she dropped quietly into one of the very
+corpulent chairs which steamboats particularly affect, and, unobserved,
+proceeded to give herself up to the full enjoyment of the occasion. The
+journey from Coreyville to the Cove, in the presence of the
+distinguished strangers, had assumed the nature of an adventure. Giving
+her imagination free rein, Miss Gusty, without apology, transported the
+commonplace group of business men at the card-table into the wildest
+realms of romance. The fact that their language, appearance, and manner
+spoke of the city, was for her a sufficient peg upon which to hang
+innumerable conjectures. So deep was she in her speculations that she
+did not hear the captain come up behind her.
+
+"Where have you been hiding?" he asked in stentorian tones. "I was
+afraid you'd gotten out on deck and the wind had blown you overboard.
+Don't you think it's about time for that little tune? We are forty
+minutes late now, and we'll lose another half-hour taking on freight at
+Smither's Landing. I've been banking on hearing that little dance-piece
+you played for me before."
+
+"I can't play--before them," said Guinevere, nervously.
+
+The captain laughed. "Yes, you can; they'll like it. Mr. Mathews said
+something mighty pretty about you when you came on board."
+
+"He didn't--honest?" said Guinevere, blushing. "Oh, truly, Captain, I
+can't play!" But even as she spoke she unbuttoned her gloves. Her
+accomplishment was clamoring for an exhibition, and though her spirit
+failed her, she twirled the piano-stool and took her seat.
+
+The group of men at the table, heretofore indifferent to proceedings,
+looked up when a thundering chord broke the stillness. A demure young
+girl, with gentle, brown eyes, was making a furious and apparently
+unwarranted attack upon the piano. Her one desire evidently was to get
+inside of the instrument. With insinuating persistence she essayed an
+entrance through the treble, and, being unable to effect it, fell upon
+the bass, and exhausted a couple of rounds of ammunition there. The
+assault on both flanks being unsuccessful, she resorted to strategy,
+crossing her hands and assailing each wing of the enemy from an
+unexpected quarter. When this move failed, she evidently became
+incensed, and throwing aside diplomacy, rallied all her forces, charging
+her artillery up to the highest note, then thundering down to the
+lowest, beating down the keys as fast as they dared to rise. In the
+midst of the carnage, when the clamor was at its height and victory
+seemed imminent, she suddenly paused, with one hand in air and her head
+gently inclined, and, tapping out two silvery bugle-notes of truce,
+raised the siege.
+
+The appalling silence that ensued might have hung above a battle-field
+of slain and wounded. The captain bit his mustache.
+
+"That wasn't exactly the one I meant," he said. "I want that little
+dance-tune with the jingle to it."
+
+Miss Gusty, disappointed and surprised at the effect which her
+masterpiece had failed to produce, was insisting with flushed cheeks
+that she could play no more, when the gentleman who was called Mr.
+Mathews rose from the table and came toward her. His hair and pointed
+beard were white, but his eyes were still young, and he looked at her
+while he spoke to the captain.
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain," he was saying in smooth, even tones,
+"can't you persuade the young lady to sing something for us?"
+
+"I never took vocal," said Guinevere, looking at him frankly. "I'm
+making a specialty of instrumental."
+
+The gentleman looked sidewise at his companions and stroked his beard
+gravely. "But you _do_ sing?" he persisted.
+
+"Just popular music," said Guinevere. "I was going to take 'The Holy
+City' and 'The Rosary' last year, but the vocal teacher got sick."
+
+In response to a very urgent invitation, she took her seat again, and
+this time sang a sentimental ditty concerning the affairs of one "Merry
+Little Milly in the Month of May."
+
+This selection met with prompt favor, and the men left their cards, and
+gathered about the piano, demanding an encore.
+
+Miss Guinevere's voice was very small, and her accompaniment very loud,
+but, in her effort to please, she unconsciously became dramatic in her
+expression, and frowned and smiled and lifted her brows in sympathy with
+the emotions of the damsel in the song. And Miss Guinevere's eyes being
+expressive and her lips very red, the result proved most satisfactory
+to the audience.
+
+One stout young man in particular expressed himself in such unrestrained
+terms of enthusiasm, that Guinevere, after singing several songs, became
+visibly embarrassed. Upon the plea of being too warm she made her
+escape, half-promising to return and sing again later on.
+
+Flushed with the compliments and the excitement, and a little uncertain
+about the propriety of it all, she hurried through the swing-door and,
+turning suddenly on the deck, stumbled over something in the darkness.
+
+It proved to be a pair of long legs that were stretched out in front of
+a silent figure, who shot a hand out to restore Miss Gusty to an upright
+position. But the deck was slippery from the rain, and before he could
+catch her, she went down on her knees.
+
+"Did it hurt you?" a voice asked anxiously.
+
+"It don't matter about me," answered Guinevere, "just so it didn't spoil
+my new dress. I'm afraid there's an awful tear in it."
+
+"I hope not," said the voice. "I'd hate to be guilty of dress slaughter
+even in the second degree. Sure you are not hurt? Sit down a minute;
+here's a chair right behind you, out of the wind."
+
+Guinevere groped about for the chair. "Mother can mend it," she went on,
+voicing her anxiety, "if it isn't too bad."
+
+"And if it is?" asked the voice.
+
+"I'll have to wear it, anyhow. It's brand splinter new, the first one I
+ever had made by a sure-enough dressmaker."
+
+"My abominable legs!" muttered the voice.
+
+Guinevere laughed, and all at once became curious concerning the person
+who belonged to the legs.
+
+He had dropped back into his former position, with feet outstretched,
+hands in pockets, and cap pulled over his eyes, and he did not seem
+inclined to continue the conversation.
+
+She drew in deep breaths of the cool air, and watched the big side-wheel
+churn the black water into foam, and throw off sprays of white into the
+darkness. She liked to be out there in the sheltered corner, watching
+the rain dash past, and to hear the wind whistling up the river. She was
+glad to be in the dark, too, away from all those gentlemen, so ready
+with their compliments. But the sudden change from the heated saloon to
+the cold deck chilled her, and she sneezed.
+
+Her companion stirred. "If you are going to stay out here, you ought to
+put something around you," he said irritably.
+
+"I'm not very cold. Besides, I don't want to go in. I don't want them to
+make me sing any more. Mother'll be awfully provoked if I take cold,
+though. Do you think it's too damp?"
+
+"There's my overcoat," said the man, indifferently; "you can put that
+around you if you want to."
+
+She struggled into the large sleeves, and he made no effort to help her.
+
+"You don't like music, do you?" she asked naïvely as she settled back in
+her chair.
+
+"Well, yes," he said slowly. "I should say the thing I dislike least in
+the world is music."
+
+"Then why didn't you come in to hear me play?" asked Guinevere,
+emboldened by the darkness.
+
+"Oh, I could hear it outside," he assured her; "besides, I have a pair
+of defective lamps in my head. The electric lights hurt my eyes."
+
+He struck a match as he spoke to relight his pipe, and by its flare she
+caught her first glimpse of his face, a long, slender, sensitive face,
+brooding and unhappy.
+
+"I guess you are Mr. Hinton," she said as if to herself.
+
+He turned with the lighted match in his hand. "How did you know that?"
+
+"The captain told me. He pointed out you and Mr. Mathews, but he didn't
+tell me any of the rest."
+
+"A branch of your education that can afford to remain neglected," said
+Mr. Hinton as he puffed at his pipe.
+
+The door of the saloon swung open, and the chubby gentleman appeared in
+the light, shading his eyes, and calling out that they were all waiting
+for the little canary-bird.
+
+"I don't want to go," whispered Guinevere, shrinking back into the
+shadow.
+
+The chubby gentleman peered up and down the deck, then, assailed by a
+gust of wind, beat a hasty retreat.
+
+"I don't like him," announced Guinevere, drawing a breath of relief. "It
+isn't just because he's fat and ugly; it's the silly way he looks at
+you."
+
+"What a pity you can't tell him so!" said her companion, dryly. "Such
+blasphemy might do him good. He is the scion of a distinguished family
+made wealthy by the glorious sale of pork."
+
+"Are all the gentlemen millionaires?" asked Guinevere in awe.
+
+"Present company excepted," qualified Hinton.
+
+"It'll seem awful small to them down in the Cove. Why, we haven't got
+room enough at the two hotels to put them all up."
+
+"Oh, you live there, do you?"
+
+"Yes; I've just been up at Coreyville spending the night. I used to hate
+it down at the Cove, it was so little and stupid; but I like it better
+now."
+
+There was a long silence, during which each pursued a widely different
+line of thought.
+
+"We have got a newspaper at the Cove now," announced Guinevere. "It's an
+awful nice paper, called 'The Opp Eagle.'"
+
+"Opp?" repeated Hinton. "Oh, yes, that was the man I telephoned to. What
+sort of chap is he, anyhow?"
+
+"He's awfully smart," said Guinevere, her cheeks tingling. "Not so much
+book learning, but a fine brain. The preacher says he's got a natural
+gift of language. You ought to see some of his editorials."
+
+"Hiding his light under a bushel, isn't he?"
+
+"That's just it," said Guinevere, glad to expatiate on the subject. "If
+Mr. Opp could get in a bigger place and get more chances, he'd have a
+lot more show. But he won't leave Miss Kippy. She's his sister, you
+know; there is only the two of them, and she's kind of crazy, and has to
+have somebody take care of her. Mother thinks it's just awful he don't
+send her to an asylum, but I know how he feels."
+
+"Is he a young man?" asked Mr. Hinton.
+
+"Well--no, not exactly; he's just seventeen years and two months older
+than I am."
+
+"Oh," said Hinton, comprehensively.
+
+There was another long pause, during which Guinevere turned things over
+in her mind, and Mr. Hinton knocked the ashes from his pipe.
+
+"I think girls seem a good deal older than they are, don't you?" she
+asked presently.
+
+"Some girls," Hinton agreed.
+
+"How old would you take me for?"
+
+"In the dark?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"About twelve."
+
+"Oh, that's not fair," said Guinevere. "I'm eighteen, and lots of people
+take me for twenty."
+
+"That is when they can see you," said Hinton.
+
+Guinevere decided that she did not like him. She leaned back in her
+corner and tried not to talk. But this course had its disadvantage, for
+when she was silent he seemed to forget she was there.
+
+Once he took a turn up and down the deck, and when he came back, he
+stood for a long time leaning over the rail and gazing into the water.
+As he turned to sit down she heard him mutter to himself:
+
+    "... That no life lives forever;
+    That dead men rise up never;
+    That even the weariest river
+    Winds somewhere safe to sea."
+
+Guinevere repeated the words softly to herself, and wondered what they
+meant. She was still thinking about them when a dim red light in the
+distance told her they were approaching the Cove. She slipped off the
+heavy overcoat and began to put on her gloves.
+
+"Hello! we are getting in, are we?" asked Hinton, shaking himself into
+an upright position. "Is that Cove City where the big red light bores
+into the water like a corkscrew?"
+
+They moved to the bow of the boat and watched as it changed its course
+and made for the opposite shore.
+
+"Did you mean," said Guinevere, absently, "that you wanted it all to end
+like that? For us to just go out into nothing, like the river gets lost
+in the ocean?"
+
+Hinton glanced at her in surprise, and discovered that there was an
+unusually thoughtful face under the sweeping brim of the red hat. The
+fact that she was pretty was less evident to him than the fact that she
+was wistful. His mood was sensitive to minor chords.
+
+"I guess you _are_ eighteen," he said, and he smiled, and Guinevere
+smiled back, and the chubby gentleman, coming suddenly out upon them,
+went in again and slammed the door.
+
+The lights on the landing twinkled brighter and brighter, and presently
+figures could be seen moving here and there. The steamer, grumbling with
+every chug of the wheel, was brought around, and the roustabouts crowded
+along the rail, ready to make her fast.
+
+Guinevere and Hinton stood on the upper deck under his umbrella and
+waited.
+
+Directly below them on the dock a small, fantastic figure made frantic
+efforts to attract their attention. He stood uncovered, regardless of
+the rain, madly waving his hat.
+
+"Is that anybody you know?" asked Hinton.
+
+Guinevere, who was watching the lights on the water, started guiltily.
+
+"Where?" she asked.
+
+"Down to the right--that comical little codger in the checked suit."
+
+Guinevere looked, then turned upon Hinton eyes that were big with
+indignation. "Why, of course," she said; "that's Mr. Opp."
+
+
+
+
+XI
+
+
+As Willard Hinton stood on the porch of Your Hotel and waited for his
+host for the night to call for him, he was in that state of black
+dejection that comes to a young man when Ambition has proposed to
+Fortune, and been emphatically rejected. For six years he had worked
+persistently and ceaselessly toward a given goal, doing clerical work by
+day and creative work by night, going from shorthand into longhand, and
+from numerical figures into figures of speech. For the way that Hinton's
+soul was traveling was the Inky Way, and at its end lay Authorship.
+
+Hinton had taken himself and his work seriously, and served an
+apprenticeship of hard study and conscientious preparation. So zealous
+was he, in fact, that he had arrived at the second stage of his great
+enterprise with a teeming brain, a practised hand, and a pair of
+affected eyes over which the oculists shook their heads and offered
+little encouragement.
+
+For four months he had implicitly obeyed orders, attending only to his
+regular work, eating and sleeping with exemplary regularity, and
+spending all of his spare time in the open air. But the ravages made in
+the long nights dedicated to the Muses were not to be so easily
+repaired, and his eyes, instead of improving, were growing rapidly
+worse. The question of holding his position had slipped from a matter of
+months into weeks.
+
+As he stood on the porch, he could hear the bustle of entertainment
+going on within the limited quarters of Your Hotel. Jimmy Fallows was in
+his element. As bartender, head waiter, and jovial landlord he was
+playing a triple bill to a crowded house. Occasionally he opened the
+door and urged Hinton to come inside.
+
+"Mr. Opp'll be here 'fore long," he would say. "He's expecting you, but
+he had to stop by to take his girl home. You better step in and get a
+julep."
+
+But Hinton, wrapped in the gloom of his own thoughts, preferred to
+remain where he was. Already he seemed to belong to the dark, to be a
+thing apart from his fellow-men. He shrank from companionship and
+sympathy as he shrank from the light. He longed to crawl away like a
+sick animal into some lonely corner and die. Whichever way he turned,
+the great specter of darkness loomed before him. At first he had fought,
+then he had philosophically stood still, now he was retreating. Again
+and again he told himself that he would meet it like a man, and again
+and again he shrank back, ready to seek escape anywhere, anyhow.
+
+"O God, if I weren't so damnably young!" he cried to himself, beating
+his clenched hand against his brow. "More than half my life yet to
+live, and in the dark!"
+
+The rattle of wheels and the stopping of a light in front of the hotel
+made him pull himself together.
+
+The small gentleman in the checked suit whom he had seen on the wharf
+strode in without seeing him. He paused before he opened the door and
+smoothed his scanty locks and rearranged his pink necktie. Then he drew
+in his chin, threw out his chest, and with a carefully prepared smile of
+welcome entered.
+
+The buzz within increased, and it was some minutes before the door
+opened again and Jimmy Fallows was heard saying:
+
+"He's round here some place. Mr. Hinton! Oh, here you are! Let me make
+you acquainted with Mr. Opp; he's going to take you out to his house for
+the night."
+
+No sooner had Hinton's hand been released from Mr. Opp's cordial grasp
+than he felt that gentleman's arm thrust through his, and was aware of
+being rapidly conducted down the steps and out to the vehicle.
+
+"On no possible account," Mr. Opp was saying, with Hinton's grip in one
+hand and two umbrellas in the other, "would I have allowed myself to be
+late, except that it was what you might consider absolutely necessary.
+Now, you get right in; just take all that robe. No, the grip can go
+right here between my feet. We trust that you will not regard the
+weather in any ways synonymous with the state of our feelings of
+welcome."
+
+Mr. Hinton remarked rather shortly that the weather never mattered to
+him one way or another.
+
+"That's precisely like myself," Mr. Opp went on. "I come of very sturdy,
+enduring stock. For a man of my size I doubt if you'd find a finer
+constitution in the country. You wouldn't particularly think it to look
+at me, now would you?"
+
+Hinton looked at the small, stooping figure, and at the peaked, sallow
+face, and said rather sarcastically that he would not.
+
+"Strong as an ox," declared Mr. Opp.
+
+Just here the horse stumbled, and they were jerked violently forward.
+
+Mr. Opp apologized. "Just at present we are having a little difficulty
+with our country roads. We have taken the matter up in 'The Opp Eagle'
+last week. All these things take time to regulate, but we are getting
+there. This oil boom is going to revolutionize things. It's my firm and
+abiding conviction that we are on the eve of a great change. It wouldn't
+surprise me in the least if this town grew to be one of the principalest
+cities on the Ohio River."
+
+"To be a worthy eyrie for your 'Eagle'?" suggested Hinton.
+
+"'The Opp Eagle,'" corrected Mr. Opp. "I don't know as you know that I
+am the sole proprietor, as well as being the editor in addition."
+
+"No," said Hinton, "I did not know. How does it happen that a man with
+such responsibilities can take time to dabble in oil-wells?"
+
+"You don't know me," said Mr. Opp, with a paternal smile at his own
+ability. "Promoting and organizing comes as natural to me as breathing
+the atmosphere. I am engineering this scheme with one hand, the Town
+Improvement League with another, and 'The Opp Eagle' with another. Then,
+in a minor kind of way, I am a active Odd Fellow, first cornetist in the
+Unique Orchestra, and a director in the bank. And beside," Mr. Opp
+concluded with some coyness, "there is the natural personal social
+diversions that most young men indulge in."
+
+By this time they had reached the gray old house on the river-bank, and
+Mr. Opp hitched the horse and held the lantern, while Hinton stepped
+from one stony island to another in the sea of mud.
+
+"Just enter right into the dining-room," said Mr. Opp, throwing open the
+door. "Unfortunately we are having a temporary difficulty with the
+parlor heating apparatus. If you'll just pass right on up-stairs, I'll
+show you the guest-chamber. Be careful of your head, please!"
+
+With pomp and dignity Mr. Hinton was conducted to his apartment, and
+urged to make known any possible want that might occur to him.
+
+"I'll be obliged to leave you for a spell," said Mr. Opp, "in order to
+attend to the proper putting up of the horse. If you'll just consider
+everything you see as yours, and make yourself entirely at home, I'll
+come up for you in about twenty minutes."
+
+Left alone, Hinton went to the bureau to pin a paper around the lamp,
+and as he did so he encountered a smiling face in the mirror. The face
+was undoubtedly his, but the smile seemed almost to belong to a
+stranger, so long had it been since he had seen it.
+
+He made a hasty toilet, and sat down with his back to the light to await
+his summons to dinner. The large room, poorly and scantily furnished,
+gave unmistakable evidence of having been arranged especially for his
+coming. There was no covering on the floor, there were no pictures on
+the wall; but the wall-paper was of a sufficiently decorative character
+to warrant the absence of other adornment. It may be said to have been a
+botanical paper, for roses and lilies and sunflowers and daisies grew in
+riotous profusion. The man who hung the paper evidently was of a
+scientific turn, for in matching the strips he had gained some results
+in cross-grafting that approached the miraculous.
+
+After sufficient time had elapsed to have stabled half a dozen horses,
+Hinton, whose appetite was becoming ravenous, went into the hall and
+started down the steps. When half-way down he heard a crash of china,
+and saw his host, in his shirt-sleeves, staggering under a large tray
+overcrowded with dishes.
+
+Beating a hasty retreat, he went quietly up the steps again, but not
+before he heard a querulous voice remonstrate:
+
+"Now, Mr. D., if you ain't done busted two plates and a tea-cup!"
+
+Retiring to his room until the trouble should be adjusted, Hinton once
+more contemplated the floral paper. As he sat there, the door creaked
+slightly, and looking up, he thought he saw some one peeping at him
+through the crack. Later he distinctly heard the rustle of garments, a
+stealthy step, and the closing of the door across the hall.
+
+At last Mr. Opp came somewhat noisily up the steps and, flinging wide
+the door, invited him to descend. In the dining-room below the scene was
+nothing short of festal. All the candlesticks were filled with lighted
+candles, an American flag was draped across the top of the clock, and
+the little schooner that rocked behind the pendulum seemed fired with
+the determination to get somewhere to-night if it never did again. Even
+the owls on each end of the mantel wore a benignant look, and seemed to
+beam a welcome on the honored guest.
+
+But it was the dining-table that held the center of the stage, and that
+held everything else as well. The dinner, through its sequence of soup,
+meat, salad, and desert, was displayed in lavish hospitality. Cove
+etiquette evidently demanded that no square inch of the table-cloth
+should remain unoccupied.
+
+Seated at the table, with hands demurely folded, was the most grotesque
+figure that Hinton had ever seen. Clad in a queer, old-fashioned garment
+of faded blue cloth, with very full skirt and flowing sleeves, with her
+hair gathered into a tight knot at the back of her head, and a necklace
+of nutshells about her neck, a strange little lady sat and watched him
+with parted lips and wide, excited eyes.
+
+"If you'll just sit here opposite my sister," said Mr. Opp, not
+attempting an introduction, "I'll as usual take my customary place at
+the head of the board."
+
+It was all done with great éclat, but from the first there were
+unmistakable signs of nervousness on the part of the host. He left the
+table twice before the soup was removed, once to get the napkins which
+had been overlooked, and once to persuade his sister not to put the
+baked potatoes in her lap.
+
+When the critical moment for the trial of strength between him and the
+goose arrived, he was not in good condition. It was his first wrestling
+match with a goose, and his technical knowledge of the art consisted in
+the meager fact that the strategic point was to become master of the
+opponent's legs. The fowl had, moreover, by nature of its being, the
+advantage of extreme slipperiness, an expedient recognized and made use
+of by the gladiators of old.
+
+Mr. Opp, limited as to space, and aware of a critical audience, rose to
+the occasion, and with jaw set and the light of conquest in his eye
+entered the fray. He pushed forward, and pulled back, he throttled, he
+went through facial and bodily contortions. The match was conducted in
+"the catch hold, first down to lose style," and the honors seemed
+equally divided. At last, by the adroit administration of a left-leg
+stroke, Mr. Opp succeeded in throwing his adversary, but unfortunately
+he threw it too far.
+
+The victory, though brilliant, was not without its casualties. The
+goose, in its post-mortem flight, took its revenge, and the overturned
+cranberries sent a crimson stain across the white cloth, giving a
+sanguinary aspect to the scene.
+
+When order was restored and Mr. Opp had once more taken his seat, the
+little lady in the blue dress, who had remained quiet during the recent
+conflict, suddenly raised her voice in joyous song.
+
+"Now, Kippy," warned Mr. Opp, putting a restraining hand on her arm, and
+looking at her appealingly. The little lady shrank back in her chair and
+her eyes filled as she clasped his hand tightly in both of hers.
+
+"As I was remarking," Mr. Opp went steadily on, trying to behave as if
+it were quite natural for him to eat with his left hand, "the real
+value of the underground product in this country has been but fairly
+made apparent, and now that you capitalists are coming in to take a
+hold, there's no way of forming a idea of the ultimate result."
+
+Hinton, upon whom no phase of the situation had been lost, came
+valiantly to Mr. Opp's rescue. He roused himself to follow his host's
+lead in the conversation; he was apparently oblivious to the many
+irregularities of the dinner. In fact, it was one of the rare occasions
+upon which Hinton took the trouble to exert himself. Something in the
+dreary old room, with its brave attempt at cheer, in the half-witted
+little lady who was making such superhuman efforts to be good, and above
+all in the bombastic, egotistical, ignorant editor who was trying to
+keep up appearances against such heavy odds, touched the best and
+deepest that was in Hinton, and lifted him out of himself. Gradually he
+began to take the lead in the conversation. With great tact he relieved
+Mr. Opp of the necessity of entertaining, and gave him a chance to eat
+his dinner. He told stories so simple that even Miss Kippy loosened her
+hold on her brother's hand to listen.
+
+When the sunset of the dinner in the form of a pumpkin pie had
+disappeared, the gentlemen retired to the fire.
+
+"Don't you smoke?" asked Hinton, holding a match to his pipe.
+
+"Why, yes," said Mr. Opp, "I have smoked occasional. It's amazing how it
+assists you in creating newspaper articles. One of the greatest
+editorials I ever turned out was when I had a cigar in my mouth."
+
+"Then why don't you smoke?"
+
+Mr. Opp glanced over his shoulders at Aunt Tish, who, with Miss Kippy's
+doubtful assistance, was clearing the table.
+
+"I don't mind telling you," he said confidentially, "that up to the
+present time I've experienced a good many business reverses and
+considerable family responsibility. I hope now in a year or two to be
+able to indulge them little extra items. The lack of money," he added
+somewhat proudly, "is no disgrace; but I can't deny it's what you might
+call limiting."
+
+Hinton smiled. "I think I've got a cigar somewhere about me. Here it is.
+Will you try it?"
+
+Mr. Opp didn't care if he did, and from the manner in which he lighted
+it, and from the way in which he stood, with one elbow on the high
+mantel-shelf and his feet gracefully crossed, while he blew curling
+wreaths toward the ceiling, it was not difficult to reckon the extent of
+his self-denial.
+
+"Do you indulge much in the pleasure of reading?" he asked, looking at
+Hinton through the cloud of smoke.
+
+"I did," said Hinton, drawing a deep breath.
+
+"It's a great pastime," said Mr. Opp. "I wonder if you are familiar with
+this here volume." He took from the shelf "The Encyclopedia of Wonder,
+Beauty, and Wisdom."
+
+"Hardly a thumb-nail edition," said Hinton, receiving it with both
+hands.
+
+"Say, it's a remarkable work," said Mr. Opp, earnestly; "you ought to
+get yourself one. Facts in the first part, and the prettiest poetry you
+ever read in the back: a dollar down and fifty cents a month until paid
+for. Here, let me show you; read that one."
+
+"I can't see it," said Hinton.
+
+"I'll get the lamp."
+
+"Never mind, Opp; it isn't that. You read it to me."
+
+Mr. Opp complied with great pleasure, and having once started, he found
+it difficult to stop. From "Lord Ullin's Daughter" he passed to
+"Curfew," hence to "Barbara Frietchie" and "Young Lochinvar," and as he
+read Hinton sat with closed eyes and traveled into the past.
+
+He saw a country school-house, and himself a youngster of eight
+competing for a prize. He was standing on a platform, and the children
+were below him, and behind him was a row of visitors. He was paralyzed
+with fear, but bursting with ambition. With one supreme effort he began
+his speech:
+
+    Oh, the young Lochinvar has came out of the west!
+
+He got no further; a shout from the big boys and a word from the
+teacher, and he burst into tears and fled for refuge to his mother. How
+the lines brought it all back! He could feel her arms about him now, and
+her cheek against his, and hear again her words of comfort. In all the
+years since she had been taken from him he had never wanted her so
+insistently as during those few moments that Mr. Opp's high voice was
+doing its worst for the long-suffering Lochinvar.
+
+"Mr. D.," said a complaining voice from the doorway, "Miss Kippy won't
+lemme tek her dress off to go to baid. She 'low she gwine sleep in hit."
+
+Mr. Opp abruptly descended from his elocutionary flight, and asked to be
+excused for a few moments.
+
+"Just a little domestic friction," he assured Hinton; "you can glance
+over the rest of the poems, and I'll be back soon."
+
+Hinton, left alone, paced restlessly up and down the room. The temporary
+diversion was over, and he was once more face to face with his problem.
+He went to the table, and, taking a note from his pocket, bent over the
+lamp to read it. The lines blurred and ran together, but a word here and
+there recalled the contents. It was from Mr. Mathews, who preferred
+writing disagreeable things to saying them. Mr. Mathews, the note said,
+had been greatly annoyed recently by repeated errors in the reports of
+his secretary; he was neither as rapid nor as accurate as formerly, and
+an improvement would have to be made, or a change would be deemed
+advisable.
+
+"Delicate tact!" sneered Hinton, crushing the paper in his hand.
+"Courtesy sometimes begets a request, and the shark shrinks from
+conferring favors. And I've got to stick it out, to go on accepting
+condescending disapproval until a 'change is deemed advisable.'"
+
+He dropped his head on his arms, and so deep was he in his bitter
+thoughts that he did not hear Mr. Opp come into the room. That gentleman
+stood for a moment in great embarrassment; then he stepped noiselessly
+out, and heralded his second coming by rattling the door-knob.
+
+The wind had risen to a gale, and it shrieked about the old house and
+tugged at the shutters and rattled the panes incessantly.
+
+"You take the big chair," urged Mr. Opp, who had just put on a fresh log
+and sent the flames dancing up the chimney; "and here's a pitcher of
+hard cider whenever you feel the need of a little refreshment. You ain't
+a married man I would judge, Mr. Hinton."
+
+"Thank the Lord, no!" exclaimed Hinton.
+
+"Well," said Mr. Opp, pursing his lips and smiling, "you know that's
+just where I think us young men are making a mistake."
+
+"Matrimony," said Hinton, "is about the only catastrophe that hasn't
+befallen me during my short and rocky career."
+
+"See here," said Mr. Opp, "I used to feel that way, too."
+
+"Before you met her?" suggested Hinton.
+
+Mr. Opp looked pleased but embarrassed. "I can't deny there is a young
+lady," he said; "but she is quite young as yet. In fact, I don't mind
+telling you she's just about half my age."
+
+Hinton, instead of putting two and two together, added eighteen to
+eighteen. "And you are about thirty-six?" he asked.
+
+"Exactly," said Mr. Opp, surprised. "I am most generally considered a
+long sight younger."
+
+From matrimony the conversation drifted to oil-wells, then to
+journalism, and finally to a philosophical discussion of life itself.
+Mr. Opp got beyond his depth again and again, and at times he became so
+absorbed that he gave a very poor imitation of himself, and showed
+signs of humility that were rarely if ever visible.
+
+Hinton meantime was taking soundings, and sometimes his plummet stopped
+where it started, and sometimes it dropped to an unexpected depth.
+
+"Well," he said at last, rising, "we must go to bed. You'll go on
+climbing a ladder in the air, and I'll go on burrowing like a mole in
+the ground, and what is the good of it all? What chance have either of
+us for coming out anywhere? You can fool yourself; I can't: that's the
+difference."
+
+Mr. Opp's unusual mental exertions had apparently affected his entire
+body, his legs were tightly wrapped about each other, his arms were
+locked, and his features were drawn into an amazing pucker of protest.
+
+"That ain't it," he said emphatically, struggling valiantly to express
+his conviction: "this here life business ain't run on any such small
+scale as that. According to my notion, or understanding,
+it's--well--what you might call, in military figures, a fight." He
+paused a moment and tied himself if possible even into a tighter knot,
+then proceeded slowly, groping his way: "Of course there's some that
+just remains around in camp, afraid to fight and afraid to desert, just
+sort of indulging in conversation, you might say, about the rest of the
+army. Then there is the cowards and deserters. But a decent sort of a
+individual, or rather soldier, carries his orders around with him, and
+the chief and principal thing he's got to do is to follow them. What the
+fight is concerning, or in what manner the general is a-aiming to bring
+it all correct in the end, ain't, according to my conclusion, a particle
+of our business."
+
+Having arrived at this point of the discussion in a somewhat heated and
+indignant state, Mr. Opp suddenly remembered his duties as host. With a
+lordly wave of the hand he dismissed the subject, and conducted Hinton
+in state to his bed-chamber, where he insisted upon lighting the fire
+and arranging the bed.
+
+[Illustration: "It was Mr. Opp saying his prayers"]
+
+Hinton sat for a long time before undressing, listening to the wind in
+the chimney, to the scrape, scrape of the cedar on the roof, and to the
+yet more dismal sounds that were echoing in his heart. Everything about
+the old house spoke of degeneration, decay; yet in the midst of it lived
+a man who asked no odds of life, who took what came, and who lived with
+a zest, an abandon, a courage that were baffling. Self-deception,
+egotism, cheap optimism--could they bring a man to this state of mind?
+Hinton wondered bitterly what Opp would do in his position; suppose his
+sight was threatened, how far would his foolish self-delusion serve him
+then?
+
+But he could not imagine Mr. Opp, lame, halt, or blind, giving up the
+fight. There was that in the man--egotism, courage, whatever it
+was--that would never recognize defeat, that quality that wins out of a
+life of losing the final victory.
+
+Before he retired, Hinton found there was no drinking water in his room,
+and, remembering a pitcher full in the dining-room, he took the candle
+and softly opened his door. The sudden cold draft from the hall made the
+candle flare, but as it steadied, Hinton saw that an old cot had been
+placed across the door opposite his, as if on guard, and that beside it
+knelt an ungainly figure in white, with his head clasped in his hands.
+It was Mr. Opp saying his prayers.
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+
+The visit of the capitalists marked the beginning of a long and
+profitable spell of insomnia for the Cove. The little town had gotten a
+gnat in its eye when Mr. Opp arrived, and now that it had become
+involved in a speculation that threatened to develop into a boom, it
+found sleep and tranquillity a thing of the past.
+
+The party of investigators had found such remarkable conditions that
+they were eager to buy up the ground at once; but they met with
+unexpected opposition.
+
+At a meeting which will go down to posterity in the annals of Cove City,
+the Turtle Creek Land Company, piloted by the intrepid Mr. Opp, had held
+its course against persuasion, threats, and bribes. There was but one
+plank in the company's platform, and that was a determination not to
+sell. To this plank they clung through the storm of opposition, through
+the trying calm of indifference that followed, until a truce was
+declared.
+
+Finally an agreement was reached by which the Turtle Creek Land Company
+was to lease its ground to the capitalists, receive a given per cent. of
+the oil produced, and maintain the right to buy stock up to a large and
+impossible amount at any time during the ensuing year.
+
+Close upon this contract came men and machinery to open up a test well.
+For weeks hauling was done up the creek bottom, there being no road
+leading to the oil spring where the first drilling was to be done.
+
+The town watched the operations with alternate scorn and interest. It
+was facetious when water and quicksands were encountered, and inclined
+to be sarcastic when work was suspended on account of the weather. But
+one day, after the pipe had been driven to a considerable depth and the
+rock below had been drilled for six inches, the drill suddenly fell into
+a crevice, and upon investigation the hole was found to be nearly full
+of petroleum.
+
+The Cove promptly went into a state of acute hysteria. Speculation
+spread like the measles, breaking out in all manner of queer and
+unexpected places. Everybody who could command a dollar promptly
+converted it into oil stock. Miss Jim Fenton borrowed money from her
+cousin in the city, and plunged recklessly; the Missionary Band raffled
+off three quilts and bought a share with the proceeds; Mr. Tucker
+foreclosed two mortgages on life-long friends in order to raise more
+money; while the amount of stock purchased by Mr. D. Webster Opp was
+limited only by his credit at the bank.
+
+The one note of warning that was sounded came from Mrs. Fallows, who sat
+on the porch of Your Hotel, and, like the Greek Chorus, foretold the
+disasters that would befall, and prophesied nothing but evil for the
+entire enterprise. Even the urbane Jimmy became ruffled by her insistent
+iteration, and declared that she "put him in mind of a darned old
+whip-o'-will."
+
+But Mrs. Fallows's piping note was lost in the gale of enthusiasm.
+Farmers coming into town on Saturday became infected and carried the
+fever into the country. The entire community suspended business to
+discuss the exciting situation.
+
+These were champagne days for Mr. Opp. Life seemed one long, sparkling,
+tingling draft and he was drinking it to Guinevere. If her eyes drooped
+and she met his smile with a sigh, he saw it not, for the elixir had
+gone to his head.
+
+Compelled to find some outlet for his energy, he took advantage of the
+Cove's unwonted animation and plunged into municipal reform. "The Opp
+Eagle" demanded streets, it demanded lamp-posts, it demanded temperance.
+The right of pigs to take their daily siesta in the middle of Main
+Street was questioned and fiercely denied. Dry-goods boxes, which for
+years had been the only visible means of support for divers youths of
+indolent nature, were held up to such scathing ridicule that the owners
+were forced to remove them.
+
+The policies suggested by Mr. Opp, the editor, were promptly acted upon
+by Mr. Opp, the citizen. So indignant did he become when he read his own
+editorials that nothing short of immediate action was to be considered.
+He arranged a reform party and appointed himself leader. Mat Lucas, he
+made Superintendent of Streets; Mr. Gallop, chairman of the Committee on
+City Lights. In fact, he formed enough committees to manage a
+Presidential campaign.
+
+The attitude of the town toward him was that of a large lump of dough to
+a small cake of yeast. It was willing to be raised, but doubtful of the
+motive power.
+
+"I'd feel surer," said Jimmy Fallows, "if his intellect was the
+standard size. It appears so big to him he can't get his language
+ready-made; he has to have it made to order."
+
+But since the successful management of the oil-wells, Mr. Opp's opinion
+was more and more considered. In the course of a short time the office
+of "The Opp Eagle" became the hub about which the township revolved.
+
+One afternoon in March the editor was sitting before his deal table,
+apparently in the most violent throes of editorial composition.
+
+Nick, who was impatiently waiting for copy, had not dared to speak for
+an hour, for fear of slipping a cog in the intricate machinery of
+creation. The constant struggle to supply "The Opp Eagle" with
+sufficient material to enable it to fly every Thursday was telling upon
+the staff; he was becoming irritable.
+
+"Well?" he said impatiently, as Mr. Opp finished the tenth page and
+gathered the large sheets into his hand.
+
+"Yes, yes, to be sure," said Mr. Opp, guiltily; "I am at your disposal.
+Just finishing a little private correspondence of a personal nature
+that couldn't wait over."
+
+"Ain't that copy?" demanded Nick, fixing him with an indignant eye.
+
+"Well, no," said Mr. Opp, uneasily. "The fact is, I haven't been able to
+accomplish any regular editorial this week. Unusual pressure of outside
+business and--er--"
+
+"How long is she going to stay down in Coreyville?" Nick asked, with a
+contemptuous curl of his lip.
+
+Mr. Opp paused in the act of addressing the envelop, and gave Nick a
+look that was designed to scorch.
+
+"May I inquire to who you refer?" he asked with dignity.
+
+Nick's eyes dropped, and he shuffled his feet. "I just wanted to put it
+in the paper. We got to fill up with something."
+
+"Well," said Mr. Opp, slightly conciliated, "you can mention that she
+has gone back to attend the spring term at the Young Ladies' Seminary."
+
+"Gone back to school again?" exclaimed Nick, unable to control his
+curiosity. "What for?"
+
+"To attend the spring term," repeated Mr. Opp, guardedly. Then he added
+in a burst of confidence: "Nick, has it ever occurred to you that Mrs.
+Gusty was what you might term a peculiar woman?"
+
+But Nick was not interested in the psychological idiosyncrasies of the
+Gusty family. "The Opp Eagle" was crying for food, and Nick would have
+sacrificed himself and his chief to fill the vacancy.
+
+"See here, Mr. Opp, do you know what day it is? It's Monday, and we've
+got two columns to fill. New subscriptions are coming in all the time.
+We've got to live up to our reputation."
+
+"Extremely well put," agreed Mr. Opp; "the reputation of the paper must
+be guarded above all things. I like to consider that after my mortal
+remains has returned to dust, my name will be perpetuated in this paper.
+That no monument in marble will be necessary, so long as 'The Opp
+Eagle' continues to circulate from home to home, and to promulgate
+those--"
+
+"Can't you write some of it down?" suggested Nick; "it would fill up a
+couple of paragraphs. Part of it you used before, but we might change it
+around some."
+
+"Never," said Mr. Opp. "On no consideration would I repeat myself in
+print. I'll just run through my box here, and see what new material I
+have. Here's something; take it down as I dictate.
+
+"'Pastor Joe Tyler is holding divine service every second Sunday in Cove
+City. He has had thirty conversions, and on Saturday was presented with
+a $20.00 suit of clothing from and by this community, and a barrel of
+flour, which fully attests what a general church awakening will
+accomplish in the direction of good. No one should think of endeavoring
+to rear their children or redeem society without the application of the
+gospel twice per month.'"
+
+"Now, if you can keep that up," said Nick, hopefully, "we'll get through
+in no time."
+
+But Mr. Opp had gone back to his letter, and was trying to decide
+whether it would take one stamp or two. When he felt Nick's reproachful
+eye upon him, he put the envelop resolutely in his pocket.
+
+"You've already said that work would be resumed at the oil-wells as
+early as the inclemency of the weather would permit, haven't you?"
+
+"We've had it in every issue since last fall," said Nick.
+
+"Well, now, let's see," said Mr. Opp, diving once more into his reserve
+box. "Here, take this down: 'Mr. Jet Connor had his house burnt last
+month, it being the second fire he has had in ten years. Misfortunes
+never come single.'"
+
+"All right," encouraged Nick. "Now can't you work up that idea about the
+paper offering a prize?"
+
+Mr. Opp seized his brow firmly between his palms and made an heroic
+effort to concentrate his mind upon the business at hand.
+
+"Just wait a minute till I get it arranged. Now write this: '"The Opp
+Eagle" has organized a club called the B.B.B. Club, meaning the Busy
+Bottle-Breakers Club. A handsome prize of a valued nature will be
+awarded the boy or girl which breaks the largest number of whisky and
+beer bottles before the first of May.' The boats to Coreyville run
+different on Sunday, don't they, Nick?"
+
+Nick, who had unquestioningly taken the dictation until he reached his
+own name, glanced up quickly, then threw down his pen and sighed.
+
+"I'm going up to Mr. Gallop's," he said in desperation; "he's got his
+mind on things here in town. I'll see what he can do for me."
+
+Mr. Opp remorsefully allowed him to depart, and gazed somewhat guiltily
+at the unaccomplished work before him. But instead of making reparation
+for recent delinquency, he proceeded to make even further inroads into
+the time that belonged to "The Opp Eagle."
+
+Moving stealthily to the door, he locked it, then pulled down the shade
+until only a strip of light fell across his table. These precautions
+having been observed, he took from his pocket a number of letters, and,
+separating a large typewritten one from several small blue ones,
+arranged the latter in a row before him according to their dates, and
+proceeded, with evident satisfaction, to read them through twice. Then
+glancing around to make quite sure that no one had crawled through the
+key-hole, he unlocked a drawer, and took out a key which in turn
+unlocked a box from which he carefully took a small object, and
+contemplated it with undisguised admiration.
+
+It was an amethyst ring, and in the center of the stone was set a pearl.
+He held it in the narrow strip of light, and read the inscription
+engraved within: "Guinevere forever."
+
+For Miss Guinevere Gusty, ever plastic to a stronger will, had
+succumbed to the potent combination of absence and ardor, and given her
+half-hearted consent for Mr. Opp to speak to her mother. Upon that
+lady's unqualified approval everything would depend.
+
+Mr. Opp had received the letter a week ago, and he had immediately
+written to the city for a jeweler's circular, made his selection, and
+received the ring. He had written eight voluminous and eloquent epistles
+to Guinevere, but he had not yet found the propitious moment in which to
+call upon Mrs. Gusty. Every time he started, imperative business called
+him elsewhere.
+
+As he sat turning the stone in the sunlight and admiring every detail,
+the conviction oppressed him that he could no longer find any excuse for
+delay. But even as he made the decision to face the ordeal, his eye
+involuntarily swept the desk for even a momentary reprieve. The large
+typewritten letter arrested his attention; he took it up and reread it.
+
+    Dear Opp: Do you know any nice, comfortable place in your
+    neighborhood for a man to go blind in? I'll be in the hospital for
+    another month, and after that I am to spend the summer out of doors,
+    in joyful anticipation of an operation which I am assured beforehand
+    will probably be unsuccessful. Under the peculiar circumstances I am
+    not particular about the scenery, human or natural; the whole affair
+    resolves itself into a matter of flies and feather-beds. If you know
+    of any place where I can be reasonably comfortable, I wish you'd
+    drop me a line. The ideal place for me would be a neat pine box
+    underground, with a dainty bunch of daisies overhead.
+
+        Yours gratefully,
+
+            Willard Hinton.
+
+    P.S. I sent you a box of my books last week. Chuck out what you
+    don't want. The candy was for your sister.
+
+Mr. Opp, with the letter still in his hand, suddenly saw a way out of
+his difficulty: he would make Hinton's request an excuse for a call upon
+Mrs. Gusty. No surer road to her good graces could he travel than by
+seeking her advice.
+
+Replacing the ring in the drawer and the letters in his pocket, he
+buttoned up his coat, and with a stern look of determination went out of
+the office. At the Gusty gate he encountered Val, who was on all fours
+by the fence, searching for something.
+
+"What's the matter, Val?" asked Mr. Opp. "Lost something?"
+
+Val raised a pair of mournful eyes. "Yas, sir; you bet I is. Done lost a
+penny Mr. Jimmy Fallows gimme for puttin' my fisty in my mouf."
+
+"Putting your fist in your mouth!" repeated Mr. Opp, surprised. "Can you
+perform that act?"
+
+Val promptly demonstrated; but just as he was midway, a peremptory voice
+called from a rear window:
+
+"Val! You Val! You better answer me this minute!"
+
+Val cowered lower behind the fence, and violently motioned Mr. Opp to go
+on.
+
+"Is--er--is Mrs. Gusty feeling well to-day?" asked Mr. Opp, still
+lingering at the gate.
+
+"Jes tolerable," said Val, lying flat on his back and speaking in
+guarded tones. "Whenever she gits to beatin' de carpets, an' spankin' de
+beds, and shakin' de curtains, I keeps outen de way."
+
+"Do you think--er--that--er--I better go in?" asked Mr. Opp, sorely in
+need of moral support.
+
+"Yas, sir; she's 'spectin' yer."
+
+This surprising announcement nerved Mr. Opp to open the gate.
+
+It is said that the best-drilled soldiers dodge when they first face the
+firing-line, and if Mr. Opp's knees smote together and his body became
+bathed in profuse perspiration, it should not be attributed to lack of
+manly courage.
+
+In response to his knock, Mrs. Gusty herself opened the door. The signs
+that she had been interrupted in the midst of her toilet were so
+unmistakable that Mr. Opp promptly averted his eyes. A shawl had been
+hastily drawn about her shoulders, on one cheek a streak of chalk
+awaited distribution, and a single bristling curl-paper, rising fiercely
+from the top of her forehead, gave her the appearance of a startled
+unicorn.
+
+"You'll have to excuse me, Mr. Opp," she said firmly, putting the door
+between them. "I can't come out, and you can't come in. Did you want
+anything?"
+
+"Well, yes," said Mr. Opp, looking helplessly at the blank door. "You
+see, there is a matter I have been considering discussing with you for a
+number of weeks. It's a--"
+
+"If it's waited this long, I should think it could wait till to-morrow,"
+announced the lady with decision.
+
+Mr. Opp felt that his courage could never again stand the strain of the
+last few moments. He must speak now or never.
+
+"It's immediate," he managed to gasp out. "If you could arrange to give
+me five or ten minutes, I won't occupy more than that."
+
+Mrs. Gusty considered. "I am looking for company myself at five
+o'clock. That wouldn't give you much time."
+
+"Ample," urged Mr. Opp; "it's just a little necessary transaction, as it
+were."
+
+Mrs. Gusty reluctantly consented.
+
+"You go on in the parlor, then," she said. "I'll be in as quick as I
+can. You won't more than have time to get started, though."
+
+Mr. Opp passed into the parlor and hung his hat on the corner of a
+large, unframed canvas that stood on the floor with its face to the
+wall. The room had evidently been prepared for a visitor, for a fire was
+newly kindled and a vase of flowers adorned the table. But Mr. Opp was
+not making observations. He alternately warmed his cold hands at the
+fire, and fanned his flushed face with his handkerchief. He was too
+nervous to sit still, yet his knees trembled when he moved about. It was
+only when he touched the little packet of letters in his breast pocket
+that his courage revived.
+
+At last Mrs. Gusty came in with a rustle of garments suggestive of
+Sunday. Even in his confusion Mr. Opp was aware that there was something
+unusual in her appearance. Her hair, ordinarily drawn taut to a prim
+knot at the rear, had burst forth into curls and puffs of an amazing
+complexity. Moreover, her change of coiffure had apparently affected her
+spirits, for she, too, was flurried and self-conscious and glanced
+continually at the clock on the mantel.
+
+"I'll endeavor not to intrude long on your time," began Mr. Opp,
+politely, when they were seated side by side on the horse-hair sofa.
+"You--er--can't be in total ignorance of the subject that--er--I mean to
+bring forward." He moistened his lips, and glanced at her for succor,
+but she was adamant. "I want to speak with you," he plunged on
+desperately--"that is, I thought I had better talk with you about Mr.
+Hinton."
+
+"Who?" blazed forth Mrs. Gusty in indignant surprise.
+
+"Mr. Hinton," said Mr. Opp, breathlessly, "a young friendly
+acquaintance of mine. Wants to get board for the summer, you know; would
+like a nice, quiet place and all that, Mrs. Gusty. I thought I'd consult
+you about it, Mrs. Gusty, if you don't mind."
+
+She calmly fixed one eye upon him and one upon the clock while he went
+into particulars concerning Mr. Hinton. When he paused for breath, she
+folded her arms and said:
+
+"Mr. Opp, if you want to say what you come to say, you haven't got but
+four minutes to do it in."
+
+"Oh, yes," said Mr. Opp, gratefully, but helplessly; "I was just coming
+to that point. It's a matter--that--er--well you might say it is in a
+way pertaining--to--"
+
+"Guin-never!" snapped Mrs. Gusty, unable longer to stand his hesitation.
+"I'd have been a deaf-mute and a fool to boot not to have known it long
+ago. Not that I've been consulted in the matter." She lifted a stiffened
+chin, and turned her gaze upward.
+
+"You have," declared Mr. Opp, earnestly; "that is, you will be.
+Everything is pending on you. There has been no steps whatever taken by
+Miss Guin-never or I--rather I might say by her. I can't say but what I
+have made some slight preliminary arrangements." He paused, then went on
+anxiously: "I trust there ain't any personal objections to the case."
+
+Mrs. Gusty made folds in her black-silk skirt and creased them down with
+her thumb-nail. "No," she said shortly; "far as I can see, Guin-never
+would be doing mighty well to get you. You'd be a long sight safer than
+a good-looking young fellow. Of course a man being so much older than a
+girl is apt to leave her a widow. But, for my part, I believe in second
+marriages."
+
+Mr. Opp felt as if he had received a hot and cold douche at the same
+time; but the result was a glow.
+
+"Then you don't oppose it, Mrs. Gusty," he cried eagerly. "You'll write
+her you are willing?"
+
+"Not yet," said Mrs. Gusty; "there's a condition."
+
+"There ain't any condition in the world I won't meet to get her," he
+exclaimed recklessly, his fervor bursting its bounds. "You don't know
+how I feel about that young lady. Why, I'd live on bread and water all
+the rest of my life if it would make her happy. There hasn't been a hour
+since I met her that she hasn't held my soul--as you might say--in the
+pa'm of her hand."
+
+"People don't often get it so bad at our age," remarked Mrs. Gusty,
+sarcastically, and Mr. Opp winced.
+
+"The condition," went on Mrs. Gusty, "that I spoke about, was your
+sister. Of course I never would consent to Guin-never living under the
+same roof with a crazy person."
+
+The hope which was carrying Mr. Opp to the dizziest heights dropped to
+earth at this unexpected shaft, and for a moment he was too stunned to
+speak.
+
+"Kippy?" he began at last, and his voice softened at the name. "Why,
+you don't understand about her. She's just similar to a little child. I
+told Miss Guin-never all about her; she never made any objections.
+You--you--wouldn't ask me to make any promises along that line?" Abject
+entreaty shone from Mr. Opp's eyes; it was a plea for a change of
+sentence. She had asked of him the only sacrifice in the world at which
+he would have faltered. "Don't--don't put it like that!" he pleaded,
+laying his hand on her arm in his earnestness. "I'm all she's got in the
+world; I've kind of become familiar with her ways, you know, and can
+manage her. She'll love Miss Guin-never if I tell her to. She shan't be
+a bit of care or trouble; I and Aunt Tish will continue on doing
+everything for her. You won't refuse your consent on that account, will
+you? You'll promise to say yes, now won't you, Mrs. Gusty?"
+
+A slight and ominous cough in the doorway caused them both to start. Mr.
+Tucker, in widower's weeds, but with a jonquil jauntily thrust through
+his buttonhole, stood with his hand still on the knob, evidently
+transfixed by the scene he had witnessed.
+
+For a moment the company was enveloped in a fog of such dense
+embarrassment that all conversation was suspended. Mrs. Gusty was the
+first to emerge.
+
+"Howdy, Mr. Tucker," she said, rustling forward in welcome. "I didn't
+think you'd get here before five. Mr. Opp just dropped in to consult me
+about--about boarding a friend of his. Won't you draw up to the fire?"
+
+Mr. Tucker edged forward with a suspicious eye turned upon Mr. Opp, who
+was nervously searching about for his hat.
+
+"There it is, by the door," said Mrs. Gusty, eager to speed his
+departure; and as they both reached for it, the picture upon which it
+hung toppled forward and fell, face upward, on the floor. It was the
+portrait of Mr. Tucker mourning under the willow-tree which Miss Jim had
+left with Mrs. Gusty for safe-keeping.
+
+Mr. Opp went home across the fields that evening instead of through the
+town. He was not quite up to any of his rôles--editor, promoter, or
+reformer. In fact, he felt a desperate need of a brief respite from all
+histrionic duties. A reaction had set in from the excitement of the past
+week, and the complication involved in Mrs. Gusty's condition puzzled
+and distressed him. Of course, he assured himself repeatedly, there was
+a way out of the difficulty; but he was not able to find it just yet. He
+had observed that Mrs. Gusty's opinions became fixed convictions under
+the slightest opposition, whereas Guinevere's firmest decision trembled
+at a breath of disapproval. He sighed deeply as he meditated upon the
+vagaries of the feminine mind.
+
+Overhead the bare trees lifted a network of twigs against a dull sky, a
+cold wind stirred the sedge grass, and fluttered the dry leaves that had
+lain all winter in the fence corners. Everything looked old and worn and
+gray, even Mr. Opp, as he leaned against a gaunt, white sycamore, his
+head bent, and his brows drawn, wrestling with his problem.
+
+Suddenly he lifted his head and listened, then he smiled. In the tree
+above him a soft but animated conversation was in progress. A few daring
+birds had braved the cold and the wind, and had ventured back to their
+old trysting-place to wait for the coming of the spring. No hint of
+green had tinged the earth, but a few, tiny, pink maple-buds had given
+the secret away, and the birds were cuddled snugly together, planning,
+in an ecstasy of subdued enthusiasm, for the joyous days to come.
+
+Mr. Opp listened and understood. They were all whispering about one
+thing, and he wanted to whisper about it, too. It was the simple theme
+of love without variations--love, minus problems, minus complications,
+minus consequences. He took out his little packet of letters and read
+them through; then, unmindful of the chill, he stretched himself under
+the tree and listened to the birds until the twilight silenced them.
+
+When he reached home at last, Miss Kippy met him at the door with a
+happy cry of welcome.
+
+"D.," she said, with her arm through his, and her cheek rubbing his
+sleeve, "I've been good. I've let my hair stay up all day, and Aunt Tish
+is making me a long dress like a lady." She looked at him shyly and
+smiled, then she pulled his head down and whispered, "If I'm very good,
+when I grow up, can I marry Mr. Hinton?"
+
+Miss Kippy, too, had been listening to the bird-song.
+
+
+
+
+XIII
+
+
+It was May when Willard Hinton arrived at the Cove and took up his abode
+at Mrs. Gusty's. For the first week he kept to his bed, but at the end
+of that time he was able to crawl down to the porch and, under the
+protection of dark glasses and a heavy shade, sit for hours at a time in
+the sunshine. The loss of his accustomed environment, the ennui that
+ensues from absolute idleness, the consciousness that the light was
+growing dimmer day by day, combined to plunge him into abysmal gloom.
+
+He shrank from speaking to any one, he scowled at a suggestion of
+sympathy, he treated Mr. Opp's friendly overtures with open discourtesy.
+Conceiving himself on the rack of torture, he set his teeth and
+determined to submit in silence, but without witnesses.
+
+One endless day dragged in the wake of another, and between them lay the
+black strips of night that were heavy with the suggestion of another
+darkness pending. When sleep refused to come, he would go out into the
+woods and walk for hours, moody, wretched, and sick to his innermost
+soul with loneliness.
+
+The one thing in the whole dreary round of existence that roused in him
+a spark of interest was his hostess. She bestowed upon him the same
+impersonal attention that she gave her fowls. She fed him and cared for
+him and doctored him as she saw fit, and after these duties were
+performed, she left him to himself, pursuing her own vigorous routine in
+her own vigorous way.
+
+Hinton soon discovered that Mrs. Gusty was temperamental. Her intensely
+energetic nature demanded an emotional as well as a physical outlet.
+Sometime during the course of each day she indulged in emotional
+fireworks, bombs of anger, rockets of indignation, or set pieces of
+sulks and pouts.
+
+These periodic spells of anger acted upon her like wine: they warmed her
+vitals and exhilarated her; they made her talk fluently and eloquently.
+As a toper will accept any beverage that intoxicates, so Mrs. Gusty
+accepted any cause that would rouse her. At stated intervals her
+feelings demanded a stimulant, and obeying the call of nature, she went
+forth and got angry.
+
+Hinton came to consider these outbursts as the one diversion in a
+succession of monotonous hours. He tabulated the causes, and made bets
+with himself as to the strength and duration of each.
+
+Meanwhile the sun and the wind and the silence were working their
+miracle. Hinton was introduced to nature by a warlike old rooster whose
+Hellenic cast of countenance had suggested the name of Menelaus. A
+fierce combat with a brother-fowl had inevitably recalled the great
+fight with Paris, and upon investigation Hinton found that the speckled
+hen was Helen of Troy! This was but the beginning of a series of
+discoveries, and the result was an animated and piquant version of Greek
+history, which boldly set aside tradition, and suggested many
+possibilities heretofore undreamed of.
+
+Early one morning as Hinton was wandering listlessly about the yard he
+heard the gate click, and, looking up, saw Mr. Opp hurrying up the walk
+with a large bunch of lilacs in one hand and a cornet in the other.
+
+"Good morning," said that gentleman, cheerily. "Mighty glad to see you
+out enjoying the beauties of nature. I haven't got but a moment in which
+to stop; appointment at eight-fifteen. We are arranging for a concert
+soon up in Main Street, going to practise this afternoon. I'll be glad
+to call by for you if you feel able to enjoy some remarkable fine
+selections."
+
+Hinton accepted the proffered bouquet, but made a wry face at the
+invitation.
+
+"None of your concerts for me," he said brusquely. "It would interfere
+too seriously with my own musical job of getting in tune with the
+infinite."
+
+"Mornin', Mr. Opp," said Mrs. Gusty from the dining-room window. "There
+ain't many editors has time to stand around and talk this time of day."
+
+"Just paused a moment in passing," said Mr. Opp. "Wanted to see if I
+couldn't induce our young friend here to give us a' article for 'The Opp
+Eagle.' Any nature, you know; we are always metropolitan in our taste.
+Thought maybe he'd tell us some of his first impressions of our city."
+
+Hinton smiled and shook his head. "You'd better not stir up my
+impressions about anything these days; I am apt to splash mud."
+
+"We can stand it," said Mr. Opp, affably. "If Cove City needs criticism
+and rebuke, 'The Opp Eagle' is the vehicle to administer it. You dictate
+a few remarks to my reporter, and I'll feature it on the front editorial
+column."
+
+Hinton's eyes twinkled wickedly behind his blue glasses. "I'll give you
+an article," he said, "but no name is to be signed."
+
+Mr. Opp, regretting the stipulation, but pleased with the promise, was
+turning to depart when Mrs. Gusty appeared once more at the window.
+
+"What's the matter with the oil-wells?" she demanded, as she dusted off
+the sill. "Why don't they open up? You can't use bad weather for an
+excuse any longer."
+
+"It wasn't the weather," said Mr. Opp, with the confident and superior
+manner of one who is conversant with the entire situation. "This here
+delay has been arranged with a purpose. I and Mr. Mathews has a plan
+that will eventually yield every stock-holder in the Cove six to one for
+what he put into it."
+
+"Intend selling out to a syndicate?" asked Hinton.
+
+Mr. Opp looked at him in surprise.
+
+"Well, yes; I don't mind telling you two, but it mustn't go any farther.
+The oil prospects in this region are of such a great magnitude that we
+can't command sufficient capital to do 'em justice. I and Mr. Mathews
+are at present negotiating with several large concerns with a view to
+selling out the entire business at a large profit. You can't have any
+conception of the tac' and patience it takes to manage one of these
+large deals."
+
+"Who was that man Clark that was down here last week?" asked Mrs. Gusty,
+impressed, in spite of herself, at being taken into the confidence of
+such a man of affairs.
+
+Mr. Opp's face clouded. "Now that was a very unfortunate thing about
+Clark. He was sent down by the Union Syndicate of New York city to make
+a report on the region, and he didn't get the correct ideas in the case
+at all. If they hadn't sent such a poor man, the whole affair might have
+been settled by now."
+
+"Wasn't his report favorable?" asked Hinton.
+
+"He hasn't made it yet," said Mr. Opp; "but he let drop sundry casual
+remarks to me that showed he wasn't a man of fine judgment at all. I
+went over the ground with him, and pointed out some of the places where
+we calculated on drilling; but he was so busy making measurements and
+taking notes that he didn't half hear what I was saying."
+
+"He stayed at Our Hotel," said Mrs. Gusty. "Mr. Tucker said he had as
+mean a face as ever he looked into."
+
+"Who said so?" asked Hinton.
+
+She tossed her head and flipped her duster at him, but it was evident
+that she was not displeased.
+
+"By the way, Mr. Opp," she said, "I'm thinking about letting Guin-never
+come home week after next. Guess you ain't sorry to hear that."
+
+On the contrary, Mr. Opp was overcome with joy. Letters were becoming
+less and less satisfying, and the problem suggested by Mrs. Gusty was
+still waiting solution.
+
+"If you'll just mention the date," he said, trying to keep his
+countenance from expressing an undue amount of rapture, "I'll make a
+business trip down to Coreyville on purpose to accompany her back home."
+
+But Mrs. Gusty declined to be explicit. She deemed it unwise to allow a
+mere man to know as much as she did upon any given subject.
+
+Hinton's editorial appeared in the next issue of "The Opp Eagle." It was
+a clever and cutting satire on the impressions of a foreigner visiting
+America for the first time. Hinton interviewed himself concerning his
+impressions of the Cove. He approached the subject with great
+seriousness, handling village trifles as if they were municipal
+cannon-balls. He juggled with sense and nonsense, with form and
+substance. The result shot far over the heads of the country
+subscribers, and hit the bull's-eye of a big city daily.
+
+Mr. Opp's excitement was intense when he found that an editorial from
+"The Opp Eagle" had been copied in a New York paper. The fact that it
+was not his own never for a moment dimmed the glory of the compliment.
+
+"We are getting notorious," he said exultingly to Hinton. "There are
+few, if any, papers that in less than a year has extended its influence
+as far as the Atlantic Ocean. Now I am considering if it wouldn't be a
+wise and judicious thing to get you on the staff permanent--while you
+are here, that is. Of course you understand I am invested up pretty
+close; but I'd be willing to let you have a little of my oil stock in
+payment for services."
+
+Hinton laughingly shook his head. "Whenever you run short of material,
+you can call on me. The honor of seeing my humble efforts borne aloft on
+the wings of 'The Opp Eagle' will be sufficient reward."
+
+Having once conceived it as a favor that was in his power to bestow, Mr.
+Opp lost no opportunity for inviting contributions from the aspiring
+author.
+
+As Hinton's strength returned, Mr. Opp adopted him as a protégé, at
+first patronizing him, then consulting him, and finally frankly
+appealing to him. For during the long afternoon walks which they got
+into the habit of taking together, Mr. Opp, in spite of bluster and brag
+and evasion, found that he was constantly being embarrassed by a
+question, a reference, a statement from his young friend. It was the
+first time he had ever experienced any difficulty in keeping his head
+above the waves of his own ignorance.
+
+"You see," he said one day by way of explanation, "my genius was never
+properly tutored in early youth. It's what some might regard as a
+remarkable brain that could cope with all the different varieties of
+enterprises that I have engaged in, with no instruction or guidance but
+just the natural elements that God give it in the beginning."
+
+But in spite of Mr. Opp's lenient attitude toward his intellectual
+short-comings, it was evident that upon the serene horizon of his
+egotism small clouds of humility were threatening to gather.
+
+Hinton, restlessly seeking for something to fill the vacuum of his days,
+found Mr. Opp and his paper a growing source of diversion. "The Opp
+Eagle," at first an object of ridicule, gradually became a point of
+interest in his limited range of vision. Under his suggestions it was
+enlarged and improved, and induced to publish news not strictly local.
+
+Mr. Opp, meanwhile, was buzzing as persistently and ineffectually as a
+fly on a window-pane. The night before Guinevere's return, he found
+that, in order to accomplish all that he was committed to, it would be
+necessary to spend the night at the office.
+
+The concert for which the Unique Orchestra had been making night hideous
+for two weeks had just come to a successful close, and the editor found
+himself at a late hour tramping out the lonely road that led to the
+office with the prospect of a couple of hours' work to do before he
+could seek a well-earned rest upon the office bench.
+
+He was flushed with his double triumph as director and cornet soloist,
+and still thrilled by the mighty notes he had breathed into his beloved
+instrument.
+
+The violin sobs, the flute complains, the drum insists, but the cornet
+brags, and Mr. Opp found it the instrument through which he could best
+express himself.
+
+It was midnight, and the moon, one moment shining brightly and the next
+lost behind a flying cloud, sent all sorts of queer shadows scurrying
+among the trees. Mr. Opp thought once that he saw the figure of a man
+appear and disappear in the road before him, but he was so engrossed in
+joyful anticipation of the morrow that he gave the incident no
+attention. As he was passing the Gusty house, he was rudely plunged from
+sentiment into suspicion by the sight of a figure stealthily moving
+along the wall beneath the front windows.
+
+Mr. Opp crouched behind the fence to watch him, but the moon took that
+inopportune moment to sink into a bank of clouds, and the yard was left
+in darkness. No sound broke the stillness save the far-off bark of a dog
+or an occasional croak from a bullfrog. Mr. Opp waited and listened in a
+state of intense suspense. Presently he heard the unmistakable sound of
+a window being cautiously raised, and then just as cautiously lowered.
+Summoning all his courage, he skirted the yard and hid in the bushes
+near the house. Nothing was to be seen or heard. He watched for a light
+at any of the windows, but none came.
+
+The rash desire to capture the burglar single-handed, and thus
+distinguish himself in the eyes of Guinevere's mother, caused Mr. Opp to
+stiffen his knees and assume a fierce and determined expression. But he
+was armed only with his cornet, which, though often deadly as an
+instrument of attack, has never been recognized as a weapon of defense.
+There seemed no alternative but to waken Hinton and effect a
+simultaneous attack from within and without.
+
+After throwing a few unsuccessful pebbles at Hinton's window, Mr. Opp
+remembered a ladder he had seen at the back of the barnyard. Shaking as
+if with the ague, but breathing dauntless courage, he departed in great
+excitement to procure it.
+
+Unfortunately another party was in possession. A dozen guinea-fowls were
+roosting on the rungs, and when he gave them to understand they were to
+vacate they raised an outcry that would have quelled the ardor of a less
+valiant knight.
+
+But the romantic nature of the adventure had fired Mr. Opp's
+imagination. He already saw himself lightly dusting his hands after
+throttling the intruder, and smiling away Mrs. Gusty's solicitude for
+his safety. Meanwhile he staggered back to the house with his burden,
+dodging fearfully at every shadow, and painfully aware that his heart
+was beating a tattoo on his ear-drums.
+
+Placing the ladder as quietly as possible under Hinton's window, he
+cautiously began the ascent. The sudden outburst of the guineas had set
+his nerves a-quiver, and what with his breathless condition, and a
+predisposition to giddiness, he found some difficulty in reaching the
+sill. When at last he succeeded, he saw, by the light of the now
+refulgent moon, the figure of Hinton lying across the foot of the bed,
+dressed, but asleep. The opening not being sufficiently large to admit
+him, he thrust in his head and whispered hoarsely through his chattering
+teeth:
+
+"Hinton! I say, Hinton, there's a burglar in the house!"
+
+Hinton started up, and stared dully at the excited apparition.
+
+"Hush!" whispered Mr. Opp, dramatically, lifting a warning hand. "I've
+been tracking the scoundrel for half an hour. He's in the house now.
+We'll surround him. We'll bind him hand and foot. You get the front door
+open, and I'll meet you on the outside. It's all planned; just do as I
+say."
+
+Hinton, who was springing for the door, paused with his hand on the
+knob. "What's that?"
+
+It was Mrs. Gusty's commanding tones from a front window: "He's round at
+the side of the house. He's been after my guineas! I saw him a minute
+ago going across the yard with a ladder. Shoot him if you can. Shoot him
+in the leg, so he can't get away. Quick! Quick!"
+
+Mr. Opp had only time to turn from the window when he felt the ladder
+seized from below and jerked violently forward. With a terrific crash he
+came down with it, and found himself locked in a close struggle with the
+supposed burglar. To his excited imagination his adversary seemed a
+Titan, with sinews of steel and breath of fire. The combatants rolled
+upon the ground and fought for possession of each other's throats. The
+conflict, while fierce, was brief. As Hinton and Mrs. Gusty rushed
+around the corner of the house, the fighters shouted in unison, "I've
+got him!" and Mr. Opp, opening one swollen eye, gazed down into the
+mild but bloody features of little Mr. Tucker!
+
+With the instinct that always prompted him to apologize when any one
+bumped into him, he withdrew his hands immediately from Mr. Tucker's
+throat and began vehement explanations. But Mr. Tucker still clung to
+his collar, sputtering wrathful ejaculations. Mrs. Gusty, wrapped in a
+bed-quilt, and with her unicorn horn at its most ferocious angle, held
+the lamp on high while Hinton rushed between the belligerents.
+
+Excited and incoherent explanations followed, and it was not until Mr.
+Opp, who was leaning limply against a tree, regained his breath that the
+mystery was cleared up.
+
+"If you will just listen here at me a moment," he implored, holding a
+handkerchief to his bruised face. "We are one and all laboring under a
+grave error. It's my belief that there ain't any burglar whatsoever here
+at present. Mr. Hinton forgot his key and had to climb in the window. I
+mistaken him for the burglar, and Mrs. Gusty, here, from what she
+relates, mistaken me for him, and not knowing Mr. Hinton had come in,
+telephoned our friend Mr. Tucker, and me and Mr. Tucker might be said,
+in a general way, to have mistaken each other for him."
+
+"A pretty mess to get us all into!" exclaimed Mrs. Gusty. "A man made
+his fortune once 'tending to his own business."
+
+"But, Mrs. Gusty--" began Mr. Opp, indignantly.
+
+Hinton interrupted. "You would better put something on that eye of
+yours. It will probably resemble a Whistler 'Nocturne' by morning. What
+are you looking for?"
+
+The object lost proved to be Mr. Opp's cherished cornet, and the party
+became united in a common cause and joined in the search. Some time
+elapsed before the horn was found under the fallen ladder, having
+sustained internal injuries which subsequently proved fatal.
+
+When dawn crept into the dingy office of "The Opp Eagle," the editor was
+watching for it. He was waiting to welcome the day that would bring back
+Guinevere. As Hope with blindfold eyes bends over her harp and listens
+to the faint music of her one unbroken string, so Mr. Opp, with bandaged
+head, bent over his damaged horn and plaintively evoked the only note
+that was left therein.
+
+
+
+
+XIV
+
+
+Those who have pursued the coy goddess of happiness through the mazes of
+the labyrinth of life, know well how she invites her victim on from
+point to point, only to evade capture at the end. Mr. Opp rose with each
+summer dawn, radiant, confident, and expectant, and each night he sat in
+his window with his knees hunched, and his brows drawn, and wrestled
+with that old white-faced fear.
+
+Two marauders were harassing the editor these days, dogging his
+footsteps, and snapping at him from ambush. One was the wolf that howls
+at the door, and the other was the monster whose eyes are green.
+
+Since the halcyon days that had wafted Miss Guinevere Gusty back to the
+shore of the Cove, Mr. Opp had not passed a serene hour out of her
+presence. His disposition, though impervious to the repeated shafts of
+unkind fortune, was not proof against the corrosive effect of jealousy.
+
+If he could have regarded Willard Hinton in the light of a hated rival,
+and met him in fair and open fight, the situation would have been
+simplified. But Hinton was the friend of his bosom, the man who, he had
+declared to the town, "possessed the grandest intelligence he had ever
+encountered in a human mind." He admired him, he respected him, and, in
+direct contradiction to the emotion that was consuming him, he trusted
+him.
+
+Concerning Miss Guinevere Gusty's state of mind, Mr. Opp permitted
+himself only one opinion. He fiercely denied that she was absent-minded
+and listless when alone with him; he refused to believe his own eyes
+when he saw a light in her face when she looked at Hinton that was
+never there for him. He preferred to exaggerate to himself her
+sweetness, her gentleness, her loyalty, demanding nothing, and
+continuing to give all.
+
+His entire future happiness, he assured himself, hung upon the one
+question of little Miss Kippy. For four months the problem had been a
+matter for daily, prayerful consideration, but he was still in the dark.
+
+When he was with Guinevere the solution seemed easy. In explaining away
+the difficulties to her, he explained them away to himself, also. It was
+only a matter of time, he declared, before the oil-well would yield rich
+profit. When that time arrived, he would maintain two establishments,
+the old one for Miss Kippy, and a new and elegant one for themselves.
+Mr. Opp used the hole in the ground as a telescope through which he
+viewed the stars of the future.
+
+But when he was alone with Kippy, struggling with her whims, while he
+tried to puzzle out the oldest and most universal of conundrums,--that
+of making ends meet,--the future seemed entirely blotted out by the
+great blank wall of the present.
+
+The matter was in a way complicated by the change that had come over
+Miss Kippy herself. Two ideas alternately depressed and elated her. The
+first was a fixed antipathy to the photograph of Miss Guinevere Gusty
+which Mr. Opp had incased in a large hand-painted frame and installed
+upon his dresser. At first she sat before it and cried, and later she
+hid it and refused for days to tell where it was. The sight of it made
+her so unhappy that Mr. Opp was obliged to keep it under lock and key.
+The other idea produced a different effect. It had to do with Hinton.
+Ever since his visit she had talked of little else. She pretended that
+he came to see her every day, and she spread her doll dishes, and
+repeated scraps of his conversation, and acted over the events of the
+dinner at which he had been present. The short gingham dresses no longer
+pleased her; she wanted long ones, with flowing sleeves like the blue
+merino. She tied her hair up in all manner of fantastic shapes, and
+stood before the glass smiling and talking to herself for hours. But
+there were times when her mind paused for a moment at the normal, and
+then she would ask frightened, bewildered questions, and only Mr. Opp
+could soothe and reassure her.
+
+"D.," she said one night suddenly, "how old am I?"
+
+Mr. Opp, whose entire mental and physical powers were concentrated upon
+an effort to put a new band on his old hat, was taken off his guard.
+"Twenty-six," he answered absently.
+
+A little cry brought him to her side.
+
+"No," she whispered, shivering away from him, yet clinging to his
+sleeve, "that's a lady that's grown up! Ladies don't play with dolls.
+But I want to be grown up, too. D., why am I different? I want to be a
+lady; show me how to be a lady!"
+
+Mr. Opp gathered her into his arms, along with his hat, a pair of
+scissors, and a spool of thread.
+
+"Don't, Kippy!" he begged. "Now, don't cry like that! You are getting on
+elegant. Hasn't brother D. learned you to read a lot of pieces in your
+first reader? And ain't we going to begin on handwriting next? Wouldn't
+you like to have a slate, and a sponge to rub out with?"
+
+In an instant her mood veered.
+
+"And a basket?" she cried eagerly. "The children carry a basket, too. I
+see them when I peep through the shutters. Can I have a basket, too?"
+
+The network of complexities that was closing in upon Mr. Opp apparently
+affected his body more than his spirits. He seemed to shrivel and
+dwindle as the pressure increased; but the fire in his eyes shone
+brighter than before.
+
+"None of his folks live long over forty," said Mrs. Fallows,
+lugubriously; "they sorter burn themselves out."
+
+Hinton, meanwhile, utterly unaware of being the partial cause of the
+seismic disturbance in the editorial bosom, pursued the monotonous
+routine of his days. It had taken him only a short time to adapt himself
+to the changes that the return of the daughter of the house had brought
+about. He had anticipated her arrival with the dread a nervous invalid
+always feels toward anything that may jolt him out of his habitual rut.
+He held a shuddering remembrance of her musical accomplishments, and
+foresaw with dread the noisy crowd of young people she might bring about
+the house.
+
+But Guinevere had slipped into her place, an absent-minded, dreamy,
+detached damsel, asserting nothing, claiming nothing, bending like a
+flower in the high winds of her mother's wrath.
+
+Hinton watched the dominating influence nip every bud of individuality
+that the girl ventured to put forth, and he determined to interfere.
+During the long months he had spent with Mrs. Gusty he had discovered a
+way to manage her. The weak spot in her armor was pride of intellect;
+she acknowledged no man her superior. By the use of figurative
+language, and references to esoteric matters, he was always able to
+baffle and silence her. His joy in handling her in one of her tempers
+was similar to that of controlling a cat-boat in squally weather. Both
+experiences redounded to his masculine supremacy.
+
+One hot August day, he and Mrs. Gusty had just had an unusually sharp
+round, but he had succeeded, by alternate compliment and sarcasm, in
+reducing her to a very frustrated and baffled condition.
+
+It was Sunday, the day the Cove elected for a spiritual wash-day. In the
+morning the morals of the community were scrubbed and rinsed in the
+meeting-house, and in the afternoon they were hung out on the line to
+dry. The heads of the families sat in their front yards and dutifully
+tended the children, while their wives flitted from house to house,
+visiting the sick and the afflicted, and administering warnings to the
+delinquent. It was a day in which Mrs. Gusty's soul reveled, and she
+demanded that Guinevere's soul should revel likewise.
+
+It was with the determination that Guinevere should occasionally be
+allowed the privilege of following her own inclinations that Hinton
+hurled himself into the breach.
+
+"I'll go, Mother," said Guinevere; "but it's so hot. We went to see
+everybody last Sunday. I thought I'd rather stay home and read, if you
+didn't mind."
+
+Mrs. Gusty tossed her head in disgust, and turned to Hinton.
+
+"Now, ain't that a Gusty for you! I never saw one that didn't want to
+set down to the job of living. Always moping around with their nose in a
+book. I never was a reader, never remember wasting a' hour on a book in
+my life, and yet I never saw the time that I wasn't able to hold my own
+with any Gusty living."
+
+"In short," said Hinton, sympathetically, "to quote a noted novelist,
+you have never considered it necessary to add the incident of learning
+to the accident of brains."
+
+Mrs. Gusty tied her bonnet-strings in a firmer knot as she looked at him
+uncertainly, then, not deigning to cast another glance in the direction
+of her daughter, who was disappearing up the stairs, swept out of the
+house.
+
+Hinton looked at his watch; it was not yet two o'clock. The afternoon
+threatened to be a foretaste of eternity. He went out on the porch and
+lay in the hammock, with his hands clasped across his eyes. He could no
+longer see to read or to write. The doctor said the darkness might close
+in now at any time, after that the experiment of an operation would be
+made, and there was one chance in a hundred for the partial restoration
+of the sight.
+
+Having beaten and bruised himself against the bars of Fate, he now lay
+exhausted and passive in the power of his jailer. He had tried to run
+his own life in his own way, and the matter had been taken out of his
+hands. He must lie still now and wait for orders from headquarters. The
+words of Mr. Opp, spoken in the low-ceiled, weird old dining-room, came
+vividly back to him: "What the fight is concerning, or in what manner
+the general is a-aiming to bring it all correct in the end, ain't,
+according to my conclusion, a particle of our business."
+
+And Hinton, after a year of rebellion and struggle and despair, had at
+last acknowledged a superior officer and declared himself ready to take
+whatever orders came.
+
+As he lay in the hammock he turned his head at every noise within the
+house, and listened. He had become amazingly dependent upon a soft,
+drawling voice which day after day read to him for hours at a time. At
+first he had met Guinevere's offers of help with moody irritability.
+
+"Pray, don't bother about me," he had said. "I am quite able to look
+after myself; besides, I like to be alone."
+
+But her unobtrusive sympathy and childish frankness soon conquered his
+pride. She read to him from books she did not understand, played games
+with him, and showed him new walks in the woods. And incidentally, she
+revealed to him her struggling, starving, wistful soul that no one else
+had ever discovered.
+
+She never talked to him of her love affair, but she dwelt vaguely on the
+virtues of duty and loyalty and self-sacrifice. The facts in the case
+were supplied by Mrs. Gusty.
+
+Hinton looked at his watch again, and groaned when he found it was only
+a quarter past two. Feeling his way cautiously along the porch and down
+the steps, he moved idly about the yard. He could not distinguish
+Menelaus from Paris now, and Helen of Troy was no longer to be
+recognized.
+
+At long intervals a vehicle rattled past, leaving a cloud of dust
+behind. The air shimmered with the heat, and the low, insistent buzzing
+of bees beat on his ears mercilessly. He wondered impatiently why
+Guinevere did not come down, then checked himself as he remembered the
+constant demands he made upon her time.
+
+At three o'clock he could stand it no longer. He felt a queer, dull
+sensation about his head, and he constantly drew his hand across his
+eyes to dispel the impression of a mist before them.
+
+"Oh, Miss Guinevere!" he called up to her window. "Would you mind coming
+down just for a little while!"
+
+Guinevere's head appeared so promptly that it was evident it had been
+lying on the window-sill.
+
+"Is it time for your medicine?" she asked guiltily. "Mother said it
+didn't come till four."
+
+"Oh, no," said Hinton, with forced cheerfulness; "it isn't that. You
+remember the old song, don't you, 'When a man's afraid, a beautiful maid
+is a cheering sight to see'?"
+
+She disappeared from the window, and in a moment joined him behind the
+screen of honeysuckles on the porch. The hammock hung, inviting ease,
+but neither of them took it. She sat primly on the straight-backed,
+green settee, and he sat on the step at her feet with his hat pulled
+over his eyes.
+
+"What an infernal nuisance I have been to you!" he said ruefully; "but
+no more than I have been to myself. The only difference was that I had
+to stand it, and you stood it out of the goodness of that kind little
+heart of yours. Well, it's nearly over now; I'm expecting to go to the
+city any day. I guess you'll not be sorry to get rid of me, will you,
+Miss Guinevere?"
+
+Instead of answering, she drew a quick breath and turned her head away.
+When she did speak, it was after a long pause.
+
+"I like the way you say my name. Nobody says it like that down here."
+
+"Guinevere?" he repeated.
+
+She nodded. "When you say it like that, I feel like I was another
+person. It makes me think of flowers, and poetry, and the wind in the
+trees, and all those things I've been reading you out of your books.
+Guin-never and Guinevere _don't_ seem the same at all, do they?"
+
+"They aren't the same," he said, "and you aren't the same girl I met on
+the boat last March. I guess we've both grown a bit since then. You know
+I was rather keen on dying about that time,--'in love with easeful
+death,'--well, now I am not keen about anything, but I am willing to
+play the game out."
+
+They sat in silence for a while, then he said slowly, without raising
+his eyes: "I am not much good at telling what I feel, but before I go
+away I want you to know how much you've helped me. You have been the one
+light that was left to show me the way down into the darkness."
+
+A soft touch on his shoulder made him lift his head. Guinevere was
+bending toward him, all restraint banished from her face by the
+compassion and love that suffused it.
+
+[Illustration: "'Oh, my God, it has come'"]
+
+Instinctively he swayed toward her, all the need of her crying out
+suddenly within him, then he pulled himself sharply together, and,
+resolutely thrusting his hands in his pockets, rose and took a turn up
+and down the porch.
+
+"Do you mind reading to me a little?" he asked at length. "There are
+forty devils in my head to-day, all hammering on the back of my
+eyeballs. I'll get my Tennyson; you like him better than you do the
+others. Wait; I'm going."
+
+But she was up the steps before him, eager to serve, and determined to
+spare him every effort.
+
+Through the long afternoon Guinevere read, stumbling over the strange
+words and faltering through the difficult passages, but vibrant to the
+beauty and the pathos of it all. On and on she read, and the sun went
+down, and the fragrance of dying locust bloom came faintly from the
+hill, and overhead in the tree-tops the evening breeze murmured its
+world-old plaint of loneliness and longing.
+
+Suddenly Guinevere's voice faltered, then steadied, then faltered again,
+then without warning she flung her arms across the back of the bench,
+and, dropping her head upon them, burst into passionate sobs.
+
+Hinton, who had been sitting for a long time with his hands pressed over
+his eyes, sprang up to go to her.
+
+"Guinevere," he said, "what's the matter? Don't cry, dear!" Then, as he
+stumbled, a look of terror crossed his face and he caught at the railing
+for support. "Where are you?" he asked sharply. "Speak to me! Give me
+your hand! I can't see--I can't--oh, my God, it has come!"
+
+
+
+
+XV
+
+
+The warning note sounded by Mrs. Fallows at the beginning of the oil
+boom was echoed by many before the summer was over. The coldest thing in
+the world is an exhausted enthusiasm, and when weeks slipped into
+months, and notes fell due, and the bank became cautious about lending
+money, a spirit of distrust got abroad, and a financial frost settled
+upon the community.
+
+Notwithstanding these conditions, "The Opp Eagle" persistently screamed
+prosperity. It attributed the local depression to the financial
+disturbance that had agitated the country at large, and assured the
+readers that the Cove was on the eve of the greatest period in its
+history.
+
+"The ascending, soaring bubble of inflated prices cannot last much
+longer," one editorial said; "the financial flurry in the Wall Streets
+of the North were pretty well over before we become aware of it, in a
+major sense. 'The Opp Eagle' has in the past, present, and future waged
+noble warfare against the calamity jays. Panic or no panic, Cove City
+refuses to remain in the backgrounds. There has been a large order for
+job-work in this office within the past ten days, also several new and
+important subscribers, all of which does not make much of a showing for
+hard times, at least not from our point of looking at it."
+
+But in the same issue, in an inconspicuous corner, were a couple of
+lines to the effect that "the editor would be glad to take a load of
+wood on subscription."
+
+The truth was that it required all of Mr. Opp's diplomacy to rise to the
+occasion. The effort to meet his own obligations was becoming daily
+more embarrassing, and he was reduced to economies entirely beneath the
+dignity of the editor of "The Opp Eagle." But while he cheerfully
+restricted his diet to two meals a day, and wore shirt-fronts in lieu of
+the genuine article, he was, according to Nick's ideas, rashly
+extravagant in other ways.
+
+"What did you go and buy Widow Green's oil-shares back for?" Nick
+demanded upon one of these occasions.
+
+"Well, you see," explained Mr. Opp, "it was purely a business
+proposition. Any day, now, things may open up in a way that will
+surprise you. I have good reason to believe that those shares are bound
+to go up; and besides," he added lamely in an undertone, "I happen to
+know that that there lady was in immediate need of a little ready
+money."
+
+"So are we," protested Nick; "we need every cent we can get for the
+paper. If we don't get ahead some by the first of the year, we are going
+under, sure as you live."
+
+Mr. Opp laid a hand upon his shoulder and smiled tolerantly.
+"Financiers get used to these fluctuations in money circles. Don't you
+worry, Nick; you leave that to the larger brains in the concern."
+
+But in spite of his superior attitude of confidence, Nick's words
+rankled in his mind, and the first of the year became a time which he
+preferred not to consider.
+
+One day in September the mail-packet brought two letters of great
+importance to Mr. Opp. One was from Willard Hinton, the first since his
+operation, and the other was from Mr. Mathews, stating that he would
+arrive at the Cove that day to lay an important matter of business
+before the stock-holders of the Turtle Creek Land Company.
+
+Mr. Opp rushed across the road, a letter in each hand, to share the news
+with Guinevere.
+
+"It's as good as settled," he cried, bursting in upon her, where she sat
+at the side door wrestling with a bit of needlework. "Mr. Mathews will
+be here to-day. He is either going to open up work or sell out to a
+syndicate. I'm going to use all my influence for the latter; it's the
+surest and safest plan. Miss Guin-never,"--his voice softened,--"this is
+all I been waiting for to make my last and final arrangement with your
+mother. It was just yesterday she was asking me what I'd decided to do,
+and I don't mind telling you, now it's all over, I never went to bed all
+last night--just sat up trying to figure it out. But this will settle
+it. I'll be in a position to have a little home of my own and take care
+of Kippy, too. I don't know as I ever was so happy in all my life put
+together before." He laughed nervously, but his eyes anxiously studied
+her averted face.
+
+"Then there's more news," he plunged on, when she did not speak--"a
+letter from Mr. Hinton. I thought maybe you'd like to hear what he had
+to say."
+
+Guinevere's scissors dropped with a sharp ring on the stepping-stone
+below, and as they both stooped to get them, their fingers touched. Mr.
+Opp ardently seized her hand in both of his, but unfortunately he
+seized her needle as well.
+
+"Oh, I am so sorry!" she said. "Wait, let me do it," and with a
+compassion which he considered nothing short of divine she extricated
+the needle, and comforted the wounded member. Mr. Opp would have gladly
+suffered the fate of a St. Sebastian to have elicited such sympathy.
+
+"Is--is Mr. Hinton better?" she asked, still bending over his hand.
+
+"Hinton?" asked Mr. Opp. "Oh, I forgot; yes. I'll read you what he says.
+He got his nurse to write this for him.
+
+    Dear Opp: The die is cast; I am a has-been. I did not expect
+    anything, so I am not disappointed. The operation was what they
+    called successful. The surgeon, I am told, did a very brilliant
+    stunt; something like taking my eyes out, playing marbles with them,
+    and getting them sewed back again all in three minutes and a half.
+    The result to the patient is of course purely a minor consideration,
+    but it may interest you to know that I can tell a biped from a
+    quadruped, and may in time, by the aid of powerful glasses, be able
+    to distinguish faces.
+
+    With these useful and varied accomplishments I have decided to
+    return to the Cove. My modest ambition now is to get out of the way,
+    and the safest plan is to keep out of the current.
+
+    You will probably be a Benedick by the time I return. My heartiest
+    congratulations to you and Miss Guinevere. Words cannot thank either
+    of you for what you have done for me. All I can say is that I have
+    tried to be worthy of your friendship.
+
+    What's left of me is
+
+        Yours,
+
+            Willard Hinton."
+
+Mr. Opp avoided looking at her as he folded the sheets and put them back
+in the envelop. The goal was bright before his eyes, but quicksands
+dragged at his feet.
+
+"And he _will_ find us married, won't he, Miss Guin-never? You'll be
+ready just as soon as I and your mother come to a understanding, won't
+you? Why, it seems more like eleven years than eleven months since you
+and me saw that sunset on the river! There hasn't been a day since, you
+might say, that hasn't been occupied with you. All I ask for in the
+world is just the chance for the rest of my life of trying to make you
+happy. You believe that, don't you, Miss Guin-never?"
+
+"Yes," she said miserably, gazing out at the little arbor Hinton had
+made for her beneath the trees.
+
+"Well, I'll stop by this evening after the meeting, if it ain't too
+late," said Mr. Opp. "You'll--you'll be--glad if everything culminates
+satisfactory, won't you?"
+
+"I'm glad of everything good that comes to you," said Guinevere so
+earnestly that Mr. Opp, who had lived on a diet of crumbs all his life,
+looked at her gratefully, and went back to the office assuring himself
+that all would be well.
+
+The visit of Mr. Mathews, while eagerly anticipated, could not have
+fallen on a less auspicious day. Aunt Tish, the arbiter of the Opp
+household, had been planning for weeks to make a visit to Coreyville,
+and the occasion of an opportune funeral furnished an immediate excuse.
+
+"No, _sir_, Mr. D., I can't put hit off till to-morrow," she declared in
+answer to Mr. Opp's request that she stay with Miss Kippy until after
+the stock-holders' meeting. "I's 'bleeged to go on dat night boat. De
+funeral teks place at ten o'clock in de mawnin', an' I's gwine be dar ef
+I has to swim de ribber."
+
+"Was he a particular friend, the one that died?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+"Friend? Bunk Bivens? Dat onery, good-fer-nothin' ole half-strainer?
+Naw, sir; he ain't no friend ob mine."
+
+"Well, what makes you so pressing and particular about attending his
+funeral?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+"'Ca'se I 'spise him so. I been hating dat nigger fer pretty nigh forty
+year, an' I ain't gwine lose dis chanst ob seein' him buried."
+
+"But, Aunt Tish," persisted Mr. Opp, impatiently, "I've got a very
+important and critical meeting this afternoon. The business under
+consideration may be wound up in the matter of a few minutes, and then,
+again, it may prolong itself into several consecutive hours. You'll have
+to stay with Kippy till I get home."
+
+The old woman looked at him strangely. "See dis heah hole in my haid,
+honey? 'Member how you and Ben uster ast Aunt Tish what mek hit? Dat
+nigger Bunk Bivens mek hit. He was a roustabout on de ribber, an' him
+an' yer paw fell out, an' one night when you was a baby he follow yer
+paw up here, an' me an' him had hit out."
+
+"But where was my father?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+"Dey was 'sputin' right heah in dis heah kitchen where we's standin' at,
+an' dat mean, bow-laigged nigger didn't have no better manners den to
+'spute wif a gentleman dat was full. An' pore Miss she run in so skeered
+an' white an' she say, 'Aunt Tish, don't let him hurt him; he don't know
+what he's sayin',' she baig, an' I tell her to keep yer paw outen de
+way an' I tek keer ob Bunk."
+
+"And did he fight you?" asked Mr. Opp, indignantly.
+
+"Naw, sir; I fit him. We put nigh tore up de floor ob de kitchen. Den he
+bust my haid open wif de poker, an' looks lak I been losing my knowledge
+ever sence. From dat day I 'low I's gwine to git even if it took me till
+I died, an' now dat spiteful old devil done died fust. But I's gwine see
+him buried. I want to see 'em nail him up in a box and th'ow dirt on
+him."
+
+Aunt Tish ended the recital in a sing-song chant, worked up to a state
+of hysteria by the recital of her ancient wrong.
+
+Mr. Opp sighed both for the past and the present. He saw the futility of
+arguing the case.
+
+"Well, you'll stay until the boat whistles?" he asked. "Sometimes it is
+two hours late."
+
+"Yas, sir; but when dat whistle toots I's gwine. Ef you is heah, all
+right; ef you ain't, all right: I's _gwine_!"
+
+As Mr. Opp passed through the hall he saw Miss Kippy slip ahead of him
+and conceal herself behind the door. She carried something hidden in her
+apron.
+
+"Have you learned your reading lesson to say to brother D. to-night?" he
+asked, ignoring her behavior. "You are getting so smart, learning to
+read handwriting just as good as I can!"
+
+But Miss Kippy only peeped at him through the crack in the door and
+refused to be friendly. For several days she had been furtive and
+depressed, and had not spoken to either Aunt Tish or himself.
+
+On the way to his office Mr. Opp was surprised to see Mr. Gallop leaning
+out of the window of his little room beckoning frantically. It was
+evident that Mr. Gallop had a secret to divulge, and Mr. Gallop with a
+secret was as excited as a small bird with a large worm.
+
+"Just come in a minute and sit down," he fluttered; "you'll have to
+excuse the looks of things. Having just this one room for telegraph
+office and bedroom and everything crowds me up awful. I've been trying
+to fix my lunch for half an hour, but the telephone just keeps me busy.
+Then, besides, Mr. Mathews was here; he came down on the launch at
+twelve o'clock. Now, of course I know it ain't right to repeat anything
+I hear over the long-distance wire, but being such a good friend of
+yours, and you being such a friend of mine--why, Mr. Opp there ain't
+anybody in the world I owe more to than I do to you, not only the money
+you've lent me from time to time, but your standing up for me when
+everybody was down on me--and--"
+
+"Yes; but you was remarking about Mr. Mathews?" Mr. Opp interrupted.
+
+"Yes; and I was saying I never make a practice of repeating what I hear,
+but he was talking right here in the room, and I was mixing up a little
+salad dressing I promised Mrs. Fallows for the social,--it's to be over
+at Your Hotel this evening--there's the telephone!"
+
+Mr. Opp sat on the edge of the sofa, the rest of it being occupied with
+gaily embroidered sofa pillows, specimens, the town declared, of Mr.
+Gallop's own handiwork. In fact, the only unoccupied space in the room
+was on the ceiling, for between his duties as operator and housekeeper
+Mr. Gallop still found time to cultivate the arts, and the result of his
+efforts was manifest in every nook and corner.
+
+"It was Mrs. Gusty getting after Mr. Toddlinger for sending vanilla
+extract instead of lemon," explained Mr. Gallop, who had stopped to hear
+the discussion.
+
+"Well, as I was saying, Mr. Mathews called up somebody in the city
+almost as soon as he got here--Now you've got to promise me you won't
+tell a living soul about this."
+
+Mr. Opp promised.
+
+"He said to telegraph New York party that terms were agreed on, and to
+mail check at once to Clark, and tell him to keep his mouth shut. Then
+the other end said something, and Mr. Mathews said: 'We can't afford to
+wait. You telegraph at once; I'll manipulate the crowd down here.' They
+talked a lot more, then he said awful low, but I heard him: 'Well, damn
+it! they've got to. There's too much at stake.'"
+
+The editor sat with his hat in his hand, and blinked at the operator:
+"Manipulate," he said in a puzzled tone, "did he use that particular
+word?"
+
+Mr. Gallop nodded.
+
+"He may have been referring to something else," said Mr. Opp, waiving
+aside any disagreeable suspicion. "Mr. Mathews is a business gentleman.
+He's involved in a great many ventures, something like myself. You
+wouldn't think from what you heard that--er--that he was contemplating
+not acting exactly--fair with us, would you?"
+
+Mr. Gallop, having delivered himself of his information, did not feel
+called upon to express a personal opinion.
+
+"If you ever say I told you a word of this, I'll swear I didn't," he
+said. "It was just because you were such a good friend, and--there's
+that 'phone again!"
+
+During the early hours of the afternoon, Mr. Opp was oppressed with a
+vague uneasiness. He made several attempts to see Mr. Mathews, but that
+gentleman was closeted with his stenographer until five o'clock, the
+hour named for the meeting.
+
+All feeling of distrust was banished, however, when Mr. Mathews made his
+way through the crowd of stock-holders that filled the office of Your
+Hotel, and took his stand by the desk. He was so bland and confident, so
+satisfied with himself and the world and the situation, that, as Jimmy
+Fallows remarked, "You kinder looked for him to purr when he wasn't
+talking."
+
+He set forth at great length the undoubted oil wealth of the region, he
+complimented them on their sagacity and foresight in buying up the
+Turtle Creek ground, he praised the Cove in general and that
+distinguished citizen, the editor of "The Opp Eagle," in particular.
+The enterprise upon which they had embarked, he said, had grown to such
+proportions that large capital was required to carry it on. Owing to the
+recent depression in the money market, the Kentucky company did not feel
+able properly to back the concern, so it had been agreed that if a good
+offer was made to buy it, it should be accepted. It was with such an
+offer, Mr. Mathews said, that he had come to them to-day.
+
+A stir of excitement met this announcement, and Miss Jim Fenton waved
+her lace scarf in her enthusiasm.
+
+"Some time ago," went on Mr. Mathews, graciously acknowledging the
+applause, "the Union Syndicate of New York sent an expert, Mr. Clark,
+down here to report on the oil conditions in this region." Mr. Opp's
+eyes became fixed on Mr. Mathews's face, and his lips parted. "The
+report was so entirely satisfactory," continued Mr. Mathews, "that the
+following offer has been made."
+
+Mr. Opp rose immediately. "Excuse me, sir, there is--er--rather, there
+must be some little mistake just at this juncture."
+
+All eyes were turned upon him, and a murmur of dissent arose at an
+interruption at such a critical point.
+
+Mr. Mathews gave him permission to proceed.
+
+"You see--I--Mr. Clark, that is,"--Mr. Opp's fingers were working
+nervously on the back of the chair before him,--"him and myself went
+over the ground together, and--I--well, I must say I don't consider him
+a competent judge."
+
+Mr. Mathews smiled. "I am afraid, Mr. Opp, that your opinion is
+overruled. Mr. Clark is a recognized authority, although," he added
+significantly, "of course the most expert make mistakes at times."
+
+"That ain't the point," persisted Mr. Opp; "it's the conflicting
+difference in what he said to me, and what he's reported to them. He
+told me that he didn't consider our prospects was worth a picayune, and
+if the wells were drilled, they probably wouldn't run a year. I didn't
+believe him then; but you say now that he is a expert and that he
+knows."
+
+Mr. Mathews's tolerance seemed limitless. He waited patiently for Mr.
+Opp to finish, then he said smoothly:
+
+"Yes, yes; I understand your point perfectly, Mr. Opp. Mr. Clark's
+remarks were injudicious, but he was looking at all sides of the
+question. He saw me after he saw you, you know, and I was able to direct
+his attention to the more favorable aspects of the case. His report was
+entirely favorable, and I guess that is all that concerns us, isn't it?"
+He embraced the room with his smile.
+
+During the next quarter of an hour Mr. Opp sat with his arms folded and
+his eyes bent on the floor and bit his lips furiously. Something was
+wrong. Again and again he fought his way back to this conclusion through
+the enveloping mazes of Mr. Mathews's plausibility. Why had they waited
+so long after drilling that first well? Why, after making elaborate
+plans and buying machinery, had they suddenly decided to sell? Why had
+Mr. Clark given such contradictory opinions? What did Mr. Mathews mean
+by that message from Mr. Gallop's office? Mr. Opp's private affairs,
+trembling in the balance, were entirely lost sight of in his
+determination for fair play.
+
+Covering his eyes with his hand, and trying not to hear the flood of
+argument which Mr. Mathews was bringing to bear upon his already
+convinced audience, Mr. Opp attempted to recall all that Mr. Gallop had
+told him.
+
+"He said 'manipulate,'" repeated Mr. Opp to himself. "I remember that,
+and he said 'telegraph New York party that terms were agreed on.' Then
+he said 'mail check to Clark; tell him to keep his mouth shut.' What's
+_he_ paying Clark for? Why--"
+
+"The motion before the house," Mr. Tucker's piping voice broke in upon
+his agitated reasoning, "is whether the stock-holders of the Turtle
+Creek Land Company is willing to sell out at a rate of seven to one to
+the Union Syndicate."
+
+In the buzz of delight that ensued, Mr. Opp found himself standing on a
+chair and demanding attention.
+
+"Listen here," he cried, pounding on the wall with his hand, "I've got
+important information that's got to be told: that man Clark is a rascal.
+He's--he's deceiving his company. He's been paid to make a good report
+of our ground. I can't prove it, but I know it. We're taking part in a
+fraud; we're--we're being manipulated."
+
+Mr. Opp almost shrieked the last word in his agony of earnestness; but
+before the crowd could fully apprehend his meaning, Mr. Mathews rose and
+said somewhat sharply:
+
+"What the representative of the Union Syndicate is, or is not, doesn't
+concern us in the least. I come to you with a gilt-edged proposition;
+all I ask you is to sit tight, and take my advice, and I guarantee you
+an immediate return of seven dollars to every one you put into this
+concern. Mr. Chairman, will you put it to the vote?"
+
+But Mr. Opp again stopped proceedings. "As a director in this company I
+won't stand for what's going on. I'll telegraph the syndicate. I'll
+advertise the whole matter!"
+
+Mat Lucas pulled at his sleeve, and the preacher put a restraining arm
+about his shoulder. The amazing rumor had become current that the Cove's
+stanchest advocate for temperance had been indulging in drink, and there
+was nothing in the editor's flushed face and excited manner to
+contradict the impression.
+
+"If by any chance," Mr. Mathews went on in a steady voice, "there should
+be a stock-holder who is unwilling to take advantage of this magnificent
+offer, we need hardly say that we are prepared to buy his stock back at
+the amount he gave for it." He smiled, as if inviting ridicule at the
+absurdity of the proposition.
+
+"I am unwilling," cried Mr. Opp, tugging at the restraining hands. "I
+have never yet in all the length and breadth of my experience been
+associated with a dishonest act."
+
+"Don't! Mr. Opp, don't!" whispered Mat Lucas. "You're acting like a
+crazy man. Don't you see you are losing the chance to make three
+thousand dollars?"
+
+"That hasn't nothing to do with it," cried Mr. Opp, almost beside
+himself. "I'll not be a party to the sale. I'll--"
+
+Mr. Mathews turned to his secretary. "Just fix up those papers for Mr.
+Opp, and give him a check for what is coming to him. Now, Mr. Chairman,
+will you put the matter to the vote?"
+
+Amid the hilarious confusion that succeeded the unanimous vote, and the
+subsequent adjournment of the meeting, Mr. Opp pushed his way through
+the crowd that surrounded Mr. Mathews.
+
+"You know what I was alluding at," he shouted through his chattering
+teeth. "You've carried this through, but I'll blockade you. I am going
+to tell the truth to the whole community. I am going to telegraph to
+the syndicate and stop the sale."
+
+Mr. Mathews lifted his brows and smiled deprecatingly.
+
+"I am sorry you have worked yourself up to such a pitch, my friend," he
+said. "Telegraph, by all means if it will ease your mind; but the fact
+is, the deal was closed at noon to-day."
+
+The long, low whistle of the packet sounded, but Mr. Opp heeded it not.
+He was flinging his way across to the telegraph office in a frenzy of
+Quixotic impatience to right the wrong of which he had refused to be a
+part.
+
+
+
+
+XVI
+
+
+Half an hour later, Mr. Opp dragged himself up the hill to his home. All
+the unfairness and injustice of the universe seemed pressing upon his
+heart. Every muscle in his body quivered in remembrance of what he had
+been through, and an iron band seemed tightening about his throat. His
+town had refused to believe his story! It had laughed in his face!
+
+With a sudden mad desire for sympathy and for love, he began calling
+Kippy. He stumbled across the porch, and, opening the door with his
+latch-key, stood peering into the gloom of the room.
+
+The draft from an open window blew a curtain toward him, a white
+spectral, beckoning thing, but no sound broke the stillness.
+
+"Kippy!" he called again, his voice sharp with anxiety.
+
+From one room to another he ran, searching in nooks and corners, peering
+under the beds and behind the doors, calling in a voice that was
+sometimes a command, but oftener a plea: "Kippy! Kippy!"
+
+At last he came back to the dining-room and lighted the lamp with
+shaking hands. On the hearth were the remains of a small bonfire, with
+papers scattered about. He dropped on his knees and seized a bit of
+charred cardboard. It was a corner of the hand-painted frame that had
+incased the picture of Guinevere Gusty! Near it lay loose sheets of
+paper, parts of that treasured package of letters she had written him
+from Coreyville.
+
+As Mr. Opp gazed helplessly about the room, his eyes fell upon something
+white pinned to the red table-cloth. He held it to the light. It was a
+portion of one of Guinevere's letters, written in the girl's clear,
+round hand:
+
+    Mother says I can never marry you until Miss Kippy goes to the
+    asylum.
+
+Mr. Opp got to his feet. "She's read the letter," he cried wildly;
+"she's learned out about herself! Maybe she's in the woods now, or down
+on the bank!" He rushed to the porch. "Kippy!" he shouted. "Don't be
+afraid! Brother D.'s coming to get you! Don't run away, Kippy! Wait for
+me! Wait!" and leaving the old house open to the night, he plunged into
+the darkness, beating through the woods and up and down the road,
+calling in vain for Kippy, who lay cowering in the bottom of a leaking
+skiff that was drifting down the river at the mercy of the current.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Two days later, Mr. Opp sat in the office of the Coreyville Asylum for
+the Insane and heard the story of his sister's wanderings. Her boat had
+evidently been washed ashore at a point fifteen miles above the town,
+for people living along the river had reported a strange little woman,
+without hat or coat, who came to their doors crying and saying her name
+was "Oxety," and that she was crazy, and begging them to show her the
+way to the asylum. On the second day she had been found unconscious on
+the steps of the institution, and since then, the doctor said, she had
+been wild and unmanageable.
+
+"Considering all things," he concluded, "it is much wiser for you not to
+see her. She came of her own accord, evidently felt the attack coming
+on, and wanted to be taken care of."
+
+He was a large, smooth-faced man, with the conciliatory manner of one
+who regards all his fellow-men as patients in varying degrees of
+insanity.
+
+"But I'm in the regular habit of taking care of her," protested Mr. Opp.
+"This is just a temporary excitement for the time being that won't ever,
+probably, occur again. Why, she's been improving all winter; I've
+learnt her to read and write a little, and to pick out a number of
+cities on the geographical atlas."
+
+"All wrong," exclaimed the doctor; "mistaken kindness. She can never be
+any better, but she may be a great deal worse. Her mind should never be
+stimulated or excited in any way. Here, of course, we understand all
+these things and treat the patient accordingly."
+
+"Then I must just go back to treating her like a child again?" asked Mr.
+Opp, "not endeavoring to improve her intellect, or help her grow up in
+any way?"
+
+The doctor laid a kindly hand on his shoulder.
+
+"You leave her to us," he said. "The State provides this excellent
+institution for just such cases as hers. You do yourself and your
+family, if you have one, an injustice by keeping her at home. Let her
+stay here for six months or so, and you will see what a relief it will
+be."
+
+Mr. Opp sat with his elbow on the desk and his head propped in his
+hand, and stared miserably at the floor. He had not had his clothes off
+for two nights, and he had scarcely taken time from his search to eat
+anything. His face looked old and wizened and haunted from the strain.
+Yet here and now he was called upon to make his great decision. On the
+one hand lay the old, helpless life with Kippy, and on the other a
+future of dazzling possibility with Guinevere. All of his submerged self
+suddenly rose and demanded happiness. He was ready to snatch it, at any
+cost, regardless of everything and everybody--of Kippy; of Guinevere,
+who, he knew, did not love him, but would keep her promise; of Hinton,
+whose secret he had long ago guessed. And, as a running accompaniment to
+his thoughts, was the quiet, professional voice of the doctor urging him
+to the course that his heart prompted. For a moment the personal forces
+involved trembled in equilibrium.
+
+After a long time he unknotted his fingers, and drew his handkerchief
+across his brow.
+
+"I guess I'll go up and see her now," he said, with the gasping breath
+of a man who has been under water.
+
+In vain the doctor protested. Mr. Opp was determined.
+
+As the door to the long ward was being unlocked, he leaned for a moment
+dizzily against the wall.
+
+"You'd better let me give you a swallow of whisky," suggested the
+doctor, who had noted his exhaustion.
+
+Mr. Opp raised his hand deprecatingly, with a touch of his old
+professional pride. "I don't know as I've had occasion to mention," he
+said, "that I am the editor and sole proprietor of 'The Opp Eagle'; and
+that bird," he added, with a forced smile, "is, as everybody knows, a
+complete teetotaler."
+
+At the end of the crowded ward, with her face to the wall, was a slight,
+familiar figure. Mr. Opp started forward; then he turned fiercely upon
+the attendant.
+
+"Her hands are tied! Who dared to tie her up like that?"
+
+"It's just a soft handkerchief," replied the matronly woman,
+reassuringly. "We were afraid she would pull her hair out. She wants its
+fixed a certain way; but she's afraid for any of us to touch her. She
+has been crying about it ever since she came."
+
+In an instant Mr. Opp was on his knees beside her. "Kippy, Kippy
+darling, here's brother D.; he'll fix it for you! You want it parted on
+the side, don't you, tied with a bow, and all the rest hanging down?
+Don't cry so, Kippy. I'm here now; brother D.'ll take care of you."
+
+She flung her loosened arms around him and clung to him in a passion of
+relief. Her sobs shook them both, and his face and neck were wet with
+her tears.
+
+As soon as they could get her sufficiently quiet, they took her into her
+little bedroom.
+
+"You let the lady get you ready," urged Mr. Opp, still holding her hand,
+"and I'll take you back home, and Aunt Tish will have a nice, hot supper
+all waiting for us."
+
+But she would let nobody else touch her, and even then she broke forth
+into piteous sobs and protests. Once she pushed him from her and looked
+about wildly. "No, no," she cried, "I mustn't go; I am crazy!" But he
+told her about the three little kittens that had been born under the
+kitchen steps, and in an instant she was all a-tremble with eagerness to
+go home to see them.
+
+An hour later, Mr. Opp and his charge sat on the river-bank and waited
+for the little launch that was to take them back to the Cove. A curious
+crowd had gathered at a short distance, for their story had gone the
+rounds.
+
+Mr. Opp sat under the fire of curious glances, gazing straight in front
+of him, and only his flushed face showed what he was suffering. Miss
+Kippy, in her strange clothes and with her pale hair flying about her
+shoulders, sat close by him, her hand in his.
+
+"D.," she said once in a high, insistent voice, "when will I be grown up
+enough to marry Mr. Hinton?"
+
+Mr. Opp for a moment forgot the crowd. "Kippy," he said with all the
+gentle earnestness that was in him, "you ain't never going to grow up at
+all. You are just always going to be brother D.'s little girl. You see,
+Mr. Hinton's too old for you, just like--" he paused, then finished it
+bravely--"just like I am too old for Miss Guin-never. I wouldn't be
+surprised if they got married with each other some day. You and me will
+just have to take care of each other."
+
+She looked at him with the quick suspicion of the insane, but he was
+ready for her with a smile.
+
+"Oh, D.," she cried, in a sudden rapture, "we are glad, ain't we?"
+
+
+
+
+XVII
+
+
+For the next four weeks there was no issue of "The Opp Eagle." When it
+did make its appearance, it contained the following editorial:
+
+    Ye editor has for several weeks been the victim of the La Grip which
+    eventuated into a rising in our left ear. Although we are still in
+    severe and continuous pain, we know that behind the clouds of
+    suffering the blue sky of health is still shining, and that a
+    brighter day is coming, as it were.
+
+The night of Mr. Opp's return from Coreyville, he had written a long
+letter to Guinevere Gusty telling her of his final decision in regard to
+Kippy, and releasing her from her promise. This having been
+accomplished, he ceased to fight against the cold and exhaustion, and
+went to bed with a hard chill.
+
+Aunt Tish, all contrition for the disasters she thought she had brought
+upon the household, served him night and day, and even Miss Kippy, moved
+by the unusual sight of her brother in bed, made futile efforts to
+assist in the nursing.
+
+When at last he was able to crawl back to the office, he found startling
+changes had taken place in the Cove. The prompt payment of the oil
+stock-holders by the Union Syndicate had brought about such a condition
+of prosperity and general satisfaction as had never before been known.
+The civic spirit planted and carefully nourished by "The Opp Eagle"
+burst into bloom under this sudden and unexpected warmth. Committees,
+formed the year before, were called upon for reports, and gratifying
+results were obtained. The Cove awoke to the fact that it had
+lamp-posts, and side-walks and a post-office, with a possibility,
+looming large, of a court house.
+
+Nor did this ambition for improvement stop short with the town: it
+extended to individuals. Jimmy Fallows was going to build a new hotel;
+Mr. Tucker was going to convert his hotel into a handsome private
+residence, for which Mrs. Gusty had been asked to select the wall-paper;
+Mat Lucas was already planning to build a large store on Main Street,
+and had engaged Mr. Gallop to take charge of the dry-goods department.
+The one person upon whom prosperity had apparently had a blighting
+effect was Miss Jim Fenton. Soon after the receipt of her check, she had
+appeared in the Cove in a plain, black tailor suit, and a small, severe
+felt hat innocent of adornment. The French-heeled slippers had been
+replaced by heavy walking shoes, and the lace scarf was discarded for a
+stiff linen collar.
+
+But the state of Miss Jim's mind was not to be judged by the somberness
+of her raiment. The novelty of selecting her own clothes, of consulting
+her own taste, of being rid of the entangling dangers of lace ruffles
+and flying furbelows, to say nothing of unwelcome suitors, gave her a
+sense of exhilaration and independence which she had not enjoyed for
+years.
+
+In the midst of all these tangible evidences of success, Mr. Opp found
+himself indulging in a hand-to-hand struggle with failure. As a hunter
+aims at a point well in advance of the flying bird, so he had aimed at
+possibilities ahead of the facts, and when events took an unexpected
+turn, he was left stranded, his ammunition gone, his judgment
+questioned, and his hands empty. He had been conducting his affairs not
+on the basis of his present income, but in reference to the large sums
+which he confidently believed would accrue from the oil-wells.
+
+The circulation of "The Opp Eagle" was increasing steadily, but the
+growing bird must be fed, and the editor, struggling to meet daily
+pressing obligations, was in no condition to furnish the steady demand
+for copy.
+
+All unnecessary diversions were ruthlessly foregone. He resigned with a
+pang the leadership of the Union Orchestra, he gave up his membership
+with the Odd Fellows. Even his more important duties, as president of
+the Town Improvement League, and director in the bank, were
+relinquished. For, in addition to his editorials, he had undertaken to
+augment his slender income by selling on subscription the "Encyclopedia
+of Wonder, Beauty, and Wisdom."
+
+It was at this low ebb of Mr. Opp's fortunes that Willard Hinton
+returned to the Cove. He was still pale from his long confinement, but
+there was an unusual touch of animation about him, the half-surprised
+interest of one who has struck bottom, and found it not so bad as he had
+expected.
+
+One dark afternoon in November he made his way over to the office of
+"The Opp Eagle," and stood irresolute in the door.
+
+"That you, Mr. Opp? Or is it Nick?" He blinked uncertainly.
+
+"Why, it is me," said Mr. Opp. "Come right in. I've been so occupied
+with engagements that I haven't scarcely had occasion to see anything of
+you since you come back. You are getting improved all the time, ain't
+you? I thought I saw you writing on a type-writer when I passed this
+morning."
+
+"Yes," said Hinton; "it's a little machine I got before I came down,
+with raised letters on the keyboard. If I progress at the rapid pace I
+have started, I'll be an expert before long. Mrs. Gusty was able to read
+five words out of ten this morning!"
+
+"Hope you'll do us an article or two," said Mr. Opp. "I don't mind
+telling you that things has been what you might name as pressing ever
+since that trouble about the oil-wells. I'm not regretting any step that
+I taken, and I am endeavoring not to harbor any feelings against those
+that went on after I give my word it wasn't a fair transaction. But if
+what that man Clark said is true, Mr. Hinton, the Union Syndicate will
+never open up another well in this community."
+
+"Your conscience proved rather an expensive luxury that time, didn't it,
+Mr. Opp?" asked Hinton, who had heard as many versions of the affair as
+there were citizens in the Cove.
+
+Mr. Opp shrugged his shoulders, and pursed his lips. "It's a matter that
+I cannot yet bring myself to talk about. After a whole year and more of
+associating with me in business and social ways, to think they wouldn't
+be willing to take my word for what I said."
+
+"But it wasn't to their advantage," said Hinton, smiling. "You forget
+the amount of money involved."
+
+"No," declared Mr. Opp with some heat, "you do those gentlemen a
+injustice. There ain't a individual of them that is capable of a
+dishonest act, any more than you or me. They just lacked the experience
+in dealing with a man like Mr. Mathews."
+
+Hinton's smile broadened; he reached over and grasped Mr. Opp's hand.
+
+"Do you know you are a rattling good fellow? I am sorry things have
+gotten so balled up with you."
+
+"I'll pay out," said the editor. "It'll take some time, but I've got a
+remarkable ability for work in me. I don't mind telling you, though I'll
+have to ask you not to mention the fact to no one at present, that I am
+considering inventing a patent. It's a sort of improved type-setter, one
+of the most remarkable things you ever witnessed. I never knew till
+about six months ago what a scientific turn my mind could take. I've
+worked this whole thing out in my brain without the aid of a model of
+any sort."
+
+"In the meanwhile," said Hinton, "I hear you will have to sell your
+paper."
+
+Mr. Opp winced, and the lines in his face deepened. "Well, yes," he
+said, "I have about decided to sell, provided I keep the editorship, of
+course. After my patent gets on the market I will soon be in a position
+to buy it back."
+
+"Mr. Opp," said Hinton, "I've got a proposition to make to you. I have
+a moderate sum of money in bank which I want to invest in business. How
+would you like to sell out the paper to me, lock, stock, and barrel?"
+
+Mr. Opp, whose eyes had been resting on the bills that strewed his
+table, looked up eagerly.
+
+"You to own it, and me to run it?" he asked hopefully.
+
+"No," said Hinton; "you would help me to run it, I hope, but I would be
+the editor. I have thought the matter over seriously, and I believe,
+with competent help, I can make the paper an up-to-date, self-supporting
+newspaper, in spite of my handicap."
+
+Mr. Opp sat as if stunned by a blow. He had known for some time that he
+must sell the paper in order to meet his obligations, but the thought of
+relinquishing his control of it never dawned upon him. It was the pride
+of his heart, the one tangible achievement in a wilderness of dreams.
+Life without Guinevere had seemed a desert; life without "The Opp
+Eagle" seemed chaos. He looked up bewildered.
+
+"We'd continue on doing business here in the regular way?" he asked.
+
+"No," said Hinton; "I would build a larger office uptown, and put in new
+presses; we could experiment with your new patent type-setter as soon as
+you got it ready."
+
+But Mr. Opp was beyond pleasantries. "You'd keep Nick?" he asked. "I
+wouldn't consider anything that would cut Nick out."
+
+"By all means," said Hinton. "I'm counting on you and Nick to initiate
+me into the mysteries of the profession. You could be city editor, and
+Nick--well, we could make him foreman."
+
+One last hope was left to Mr. Opp, and he clung to it desperately, not
+daring to voice it until the end.
+
+"The name," he said faintly, "would of course remain 'The Opp Eagle'?"
+
+Hinton dropped his eyes; he could not stand the wistful appeal in the
+drawn face opposite.
+
+"No," he said shortly; "that's a--little too personal. I think I should
+call my paper 'The Weekly News.'"
+
+Mr. Opp could never distinctly remember what happened after that. He
+knew that he had at first declined the offer, that he had been argued
+with, had reconsidered, and finally accepted a larger sum than he had
+asked for; but the details of the transaction were like the setting of
+bones after an accident.
+
+He remembered that he had sat where Hinton left him, staring at the
+floor until Nick came to close the office; then he had a vague
+impression of crossing the fields and standing with his head against the
+old sycamore-tree where the birds had once whispered of love. After that
+he knew that he had met Hinton and Guinevere coming up the river road
+hand in hand, that he had gotten home after supper was over, and had
+built a bridge of blocks for Miss Kippy.
+
+Then suddenly he had wakened to full consciousness, staggered out of the
+house to the woodshed, and shivered down into a miserable heap. There
+in the darkness he seemed to see things, for the first time in his life,
+quite as they were. His gaze, accustomed to the glittering promise of
+the future, peered fearfully into the past, and reviewed the long line
+of groundless hopes, of empty projects, of self-deceptions. Shorn of its
+petty shams and deceits, and stripped of its counterfeit armor of
+conceit, his life lay naked before him, a pitiful, starved, futile
+thing.
+
+"I've just been similar to Kippy," he sobbed, with his face in his
+hands, "continually pretending what wasn't so. I acted like I was young,
+and good-looking, and--and highly educated; and look at me! Look at me!"
+he demanded fiercely of the kindling-wood.
+
+Mr. Opp had been fighting a long duel--a duel with Circumstance, and Mr.
+Opp was vanquished. The acknowledgment of defeat, even to himself, gave
+it the final stamp of verity. He had fought valiantly, with what poor
+weapons he had, but the thrusts had been too many and too sure. He lay
+clothed in his strange new garment of humility, and wondered why he did
+not want to die. He did not realize that in losing everything else, he
+had won the greater stake of character for which he had been
+unconsciously fighting all along.
+
+The kitchen door opened, and he saw Miss Kippy's figure silhouetted
+against the light.
+
+"Brother D.," she called impatiently, "ain't you coming back to play
+with me?"
+
+He scrambled to his feet and made a hasty and somewhat guilty effort to
+compose himself.
+
+"Yes, I'm a-coming," he answered briskly, as he smoothed his scant locks
+and straightened his tie. "You go on ahead and gather up the blocks; I
+only stopped playing for a little spell."
+
+
+
+
+XVIII
+
+
+The marriage of Guinevere Gusty and Willard Hinton took place in
+mid-winter, and the account of it, published in the last issue of "The
+Opp Eagle," proved that the eagle, like the swan, has its death-song.
+
+Like many of the masterpieces of literature, the article had been
+written in anguish of spirit; but art, like nature, ignores the process,
+and reckons only the result, and the result, in Mr. Opp's opinion at
+least, more than justified the effort.
+
+"In these strenuous, history-making meanderings of the sands of life,"
+it ran, "we sometimes overlook or neglect particulars in events which
+prove of larger importance than appears on the surface. The case to
+which we have allusion to is the wedding which was solemnized at
+eventide at the residence of the bride's mother. The Gustys may be
+justly considered one of the best-furnished families in the county, and
+the parlors were only less beautiful than the only daughter there
+presiding. The collation served therein was of such a liberal nature
+that every guest, we might venture to say, took dinner enough home for
+supper. It has seldom been our fate to meet a gentleman of such
+intelligent attainments as Mr. Hinton, and his entire future existence,
+be it long or short, cannot fail of being thrice blessed by the
+companionship of the one who has confided her trust to him,--her choice,
+world-wide. Although a bachelor ourself, we know what happiness must be
+theirs, and with all our heart we vouchsafe them a joyful voyage across
+the uncertain billows of Time until their nuptial or matrimonial bark
+shall have been safely moored in the haven of everlasting bliss, where
+the storms of this life spread not their violence."
+
+Some men spend their lives in the valley, and some are born and die on
+the heights; but it was Mr. Opp's fate to climb from the valley to his
+own little mountain-top of prosperity, only to have to climb down on the
+other side. It was evidence of his genius that in time he persuaded
+himself and his fellow-citizens that it was exactly what he wanted to
+do.
+
+"That there life of managing and promoting was all right in its way," he
+said one day to a group of men at the post-office, "but a man owes
+something to himself, don't he? Now that the town has got well started,
+and Mr. Hinton is going to take main charge of the paper, I'll be freer
+than I been for years to put some of my ideas into practice."
+
+"We are counting on getting you back in the orchestra," said Mr. Gallop,
+whose admiration for Mr. Opp retained its pristine bloom.
+
+Mr. Opp shook his head regretfully. "No, I'm going to give all my
+evenings over to study. This present enterprise I am engaged on
+requires a lot of personal application. I sometimes think that I have in
+the past scattered my forces too much, in a way."
+
+So persistently did Mr. Opp refer to the mysterious work that was
+engrossing him that he reduced Mr. Gallop's curiosity to the
+saturation-point.
+
+When he was no longer able to stand it, the telegraph operator
+determined upon a tour of investigation. The projected presentation of a
+new cornet by the Unique Orchestra to its erstwhile leader proved a
+slender excuse for a call, and while he knew that, with the exception of
+Willard Hinton, no visitor had ever been known to cross the Opp
+threshold, yet he permitted desire to overrule delicacy.
+
+It was a blustery December night when he climbed the hill, and he had to
+pause several times during the ascent to gain sufficient breath to
+proceed. By the time he reached the house he was quite speechless, and
+he dropped on the steps to rest a moment before knocking. As he sat
+there trying to imagine the flying-machine or torpedo-boat upon which he
+felt certain Mr. Opp was engaged, he became aware of voices from within,
+and looking up, he saw the window above him was slightly raised.
+Overcome by his desire to see his friend at work upon his great
+invention, he cautiously tiptoed across the porch and peeped in.
+
+The low-ceilinged old room was bright with firelight, and in the center
+of it, with his knees drawn up, his toes turned in, and his tongue
+thrust out, sat Mr. Opp, absorbed in an object which he held between his
+knees. Miss Kippy knelt before him, eagerly watching proceedings.
+
+Mr. Gallop craned his neck to see what it was that held their interest,
+and at last discovered that they were fitting a dress on a large china
+doll.
+
+Miss Kippy's voice broke the silence. "You can sew nice," she was
+saying; "you can sew prettier than Aunt Tish."
+
+[Illustration: "'Can't nobody beat me making skirts'"]
+
+"Can't nobody beat me making skirts," said Mr. Opp, and Mr. Gallop saw
+him push his needle through a bit of cloth, with the handle of the
+shovel; "but sleeves is a more particular proposition. Why, I'd rather
+thread three needles than to fix in one sleeve! Why don't you make like
+it's summer-time and let her go without any?"
+
+Miss Kippy's lips trembled. "I want sleeves, D.--two of them, and a
+lady's hat, with roses on it. We can let _her_ be grown up, can't we,
+D.?"
+
+Mr. Gallop beat a hasty and shame-faced retreat. Though his idol had
+fallen from its pedestal, he determined to stand guard over the
+fragments, and from that night on, he constituted himself Mr. Opp's
+loyal defender.
+
+And Mr. Gallop was not the only one who came forth boldly in expressions
+of sympathy and respect for the ex-editor. It was especially easy for
+those who had prospered by the oil boom to express unbounded admiration
+for the conscientious stand he had taken in the late transaction. They
+had done him a grave injustice, they acknowledged. The wells had been
+reinvestigated and proved of small value. The fact that the truth was
+discovered too late to affect their luck deepened their appreciation of
+Mr. Opp.
+
+Willard Hinton, seeing what balm these evidences of approval brought to
+Mr. Opp's wounded spirit, determined to arrange for a banquet to the
+retiring editor, at which he planned to bring forth as many testimonials
+of friendship and good-will as was possible.
+
+The affair was to take place New Year's night, in the dining-room of
+Fallows's new Your Hotel. The entire masculine contingent of the Cove
+was invited, and the feminine element prepared the supper. There had
+never been a social event of such an ambitious nature attempted in the
+Cove before, and each citizen took a personal pride in its success.
+
+For a week in advance the town was in violent throes of speech-writing,
+cake-baking, salad-mixing, and decorating. Even Mrs. Fallows warmed to
+the occasion, and crocheted a candlestick, candle, flame, and all, to
+grace the table.
+
+When the night arrived, Jimmy Fallows did the honors. He was resplendent
+in his dress-suit, which consisted of a black sateen shirt and a brown
+suit of clothes.
+
+When the guests were all seated, Willard Hinton rose, and in a few
+brief, pointed remarks, called the attention of the town to the changes
+that had been wrought by the indefatigable efforts of one citizen in
+particular. He spoke of the debt of gratitude they owed, collectively
+and individually, to the late editor of "The Opp Eagle," and added that
+after Mr. Opp's response, the guests desired, each in turn, to voice his
+sentiments upon the subject.
+
+Mr. Opp then rose amid a thunder of applause, and stood for a moment in
+pleased but overwhelming embarrassment. Then he put forward one foot
+inflated his chest, and began:
+
+"Valued brother fellow-beings, I come before you to-night to express
+that which there is no words in the English vocabulary to express.
+Whatever you may have to say concerning me, or my part in the awakening
+of this our native city, I shall listen at with a grateful heart. I
+believe in a great future for Cove City. We may not live to see it, but
+I believe that the day will arrive when our city shall be the gateway to
+the South, when the river front will be not dissimilar to Main Street,
+New York. I predict that it reaches a pivot of prominence of which we
+wot not of. As for Mr. Hinton, one and all we welcome him amid our
+mongst. 'The Opp Eagle' strikes palms with 'The Weekly News,' and wishes
+it a lasting and eternal success."
+
+A burst of applause interrupted the flow of his eloquence, and as he
+glanced around the room, he saw there was some commotion at the door. A
+turbaned head caught his eye, then Aunt Tish's beckoning hand.
+
+Hastily excusing himself, he made his way through the crowd, and bent to
+hear her message.
+
+"Hit's Miss Kippy," she whispered. "I hate to 'sturb you, but she done
+crack her doll's head, an' she's takin' on so, I can't do nuffin 't all
+wif her."
+
+"Couldn't you contrive to get her quiet no way at all?" asked Mr. Opp,
+anxiously.
+
+"Naw, sir. She mek like dat doll her shore 'nough baby, and she 'low she
+gwine die, too, furst chanct she gits. I got Val's mother to stay wif
+her till I git back."
+
+"All right," said Mr. Opp, hastily. "You go right on and tell her I'm
+coming."
+
+When he reëntered the dining-room, he held his hat in his hand.
+
+"I find a urgent matter of business calls me back home; for only a few
+moments, I trust," he said apologetically, with bows and smiles. "If the
+banquet will kindly proceed, I will endeavor to return in ample time for
+the final speeches."
+
+With the air of a monarch taking temporary leave of his subjects, he
+turned his back upon the gay, protesting crowd, upon the feast prepared
+in his honor, upon the speech-making, so dear to his heart. Tramping
+through the snow of the deserted street, through the lonely graveyard,
+and along the river road, he went to bind up the head of a china doll,
+and to wipe away the tears of a little half-crazed sister.
+
+He wears the same checked suit as when we saw him first, worn and
+frayed, to be sure, but carefully pressed for the occasion, the same
+brave scarf and pin, and watch fob, though the watch is missing.
+
+Passing out of sight with the sleet in his face, and the wind cutting
+through his finery, he whistles as he goes, such a plucky, sturdy,
+hopeful whistle as calls to arms the courage that lies slumbering in the
+hearts of men.
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Opp, by Alice Hegan Rice
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. OPP ***
+
+***** This file should be named 25070-8.txt or 25070-8.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/0/7/25070/
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Wilson and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/25070-8.zip b/25070-8.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..775d012
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-8.zip
diff --git a/25070-h.zip b/25070-h.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..301dfc1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h.zip
diff --git a/25070-h/25070-h.htm b/25070-h/25070-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e9941e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/25070-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,10478 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd">
+<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
+<head>
+<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1" />
+<title>The Project Gutenberg eBook of Mr. Opp, by Alice Hegan Rice</title>
+<style type="text/css">
+    /* slight differences for print and screen */
+  @media print {
+    .main p {text-indent: 1.5em;
+      margin-bottom: .1em; }
+    span.pgmark {border: 0 !important;
+      display: none; visibility: hidden; }
+    hr.pg, .nopr {display: none; visibility: hidden; }
+    }
+
+  @media screen {
+    p {text-indent: 0;
+      margin-bottom: 0.75em; }
+    span.pgmark {border-top: thin solid silver;
+      border-bottom: thin solid silver;
+      display: inline; }
+    div.poem {padding-top: .25em;
+      padding-bottom: .75em; }
+    }
+
+    /* links */
+  @media print {
+    a:link {color: black; background-color: inherit;
+      text-decoration: none;}
+    a:visited {color: black; background-color: inherit;
+      text-decoration: none;}
+    }
+
+  @media screen {
+    a:link {color: blue; background-color: inherit;
+      text-decoration: none;}
+    a:visited {color: blue; background-color: inherit;
+      text-decoration: none;}
+    a:hover {color: red; background-color: inherit;}
+    a:focus {outline: #ffee66 solid 2px; color: inherit; background-color: #ffee66;}
+    }
+
+  body {margin-left: 10%;
+    margin-right: 10%;
+    font-size: large;
+    text-align: justify; }
+
+  div.main {margin-left: auto;
+    margin-right: auto;
+    max-width: 30em;
+    page-break-after: always; }
+
+  div.frontmatter {margin-left: auto;
+    margin-right: auto;
+    page-break-after: always;
+    text-align: center;
+    text-indent: 0 ! important; }
+  .frontmatter table {margin-left: auto;
+    margin-right: auto;
+    min-width: 30em; }
+  .frontmatter tr.first td {padding-top: 0.05em ! important; }
+  .frontmatter td {vertical-align: text-top;
+    text-align: left;
+    text-indent: 0;
+    padding: 1em 0.5em 0.05em 0.5em; }
+  .frontmatter td.rt {text-align: right;
+    vertical-align: text-bottom;
+    text-indent: 0;
+    width: 7em;
+    padding: 1em 0.05em 0.05em 0.25em; }
+  .frontmatter td.pg {text-align: right;
+    vertical-align: text-bottom;
+    text-indent: 0 ;
+    padding: 1em 0.05em 0.05em 0.25em; }
+  .frontmatter small {font-size: 60%; }
+  p.auth {font-size: 140%;
+   padding-top: 2em;
+   padding-bottom: 0; }
+  p.illo {padding-top: 3em; }
+  p.pub2 {padding-top: 4em;
+    font-size: 90%;
+    line-height: 1.5;}
+  p.pub3 {font-size: 75%; }
+
+  h1 {font-size: 240%;
+    text-align: center;
+    font-weight: bold;
+    line-height: 1.4;
+    word-spacing: 0.25em;
+    letter-spacing: 0.05em;
+    padding-top: 2em;
+    padding-bottom: 0; margin-bottom:0;
+    page-break-after: avoid ! important; }
+  h2.chap {font-size: 140%;
+    text-align: center;
+    font-weight: normal;
+    line-height: 2;
+    word-spacing: 0.5em;
+    padding-top: 3em;
+    padding-bottom: 0; margin-bottom: 1.5em;
+    page-break-after: avoid ! important; }
+  h2.chapi {font-size: 140%;
+    text-align: center;
+    font-weight: normal;
+    line-height: 2;
+    word-spacing: 0.5em;
+    padding-top: 1em;
+    padding-bottom: 0; margin-bottom: 1.5em;
+    page-break-after: avoid ! important; }
+
+  p {margin-top: 0; }
+  p.tb {margin-top: 1.5em; }
+  p.start {text-indent: 0 ! important;
+    margin-top: 1.25em; }
+  p.start span {font-style: normal;
+    font-variant: small-caps;
+    margin-left: -9px; }
+  p.start span.initq {font-style: normal;
+    font-variant: normal;
+    float: left;
+    margin-left: -1em;
+    margin-bottom: -1.2em; }
+  div.quote {font-size: medium;
+    padding-top : 0.75em;
+    padding-bottom: 0.75em; }
+  p.fin {text-align: center;
+    text-indent: 0 ! important;
+    text-transform: lowercase;
+    font-variant: small-caps;
+    word-spacing: 0.5em;
+    letter-spacing: 0.15em;
+    margin: 2em auto; }
+  p.sign {text-align: right;
+    margin-right: 10%;
+    padding-top: 1em;
+    padding-bottom: 1em; }
+  p.yours {text-align: right;
+    margin-right: 35%;
+    padding-top: 1em; }
+
+  img.initial {float: left;
+    clear: left;
+    margin: 0 12px 0 0; }
+
+  /* illustrations */
+  p.illus img {padding: 5px;
+    margin-bottom: 10px;
+    clear: both;}
+  p.illus {text-indent: 0 ! important;
+    text-align: center;
+    margin: 2.5em 0;
+    font-style: normal;
+    font-size: 80%; }
+
+  /* styling for poems */
+  div.poem {text-align: left;
+    margin-left: 10em;
+    margin-right: 0em;
+    page-break-inside: avoid !important; }
+  div.poem div { /* default line, no indent */
+    line-height: 1.3em;
+    margin-top: 0em;
+    margin-left: 5em;
+    text-indent: -5em; }
+  div.poem .i2 {text-indent: -4em; }
+  div.poem .i4 {text-indent: -3em; }
+
+  hr {background-color: black; color: inherit; padding: 0;}
+  hr.pg {width: 100%;
+    height: 5px;
+    margin-top: 15px;
+    margin-bottom: 15px; }
+  hr.tiny {width: 3em;
+    height: 1px;
+    margin: 0 auto 0.8em auto; }
+
+  span.pgmark {font-size: x-small;
+    font-family: serif;
+    font-variant: normal;
+    font-style: normal;
+    font-weight: normal;
+    line-height: 1.2;
+    text-indent: 0; text-align: left;
+    margin: 0; padding: .05em 0.5em !important;
+    position: absolute; left: 1%; }
+
+ /* for documenting trivial corrections */
+  ins.TNsilent {text-decoration: none;
+    border-bottom: 0; }
+
+  .ns {display: none; visibility: hidden; }
+  .pgbrk {page-break-after: always; }
+  .pbb {page-break-before: always; }
+  .ctr {text-align: center; text-indent: 0 ! important; }
+  .noindent {text-indent: 0 ! important; }
+  .smc {font-variant: small-caps; }
+  .allsc {font-variant: small-caps;
+    text-transform: lowercase; }
+  em {font-style: italic; }
+  .sans {font-family: sans-serif; }
+
+</style>
+</head>
+<body>
+
+
+<pre>
+
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Opp, by Alice Hegan Rice
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Mr. Opp
+
+Author: Alice Hegan Rice
+
+Release Date: April 14, 2008 [EBook #25070]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. OPP ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Wilson and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+</pre>
+
+
+
+
+<hr class="pg" />
+
+
+<p class="illus pbb pgbrk"><a name="png.001" id="png.001"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span
+ class="pgmark">i</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span><img src="images/illus001.jpg" width="450" height="713"
+ alt="" title="Frontispiece" /><br
+ />&ldquo;He read impressively&rdquo;</p>
+
+<div class="frontmatter">
+<h1><a name="png.002" id="png.002"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span
+ class="pgmark">ii</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>MR. OPP</h1>
+
+<p class="auth"><small>BY</small><br
+ />ALICE HEGAN RICE</p>
+
+<p><small>AUTHOR OF &ldquo;MRS. WIGGS OF THE CABBAGE PATCH,&rdquo;<br
+ />&ldquo;LOVEY MARY,&rdquo; &ldquo;SANDY,&rdquo; ETC.</small></p>
+
+<p class="illo">WITH ILLUSTRATIONS<br
+ />BY LEON GUIPON</p>
+
+<p class="illus"><img src="images/logo-002.png"
+ alt="Publisher's device" title="Publishers' device" width="150" height="146" /></p>
+<p class="pgbrk">NEW YORK<br
+ />THE CENTURY CO.<br
+ />1909</p>
+
+
+<p class="pub2"><a name="png.003" id="png.003"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span
+ class="pgmark">iii</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Copyright, 1908, 1909, by<br
+ /><span class="smc">The Century Co.</span></p>
+<hr class="tiny" />
+<p class="pub3"><i>Published, April, 1909</i></p>
+
+<p class="pub2 pgbrk sans">THE DE VINNE PRESS</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.004" id="png.004"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span
+ class="pgmark">iv</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</h2>
+
+<table summary="List of Figures">
+<tr class="first"><td></td><td class="rt"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr>
+
+<tr class="first"><td>&ldquo;He read impressively&rdquo;</td>
+  <td class="rt"><a href="#png.001"><i>Frontispiece</i></a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>&ldquo;&lsquo;Don&#8217;t leave me&rsquo;&rdquo;</td>
+  <td class="pg"><a href="#png.050">45</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>&ldquo;&lsquo;Why, Mr. Opp, I&#8217;m not old enough&rsquo;&rdquo;</td>
+  <td class="pg"><a href="#png.134">124</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>&ldquo;It was Mr. Opp saying his prayers&rdquo;</td>
+  <td class="pg"><a href="#png.202">192</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>&ldquo;&lsquo;Oh, my God, it has come&rsquo;&rdquo;</td>
+  <td class="pg"><a href="#png.268">258</a></td></tr>
+
+<tr><td>&ldquo;&lsquo;Can&#8217;t nobody beat me making skirts&rsquo;&rdquo;</td>
+  <td class="pg"><a href="#png.324">314</a></td></tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<div class="main">
+
+
+<h1><a name="png.008" id="png.008"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">3</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>MR. OPP</h1>
+
+
+<h2 class="chapi">I</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><span class="initq">&ldquo;</span><img class="initial"
+ src="images/i-initial.png" alt="I" title="I" width="160" height="150"
+ /><span>&nbsp;hope</span> your passenger
+hasn&#8217;t missed his
+train,&rdquo; observed the ferryman
+to Mr. Jimmy
+Fallows, who sat on the
+river bank with the
+painter of his rickety little naphtha
+launch held loosely in his hand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Opp?&rdquo; said Jimmy. &ldquo;I bet he
+did. If there is one person in the world
+that&#8217;s got a talent for missing things,
+it&#8217;s Mr. Opp. I never seen him that he
+hadn&#8217;t just missed gettin&#8217; a thousand
+dollar job, or inventin&#8217; a patent, or bein&#8217;
+hurt when he had took out a accident
+policy. If he did ketch a train, like
+enough it was goin&#8217; the wrong way.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.009" id="png.009"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">4</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Jimmy had been waiting since nine in
+the morning, and it was now well past
+noon. He was a placid gentleman of
+curvilinear type, short of limb and large
+of girth. His trousers, of that morose
+hue termed by the country people
+&ldquo;plum,&rdquo; reached to his armpits, and his
+hat, large and felt and weather-beaten,
+was only prevented from eclipsing his
+head by the stubborn resistance of two
+small, knob-like ears.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Opp ain&#8217;t been back to the Cove
+for a long while, has he?&rdquo; asked the ferryman,
+whose intellectual life depended
+solely upon the crumbs of information
+scattered by chance passers-by.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Goin&#8217; on two years,&rdquo; said Mr. Fallows.
+&ldquo;Reckon he&#8217;s been so busy formin&#8217;
+trusts and buyin&#8217; out railways and
+promotin&#8217; things generally that he ain&#8217;t
+had any time to come back home. It&#8217;s
+his step-pa&#8217;s funeral that&#8217;s bringin&#8217;
+him now. The only time city folks seem
+to want to see their kin folks in the country
+is when they are dead.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ain&#8217;t that him a-comin&#8217; down the
+<a name="png.010" id="png.010"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">5</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>bank?&rdquo; asked the ferryman, shading his
+eyes with his hands.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Fallows, with some difficulty, got
+to his feet.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, that&#8217;s him all right. Hustlin&#8217;
+to beat the band. Wonder if he takes me
+for a street car.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Coming with important stride down
+the wharf, and whistling as he came, was
+a small man of about thirty-five. In one
+hand he carried a large suit-case, and in
+the other a new and shining grip. On
+both were painted, in letters designed to
+be seen, &ldquo;D.&nbsp;Webster Opp, Kentucky.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In fact, everything about him was evidently
+designed to be seen. His new suit
+of insistent plaid, his magnificent tie sagging
+with the weight of a colossal scarf-pin,
+his brown hat, his new tan shoes, all
+demanded individual and instant attention.</p>
+
+<p>The only insignificant thing about Mr.
+Opp was himself. His slight, undeveloped
+body seemed to be in a chronic state
+of apology for failing properly to set off
+the glorious raiment wherewith it was
+<a name="png.011" id="png.011"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">6</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>clothed. His pock-marked face, wide at
+the temples, sloped to a small, pointed
+chin, which, in turn, sloped precipitously
+into a long, thin neck. It was Mr. Opp&#8217;s
+eyes, however, that one saw first, for
+they were singularly vivid, with an expression
+that made strangers sometimes
+pause in the street to ask him if he had
+spoken to them. Small, pale, and red of
+rim, they nevertheless held the look of
+intense hunger&mdash;hunger for the hope or
+the happiness of the passing moment.</p>
+
+<p>As he came bustling down to the
+water&#8217;s-edge he held out a friendly hand
+to Jimmy Fallows.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How are you, Jimmy?&rdquo; he said in a
+voice freighted with importance. &ldquo;Hope
+I haven&#8217;t kept you waiting long. Several
+matters of business come up at the
+last and final moment, and I missed the
+morning train.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Jimmy, who was pouring gasolene
+into a tank in the launch, treated the
+ferryman to a prodigious wink.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, not more&#8217;n four or five hour,&rdquo;
+he said, casting side glances of mingled
+<a name="png.012" id="png.012"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">7</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>scorn and admiration at Mr. Opp&#8217;s attire.
+&ldquo;It is a good thing it was the
+funeral you was tryin&#8217; to get to instid
+of the death-bed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, that reminds me,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp,
+suddenly exchanging his air of cheerfulness
+for one of becoming gravity&mdash;&ldquo;what
+time is the funeral obsequies
+going to take place?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Whenever we git there,&rdquo; said
+Jimmy, pushing off the launch and waving
+his hand to the ferryman. &ldquo;You&#8217;re
+one of the chief mourners, and I&#8217;m the
+undertaker; there ain&#8217;t much danger in
+us gettin&#8217; left.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp deposited his baggage carefully
+on the seat, and spread his coat
+across the new grip to keep it from getting
+splashed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How long was Mr. Moore sick?&rdquo; he
+asked, fanning himself with his hat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Jimmy, &ldquo;he was in a
+dangerous and critical condition for
+about twenty-one years, accordin&#8217; to his
+own account. I been seein&#8217; him durin&#8217;
+that time on a average of four times a
+<a name="png.013" id="png.013"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">8</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>day, and last night when I seen him in
+his coffin it was the first time the old
+gentleman failed to ask me to give him a
+drink on account of his poor health.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is Ben there?&rdquo; asked Mr. Opp, studying
+a time-table, and making a note in his
+memorandum-book.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your brother Ben? Yes; he come
+this mornin&#8217; just before I left. He was
+cussin&#8217; considerable because you wasn&#8217;t
+there, so&#8217;s they could go on and git
+through. He wants to start back to Missouri
+to-night.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is he out at the house?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No; he&#8217;s at Your Hotel.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp looked up in surprise, and
+Jimmy chuckled.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That there&#8217;s the name of my new
+hotel. Started up sence you went away.
+Me and old man Tucker been running
+boardin&#8217;-houses side by side all these
+years. What did he do last summer but
+go out and git him a sign as big as the
+side of the house, and git Nick Fenny to
+paint &lsquo;Our Hotel&rsquo; on it; then he put it
+up right across the sidewalk, from the
+<a name="png.014" id="png.014"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">9</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>gate clean out to the road. I didn&#8217;t say
+nothin&#8217;, but let the boys keep on a-kiddin&#8217;
+me till the next day; then I got me
+a sign jus&#8217; like his, with &lsquo;Your Hotel&rsquo; on
+it, and put it up crost my sidewalk.
+He&#8217;d give a pretty if they was both
+down now; but he won&#8217;t take his down
+while mine is up, and I ain&#8217;t got no
+notion of taking it down.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, absently, for his
+mind was still on the time-table; &ldquo;I see
+that there&#8217;s an accommodation that departs
+out of Coreyville in the neighborhood
+of noon to-morrow. It&#8217;s a little
+unconvenient, I&#8217;m afraid, but do you
+think you could get me back in time to
+take it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, what&#8217;s yer hurry?&rdquo; asked
+Jimmy, steering for mid-stream. &ldquo;I
+thought you&#8217;d come to visit a spell, with
+all them bags and things.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp carelessly tossed back the
+sleeve of the coat, to display more fully
+the name on the suit-case. &ldquo;Them&#8217;s
+drummers&#8217; samples,&rdquo; he said almost
+reverently&mdash;&ldquo;the finest line of shoes that
+<a name="png.015" id="png.015"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">10</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>have ever been put out by any house in
+the United States, bar none.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, I thought you was in the insurance
+business,&rdquo; said Jimmy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no; that was last year, just previous
+to my reporting on a newspaper.
+This&rdquo;&mdash;and Mr. Opp tried to spread out
+his hands, but was slightly deterred by
+the size of his cuffs&mdash;&ldquo;this is the chance
+I been looking for all my life. It takes
+brains and a&#8217; educated nerve, and a
+knowledge of the world. I ought to
+create considerable capital in the next
+few years. And just as soon as I do&rdquo;&mdash;and
+Mr. Opp leaned earnestly toward
+Jimmy, and tapped one finger upon the
+palm of his other hand&mdash;&ldquo;just as soon
+as I do, I intend to buy up all the land
+lying between Turtle Creek and the
+river. There&#8217;s enough oil under that
+there ground to ca&#8217;m the troubled
+waters of the Pacific Ocean. You remember
+old Mr. Beeker? Well, he told
+me, ten years ago, that he bored a well
+for brine over there, and it got so full of
+black petroleum he had to abandon it.
+<a name="png.016" id="png.016"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">11</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>Now, I&#8217;m calculating on forming a stock
+company,&mdash;you and Mr. Tucker, I and
+old man Hager, and one or two others,&mdash;and
+buying up that ground. Then we&#8217;ll
+sink a test well, get up a derrick and a&#8217;
+engine, and have the thing running in no
+time. The main thing is a competent
+manager. You know I&#8217;m thinking
+seriously of taking it myself? It&#8217;s too
+big a proposition to run any risks with.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Here, say, wait a minute; how long
+have you had this here shoe job?&rdquo;
+Jimmy caught madly at the first fact in
+sight to keep him from being swept away
+by the flood of Mr. Opp&#8217;s oily possibilities.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I taken it last week,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp;
+&ldquo;had to go all the way to Chicago to get
+my instructions, and to get fitted out.
+My territory is a specially important
+one; four counties, all round Chicago.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I was in Chicago oncet,&rdquo; said
+Jimmy, his eyes brightening at the memory.
+&ldquo;By golly! if the world is as big in
+every direction as it is in that, she&#8217;s a
+whopper!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.017" id="png.017"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">12</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>The wind, freshening as they got
+under way, loosened the canvas overhead,
+and Mr. Opp rose to buckle it into
+place. As he half knelt in the bow of the
+boat, he lifted his face to the cool breeze,
+and took a deep breath of satisfaction.
+The prosaic river from Coreyville to the
+Cove was the highway he knew best in
+the world. Under the summer sunshine
+the yellow waters lost their sullen hue,
+and reflected patches of vivid red and
+white from the cottages and barns that
+dotted the distant shore.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t consider there&#8217;s any sceneries
+in the country that&#8217;ll even begin to
+compare with these here,&rdquo; Mr. Opp announced,
+out of the depths of his wide
+experience. &ldquo;Just look at the sunshine
+pouring forth around the point of the
+island. It spills through the trees and
+leaks out over the water just like quicksilver.
+Now, that&#8217;s a good thought!
+It&#8217;s perfectly astounding, you might say
+surprising, how easy thoughts come to
+me. I ought to been a writer; lots of
+folks have said so. Why, there ain&#8217;t a
+<a name="png.018" id="png.018"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">13</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>day of my life that I don&#8217;t get a poem in
+my head.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Shucks!&rdquo; observed Jimmy Fallows.
+&ldquo;I&#8217;d as lief read figgers on a tow-boat
+as to read poetry. Old man Gusty used
+to write poetry, but he couldn&#8217;t get nobody
+to print it, so he decided to start a
+newspaper at the Cove and chuck it full
+of his own poems. He bought a whole
+printin&#8217; outfit, and set it up in Pete
+Aker&#8217;s old carpenter shop out there at
+the edge of town, opposite his home. But
+&#8217;fore he got his paper started he up and
+died. Yes, sir; and the only one of his
+poems that he ever did git in print was
+the one his wife had cut on his tombstone.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp was not listening. With his
+head bared and his lips parted he was indulging
+in his principal weakness. For
+Mr. Opp, it must be confessed, was given
+to violent intoxication, not from an extraneous
+source, but from too liberal
+draughts of his own imagination. In
+extenuation, the claims of genius might
+be urged, for a genius he unquestionably
+<a name="png.019" id="png.019"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">14</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>was in that he created something out of
+nothing. Out of an abnormal childhood,
+a lonely boyhood, and a failure-haunted
+manhood, he had managed to achieve an
+absorbing career. Each successive enterprise
+had loomed upon his horizon big
+with possibilities, and before it sank to
+oblivion, another scheme, portentous,
+significant, had filled its place. Life was
+a succession of crises, and through them
+he saw himself moving, now a shrewd
+merchant, now a professional man, again
+an author of note, but oftenest of all a
+promoter of great enterprises, a financier,
+and man of affairs.</p>
+
+<p>While he was thus mentally engaged
+in drilling oil-wells, composing poetry,
+and selling shoes, Jimmy Fallows was
+contemplating with fascinated wonder an
+object that floated from his coat pocket.
+From a brown-paper parcel, imperfectly
+wrapped, depended a curl of golden hair,
+and it bobbed about in the breeze in a
+manner that reduced Mr. Fallows to a
+state of abject curiosity.</p>
+
+<p>So intent was Jimmy upon his investigation
+<a name="png.020" id="png.020"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">15</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>that he failed to hold his course,
+and the launch swung around the end of
+the island with such a sudden jerk that
+Mr. Opp took an unexpected seat.</p>
+
+<p>As he did so, his hand touched the
+paper parcel in his pocket, and realizing
+that it was untied, he hastily endeavored,
+by a series of surreptitious man&oelig;uvers,
+to conceal what it contained. Feeling the
+quizzical eye of his shipmate full upon
+him, he assumed an air of studied indifference,
+and stoically ignored the subterranean
+chuckles and knowing winks in
+which Mr. Fallows indulged.</p>
+
+<p>Presently, when the situation had become
+poignant, Mr. Opp observed that he
+supposed the funeral would take place
+from the church.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I reckon so,&rdquo; said Jimmy, reluctantly
+answering to the call of the conversational
+rudder. &ldquo;I told the boys to have
+a hack there for you and Mr. Ben and
+Miss Kippy.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t think my sister will be there,&rdquo;
+said Mr. Opp, with dignity; &ldquo;she seldom
+or never leaves the house.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.021" id="png.021"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">16</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Reckon Mr. Ben will have to take
+keer of her now,&rdquo; said Jimmy; &ldquo;she
+surely will miss her pa. He never done
+a lick of work since I knowed him, but he
+was a nice, quiet old fellow, and he certainly
+was good to pore Miss Kippy.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Moore was a gentleman,&rdquo; said
+Mr. Opp, and he sighed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ain&#8217;t she got any kin on his side?
+No folks except you two half-brothers?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;s all,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp; &ldquo;just I
+and Ben.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gee! that&#8217;s kind of tough on you <ins class="TNsilent" title="Transcriber's note:
+ original shows a period">all,</ins>
+ain&#8217;t it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But the sympathy was untimely, for
+Mr. Opp&#8217;s dignity had been touched in a
+sensitive place.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Our sister will be well provided for,&rdquo;
+he said, and the conversation suffered a
+relapse.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">Mr. Opp went back to his time-tables
+and his new note-book, and for the rest
+of the trip Jimmy devoted himself to his
+wheel, with occasional ocular excursions
+in the direction of Mr. Opp&#8217;s coat pocket.</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.022" id="png.022"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">17</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>II</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/l-initial.png"
+ alt="L" width="158" height="150" /><span>ying</span> in the crook of the
+river&#8217;s elbow, with the
+nearest railroad eighteen
+miles away, Cove City,
+familiarly known as the
+Cove, rested serenely undisturbed
+by the progress of the world.
+Once a day, at any time between sundown
+and midnight, it was roused from
+its drowsiness by the arrival of the mail-boat,
+and, shaking itself into temporary
+wakefulness, sat up and rubbed its eyes.
+This animation was, however, of short
+duration, for before the packet had
+whistled for the next landing, the Cove
+had once more settled back into slumber.</p>
+
+<p>Main Street began with a shabby, unpainted
+school-house, and following dramatic
+sequence, ended abruptly in the
+graveyard. Two cross-streets, which had
+started out with laudable ideas of
+<a name="png.023" id="png.023"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">18</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>independence, lost courage at Main Street
+and sought strength in union; but the
+experiment was not successful, and a
+cow-path was the result. The only semblance
+of frivolity about the town was a
+few straggling cottages on stilts of varying
+height as they approached the river;
+for they seemed ever in the act of holding
+up their skirts preparatory to wading
+forth into the water.</p>
+
+<p>On this particular summer afternoon
+Cove City was less out of crimp than
+usual. The gathering of loafers that
+generally decorated the empty boxes
+piled along the sidewalk was missing.
+The old vehicles and weary-looking
+mules which ordinarily formed an irregular
+fringe along the hitching rail were
+conspicuously absent. A subdued excitement
+was in the air, and at the slightest
+noise feminine heads appeared at
+windows, and masculine figures appeared
+in doorways, and comments were exchanged
+in low tones from one side of
+the street to the other. For the loss of
+a citizen, even a poor one, disturbs the
+<a name="png.024" id="png.024"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">19</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>surface of affairs, and when the event
+brings two relatives from a distance, the
+ripples of excitement increase perceptibly.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Moore had been a citizen-in-law,
+as it were, and had never been considered
+in any other light than poor Mrs. Opp&#8217;s
+widower. Mrs. Opp&#8217;s poor widower
+might have been a truer way of stating
+it, but even a town has its parental weaknesses.</p>
+
+<p>For two generations the Opp family
+had been a source of mystery and romance
+to the Cove. It stood apart, like
+the house that held it, poor and shabby,
+but bearing a baffling atmosphere of gentility,
+of superiority, and of reserve.</p>
+
+<p>Old women recalled strange tales of
+the time when Mrs. Opp had come to the
+Cove as a bride, and how she refused to
+meet any of the townspeople, and lived
+alone in the old house on the river-bank,
+watching from hour to hour for the wild
+young husband who clerked on one of the
+river steamers. They told how she grew
+thin and white with waiting, and how,
+<a name="png.025" id="png.025"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">20</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>when her two boys were small, she made
+them stand beside her for hours at a
+time, watching the river and listening for
+the whistle of his boat. Then the story
+went that the gay young husband stopped
+coming altogether, and still she watched
+and waited, never allowing the boys out
+of her sight, refusing to send them to
+school, or to let them play with other
+children. By and by word was brought
+that her husband had been killed in a
+quarrel over cards, and little Mrs. Opp,
+having nothing now to watch for and to
+wait for, suddenly became strangely
+changed.</p>
+
+<p>Old Aunt Tish, the negro servant, was
+the only person who ever crossed the
+threshold, and she told of a strange life
+that went on behind the closely curtained
+windows, where the sunlight was never
+allowed to enter, and lamps burned all
+day long.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yas, &#8217;m,&rdquo; she used to say in answer
+to curious questionings; &ldquo;hit&#8217;s jes like
+play-actin&#8217; all de time. The Missis dress
+herself up, an&#8217; &#8217;tend like she&#8217;s a queen
+<a name="png.026" id="png.026"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">21</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>or a duke or somethin&#8217;, an&#8217; dat little D.
+he jes acts out all dem fool things she
+tells him to, an&#8217; he ain&#8217;t never bein&#8217; hisself
+at all, but jes somebody big and
+mighty and grand-like.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When the boys were half-grown, a
+stranger appeared in the Cove, a dapper
+little man of about fifty in a shabby frock-coat
+and a shabbier high hat, kind of face
+and gentle of voice, but with the dignity
+of conscious superiority. The day of his
+arrival he called upon Mrs. Opp; the
+second day he took a preacher with him
+and married her. Whatever old romance
+had led to this climax could only be dimly
+guessed at by the curious townspeople.</p>
+
+<p>For two years Mr. Moore fought for
+the mind of his old sweetheart as he had
+long ago fought for her heart. He
+opened the house to the sunshine, and
+coaxed the little lady back into the world
+she had forgotten. The boys were sent
+to school, the old games and fancies were
+forbidden. Gradually the color returned
+to her cheeks, and the light to her eyes.</p>
+
+<p>Then little Kippy was born, and
+<a name="png.027" id="png.027"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">22</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>happiness such as seldom comes to one who
+has tasted the dregs of life came to the
+frail little woman in the big four-poster
+bed. For ten days she held the baby fingers
+to her heart, and watched the little
+blossom of a maid unfold.</p>
+
+<p>But one black night, when the rain
+beat against the panes, and the moan of
+the river sounded in her ears, she suddenly
+sat up in bed: she had heard the
+whistle of <em>his</em> boat! Full of dumb terror
+she crept to the window, and with her
+face pressed against the glass she waited
+and watched. The present was swallowed
+up in the past. She was once more
+alone, unloved, afraid. Stealthily snatching
+a cloak, she crept down into the garden,
+feeling her way through the sodden
+grass, and the jimpson weed which the
+rain had beaten down.</p>
+
+<p>And ever since, when children pass the
+house on their way to school, they peep
+through the broken fence rails, and point
+out to one another, in awed tones, the
+tree under which Miss Kippy&#8217;s mother
+killed herself. Then they look half-fearfully
+<a name="png.028" id="png.028"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">23</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>at the windows in the hope of catching
+a glimpse of Miss Kippy herself.</p>
+
+<p>For Kippy had had a long illness in
+her thirteenth year which left her with
+the face and mind of a little child, and
+kindly, shabby Mr. Moore, having made
+the supreme effort of his life, from this
+time on ceased to struggle against the
+weakness that for half a lifetime had beset
+him, and sought oblivion in innocuous
+but perpetual libations. The one duty
+which he recognized was the care of his
+invalid daughter.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">As soon as they were old enough, the
+boys launched their small craft and set
+forth to seek their fortunes. Ben, with
+no cargo on board but his own desires,
+went west and found a snug and comfortable
+harbor, while D.&nbsp;Webster, the
+hope of his mother and the pride of the
+town, was at thirty-five still putting out
+to sea, with all sail set, only to find himself
+again and again aground on the
+sandbars of the old familiar Cove.</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.029" id="png.029"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">24</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>III</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/j-initial.png"
+ alt="J" title="J" width="156" height="150" /><span>immy Fallows</span>, being the
+boastful possessor of the
+fleetest horse in town,
+was the first to return
+from the funeral. Extricating
+himself with
+some difficulty from the narrow-seated
+buggy, he held out his hand to Mrs. Fallows.
+But that imposing lady, evidently
+offended with her jovial lord, refused his
+proffered aid, and clambered out over
+the wheel on the other side.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Fallows, whose architectural effects
+were strictly perpendicular, cast a
+perpetual shadow of disapproval over
+the life partner whom it had pleased
+Providence to bestow upon her. Jimmy
+was a born satirist; he knew things are
+not what they seem, and he wickedly rejoiced
+thereat. To his literal,
+<a name="png.030" id="png.030"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">25</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>pious-minded wife he at times seemed the
+incarnation of wickedness.</p>
+
+<p>Sweeping with dignity beneath the
+arching sign of Your Hotel, she took her
+seat upon the porch, and, disposing her
+sable robes about her, folded her mitted
+hands, and waited to see the people return
+from the funeral.</p>
+
+<p>Jimmy, with the uncertain expression
+of one who is ready to apologize, but cannot
+remember the offense, hovered about
+uneasily, casting tempting bits of conversational
+bait into the silence, but failing
+to attract so much as a nibble of
+attention.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Miss Jemima Fenny was over to the
+funeral from Birdtown. Miss Jim is one
+of &#8217;em, ain&#8217;t she?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>There was no response.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Had her brother Nick with her. He&#8217;s
+just gettin&#8217; over typhoid fever; looks
+about the size and color of a slate pencil.
+I bet, in spite of Miss Jim&#8217;s fine clothes,
+they ain&#8217;t had a square meal for a month.
+That&#8217;s because she kept him at school so
+long when he orter been at work. He did
+<a name="png.031" id="png.031"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">26</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>git a job in a newspaper office over at
+Coreyville not long &#8217;fore he was took
+sick. They tell me he&#8217;s as slick as a
+onion about newspaper work.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Continued silence; but Jimmy boldly
+cast another fly:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Last funeral we had was Mrs. Tucker&#8217;s,
+wasn&#8217;t it? Old man Tucker was
+there to-day. Crape band on his hat is
+climbin&#8217; up; it&#8217;ll be at high mast ag&#8217;in
+soon.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Dense, nerve-racking silence; but
+Jimmy made one more effort:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The Opps are coming back here tonight
+to talk things over before Ben goes
+on to Missouri. He counts on ketchin&#8217;
+the night boat. It won&#8217;t give him much
+time, will it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Mrs. Fallows, unrelaxed, stared
+fixedly before her; she had taken refuge
+in that most trying of all rejoinders, silence,
+and the fallible Jimmy, who waxed
+strong and prospered upon abuse,
+drooped and languished under this new
+and cruel form of punishment.</p>
+
+<p>It was not until a buggy stopped at the
+<a name="png.032" id="png.032"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">27</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>door, and the Opp brothers descended,
+that the tension was in any way relieved.</p>
+
+<p>Jimmy greeted them with the joy of an
+Arctic explorer welcoming a relief party.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Come right on in here, in the office,&rdquo;
+he cried hospitably; &ldquo;your talkin&#8217;
+won&#8217;t bother me a speck.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Ben abruptly expressed his desire
+for more private quarters, and led the
+way up-stairs.</p>
+
+<p>The low-ceiled room into which he
+ushered D.&nbsp;Webster was of such a depressing
+drab that even the green and
+red bed-quilt failed to disperse the
+gloom. The sole decoration, classic in
+its severity, was a large advertisement
+for a business college, whereon an elk&#8217;s
+head grew out of a bow of ribbon, the
+horns branching and rebranching into a
+forest of curves and flourishes.</p>
+
+<p>The elder Opp took his seat by the
+window, and drummed with impatient
+fingers on the sill. He was small, like his
+brother, but of a compact, sturdy build.
+His chin, instead of dwindling to a point,
+was square and stubborn, and his eyes
+<a name="png.033" id="png.033"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">28</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>looked straight ahead at the thing he
+wanted, and neither saw nor cared for
+what lay outside. He had been trying
+ever since leaving the cemetery to bring
+the conversation down to practical matters,
+but D.&nbsp;Webster, seizing the first opportunity
+of impressing himself upon his
+next of kin, had persisted in indulging in
+airy and time-destroying flights of fancy.</p>
+
+<p>The truth is that our Mr. Opp was not
+happy. In his secret heart he felt a bit
+apologetic before the material success of
+his elder brother. Hence it was necessary
+to talk a great deal and to set forth
+in detail the very important business
+enterprises upon which he was about to
+embark.</p>
+
+<p>Presently Ben Opp looked at his
+watch.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;See here,&rdquo; he interrupted, &ldquo;that boat
+may be along at any time. We&#8217;d better
+come to some decision about the estate.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>D.&nbsp;Webster ran his fingers through his
+hair, which stood in valiant defense of
+the small bald spot behind it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, yes,&rdquo; he said; &ldquo;business is
+<a name="png.034" id="png.034"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">29</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>business. I&#8217;ll have to be off myself the very
+first thing in the morning. This funeral
+couldn&#8217;t have come at a more unfortunate
+time for me. You see, my special
+territory&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Ben saw the danger of another
+bolt, and checked him:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How much do you think the old house
+is worth?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>D.&nbsp;Webster drew forth his shiny note-book
+and pencil and made elaborate calculations.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I should say,&rdquo; he said, as one financier
+to another, &ldquo;that including of the
+house and land and contents of same, it
+would amount to the whole sum total of
+about two thousand dollars.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is about what I figured,&rdquo; said
+Ben; &ldquo;now, how much money is in the
+bank?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>D.&nbsp;Webster produced a formidable
+packet of letters and papers from his inside
+pocket and, after some searching,
+succeeded in finding a statement, which
+set forth the fact that the Ripper County
+Bank held in trust one thousand dollars,
+<a name="png.035" id="png.035"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">30</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>to be divided between the children of
+Mary Opp Moore at the death of her
+husband, Curtis V. Moore.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;One thousand dollars!&rdquo; said Ben,
+looking blankly at his brother, &ldquo;Why,
+for heaven&#8217;s sake, what have Mr. Moore
+and Kippy been living on all these
+years?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>D.&nbsp;Webster moved uneasily in his
+chair. &ldquo;Oh, they&#8217;ve managed to get
+along first rate,&rdquo; he said evasively.</p>
+
+<p>His brother looked at him narrowly.
+&ldquo;On the interest of a thousand dollars?&rdquo;
+He leaned forward, and his face hardened:
+&ldquo;See here, have you been putting
+up cash all this time for that old codger
+to loaf on? Is that why you have never
+gotten ahead?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>D.&nbsp;Webster, with hands in his pockets
+and his feet stretched in front of him,
+was blinking in furious embarrassment
+at the large-eyed elk overhead.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To think,&rdquo; went on Ben, his slow
+wrath rising, &ldquo;of your staying here in
+Kentucky all these years and handing
+out what you made to that old sponger.
+<a name="png.036" id="png.036"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">31</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>I cut loose and made a neat little sum,
+married, and settled down. And what
+have you done? Where have you gotten?
+Anybody that would let himself be imposed
+upon like that deserves to fail.
+Now what do you propose to do about
+this money?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp did not propose to do anything.
+The affront offered his business
+sagacity was of such a nature that it demanded
+all his attention. He composed
+various denunciatory answers with which
+to annihilate his brother. He hesitated
+between two courses, whether he should
+hurl himself upon him in righteous indignation
+and demand physical satisfaction,
+or whether he should rise in a calm and
+manly attitude and wither him with
+blighting sarcasm. And while the decision
+was pending, he still sat with his
+hands in his pockets, and his feet
+stretched forth, and blinked indignantly
+at the ornate elk.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The estate,&rdquo; continued Ben, contempt
+still in his face, &ldquo;amounts at most
+to three thousand dollars, after the house
+<a name="png.037" id="png.037"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">32</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>is sold. Part of this, of course, will go
+to the maintenance of Kippy.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At mention of her name, Mr. Opp&#8217;s
+gaze dropped abruptly to his brother&#8217;s
+face.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What about Kippy? She&#8217;s going to
+live with you, ain&#8217;t she?&rdquo; he asked anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>Ben Opp shook his head emphatically.
+&ldquo;She certainly is not. I haven&#8217;t the
+slightest idea of burdening myself and
+family with that feeble-minded girl.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But see here,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, his anger
+vanishing in the face of this new
+complication, &ldquo;you don&#8217;t know Kippy;
+she&#8217;s just similar to a little child, quiet
+and gentle-like. Never give anybody any
+trouble in her life. Just plays with her
+dolls and sings to herself all day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Exactly,&rdquo; said Ben; &ldquo;twenty-five
+years old and still playing with dolls. I
+saw her yesterday, dressed up in all
+sorts of foolish toggery, talking to her
+hands, and laughing. Aunt Tish humors
+her, and her father humored her, but
+I&#8217;m not going to. I feel sorry for her
+<a name="png.038" id="png.038"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">33</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>all right, but I am not going to take her
+home with me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>D.&nbsp;Webster nervously twisted the
+large seal ring which he wore on his
+forefinger. &ldquo;Then what do you mean,&rdquo;
+he said hesitatingly&mdash;&ldquo;what do you want
+to do about it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, send her to an asylum, of
+course. That&#8217;s where she ought to have
+been all these years.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, sitting upon the small of his
+back, with one leg wrapped casually
+about the leg of the chair, stared at him
+for a moment in consternation, then,
+gathering himself together, rose and for
+the first time since we have met him
+seemed completely to fill his checked
+ready-made suit.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Send Kippy to a lunatic asylum!&rdquo; he
+said in tones so indignant that they made
+his chin tremble. &ldquo;You will do nothing
+whatever of the kind! Why, all she&#8217;s
+ever had in the world was her pa and
+Aunt Tish and her home; now he&#8217;s gone,
+you ain&#8217;t wanting to take the others
+away from her too, are you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.039" id="png.039"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">34</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Well, who is going to take care of
+her?&rdquo; demanded Ben angrily.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am,&rdquo; announced D.&nbsp;Webster, striking
+as fine an attitude as ever his illustrious
+predecessor struck; &ldquo;you take the
+money that&#8217;s in the bank, and leave me
+the house and Kippy. That&#8217;ll be her
+share and mine. I can take care of her;
+I don&#8217;t ask favors of nobody. Suppose
+I do lose my job; I&#8217;ll get me another.
+There&#8217;s a dozen ways I can make a living.
+There ain&#8217;t a man in the State
+that&#8217;s got more resources than me. I
+got plans laid now that&#8217;ll revolutionize&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Ben, quietly, &ldquo;you always
+could do great things.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>D.&nbsp;Webster&#8217;s egotism, inflated to the
+utmost, burst at this prick, and he suddenly
+collapsed. Dropping limply into
+the chair by the table, he held his hand
+over his mouth to hide his agitation.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There&#8217;s&mdash;there&#8217;s one thing,&rdquo; he began,
+swallowing violently, and winking
+after each word, &ldquo;that I&mdash;I can&#8217;t
+<a name="png.040" id="png.040"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">35</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>do&mdash;and that&#8217;s to leave a&mdash;sister&mdash;to die&mdash;among
+strangers.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And then, to his mortification, his
+head went unexpectedly down upon his
+arms, and a flood of tears bedimmed the
+radiance of his twenty-five-cent four-in-hand.</p>
+
+<p>From far down the river came the
+whistle of the boat, and, in the room below,
+Jimmy Fallows removed a reluctant
+ear from the stove-pipe hole.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">&ldquo;Melindy,&rdquo; he said confidentially, entirely
+forgetting the late frost, &ldquo;I never
+see anybody in the world that stood as
+good a show of gittin&#8217; the fool prize as
+that there D.&nbsp;Opp.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.041" id="png.041"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">36</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>IV</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/t-initial.png"
+ alt="T" title="T" width="149" height="150" /><span>he</span> old Opp House stood
+high on the river-bank
+and gazed lonesomely out
+into the summer night.
+It was a shabby, down-at-heel,
+dejected-looking
+place, with one side showing faint lights,
+above and below, but the other side so
+nailed up and empty and useless that it
+gave the place the appearance of being
+paralyzed down one side and of having
+scarcely enough vitality left to sustain
+life in the other.</p>
+
+<p>To make matters worse, an old hound
+howled dismally on the door-step, only
+stopping occasionally to paw at the iron
+latch and to whimper for the master
+whose unsteady footsteps he had followed
+for thirteen years.</p>
+
+<p>In the front room a shaded lamp,
+<a name="png.042" id="png.042"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">37</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>turned low, threw a circle of light on the
+table and floor, leaving the corners full
+of vague, uncertain shadows. From the
+wide, black fireplace a pair of rusty and
+battered andirons held out empty arms,
+and on the high stone shelf above the
+opening, flanked on each side by a stuffed
+owl, was a tall, square-faced clock, with
+the hour-hand missing. The minute-hand
+still went on its useless round, and
+behind it, on the face of the clock, a tiny
+schooner with all sail set rocked with the
+swinging of the pendulum.</p>
+
+<p>The loud ticking of the clock, and the
+lamentations of the hound without, were
+not the only sounds that disturbed the
+night. Before the empty fireplace, in a
+high-backed, cane-bottomed chair, slept
+an old negress, with head bowed, moaning
+and muttering as she slept. She was
+bent and ashen with age, and her brown
+skin sagged in long wrinkles from her
+face and hands. On her forehead, reaching
+from brow to faded turban, was a
+hideous testimony to some ancient conflict.
+A large, irregular hole, over which
+<a name="png.043" id="png.043"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">38</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>the flesh had grown, pulsed as sentiently
+and imperatively as a naked, living
+heart.</p>
+
+<p>A shutter slammed sharply somewhere
+in the house above, and something stirred
+fearfully in the shadow of the room. It
+was a small figure that crouched against
+the wall, listening and watching with the
+furtive terror of a newly captured coyote&mdash;the
+slight figure of a woman dressed
+as a child, with short gingham dress, and
+heelless slippers, and a bright ribbon
+holding back the limp, flaxen hair from
+her strange, pinched face.</p>
+
+<p>Again and again her wide, frightened
+eyes sought the steps leading to the room
+above, and sometimes she would lean
+forward and whisper in agonized expectancy,
+&ldquo;Daddy?&rdquo; Then when no answer
+came, she would shudder back
+against the wall, cold and shaking and
+full of dumb terrors.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly the hound&#8217;s howling changed
+to a sharp bark, and the old negress
+stirred and stretched herself.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What ails dat air dog?&rdquo; she
+<a name="png.044" id="png.044"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">39</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>mumbled, going to the window, and shading
+her eyes with her hand. &ldquo;You&#8217;d &#8217;low
+to hear him tell it he done heared old
+master coming up de road.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>That somebody was coming was evident
+from the continued excitement of
+the hound, and when the gate slammed
+and a man&#8217;s voice sounded in the darkness,
+Aunt Tish opened the door, throwing
+a long, dim patch of light out across
+the narrow porch and over the big, round
+stepping-stones beyond.</p>
+
+<p>Into the light came Mr. Opp, staggering
+under the load of his baggage, his
+coat over his arm, his collar off, thoroughly
+spent with the events of the day.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Lord &#8217;a&#8217; mercy!&rdquo; said Aunt Tish,
+&ldquo;if hit ain&#8217;t Mr. D.! I done give you up
+long ago. I certainly is glad you come.
+Miss Kippy&#8217;s jes carrying on like ever&#8217;thing.
+She ain&#8217;t been to baid for two
+nights, an&#8217; I can&#8217;t do nothin&#8217; &#8217;t all wif
+her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp deposited his things in a corner,
+and, tired as he was, assumed an air
+of authority. It was evident that a man
+<a name="png.045" id="png.045"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">40</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>was needed, a person of firmness, of decision.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll see that she goes to bed at once,&rdquo;
+he said resolutely. &ldquo;Where is she at?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She&#8217;s behind de door,&rdquo; said Aunt
+Tish; &ldquo;she&#8217;s be&#8217;n so skeered ever sence
+her paw died I can&#8217;t do nothin&#8217; wif her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kippy,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, sternly,
+&ldquo;come out here this minute.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But there was no response. Going to
+the corner where his coat lay, he took
+from the pocket a brown-paper parcel.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Say, Kippy,&rdquo; he said in a greatly
+mollified tone, &ldquo;I wish you would come
+on out here and see me. You remember
+brother D., don&#8217;t you? You ought to see
+what I brought you all the way from the
+city. It&#8217;s got blue eyes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At this the small, grotesque figure, distrustful,
+suspicious, ready to take flight
+at a word, ventured slowly forth. So
+slight she was, and so frail, and so softly
+she moved, it was almost as if the wind
+blew her toward him. Every thought
+that came into her brain was instantly
+reflected in her hypersensitive face, and
+<a name="png.046" id="png.046"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">41</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>as she stood before him nervously plucking
+her fingers, fear and joy struggled
+for supremacy. Suddenly with a low cry
+she snatched the doll from him and
+clasped it to her heart.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile Aunt Tish had spread a
+cloth on the table and set forth some cold
+corn dodger, a pitcher of foaming butter-milk,
+and a plate of cold corned beef.
+The milk was in a battered pewter
+pitcher, but the dish that held the corn
+bread was of heavy silver, with intricate
+chasings about the rim.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, with his head propped on his
+hand, ate wearily. He had been up since
+four o&#8217;clock that morning, and to-morrow
+he must be up at daybreak if he was
+to keep his engagements to supply the
+dealers with the greatest line of shoes
+ever put upon the market. Between now
+and then he must decide many things:
+Kippy must be planned for, the house
+gone over, and arrangements made for
+the future. Being behind the scenes, as
+it were, and having no spectator to impress,
+he allowed himself to sink into an
+<a name="png.047" id="png.047"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">42</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>attitude of extreme dejection. And Mr.
+Opp, shorn of the dignity of his heavily
+padded coat, and his imposing collar and
+tie, and with even his pompadour limp
+upon his forehead, failed entirely to give
+a good imitation of himself.</p>
+
+<p>As he sat thus, with one hand hanging
+limply over the back of the chair, he felt
+something touch it softly, dumbly, as a
+dog might. Looking down, he discovered
+Miss Kippy sitting on the floor,
+close behind him, watching him with
+furtive eyes. In one arm she cradled the
+new doll, and in the other she held his
+coat.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp patted her cheek: &ldquo;Whatever
+are you doing with my coat?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+
+<p>Miss Kippy held it behind her, and
+nodded her head wisely: &ldquo;Keeping it so
+you can&#8217;t go away,&rdquo; she whispered.
+&ldquo;I&#8217;ll hold it tight all night. To-morrow
+I&#8217;ll hide it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But I&#8217;m a business man,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Opp, unconsciously straightening his
+shoulders. &ldquo;A great deal of responsibility
+depends on me. I&#8217;ve got to be off
+<a name="png.048" id="png.048"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">43</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>early in the morning; but I&#8217;m coming
+back to see you real often&mdash;every now
+and then.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Miss Kippy&#8217;s whole attitude changed.
+She caught his hand and clung to it, and
+the terror came back to her eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You mustn&#8217;t go,&rdquo; she whispered,
+her body quivering with excitement.
+&ldquo;It&#8217;ll get me if you do. Daddy kept It
+away, and you can keep It away; but
+Aunt Tish can&#8217;t: she&#8217;s afraid of It, too!
+She goes to sleep, and then It reaches at
+me through the window. It comes down
+the chimney, there&mdash;where you see the
+brick&#8217;s loose. Don&#8217;t leave me, D.
+Hush, don&#8217;t you hear It?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Her voice had risen to hysteria, and
+she clung to him, cold and shaken by the
+fear that possessed her.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp put a quieting arm about
+her. &ldquo;Why, see here, Kippy,&rdquo; he said,
+&ldquo;didn&#8217;t you know It was afraid of me?
+Look how strong I am! I could kill It
+with my little finger.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Could you?&rdquo; asked Miss Kippy,
+fearfully.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.049" id="png.049"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">44</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Yes, indeed,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp.
+&ldquo;Don&#8217;t you ever be scared of anything
+whatsoever when Brother D.&#8217;s round.
+I&#8217;m going to take care of you from now
+on.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This me is bad,&rdquo; announced Miss
+Kippy; &ldquo;the other me is good. Her
+name is Oxety; she has one blue eye and
+one brown.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, Oxety must go to bed now,&rdquo;
+said Mr. Opp; &ldquo;it must be getting awful
+late.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Miss Kippy shook her head.
+&ldquo;You might go &#8217;way,&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>Finding that he could not persuade
+her, Mr. Opp resorted to strategy: &ldquo;I&#8217;ll
+tell you what let&#8217;s me and you do.
+Let&#8217;s put your slippers on your hands.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">This proposition met with instant approval.
+It appealed to Miss Kippy as a
+brilliant suggestion. She assisted in unbuttoning
+the single straps and watched
+with glee as they were fastened about
+her wrists.</p>
+
+<p class="illus pgbrk"><a name="png.050" id="png.050"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">45</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span><img src="images/illus050.jpg" width="450" height="710"
+ alt="" title="" /><br
+ />&ldquo;&lsquo;Don&#8217;t leave me&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, with assumed
+enthusiasm, &ldquo;we&#8217;ll make the slippers
+<a name="png.052" id="png.052"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">47</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>walk you up-stairs, and after Aunt Tish
+undresses you, they shall walk you to
+bed. Won&#8217;t that be fun?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Miss Kippy&#8217;s fancy was so tickled by
+this suggestion that she put it into practice
+at once, and went gaily forth up the
+steps on all fours. At the turn she
+stopped, and looked at him wistfully:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&#8217;ll come up before I go to
+sleep?&rdquo; she begged; &ldquo;Daddy did.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Half an hour later Aunt Tish came
+down the narrow stairway: &ldquo;She done
+gone to baid now, laughin&#8217; an&#8217; happy
+ag&#8217;in,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;she never did have
+dem spells when her paw was round, an&#8217;
+sometimes dat chile jes as clear in her
+mind as you an&#8217; me is.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is it she&#8217;s afraid of?&rdquo; asked
+Mr. Opp.</p>
+
+<p>Aunt Tish leaned toward him across
+the table, and the light of the lamp fell
+full upon her black, bead-like eyes, and
+her sunken jaws, and on the great palpitating
+scar.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;De ghosties,&rdquo; she whispered; &ldquo;dey
+been worriting dat chile ever&#8217; chance dey
+<a name="png.053" id="png.053"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">48</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>git. <em>I</em> hear &#8217;em! Dey wait till I take a
+nap of sleep, den dey comes sneakin&#8217; in
+to pester her. She says dey ain&#8217;t but
+one, but I hears heaps ob &#8217;em, some ob
+&#8217;em so little dey kin climb onder de crack
+in de door.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Look a-here, Aunt Tish,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Opp, sternly, &ldquo;don&#8217;t you ever talk a
+word of this foolishness to her again.
+Not one word, do you hear?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yas, sir; dat&#8217;s what Mr. Moore allays
+said, an&#8217; I <em>don&#8217;t</em> talk to her &#8217;bout
+hit, I don&#8217;t haf to. She done knows I
+know. I been livin&#8217; heah goin&#8217; on forty
+years, sence &#8217;fore you was borned, an&#8217;
+you can&#8217;t fool me, chile; no, sir, dat you
+can&#8217;t.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, you must go to bed now,&rdquo; said
+Mr. Opp, looking up at the clock and
+seeing that it was half-past something
+though he did not know what.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I never goes to baid when I stays
+here,&rdquo; announced Aunt Tish; &ldquo;I sets up
+in de kitchen an&#8217; sleeps. I&#8217;s skeered dat
+chile run away; she &#8217;low she gwine to
+some day. Her paw ketched her oncet
+<a name="png.054" id="png.054"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">49</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>gittin&#8217; in a boat down on de river-bank.
+She ain&#8217;t gwine, while I&#8217;s here, no
+sir-ee! I never leaves her in de daytime
+an&#8217; her paw never leaves her at night,
+dat is, when he&#8217;s livin&#8217;.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>After she had gone, Mr. Opp ascended
+the stairway, and entered the room
+above. A candle sputtered on the table,
+and in its light he saw the wide, four-poster
+bed that had been his mother&#8217;s,
+and in it the frail figure of little Miss
+Kippy. Her hair lay loose upon the pillow,
+and on her sleeping face, appealing
+in its helplessness, was a smile of perfect
+peace. The new doll lay on the table
+beside the candle, but clasped tightly in
+her arms was the coat of many checks.</p>
+
+<p>For a moment Mr. Opp stood watching
+her, then he drew his shirt-sleeve
+quickly across his eyes. As he turned to
+descend, his new shoes creaked painfully
+and, after he had carefully removed
+them, he tiptoed down, passed through
+the sitting-room and out upon the porch,
+where he sank down on the step and
+dropped his head on his arms.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.055" id="png.055"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">50</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>The night was very still, save for the
+croaking of a bullfrog, and the incessant
+scraping of a cedar-tree against the corner
+of the roof. From across the river,
+faint sparks of light shone out from
+cabin windows, and, below, a moving
+light now and then told of a passing
+scow. Once a steamboat slipped weirdly
+out of the darkness, sparkling with
+lights, and sending up faint sounds of
+music; but before the waves from the
+wheel had ceased to splash on the bank
+below, she was swallowed up in the darkness,
+leaving lonesomeness again.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp sat staring out into the night,
+outwardly calm, but inwardly engaged in
+a mortal duel. The aggressive Mr. Opp
+of the gorgeous raiment and the seal
+ring, the important man of business, the
+ambitious financier, was in deadly combat
+with the insignificant Mr. Opp, he of
+the shirt-sleeves and the wilted pompadour,
+the delicate, sensitive, futile Mr.
+Opp who was incapable of everything
+but the laying down of his life for the
+sake of another.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.056" id="png.056"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">51</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>A dull line of light hovered on the
+horizon, and gradually the woods on the
+opposite shore took shape, then the big
+river itself, gray and shimmering, with
+streaks on the water where a snag broke
+the swift current.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. D.,&rdquo; he heard Aunt Tish calling
+up the back stairs, &ldquo;you better git out of
+baid; hit&#8217;s sun-up.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He rose stiffly and started back to the
+kitchen. As he passed through the front
+room, his eyes fell upon his new suit-case
+full of the treasured drummers&#8217;
+samples. Stooping down, he traced the
+large black letters with his finger and
+sighed deeply.</p>
+
+<p>Then he got up resolutely and
+marched to the kitchen door.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">&ldquo;Aunt Tish,&rdquo; he said with authority,
+&ldquo;you needn&#8217;t mind about hurrying
+breakfast. I find there&#8217;s very important
+business will keep me here in the Cove
+for the present.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.057" id="png.057"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">52</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>V</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/t-initial.png"
+ alt="T" title="T" width="149" height="150" /><span>here</span> were two methods of
+communication in Cove
+City, both of which were
+equally effective. One
+was the telephone, which
+from a single, isolated
+case had developed into an epidemic, and
+the other, which enjoyed the dignity of
+precedence and established custom, was
+to tell Jimmy Fallows.</p>
+
+<p>Both of these currents of information
+soon overflowed with the news that Mr.
+D.&nbsp;Webster Opp had given up a good
+position in the city, and expected to establish
+himself in business in his native
+town. The nature of this business was
+agitating the community at large in only
+a degree less than it was agitating Mr.
+Opp himself.</p>
+
+<p>One afternoon Jimmy Fallows stood
+<a name="png.058" id="png.058"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">53</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>with his back to his front gate, suspended
+by his armpits from the pickets,
+and conducted business after his usual
+fashion. As a general retires to a hill-top
+to organize his forces and issue
+orders to his subordinates, so Jimmy
+hung upon his front fence and conducted
+the affairs of the town. He knew what
+time each farmer came in, where the
+&ldquo;Helping Hands&rdquo; were going to sew,
+where the doctor was, and where the services
+would be held next Sunday. He
+was coroner, wharf-master, undertaker,
+and notary, and the only thing in the
+heavens above or the earth below concerning
+which he did not attempt to give
+information was the arrival of the next
+steamboat.</p>
+
+<p>As he stood whittling a stick and
+cheerfully humming a tune of other
+days, he descried a small, alert figure
+coming up the road. The pace was so
+much brisker than the ordinary slow gait
+of the Cove that he recognized the person
+at once as Mr. Opp. Whereupon he
+lifted his voice and hailed a boy who was
+<a name="png.059" id="png.059"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">54</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>just vanishing down the street in the
+opposite direction:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nick!&rdquo; he called. &ldquo;Aw, Nick Fenny!
+Tell Mat Lucas that Mr. Opp&#8217;s uptown.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Connection being thus made at one
+end of the line, he turned to effect it at
+the other. &ldquo;Howdy, Brother Opp.
+Kinder dusty on the river, ain&#8217;t it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, we <em>are</em> experiencing considerable
+of warm weather at this juncture,&rdquo;
+said Mr. Opp, affably.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mat Lucas has been hanging round
+here all day,&rdquo; said Jimmy. &ldquo;He wants
+you to buy out a half-interest in his dry-goods
+store. What do you think about
+it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, thrusting his
+thumbs into the armholes of his waistcoat,
+&ldquo;I am considering of a great
+variety of different things. I been in
+the dry-goods business twice, and I can&#8217;t
+say but what it ain&#8217;t a pretty business.
+Of course,&rdquo; he added with a twinge, &ldquo;my
+specialty are shoes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Jimmy; &ldquo;but the folks
+<a name="png.060" id="png.060"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">55</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>here all gets their shoes at the drug
+store. Mr. Toddlinger&#8217;s been carrying
+a line of shoes along with his pills and
+plasters ever sence he went into business.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp looked up at the large sign
+overhead. &ldquo;If you and Mr. Tucker
+wasn&#8217;t both in the hotel business, I
+might be thinking of considering that.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This proposition tickled Jimmy immensely.
+Chuckles of amusement agitated
+his rotund figure.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why don&#8217;t you buy us both out?&rdquo; he
+asked. &ldquo;We could sell out for nothing
+and make money.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, there&#8217;s three boarders sitting
+over at Our Hotel now,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp,
+who rather fancied himself in the rôle of
+a genial host.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Jimmy. &ldquo;Old man
+Tucker&#8217;s had &#8217;em hanging out on the
+line all morning. I don&#8217;t guess they got
+strength enough to walk around much
+after the meals he give &#8217;em.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, wholly
+absorbed in his own affairs, &ldquo;this is just
+<a name="png.061" id="png.061"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">56</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>temporarily for the time being, as it
+were. In a year or so, when my financial
+condition is sorter more established in a
+way, I intend to put through that oil-wells
+proposition. The fact that I am
+aiming at arriving to is what would you
+think the Cove was at present most in
+need of?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Elbow-grease,&rdquo; said Jimmy,
+promptly. &ldquo;The only two things that
+we ain&#8217;t got that a city has, is elbow-grease
+and a newspaper.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>For a moment there was a silence,
+heavy with significance. Mr. Fallows&#8217;s
+gaze penetrated the earth, while Mr.
+Opp&#8217;s scanned the heavens; then they
+suddenly looked at each other, and the
+great idea was born.</p>
+
+<p>An editor! Mr. Opp&#8217;s whole being
+thrilled responsive to the call. The
+thought of dwelling above the sordid
+bartering of commercial life, of being in
+a position to exercise those mental
+powers with which he felt himself so
+generously endowed, almost swept him
+off his feet. He had been a reporter
+<a name="png.062" id="png.062"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">57</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>once; for two golden weeks he had
+handed in police-court reports that fairly
+scintillated with verbal gems plucked at
+random from the dictionary. But the
+city editor had indicated as kindly as
+possible that his services were no longer
+required, vaguely suggesting that it was
+necessary to reduce the force; and Mr.
+Opp had assured him that he understood
+perfectly, and that he was ready to return
+at any future time. That apprenticeship,
+brief though it was, served as a
+foundation upon which Mr. Opp erected
+a tower of dazzling possibilities.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What&#8217;s the matter with you takin&#8217;
+Mr. Gusty&#8217;s old printin&#8217;-shop and
+startin&#8217; up business for yourself?&rdquo;
+asked Jimmy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you reckon she&#8217;d sell it?&rdquo; asked
+Mr. Opp, anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Sell it?&rdquo; said Jimmy. &ldquo;Why, she&#8217;s
+&#8217;most ready to give it away to keep from
+having to pay Pete Aker&#8217;s rent for the
+shop. Say&mdash;Mr. Gall&mdash;up,&rdquo; he called
+up the street to a man who was turning
+the corner, &ldquo;is Mrs. Gusty at home?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.063" id="png.063"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">58</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>The man, thus accosted, turned and
+came toward them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who is Mr. Gallop?&rdquo; asked Mr.
+Opp.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He&#8217;s the new telephone girl,&rdquo; said
+Jimmy, with relish; &ldquo;ain&#8217;t been here but
+a month, and he&#8217;s doing the largest and
+most profitable trade in tending to other
+folks&#8217;s business you ever seen. Soft!
+Why, he must &#8217;a&#8217; been raised on a pillow&mdash;He
+always puts me in mind of a
+highly educated pig: it sorter surprises
+and tickles you to see him walkin&#8217; round
+on his hind legs and talking like other
+people. Other day one of the boys, just
+to devil him, ast him to drive his team
+out home. I liked to &#8217;a&#8217; died when I
+seen him tryin&#8217; to turn the corner, pullin&#8217;
+&lsquo;Gee&rsquo; and hollerin&#8217; &lsquo;Haw&rsquo; with every
+breath. Old mules got their legs in a
+hard knot trying to do both at once, and
+the boys says when Gallop got out in the
+country he felt so bad about it he got
+down and &#8217;pologized to the mules. How
+&#8217;bout that, Gallop&mdash;did you!&rdquo; he concluded
+as the subject of the conversation
+arrived upon the scene.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.064" id="png.064"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">59</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>The new-comer, a plump, fair young
+man, who held one hand clasped affectionately
+in the other, blushed indignantly,
+but said nothing.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This here is Mr. Opp,&rdquo; went on
+Jimmy; &ldquo;he wants to see Mrs. Gusty.
+Do you know whether he will ketch her
+at home or not?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Gallop was by this time paying
+the tribute of many an admiring glance
+to every detail of Mr. Opp&#8217;s costume,
+and Mr. Opp, realizing this, assumed an
+air of cosmopolitan nonchalance, and
+toyed indifferently with his large watch-fob.</p>
+
+<p>When Mr. Gallop&#8217;s admiration and
+attention had become focused upon Mr.
+Opp&#8217;s ring, he suddenly turned on the
+faucet of his conversation, and allowed
+such a stream of general information to
+pour forth that Mr. Opp quite forgot to
+look imposing.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mrs. Gusty telephoned early this
+morning to Mrs. Dorsey that she would
+come over and help her make preserves.
+Mrs. Dorsey got a big load of peaches
+from her father across the river. He&#8217;s
+<a name="png.065" id="png.065"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">60</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>been down with the asthma, and had to
+call up the doctor twice in the night.
+And the doctor couldn&#8217;t get the right
+medicine in town, and had me call up the
+city. They are going to send it down on
+the <i>Big Sandy</i>, but she&#8217;s stuck in the
+locks, and goodness knows when she&#8217;ll
+get here. She&#8217;s&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Excuse me,&rdquo; interrupted Mr. Opp,
+politely but firmly, &ldquo;I&#8217;ve got to see Mrs.
+Gusty on very important business.
+Have you any idea whatsoever of when
+she will return back home?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Mr. Gallop, eager to
+oblige. &ldquo;She&#8217;s about home by this time.
+Miss Lou Diker is making her a dress,
+and she telephoned she&#8217;d be by to try it
+on &#8217;bout four o&#8217;clock. I&#8217;ll go up there
+with you, if you want me to.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why don&#8217;t you drive him!&rdquo; suggested
+Jimmy. &ldquo;You can borrow a pair
+of mules acrost the street.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Opp,&rdquo; said Mr. Gallop, feelingly,
+as they walked up Main Street,
+&ldquo;I wouldn&#8217;t treat a&#8217; insect like he treats
+me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.066" id="png.066"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">61</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Oh, you mustn&#8217;t mind Jimmy,&rdquo; said
+Mr. Opp, kindly; &ldquo;he always sort of enjoys
+a little joke as he goes along. Why,
+I wouldn&#8217;t be at all surprised if he even
+made a joke on me sometime. How long
+have you been in Cove City?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just a month,&rdquo; said Mr. Gallop. &ldquo;It
+must look awful little to you, after all
+the big cities you been used to.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp lengthened his stride. &ldquo;Yes,&rdquo;
+he said largely; &ldquo;quite small, quite little,
+in fact. No place for a business man;
+but for a professional man, a man that
+requires leisure to sort of cultivate his
+brain and that means to be a influence
+in the community, it&#8217;s a good place, a
+remarkably good place.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A hint, however vague, dropped into
+the mind of Mr. Gallop, caused instant
+fermentation. From long experience he
+had become an adept at extracting information
+from all who crossed his path.
+A preliminary interest, a breath or two
+of flattery by way of anesthetic, and his
+victim&#8217;s secret was out before he knew it.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Reckon you are going up to talk
+<a name="png.067" id="png.067"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">62</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>insurance to Mrs. Gusty,&rdquo; he ventured
+tentatively.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No; oh, no,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp. &ldquo;I formerly
+was in the insurance business,
+some time back. Very little prospects
+in it for a man of my nature. I have to
+have a chance to sorter spread out, you
+know&mdash;to use my own particular ideas
+about working things out.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What is your especial line?&rdquo; asked
+Mr. Gallop, deferentially.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Shoe&mdash;&rdquo; Mr. Opp began involuntarily,
+then checked himself&mdash;&ldquo;journalism,&rdquo;
+he said, and the word seemed for
+the moment completely to fill space.</p>
+
+<p>At Mrs. Gusty&#8217;s gate Mr. Gallop
+stopped.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I guess I ought to go back now,&rdquo; he
+said regretfully; &ldquo;the telephone and
+telegraph office is right there in my
+room, and I never leave them day or
+night except just this one hour in the
+afternoon. It&#8217;s awful trying. The
+farmers begin calling each other up at
+three o&#8217;clock in the morning. Say, I
+wish you&#8217;d step in sometime. I&#8217;d just
+<a name="png.068" id="png.068"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">63</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>love to have you. But you are so busy
+and got so many friends, you won&#8217;t have
+much time for me, I guess.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">Mr. Opp thought otherwise. He said
+that no matter how pressed he was by
+various important duties, he was never
+too busy to see a friend. And he said it
+with the air of one who confers a favor,
+and Mr. Gallop received it as one who
+receives a favor, and they shook hands
+warmly and parted.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.069" id="png.069"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">64</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>VI</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/m-initial.png"
+ alt="M" title="M" width="155" height="150" /><span>r. Opp</span>, absorbed in the
+great scheme which was
+taking definite form in
+his mind, did not discover
+until he reached
+the steps that some one
+was lying in a hammock on the porch.</p>
+
+<p>It was a dark-haired girl in a pink
+dress, with a pink bow in her hair and
+small bows on the toes of her high-heeled
+slippers&mdash;the very kind of person, in
+fact, that Mr. Opp was most desirous of
+avoiding.</p>
+
+<p>Fortunately she was asleep, and Mr.
+Opp, after listening in vain at the door
+for sounds of Mrs. Gusty within, tiptoed
+cautiously to the other end of the
+porch and took his seat on a straight-backed
+settee.</p>
+
+<p>Let it not for a moment be supposed
+<a name="png.070" id="png.070"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">65</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>that Mr. Opp was a stranger to the fascinations
+of femininity. He had been
+inoculated at a tender age, and it had
+taken so completely, so tragically, that
+he had crept back to life with one illusion
+sadly shattered, and the conviction
+firm within him that henceforth he was
+immune. His attitude toward the subject
+remained, however, interested, but
+cautious&mdash;such as a good little boy might
+entertain toward a loaded pistol.</p>
+
+<p>As he sat very straight and very still
+on the green settee, he tried to compose
+his mind for the coming interview with
+Mrs. Gusty. Directly across the road
+was Aker&#8217;s old carpenter-shop, a small,
+square, one-story edifice, shabby, and
+holding out scant promise of journalistic
+possibilities. Mr. Opp, however, seldom
+saw things as they were; he saw them as
+they were going to be. Before five minutes
+had elapsed he had the shop painted
+white, with trimmings of red, new panes
+in the windows, ground glass below and
+clear above, an imposing sign over the
+door, and the roadway blocked with
+<a name="png.071" id="png.071"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">66</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>eager subscribers. He would have to
+have an assistant, of course, some one to
+attend to the general details; but he
+would have charge of everything himself.
+He would edit a paper, comprehensive
+in its scope, and liberal in its views.
+Science, art, religion, society, and politics
+would all be duly chronicled. Politics!
+Why, his paper would be an organ&mdash;an
+organ of the Democratic Party!</p>
+
+<p>At the thought of being an organ, Mr.
+Opp&#8217;s bosom swelled with such pride
+that his settee creaked, and he glanced
+apprehensively toward the other end of
+the porch.</p>
+
+<p>The young lady was still asleep, with
+her head resting on her bare arm, and
+one foot hanging limply below her ruffled
+petticoat.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly Mr. Opp leaned forward and
+viewed her slipper with interest. He
+had recognized the make! It was xxx-aa.
+He had carried a sample exactly like it,
+and had been wont to call enthusiastic
+attention to the curve of the instep and
+the set of the heel. He now realized that
+<a name="png.072" id="png.072"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">67</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>the effect depended entirely on the bow,
+and he seriously considered writing to
+the firm and suggesting the improvement.</p>
+
+<p>In the midst of his reflections the
+young lady stirred and then sat up. Her
+hair was tumbled, and her eyes indicated
+that she had been indulging in recent
+tears. Resting her chin on her palms,
+she gazed gloomily down the road.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, at the other end of the
+porch, also gazed gloomily down the
+road. The fact that he must make his
+presence known was annihilated by the
+yet more urgent fact that he could think
+of nothing to say. A bumblebee wheeled
+in narrowing circles above his head and
+finally lighted upon his coat-sleeve. But
+Mr. Opp remained immovable. He
+was searching his vocabulary for a word
+which would gently crack the silence
+without shattering it to bits.</p>
+
+<p>The bumblebee saved the situation.
+Detecting some rare viand in a crack of
+the porch midway between the settee and
+the hammock, and evidently being a
+<a name="png.073" id="png.073"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">68</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>bibulous bee, it set up such a buzz of excitement
+that Mr. Opp looked at it, and the
+young lady looked at it, and their eyes
+met.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Excuse me,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, rather
+breathlessly; &ldquo;you was asleep, and I
+come to see Mrs. Gusty, and&mdash;er&mdash;the
+fact is&mdash;I&#8217;m Mr. Opp.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At this announcement the young lady
+put her hand to her head, and by a dexterous
+movement rearranged the brown
+halo of her hair, and twisted the pink
+bow into its proper, aggressive position.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mother&#8217;ll&mdash;be back soon,&rdquo;&mdash;she
+spoke without embarrassment, yet with
+the hesitation of one who is not in the
+habit of speaking for herself,&mdash;&ldquo;I&mdash;I&mdash;didn&#8217;t
+know I was going to sleep.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp; then added politely,
+&ldquo;neither did I.&rdquo; Silence again
+looming on the horizon, he plunged on:
+&ldquo;I think I used to be in the habit of seeing
+you when you was&mdash;er&mdash;younger,
+didn&#8217;t I?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Up at the store.&rdquo; She smiled faintly.
+&ldquo;You bought me a bag of pop-corn once
+<a name="png.074" id="png.074"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">69</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>with a prize in it. It was a breastpin;
+I&#8217;ve got it yet.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp scowled slightly as he tried
+to extract an imaginary splinter from his
+thumb. &ldquo;Do you&mdash;er&mdash;attend school?&rdquo;
+he asked, taking refuge in a paternal
+attitude.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m finished,&rdquo; she said listlessly.
+&ldquo;I&#8217;ve been going to the Young Ladies&#8217;
+Seminary at Coreyville.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Didn&#8217;t you taken to it?&rdquo; asked Mr.
+Opp, wishing fervently that Mrs. Gusty
+would return.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; said his companion, earnestly.
+&ldquo;I love it; I was a special. I
+took music and botany and painting. I
+was in four concerts last year and played
+in the double duets at the commencements.&rdquo;
+During the pause that followed,
+Mr. Opp considered various
+names for his newspaper. &ldquo;Mother
+isn&#8217;t going to let me go back,&rdquo; the soft,
+drawling voice continued; &ldquo;she says
+when a girl is nineteen she ought to settle
+down. She wants me to get married.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp laid &ldquo;The Cove Chronicle&rdquo;
+<a name="png.075" id="png.075"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">70</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>and &ldquo;The Weekly Bugle&rdquo; aside for further
+consideration, and inquired politely
+if there was any special person whom
+Mrs. Gusty desired for a son-in-law.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no,&rdquo; said the girl, indifferently;
+&ldquo;she hasn&#8217;t thought of anybody. But I
+don&#8217;t want to get married&mdash;yet. I want
+to go back to the seminary and be a
+music teacher. I hate it here, every bit
+of it. It&#8217;s so stupid&mdash;and lonesome,
+and&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A break in her voice caused Mr. Opp
+to postpone a decision of the day on
+which his paper was to be published, and
+to give her his undivided attention.
+Distress, even in beauty, was not to be
+withstood, and the fact that she was unusually
+pretty had been annoying Mr.
+Opp ever since she had spoken to him.
+As she turned her head away and wiped
+her eyes, he rose impulsively and moved
+toward her:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Say, look a-here now, you ain&#8217;t crying,
+are you?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+
+<p>She shook her head in indignant denial.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well&mdash;er&mdash;you don&#8217;t seem exactly
+<a name="png.076" id="png.076"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">71</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>happy, as you might say,&rdquo; suggested
+Mr. Opp, boldly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m not,&rdquo; she confessed, biting her
+lip. &ldquo;I oughtn&#8217;t to talk to you about it,
+but there isn&#8217;t anybody here that would
+understand. They think I&#8217;m stuck up
+when I talk about books and music and&mdash;and
+other kind of people. They just
+keep on doing the same stupid things till
+they get old and die. Only mother won&#8217;t
+even let me do stupid things; she says I
+bother her when I try to help around the
+house.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Can&#8217;t you sew or make mottoes or
+something?&rdquo; asked Mr. Opp, very vague
+as to feminine accomplishments.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What&#8217;s the use?&rdquo; asked the girl.
+&ldquo;Mother does everything for me. She
+always says she&#8217;d rather do it than
+teach me how.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Don&#8217;t you take to reading?&rdquo; asked
+Mr. Opp.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; she said; &ldquo;I used to read
+all the time down at school; but there
+never is anything to read up here.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The editor-elect peopled the country
+<a name="png.077" id="png.077"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">72</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>with similar cases, and he immediately
+saw himself as a public benefactor supplying
+starved subscribers with a bountiful
+repast of weekly news.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Won&#8217;t you sit down?&rdquo; asked the girl,
+interrupting his reflections. &ldquo;I don&#8217;t
+know what can be keeping mother.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp looked about for a chair, but
+there was none. Then he glanced at his
+companion, and saw that she was holding
+aside her pink skirt and evidently offering
+him a seat beside her in the hammock.
+He advanced a step, retreated,
+then weakly capitulated. Sitting very
+rigid, nursing his hat on his knees, and
+inserting his forefinger between his neck
+and his collar as if to breathe better, he
+remarked that it was getting warmer all
+the time.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This isn&#8217;t anything to what it will
+be later,&rdquo; said the girl; &ldquo;it keeps on getting
+hotter and dustier all the time. I
+don&#8217;t believe there&#8217;s such a stupid,
+poky, little old place anywhere else in
+the world. You ought to be mighty glad
+you don&#8217;t live here.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.078" id="png.078"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">73</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Mr. Opp cleared his throat with some
+dignity. &ldquo;I expect to remain here permanent
+now. I&mdash;well&mdash;the truth is, I
+have decided to operate a newspaper
+here.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No!&rdquo; cried the girl, incredulously.
+&ldquo;Not in the Cove!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In the Cove,&rdquo; repeated Mr. Opp,
+firmly. &ldquo;There&#8217;s great need here for a
+live, enterprising newspaper. It&#8217;s a
+virgin field, you might say. There never
+was a place that needed a public voice
+more. My paper is going to be a voice
+that hears all sides of a question; it&#8217;s
+going to appeal to the aged and the
+young and all them that lies between.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It will be mighty grand for us!&rdquo; said
+his companion, with interest. &ldquo;When is
+it going to start?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Definite plans being decidedly nebulous,
+Mr. Opp wisely confined himself to
+generalities. He touched casually on his
+remarkable fitness for the work, his wide
+experience, his worldly knowledge. He
+hinted that in time he expected to venture
+into even deeper literary waters&mdash;poetry,
+<a name="png.079" id="png.079"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">74</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>and a novel, perhaps. As he
+talked, he realized that for the second
+time that day he was looked upon with
+approval. Being accepted at his own
+estimate proved a new and exhilarating
+sensation.</p>
+
+<p>It was pleasant on the wide porch,
+with the honeysuckle shutting out the
+sun, and the long, yellow blossoms filling
+the air with fragrance. It was pleasant
+to hear the contented chuckle of the hens
+and the sleepy hum of the bees, and the
+sound of his own voice; but most of all
+it was pleasant, albeit disconcerting, to
+glance sidewise occasionally and find a
+pair of credulous brown eyes raised to
+his in frank admiration. What if the
+swing of the hammock was making him
+dizzy and one foot had gone to sleep?
+These were minor considerations unworthy
+of mention.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And just to think,&rdquo; the girl was saying,
+&ldquo;that you may be right across the
+road! I won&#8217;t mind staying at home so
+much if you&#8217;ll let me come over and see
+you make the newspaper.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.080" id="png.080"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">75</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;You might like to assist sometime,&rdquo;
+said Mr. Opp, magnanimously, at the
+same time cautiously removing a fluttering
+pink ribbon from his knee. &ldquo;I could
+let you try your hand on a wedding or a
+&#8217;bituary, or something along that line.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, really?&rdquo; she cried, her eyes
+brightening. &ldquo;I&#8217;d just love to. I can
+write compositions real nice, and you
+could help me a little.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; agreed Mr. Opp; &ldquo;I could
+learn you to do the first draft, and I
+could put on the extra touches.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So engrossed did they become in these
+plans that they did not hear the click of
+the gate, or see the small, aggressive
+lady who came up the walk. She moved
+with the confident air of one who is in
+the habit of being obeyed. Her skirt
+gave the appearance of no more daring
+to hang wrong than her bonnet-strings
+would have presumed to move from the
+exact spot where she had tied them under
+her left ear. Her small, bright eyes,
+slightly crossed, apparently saw two
+ways at once, for on her brief journey
+<a name="png.081" id="png.081"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">76</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>from the gate to the porch, she decapitated
+two withered geraniums on the
+right, and picked up a stray paper and
+some dead leaves on the left.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Guin-never!&rdquo; she called sharply, not
+seeing the couple on the porch, &ldquo;who&#8217;s
+been tracking mud in on my clean
+steps?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The girl rose hastily and came forward.
+&ldquo;Mother,&rdquo; she said, &ldquo;here&#8217;s Mr. Opp.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Gusty glanced up from one to the
+other, evidently undecided how to meet
+the situation. But the hesitancy was not
+for long; Mr. Opp&#8217;s watch-fob, glittering
+in the sunlight, symbolized such
+prosperity that she hastily extended a
+cordial hand of welcome.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You don&#8217;t mean to tell me Guin-never
+has been keeping you out here on
+the porch instead of taking you in the
+parlor? And hasn&#8217;t she given you a
+thing to drink? Well, just wait till I get
+my things off and I&#8217;ll fix a pitcher of
+lemonade.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Let me do it, Mother,&rdquo; said Guinevere,
+eagerly; &ldquo;I often do it at school.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.082" id="png.082"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">77</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;I&#8217;d hate to drink what you make,&rdquo;
+said Mrs. Gusty, waving her aside.
+&ldquo;You show Mr. Opp in the parlor. No;
+I&#8217;ll open the shutters: you&#8217;d get your
+hands dirty.&rdquo; She bustled about with
+that tyrannical capability that reduces
+every one near it to a state of helpless
+dependence.</p>
+
+<p>The parlor was cool and dark, and
+Mr. Opp felt around for a chair while
+the refractory shutter was being opened.
+When at last a shaft of light was admitted,
+it fell full upon a sable frame
+which hung above the horse-hair sofa,
+and inclosed a glorified certificate of the
+births, marriages, and deaths in the
+house of Gusty. Around these written
+data was a border realistically depicting
+the seven ages of man and culminating
+in a legend of gold which read</p>
+
+<div class="quote">
+<p class="ctr">From the Cradle to the Grave.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>While Mr. Opp was standing before
+this work of art, apparently deeply interested,
+he was, in reality, peeping
+through a crack in the shutter. The
+<a name="png.083" id="png.083"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">78</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>sunlight was still filtering through the
+honeysuckle vines, making dancing,
+white patches on the porch, the bees were
+humming about the blossoms, and Miss
+Guinevere Gusty was still sitting in the
+hammock, her chin in her palms, gazing
+down the road.</p>
+
+<p>When Mrs. Gusty returned, she bore
+a glass pitcher of lemonade, a plate of
+crisp gingersnaps, and a tumbler of
+crushed ice, all of which rested upon a
+tray which was covered with her strawberry
+centerpiece, a mark of distinction
+which, unfortunately, was lost upon her
+guest.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, being a man of business,
+plunged at once into his subject, presenting
+the matter so eloquently and using
+so much more persuasion than was necessary
+that he overshot the mark. Mrs.
+Gusty was not without business sagacity
+herself, and when Mr. Opp met a possible
+objection before it had ever occurred
+to her, she promptly made use of the
+suggestion.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, as a final
+<a name="png.084" id="png.084"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">79</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>inducement, &ldquo;I&#8217;d be glad to run in some
+of Mr. Gusty&#8217;s poetical pieces from time
+to time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This direct appeal to her sentiment so
+touched Mrs. Gusty that she suggested
+they go over to the shop at once and look
+it over.</p>
+
+<p>For a moment after the door of his
+future sanctum was thrown open Mr.
+Opp was disconcerted. The small, dark
+room, cluttered with all manner of trash,
+the broken window-panes, the dust, and
+the cobwebs, presented a prospect that
+was far from encouraging; but after an
+examination of the presses, his courage
+revived.</p>
+
+<p>After a great deal of talk on Mr. Opp&#8217;s
+part, and some shrewd bargaining on
+Mrs. Gusty&#8217;s, the stupendous transaction
+was brought to a close, to the eminent
+satisfaction of both parties.</p>
+
+<p class="tb">It was late that night before Mr. Opp
+retired. He sat in the open window of
+his bedroom and looked out upon the
+river. The cool night air and the quiet
+<a name="png.085" id="png.085"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">80</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>light of the stars calmed the turmoil
+in his brain. Gradually the colossal
+schemes and the towering ambitions gave
+way to an emotion to which the editor-elect
+was by no means a stranger. It
+was a little white-faced Fear that lurked
+always in a corner of his heart, and could
+be kept down only by brave words and
+aggressive deeds.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">He sat with his trembling knees
+hunched, and his arms awkwardly
+clasped about them, an absurd atom in
+the great cosmic order; yet the soul that
+looked out of his squinting, wistful eyes
+held all the potentialities of life, and
+embodied the eternal sadness and the
+eternal inspiration of human endeavor.</p>
+
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.086" id="png.086"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">81</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>VII</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/i-initial.png"
+ alt="I" title="I" width="160" height="150" /><span>t</span> is no small undertaking
+to embark in an untried
+ship, upon unknown
+waters, in the teeth of
+opposing gales. But Mr.
+Opp sailed the sea of life
+as a valiant mariner should, self-reliant,
+independent, asking advice of nobody.
+He steered by the guidance of his own
+peculiar moral compass, regardless of
+the rough waters through which it led
+him.</p>
+
+<p>Having invested the major portion of
+his savings in the present venture, it was
+necessary to begin operations at once;
+but events conspired to prevent him.
+Miss Kippy made many demands upon
+his time both by day and night; she had
+transferred her affection and dependence
+from her father to him, and he found
+<a name="png.087" id="png.087"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">82</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>himself sorely encumbered by this new
+responsibility. Moreover, the attitude
+of the town toward the innovation of a
+newspaper was one of frank skepticism,
+and it proved a delicate and arduous task
+to create the proper public sentiment.
+In addition to these troubles, Mr. Opp
+had a yet graver matter to hinder him:
+with all his valor and energy he was suffering
+qualms of uncertainty as to the
+proper method of starting a weekly
+journal.</p>
+
+<p>To be sure, he had achieved a name for
+the paper&mdash;a name so eminently satisfactory
+that he had already had it emblazoned
+upon a ream of office paper. &ldquo;The
+Opp Eagle&rdquo; had sprung full-syllabled
+from his teeming brain, and had been accepted
+over a hundred competitors.</p>
+
+<p>But naming the fledgling was an easy
+matter compared with getting it out of
+the nest; and it was not until the instalment
+of his competent staff that Mr.
+Opp accomplished the task.</p>
+
+<p>This important transaction took place
+one morning as he sat in his new office
+<a name="png.088" id="png.088"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">83</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>and struggled with his first editorial.
+The bare room, with the press in the center,
+served as news-room, press-room,
+publication office, and editorial sanctum.
+Mr. Opp sat at a new deal table, with one
+pen behind his ear, and another in his
+hand, and gazed for inspiration at the
+brown wrapping-paper with which he
+had neatly covered the walls. His mental
+gymnastics were interrupted by the
+appearance at the door of Miss Jim
+Fenton and her brother Nick.</p>
+
+<p>Miss Jim was an anomaly in the community,
+being by theory a spinster, and
+by practice a double grass-widow. Capable
+and self-supporting, she attracted the
+ne&#8217;er-do-wells as a magnet attracts needles,
+but having been twice induced to
+forego her freedom and accept the bonds
+of wedlock, she had twice escaped and
+reverted to her original type and name.
+Miss Jim was evidently a victim of one
+of Nature&#8217;s most economical moods; she
+was spare and angular, with a long,
+wrinkled face surmounted by a scant
+fluff of pale, frizzled hair. Her mouth
+<a name="png.089" id="png.089"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">84</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>slanted upward at one corner, giving her
+an expression unjustly attributed to
+coquetry, when in reality it was due to
+an innocent and pardonable pride in an
+all-gold eye-tooth.</p>
+
+<p>But it was her clothes that brought
+misunderstanding, misfortune, and even
+matrimony upon Miss Jim. They were
+sent her by the boxful by a cousin in the
+city, and the fact was unmistakable that
+they were clothes with a past. The
+dresses held an atmosphere of evaporated
+frivolity; flirtations lingered in every
+frill, and memories of old larks lurked in
+every furbelow. The hats had a jaunty
+list to port, and the colored slippers still
+held a dance within their soles. One old
+bird of paradise on Miss Jim&#8217;s favorite
+bonnet had a chronic wink for the wickedness
+he had witnessed.</p>
+
+<p>It was this wink that attracted Mr.
+Opp as he looked up from his arduous
+labors. For a disconcerting moment he
+was uncertain whether it belonged to
+Miss Jim or to the bird.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Howdy, Mr. Opp,&rdquo; said the lady in
+<a name="png.090" id="png.090"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">85</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>brisk, businesslike tones. &ldquo;I was taking
+a crayon portrait home to Mrs. Gusty,
+and I just stopped in to see if I couldn&#8217;t
+persuade you to take my brother to help
+you on the newspaper. You remember
+Nick, don&#8217;t you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp glanced up. A skeleton of a
+boy, with a shaven head, was peering
+eagerly past him into the office, his keen,
+ferret-like eyes devouring every detail
+of the printing-presses.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He knows the business,&rdquo; went on
+Miss Jim, anxiously pulling at the fingers
+of her gloves. &ldquo;He&#8217;s been in it over a
+year at Coreyville. He wants to go
+back; but I ain&#8217;t willing till he gets
+stronger. He ain&#8217;t been up but two
+weeks.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp turned impressively in his revolving
+chair, the one luxury which he
+had deemed indispensable, and doubtfully
+surveyed the applicant. The mere
+suggestion of his leaning upon this
+broken reed seemed ridiculous; yet the
+boy&#8217;s thin, sallow face, and Miss Jim&#8217;s
+imploring eyes, caused him to hesitate.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.091" id="png.091"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">86</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Well, you see,&rdquo; he said, with thumbs
+together and his lips pursed, after the
+manner of the various employers before
+whom he had stood in the past, &ldquo;we are
+just making a preliminary start, and we
+haven&#8217;t engaged our staff yet. I am a
+business man and a careful one. I
+don&#8217;t feel justified in going to no extra
+expense until &lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo; is, in a
+way, on its feet.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, that&#8217;s all right,&rdquo; said the boy;
+&ldquo;I&#8217;ll work a month for nothing. Lots
+of fellows do that on the big papers.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Miss Jim plucked warningly at his
+sleeve, and Mr. Opp, seeing that Nick&#8217;s
+enthusiasm had led him beyond his
+depth, went gallantly to the rescue.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not at all,&rdquo; he said hastily; &ldquo;that
+ain&#8217;t my policy. I think I might contrive
+to pay you a small, reasonable sum
+down, and increase it in ratio as the
+paper become more prosperous. Don&#8217;t
+you think you better sit down?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, sir; I&#8217;m all right,&rdquo; said the boy,
+impatiently. &ldquo;I can do &#8217;most anything
+about a paper, setting type, printing,
+<a name="png.092" id="png.092"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">87</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>reporting, collecting, &#8217;most anything you
+put me at.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Such timely knowledge, in whatever
+guise it came, seemed Heaven-sent. Mr.
+Opp gave a sigh of satisfaction.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you feel that you can&#8217;t do any better
+than accepting the small sum that
+just at present I&#8217;ll have to offer you,
+why, I think we can come to some arrangement.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;s mighty nice in you,&rdquo; said
+Miss Jim, jerking her head forward in
+order to correct an undue backward
+gravitation of her bonnet. &ldquo;If ever you
+want a crayon portrait, made from life
+or enlarged from a photograph, I&#8217;ll
+make you a special price on it. I&#8217;m just
+taking this here one home to Mrs. Gusty;
+she had it done for Guin-never&#8217;s birthday.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Miss Jim removed the wrappings and
+disclosed a portrait of Miss Guinevere
+Gusty, very large as to eyes and very
+small as to mouth. She handed it to Mr.
+Opp, and called attention to its fine qualities.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.093" id="png.093"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">88</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Just look at the lace on that dress!
+Mrs. Fallows picked a whole pattern off
+on her needles from one of my portraits.
+And did you notice the eyelashes; you
+can actually count &#8217;em! She had four
+buttons on her dress, but I didn&#8217;t get in
+but three; but I ain&#8217;t going to mention it
+to Mrs. Gusty. Don&#8217;t you think it&#8217;s
+pretty?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, who had been smiling absently
+at the portrait, started guiltily.
+&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he said confusedly; &ldquo;yes,
+ma&#8217;am, I think she is.&rdquo; Then he felt a
+curious tingling about his ears and realized,
+to his consternation, that he was
+blushing.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;She&#8217;s too droopin&#8217; a type for me,&rdquo;
+said Miss Jim, removing an ostrich tip
+from her angle of vision; then she continued
+in a side whisper: &ldquo;Say, would
+you mind making Nick take this bottle
+of milk at twelve o&#8217;clock, and resting a
+little? He ain&#8217;t as strong as he lets on,
+and he has sort of sinking spells &#8217;long
+about noon.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Receiving the bottle thus surreptitiously
+<a name="png.094" id="png.094"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">89</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>offered, and assisting the lady to
+gather up her bundles, Mr. Opp bowed
+her out, and turned to face the embarrassing
+necessity of giving instructions
+to his new employee. He was relieved
+to find, however, that the young gentleman
+in question possessed initiative; for
+Nick had promptly removed his coat, and
+fallen to work, putting things to rights
+with an energy and ability that caused
+Mr. Opp to offer up a prayer of heartfelt
+gratitude.</p>
+
+<p>All the morning they worked silently,
+Mr. Opp toiling over his editorial, with
+constant references to a small dictionary
+which he concealed in the drawer of
+the table, and Nick giving the presses
+a thorough and much-needed overhauling.</p>
+
+<p>At the noon-hour they shared their
+lunch, and Mr. Opp, firm in the authority
+invested in him by Miss Jim, demanded
+that Nick should drink his milk, and recline
+at length upon the office bench for
+twenty minutes. It was with great difficulty
+that Nick was persuaded to submit
+<a name="png.095" id="png.095"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">90</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>to this transferred coddling; but he evidently
+realized that insubordination at
+the start of his career would be fatal,
+and, moreover, his limbs ached and his
+hands trembled.</p>
+
+<p>It was in the intimacy of this, their
+first, staff meal, that they discussed the
+policy of the paper.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Of course,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, &ldquo;we have
+got a vast undertaking in front of us.
+For the next few months we won&#8217;t
+scarcely have time to draw a natural
+breath. I am going to put every faculty
+I own on to making &lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo; a
+fine paper. I expect to get here at seven
+o&#8217;clock <span class="allsc">A.M.</span>, and continue to pursue my
+work as far into the midnight hours as
+may need be. Nothing in the way of
+pleasure or anything else is going to pervert
+my attention. Of course you understand
+that my mind will be taken up with
+the larger issues of things, and I&#8217;ll have
+to risk a dependence on you to attend to
+the smaller details.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said Nick, gratefully;
+&ldquo;you won&#8217;t be sorry you trusted me,
+<a name="png.096" id="png.096"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">91</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>Mr. Opp. I&#8217;ll do my level best. When
+will we get out the first issue?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well&mdash;er&mdash;the truth is,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Opp, &ldquo;I haven&#8217;t, as you might say, accumulated
+sufficient of material as yet.
+You see, I have a great many irons in
+the fire, and besides opening up this
+office, I am the president of a company
+that&#8217;s just bought up twenty acres of
+ground around here. The biggest oil
+proposition&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, sir,&rdquo; interrupted Nick; &ldquo;but
+don&#8217;t you think we could get started in
+two weeks, with the ads and the contributors&#8217;
+letters from other counties,
+and a story or two I could run in, and
+your editorial page?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ve got two advertisements,&rdquo; said
+Mr. Opp; &ldquo;but I don&#8217;t intend to rest
+content until every man in the Cove has
+got a card in. Now, about these contributors
+from other counties?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I can manage that,&rdquo; said Nick. &ldquo;I&#8217;ll
+write to some girl or fellow I know in
+the different towns, and ask them to give
+me a weekly letter. They sign
+<a name="png.097" id="png.097"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">92</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>themselves &lsquo;Gipsy&rsquo; or &lsquo;Fairy&rsquo; or &lsquo;Big Injun&rsquo;
+or something like that, and tell what&#8217;s
+doing in their neighborhood. We&#8217;ll have
+to fix the letters up some, but they help
+fill in like everything.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp&#8217;s spirits rose at this capable
+coöperation.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&mdash;er&mdash;like the name?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo;?&rdquo; said Nick.
+&ldquo;Bully!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Such unqualified approval went to
+Mr. Opp&#8217;s head, and he rashly broke
+through the dignity that should hedge
+about an editor.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t mind reading you some of my
+editorial,&rdquo; he said urbanely; &ldquo;it&#8217;s the
+result of considerable labor.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He opened the drawer and took out
+some loosely written pages, though he
+knew each paragraph by heart. Squaring
+himself in his revolving-chair, and clearing
+his throat, he addressed himself ostensibly
+to the cadaverous youth stretched
+at length before him, but in imagination
+to all the southern counties of the grand
+old Commonwealth of Kentucky.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.098" id="png.098"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">93</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>His various business experiences had
+stored such an assorted lot of information
+in his brain that it was not unlike a
+country store in the diversity of its contents.
+His style, like his apparel, was
+more ornate and pretentious than what
+lay beneath it. There were many words
+which he knew by sight, but with which
+he had no speaking acquaintance. But
+Mr. Opp had ideals, and this was the first
+opportunity he had ever had to put them
+before his fellow-men.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The great bird of American Liberty,&rdquo;
+he read impressively, &ldquo;has soared
+and flown over the country and lighted
+at last in your midst. &lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo;
+appears for the first time to-day. It is
+no money scheme in which we are indulging;
+we aim first and foremost to fulfil
+a much-needed want in the community.
+&lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo; will tell the people what
+you want to know better and at less expense
+than any other method. It will
+aim at bringing the priceless gems of
+knowledge within the reach of
+<a name="png.099" id="png.099"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">94</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>everybody. For what is bread to the body if
+you do not also clothe the mind spiritually
+and mentally?</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We will boom this, our native, city.
+If possible, I hope to get the streets
+cleaned up and a railroad, and mayhap
+in time lamp-posts. This region has ever
+been known for its great and fine natural
+resources, but we have been astounded,
+you might say astonished, in recent visits
+to see its naked and crude immensities,
+which far exceeds our most sanguine expectations.
+So confident are we that a
+few of our most highly respectable citizens
+have, at the instigation of the Editor
+of &lsquo;The Opp Eagle,&rsquo; bought up the land
+lying between Turtle Creek and the
+river, and as soon as a little more capital
+has been accumulated, intend to open up
+a oil proposition that will astonish the
+eyes of the natives!</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In all candor, we truly believe this
+favored region of ours to have no equal
+in underground wealth nowhere upon
+this terrestrial earth, albeit we are not
+of globe-trotter stock nor tribe. We will
+<a name="png.100" id="png.100"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">95</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>endeavor to induce the home people to
+copy after the wise example of a few of
+our leading citizens and buy up oil rights
+before the kings of Bonanzas from the
+Metropolitan cities discover our treasure
+and wrench it from our grasp. &lsquo;The Opp
+Eagle&rsquo; will, moreover, stand for temperance
+and reform. We will hurl grape
+and cannister into the camps of the
+saloonatics until they flee the wrath to
+come. Will also publish a particular
+statement of all social entertainments,
+including weddings, parties, church
+socials, and funerals. In conclusion,
+would say that we catch this first opportunity
+to thank you in collective manner
+herein for the welcome you have ordained
+&lsquo;The Opp Eagle.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp came to a close and waited
+for applause; nor was he disappointed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gee! I wish I could write like that!&rdquo;
+said Nick, rising on his elbow. &ldquo;I can
+do the printing all right, and hustle
+around for the news; but I never know
+how to put on the trimmings.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp laid a hand upon his shoulder;
+<a name="png.101" id="png.101"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">96</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>he was fast developing a fondness
+for the youth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s a gift,&rdquo; he said sympathetically,
+&ldquo;that I am afraid, my boy, nobody can&#8217;t
+learn you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Can I come in?&rdquo; said a voice from
+outside, and Mr. Gallop peeped around
+the open door.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Walk in,&rdquo; cried Mr. Opp, while Nick
+sprang to his feet. &ldquo;We are just by way
+of finishing up the work at hand, and
+have a few minutes of spare leisure.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I just wanted to know if you&#8217;d help
+us get up a town band,&rdquo; said Mr. Gallop.
+&ldquo;I told the boys you&#8217;d be too busy, but
+they made me come. I asked Mr. Fallows
+if you was musical; but I wouldn&#8217;t
+repeat what he said.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Jimmy is just naturally humoristic,&rdquo;
+said Mr. Opp. &ldquo;Go along and tell
+me what he remarked.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Mr. Gallop, indignantly,
+&ldquo;he said you was a expert on the windpipe!
+Mr. Tucker, I believe it was,
+thought you used to play the accordion.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.102" id="png.102"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">97</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp; &ldquo;it was the cornet.
+I was considerable of a performer
+at one time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, we want you for the leader of
+our band,&rdquo; said Mr. Gallop. &ldquo;We are
+going to have blue uniforms and give
+regular concerts up on Main Street.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Nick Fenny began searching for a
+pencil.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You know,&rdquo; went on Mr. Gallop,
+rapidly, &ldquo;the last show boat that was
+here had a calliope, and there&#8217;s another
+one coming next week. All I have to do
+is to hear a tune twice, then I can play it.
+Miss Guin-never Gusty is going up to
+Coreyville next week, and she says she&#8217;ll
+get us some new pieces. She&#8217;s going to
+select a plush self-rocker for the congregation
+to give the new preacher.
+They&#8217;re keeping it awful secret, but I
+heard &#8217;em mention it over the telephone.
+The preacher&#8217;s baby has been mighty
+sick, and so has his mother, up at the
+Ridge; but she&#8217;s got well again. Well,
+I must go along now. Ain&#8217;t it warm?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Before Mr. Opp had ceased showing
+<a name="png.103" id="png.103"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">98</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>Mr. Gallop out, his attention was arrested
+by the strange conduct of his
+staff. That indefatigable youth was
+writing furiously on the new wall-paper,
+covering the clean brown surface with
+large, scrawling characters.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp&#8217;s indignation was checked at
+its source by the radiant face which Nick
+turned upon him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ve got another column!&rdquo; he cried;
+&ldquo;listen here:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;A new and handsome Show Boat
+will tie up at the Cove the early part of
+next week. A fine calliope will be on
+board.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Miss Guinevere Gusty will visit
+friends in Coreyville soon.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;The new preacher will be greatly
+surprised soon by the gift of a fine plush
+rocking-chair from the ladies of the congregation.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;The infant baby of the new preacher
+has been sick, but is better some.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Jimmy Fallows came near getting
+an undertaking job at the Ridge last
+week, but the lady got well.&rsquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.104" id="png.104"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">99</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;And that ain&#8217;t all,&rdquo; he continued excitedly;
+&ldquo;I&#8217;m going out now to get all
+the particulars about that band, and
+we&#8217;ll have a long story about it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, left alone in his office, made
+an unsuccessful effort to resume work.
+The fluttering of the &ldquo;Eagle&#8217;s&rdquo; wings
+preparatory to taking flight was not the
+only thing that interfered with his power
+of concentration. He did not at all like
+the way he felt. Peculiar symptoms had
+developed in the last week, and the
+quinine which he had taken daily had
+failed to relieve him. He could not say
+that he was sick,&mdash;in fact, he had never
+been in better health,&mdash;but there was a
+strange feeling of restlessness, a vague
+disturbance of his innermost being, that
+annoyed and puzzled him. Even as he
+tried to solve the problem, an irresistible
+impulse brought him to his feet and carried
+him to the door. Miss Guinevere
+Gusty was coming out of her gate in a
+soft, white muslin, and a chip hat laden
+with pink roses.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Anything I can do for you up
+<a name="png.105" id="png.105"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">100</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>street?&rdquo; she called across pleasantly to
+Mr. Opp.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, thank you&mdash;no, the fact is&mdash;well,
+you see, I find it necessary for me
+to go up myself.&rdquo; Mr. Opp heard himself
+saying these words with great surprise,
+and when he found himself actually
+walking out of the office, leaving a large
+amount of unfinished work, his indignation
+knew no bounds.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The sun is awful hot. Ain&#8217;t you
+goin&#8217; to wear a hat?&rdquo; drawled Miss
+Guinevere.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp put his hand to his head in
+some embarrassment, and then assured
+her that he very often went without it.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">They sauntered slowly down the dusty
+road. On one side the trees hedged them
+in, but on the other stretched wide fields
+of tasseled corn over which shimmered
+waves of summer heat. White butterflies
+fluttered constantly across their
+path, and overhead, hidden somewhere
+in the branches, the birds kept up a constant
+song. The August sun, still high
+in the heavens, shone fiercely down on
+<a name="png.106" id="png.106"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">101</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>the open road, on the ragweed by the
+wayside, on the black-eyed Susans nodding
+at the light; but it fell most mercilessly
+of all upon the bald spot on the
+head of the unconscious Mr. Opp, who
+was moving, as in an hypnotic state, into
+the land of romance.</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.107" id="png.107"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">102</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>VIII</h2>
+
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/b-initial.png"
+ alt="B" title="B" width="156" height="150" /><span>y</span> all the laws of physics,
+Mr. Opp during the
+months that ensued,
+should have stood perfectly
+still. For if ever
+two forces pulled with
+equal strength in opposite directions,
+love and ambition did in the heart of our
+friend the editor. But Mr. Opp did not
+stand still; on the contrary, he seemed
+to be moving in every direction at once.</p>
+
+<p>In due time &ldquo;The Opp Eagle&rdquo; made
+its initial flight, and received the approbation
+of the community. The first page
+was formal, containing the editorial, a
+list of the subscribers, a notice to tax-payers,
+and three advertisements, one
+of which requested &ldquo;the lady public to
+please note that the hats put out by Miss
+Duck Brown do not show the wire composing
+the frame.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.108" id="png.108"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">103</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>But the first page of the &ldquo;Eagle&rdquo; was
+like the front door of a house: when once
+you got on the other side of it, you were
+in the family, as it were, formality was
+dropped, and an easy atmosphere of familiarity
+prevailed. You read that Uncle
+Enoch Siller had Sundayed over at the
+Ridge, or that Aunt Gussy Williams was
+on the puny list, and frequently there
+were friendly references to &ldquo;Ye Editor&rdquo;
+or &ldquo;Ye Quill Driver,&rdquo; for after soaring
+to dizzy heights in his editorials, Mr.
+Opp condescended to come down on the
+second page and move in and out of the
+columns, as a host among his guests.</p>
+
+<p>It is painful to reflect what would
+have been the fate of the infatuated Mr.
+Opp in these days had it not been for the
+faithful Nick. Nick&#8217;s thirst for work
+was insatiable; he yearned for responsibility,
+and was never so happy as when
+gathering news. He chased an item as
+a dog might chase a rat, first scenting it,
+then hunting it down, and after mutilating
+it a bit, proudly returning it to his
+master.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.109" id="png.109"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">104</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Mr. Opp was enabled, by this competent
+assistance, to spare many a half-hour
+in consultation with Miss Guinevere
+Gusty concerning the reportorial work
+she was going to do on the paper. The
+fact that nobody died or got married delayed
+all actual performance, but in
+order to be ready for the emergency,
+frequent calls were deemed expedient.</p>
+
+<p>It became part of the day&#8217;s program
+to read her his editorial, or consult her
+about some social item, or to report a
+new subscriber, his self-esteem meanwhile
+putting forth all manner of new
+shoots and bursting into exotic bloom
+under the warmth of her approval.</p>
+
+<p>Miss Gusty, on her part, was acquiring
+a new interest in her surroundings.
+In addition to the subtle flattery of being
+consulted, she was the recipient of daily
+offerings of books, and music, and drugstore
+candy, and sometimes a handful of
+flowers, carefully concealed in a newspaper
+to escape the vigilant eye of Jimmy
+Fallows.</p>
+
+<p>On several occasions she returned Mr.
+<a name="png.110" id="png.110"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">105</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>Opp&#8217;s calls, picking her way daintily
+across the road, and peeping in at the
+window to make sure he was there.</p>
+
+<p>It was at such times that the staff of
+&ldquo;The Opp Eagle&rdquo; misconducted itself.
+It objected to a young woman in the
+press-room; it disapproved of the said
+person sitting at the deal table in confidential
+conversation with the editor; it
+saw no humor in her dipping the pencils
+into the ink-well, and scrawling names
+on the new office stationery; and when
+the point was reached that she moved
+about the office, asking absurd questions
+and handling the type, the staff could no
+longer endure it, but hastened forth to
+forget its annoyance in the pursuit of
+business.</p>
+
+<p>Moreover, the conduct of the chief, as
+Nick was pleased to call Mr. Opp, was
+becoming more and more peculiar. He
+would arrive in the morning, his pockets
+bristling with papers, and his mind with
+projects. He would attack the work of
+the day with ferocious intensity, then in
+the midst of it, without warning, he
+<a name="png.111" id="png.111"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">106</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>would lapse into an apparent trance, his
+hands in his pockets, his eyes on the ceiling,
+and such a smile on his face as one
+usually reserves for a camera.</p>
+
+<p>Nick did not know that it was the song
+of the siren that was calling Mr. Opp,
+who, instead of lashing himself to the
+mast and steering for the open sea, was
+letting his little craft drift perilously
+near the rocky coast.</p>
+
+<p>No feature of the proceedings was lost
+upon Mrs. Gusty. She applied the same
+method to her daughter that she did to
+her vines, tying her firmly to the wall of
+her own ability, and prescribing the direction
+and length to which she should
+grow. The situation would need pruning
+later, but for the present she studied
+conditions and bided her time.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the &ldquo;Eagle&rdquo; was circling
+more widely in its flight. Mr. Opp&#8217;s persistent
+and eloquent articles pertaining
+to the great oil wealth of the region had
+been reinforced by a favorable report
+from the laboratory in the city to which
+he had sent a specimen from the spring
+<a name="png.112" id="png.112"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">107</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>on Turtle Creek. Thus equipped with
+wings of hope, and a small ballast of
+fact, the &ldquo;Eagle&rdquo; went soaring on its
+way, and in time attracted the attention
+of a party of capitalists who were traveling
+through the State, investigating oil
+and mineral possibilities.</p>
+
+<p>One epoch-making day, the editor was
+called up over the long-distance telephone,
+and, after answering numerous
+inquiries, was told that the party expected
+to spend the following night in
+the Cove.</p>
+
+<p>This important event took place the
+last of November, and threw the town
+into great excitement. Mr. Opp received
+the message early in the morning, and
+immediately set to work to call a meeting
+of the Turtle Creek Land Company.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;This here is one of the most critical
+moments in the history of Cove City,&rdquo;
+he announced excitedly to Nick. &ldquo;It&#8217;s
+a most fortunate thing that they&#8217;ve got
+me here to make the preliminary arrangements,
+and to sort of get the thing
+solidified, as you might say. I&#8217;ll call a
+<a name="png.113" id="png.113"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">108</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>meeting for eleven o&#8217;clock at Your Hotel.
+You call up old man Hager and the
+preacher, and I will undertake to notify
+Jimmy Fallows and Mr. Tucker.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The preacher ain&#8217;t in town; he&#8217;s out
+at Smither&#8217;s Ridge, marrying a couple.
+I got the whole notice written out beforehand.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, tear it up,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp.
+&ldquo;I&#8217;ve engaged a special hand to do all
+weddings and funerals.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Nick looked hurt; this was the first
+time his kingdom had been invaded. He
+kicked the door sullenly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I can&#8217;t get the preacher if he&#8217;s out
+at Smither&#8217;s Ridge.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Nick,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, equally hurt,
+&ldquo;is that the way for a subordinate reporter
+to talk to a&#8217; editor? You don&#8217;t
+seem to realize that this here is a very
+serious and large transaction. There
+may be hundreds of dollars involved.
+It&#8217;s a&#8217; awful weight of responsibility
+for one man. I&#8217;m willing to finance it
+and conduct the main issues, but I&#8217;ve
+got to have the backing of all the other
+<a name="png.114" id="png.114"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">109</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>parties. Now it&#8217;s with you whether the
+preacher gets there or not.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Shall I hunt up Mat Lucas, too?&rdquo;
+asked Nick as he started forth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No; that&#8217;s my branch of the work:
+but&mdash;say&mdash;Nick, your sister will have to
+be there; she owns some shares.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said Nick; &ldquo;her buggy is
+hitched up in front of Tucker&#8217;s. I&#8217;ll tell
+her to wait till you come.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp was not long in following.
+He walked down the road with an important
+stride, his bosom scarcely able to
+accommodate the feeling of pride and
+responsibility that swelled it. He was in
+a position of trust; his fellow-citizens
+would look to him, a man of larger experience
+and business ability, to deal with
+these moneyed strangers. He would be
+fair, but shrewd. He knew the clever
+wiles of the capitalists; he would meet
+them with calm but unyielding dignity.</p>
+
+<p>It was in this mood that he came upon
+Miss Jim, who was in the act of disentangling
+a long lace scarf from her
+buggy whip. Her flushed face and flashing
+<a name="png.115" id="png.115"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">110</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>eyes gave such unmistakable signs
+of wrath that Mr. Opp glanced apprehensively
+at the whip in her hand, and
+then at Jimmy Fallows, who was hitching
+her horse.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Howdy, Mr. Opp,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;It&#8217;s
+a pleasure to meet a gentleman, after
+what I&#8217;ve seen.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I hope,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, &ldquo;that our
+friend here ain&#8217;t been indulging in his
+customary&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It ain&#8217;t Mr. Fallows,&rdquo; she broke in
+sharply; &ldquo;it&#8217;s Mr. Tucker. He ain&#8217;t got
+the feeling of a broomstick.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, Miss Jim,&rdquo; began Jimmy Fallows
+in a teasing tone; but the lady
+turned her back upon him and addressed
+Mr. Opp.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You see this portrait,&rdquo; she said angrily,
+pulling it out from under the seat.
+&ldquo;It took me four weeks, including two
+Sunday afternoons, to make it. I begun
+it the second week after Mrs. Tucker
+died, when I seen him takin&#8217; on so hard
+at church. He was cryin&#8217; so when they
+took up the collection that he never even
+<a name="png.116" id="png.116"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">111</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>seen the plate pass him. I went right
+home and set to work on this here portrait,
+thinking he&#8217;d be glad and willing
+to buy it from me. Wouldn&#8217;t you, if you
+was a widower?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp gazed doubtfully at the picture,
+which represented Mr. Tucker sitting
+disconsolately beside a grave, with
+a black-bordered handkerchief held
+lightly between his fingers. A weeping-willow
+drooped above him, and on the
+tombstone at his side were two angels
+supporting the initials of the late Mrs.
+Tucker.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, Miss Jim,&rdquo; insisted Fallows,
+&ldquo;you&#8217;re askin&#8217; too much of old man
+Tucker to expect him to keep on seein&#8217; a
+tombstone when he&#8217;s got one eye on you
+and one eye on the Widow Gusty. He
+ain&#8217;t got any hair on top of his head to
+part, but he&#8217;s took to partin&#8217; it down
+the back, and I seen him Sunday trying
+to read the hymns without his spectacles.
+He started up on &lsquo;Let a Little Sunshine
+In&rsquo; when they was singing &lsquo;Come, ye
+Disconsolate.&rsquo; You rub out the face and
+<a name="png.117" id="png.117"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">112</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>the initials on that there picture and
+keep it for the nex&#8217; widower. Ketch him
+when he&#8217;s still droopin&#8217;. You&#8217;ll get
+your money back. Your mistake was in
+waiting too long.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Speaking of waiting,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp,
+impatiently, &ldquo;there&#8217;s a call meeting of
+the Turtle Creek Land Co. for this morning
+at eleven at Your Hotel. Hope it&#8217;s
+convenient, Jimmy.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; said Jimmy; &ldquo;we got more
+empty chairs at Your Hotel than anything
+else. What&#8217;s the meeting for?
+Struck gold?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp imparted the great news.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, my land!&rdquo; exclaimed Miss Jim,
+&ldquo;will they be here to-day?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not until to-morrow night,&rdquo; explained
+Mr. Opp. &ldquo;This here meeting
+this morning is for the stock-holders
+only. We got to kinder outline our policy
+and arrange a sort of basis of operation.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Miss Jim, &ldquo;I&#8217;ll take the
+portrait up to Mrs. Gusty&#8217;s and ask her
+to take care of it for me. I don&#8217;t know
+<a name="png.118" id="png.118"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">113</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>as I can do the face over into somebody
+else&#8217;s, but I can&#8217;t afford to lose it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It was afternoon before the stock-holders
+could all be brought together.
+They assembled in the office of Your Hotel
+in varying states of mind ranging
+from frank skepticism to intense enthusiasm.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Tucker represented the conservative
+element. He was the rich man of
+the town, with whom economy, at first a
+necessity, had become a luxury. No
+greater proof could have been desired of
+Mr. Opp&#8217;s persuasive powers than that
+Mr. Tucker had invested in a hundred
+shares of the new stock. He sat on the
+edge of his chair, wizen, anxious, fidgety,
+loaded with objections, and ready to go
+off half-cocked. Old man Hager sat in
+his shadow, objecting when he objected,
+voting as he voted, and prepared to
+loosen or tighten his purse-strings as
+Mr. Tucker suggested.</p>
+
+<p>Mat Lucas and Miss Jim were independents.
+They had both had sufficient
+experience in business to know their own
+<a name="png.119" id="png.119"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">114</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>minds. If there was any money to be
+made in the Cove or about it, they intended
+to have a part in it.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp and the preacher constituted
+the Liberal party. They furnished the
+enthusiasm that floated the scheme. They
+were able to project themselves into the
+future and prophesy dazzling probabilities.</p>
+
+<p>Jimmy Fallows, alone of the group,
+maintained an artistic attitude toward
+the situation. He was absolutely detached.
+He sat with his chair tilted
+against the door and his thumbs in his
+armholes, and treated the whole affair
+as a huge joke.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The matter up for immediate consideration,&rdquo;
+Mr. Opp was saying impressively,
+&ldquo;is whether these here gentlemen
+should want to buy us out, we would sell,
+or whether we would remain firm in possession,
+and let them lease our ground
+and share the profits on the oil.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I&#8217;m kinder in favor of selling
+out if we get the chance,&rdquo; urged Mr.
+Tucker in a high, querulous voice. &ldquo;To
+<a name="png.120" id="png.120"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">115</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>sell on a rising market is always a pretty
+good plan.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;After we run up ag&#8217;in&#8217; them city fellows,&rdquo;
+said Mat Lucas, &ldquo;I&#8217;ll be surprised
+if we git as much out as we put
+in.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gentlemen,&rdquo; protested Mr. Opp,
+&ldquo;this here ain&#8217;t the attitude to assume
+to the affair. To my profoundest belief
+there is a fortune in these here lands.
+The establishment of &lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo;
+has, as you know, been a considerable
+tax on my finances, but everything else
+I&#8217;ve got has gone into this company.
+It&#8217;s a great and glorious opportunity,
+one that I been predicting and prophesying
+for these many years. Are we going
+to sell out to this party, and let them
+reap the prize? No; I trust and hope
+that such is not the case. In order to
+have more capital to open up the mines,
+I advocate the taking of them in.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I bet they been advocating the taking
+of us in,&rdquo; chuckled Jimmy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, my dear friends, suppose we
+vote on it,&rdquo; suggested the preacher.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.121" id="png.121"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">116</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Reach yer hand back there in the
+press, Mr. Opp, and git the lead-pencil,&rdquo;
+said Jimmy, without moving.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The motion before the house,&rdquo; said
+Mr. Opp, &ldquo;is whether we will sell out or
+take &#8217;em in. All in favor say &lsquo;Aye.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>There was a unanimous vote in the
+affirmative, although each member interpreted
+the motion in his own way.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Very well,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, briskly;
+&ldquo;the motion is carried. Now we got to
+arrange about entertaining the party.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Tucker, whose brain was an accommodation
+stopping at each station,
+was still struggling with the recent motion
+when this new thought about entertainment
+whizzed past. The instinct of
+the landlord awoke at the call, and he
+promptly switched off the main line and
+went down the side track.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gallop was here while ago,&rdquo; Jimmy
+was saying, with a satisfied glance at
+Mr. Tucker; &ldquo;said they wanted me to
+take keer of &#8217;em. I&#8217;ll &#8217;commodate all
+but the preachers. If there are any
+preachers, Mr. Tucker kin have &#8217;em. I
+<a name="png.122" id="png.122"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">117</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>have to draw the line somewheres. I
+can&#8217;t stand &#8217;em &lsquo;Brother-Fallowsing&rsquo;
+me. Last time the old woman corralled
+one and brought him home, he was as
+glad to find me to work on as she&#8217;d &#8217;a&#8217;
+be&#8217;n to git some fruit to preserve.
+&lsquo;Brother,&rsquo; he says, reaching out for my
+hand, &lsquo;do you ever think about the awful
+place you are going to when you die?&rsquo;
+&lsquo;You bet,&rsquo; says I; &lsquo;I got more friends
+there than anywhere.&rsquo;&rdquo; And Jimmy&#8217;s
+laugh shook the stove-pipe.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How many gentlemen are coming to-morrow?&rdquo;
+asked Miss Jim, who was sitting
+in a corner as far as possible from
+Mr. Tucker.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ten,&rdquo; said Jimmy. &ldquo;Now, you
+wouldn&#8217;t think it, but this here hotel has
+got six bedrooms. I&#8217;ve tooken care of
+as many as twenty at a time, easy, but
+I&#8217;ll be hanged if I ever heard of such
+foolishness as every one of these fellers
+wantin&#8217; a room to hisself.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ve got three rooms empty,&rdquo; said
+Mr. Tucker.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, that leaves one over,&rdquo; said Mat
+<a name="png.123" id="png.123"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">118</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>Lucas. &ldquo;I&#8217;d take him out home, but
+we&#8217;ve got company, and are sleeping
+three in a bed now.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp hesitated; then his hospitality
+overcame his discretion.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just consider him my guest,&rdquo; he
+said. &ldquo;I&#8217;ll be very pleased to provide
+entertainment for the gentleman in question.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Not until the business of the day was
+over, and Mr. Opp was starting home,
+did he realize how tired he was. It was
+not his duties as an editor, or even as a
+promoter, that were telling on him; it
+was his domestic affairs that preyed
+upon his mind. For Mr. Opp not only
+led a strenuous life by day, but by night
+as well. Miss Kippy&#8217;s day began with
+his coming home, and ended in the morning
+when he went away; the rest of the
+time she waited.</p>
+
+<p>Just now the problem that confronted
+him was the entertainment of the expected
+guest. Never, since he could remember,
+had a stranger invaded that
+little world where Miss Kippy lived her
+<a name="png.124" id="png.124"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">119</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>unreal life of dreams. What effect would
+it have upon her? Would it be kinder to
+hide her away as something he was
+ashamed of, or to let her appear and run
+the risk of exposing her deficiency to uncaring
+eyes? During the months that he
+had watched her, a fierce tenderness had
+sprung up in his heart. He had become
+possessed of the hope that she might be
+rescued from her condition. Night after
+night he patiently tried to teach her to
+read and to write, stopping again and
+again to humor her whims and indulge
+her foolish fancies. More than once he
+had surprised a new look in her eyes, a
+sudden gleam of sanity, of frightened
+understanding; and at such times she
+would cling to him for protection against
+that strange thing that was herself.</p>
+
+<p>As he trudged along, deep in thought,
+a white chrysanthemum fell at his feet.
+Looking up, he discovered Miss Guinevere
+Gusty, in a red cloak and hat, sitting
+on the bank with a band-box in her
+lap.</p>
+
+<p>His troubles were promptly swallowed
+<a name="png.125" id="png.125"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">120</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>up in the heart-quake which ensued; but
+his speech was likewise, and he stood
+foolishly opening and shutting his
+mouth, unable to effect a sound.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am waiting for the packet to go
+down to Coreyville,&rdquo; announced Miss
+Gusty, straightening her plumed hat,
+and smiling. &ldquo;Mr. Gallop says it&#8217;s an
+hour late; but I don&#8217;t care, it&#8217;s such a
+grand day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp removed his eyes long enough
+to direct an inquiring glance at the
+heavens and the earth. &ldquo;Is it?&rdquo; he
+asked, finding his voice. &ldquo;I been so occupied
+with business that I haven&#8217;t
+scarcely taken occasion to note the
+weather.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, it&#8217;s all soft and warm, just
+like spring,&rdquo; she continued, holding out
+her arms and looking up at the sky.
+&ldquo;I&#8217;ve been wishing I had time to walk
+along the river a piece.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll take you,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp,
+eagerly. &ldquo;We can hear the whistle of
+the boat in amply sufficient time to get
+back. Besides, it is a hour late.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.126" id="png.126"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">121</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>She hesitated. &ldquo;You&#8217;re real sure you
+can get me back?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Perfectly,&rdquo; he announced. &ldquo;I might
+say in all my experience I never have yet
+got a lady left on a boat.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Miss Guinevere, used to being guided,
+handed him her band-box, and followed
+him up the steep bank.</p>
+
+<p>The path wound in and out among the
+trees, now losing itself in the woods, now
+coming out upon the open river. The
+whole world was a riot of crimson and
+gold, and it was warm with that soft
+echo of summer that brings some of its
+sweetness, and all of its sadness, but
+none of its mirth.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp walked beside his divinity
+oblivious to all else. The sunlight fell
+unnoticed except when it lay upon her
+face; the only breeze that blew from
+heaven was the one that sent a stray curl
+floating across her cheek. As Mr. Opp
+walked, he talked, putting forth every
+effort to please. His burning desire to
+be worthy of her led him into all manner
+of verbal extravagances, and the mere
+<a name="png.127" id="png.127"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">122</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>fact that she was taller than he caused
+him to indulge in more lofty and figurative
+language. He captured fugitive
+quotations, evolved strange metaphors,
+coined words, and poured all in a glittering
+heap of eloquence before her shrine.</p>
+
+<p>As he talked, his companion moved
+heedlessly along beside him, stopping
+now and then to gather a spray of goldenrod,
+or to gaze absently at the river
+through some open space in the trees.
+For Miss Guinevere Gusty lived in a
+world of her own&mdash;a world of vague possibilities,
+of half-defined longings, and
+intangible dreams. Love was still an abstract
+sentiment, something radiant and
+breathless that might envelop her at any
+moment and bear her away to Elysium.</p>
+
+<p>As she stooped to free her skirt from
+a detaining thorn, she pointed down the
+bank.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There&#8217;s some pretty sweet-gum
+leaves; I wish they weren&#8217;t so far
+down.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where?&rdquo; demanded Mr. Opp, rashly
+eager to prove his gallantry.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.128" id="png.128"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">123</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;&#8217;Way down over the edge; but you
+mustn&#8217;t go, it&#8217;s too steep.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Not for me,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, plunging
+boldly through the underbrush.</p>
+
+<p>The tree grew at a sharp angle over
+the water, and the branches were so far
+up that it was necessary to climb out a
+short distance in order to reach them.
+Mr. Opp&#8217;s soul was undoubtedly that of
+a knight-errant, but his body, alas! was
+not. When he found himself astride the
+slender, swaying trunk, with the bank
+dropping sharply to the river flowing
+dizzily beneath him, he went suddenly
+and unexpectedly blind. Between admiration
+for himself for ever having gotten
+there, and despair of ever getting
+back, lay the present necessity of loosening
+his hold long enough to break off a
+branch of the crimson leaves. He tried
+opening one eye, but the effect was so
+terrifying that he promptly closed it.
+He pictured himself, a few moments before,
+strolling gracefully along the road
+conversing brilliantly upon divers subjects;
+then he bitterly considered the
+<a name="png.129" id="png.129"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">124</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>present moment and the effect he must
+be producing upon the young lady in the
+red cloak on the path above. He saw
+himself clinging abjectly to the swaying
+tree-trunk, only waiting for his strength
+or the tree to give away, before he should
+be plunged into the waters below.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;s a pretty spray,&rdquo; called the
+soft voice from above; &ldquo;that one above,
+to the left.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, rallying all his courage,
+reached blindly out in the direction indicated,
+and as he did so, he realized that
+annihilation was imminent. Demonstrating
+a swift geometrical figure in the air,
+he felt himself hurling through space,
+coming to an abrupt and awful pause
+when he struck the earth. Perceiving
+with a thrill of surprise that he was still
+alive, he cautiously opened his eyes. To
+his further amazement he found that he
+had landed on his feet, unhurt, and that
+in his left hand he held a long branch of
+sweet-gum leaves.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, you skinned the cat, didn&#8217;t
+you?&rdquo; called an admiring voice from
+<a name="png.130" id="png.130"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">125</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>above. &ldquo;I was just wondering how you
+was ever going to get down.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp crawled up the slippery bank,
+his knees trembling so that he could
+scarcely stand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; he said, as he handed her the
+leaves; &ldquo;those kind of athletic acts seem
+to just come natural to some people.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You must be awful strong,&rdquo; continued
+Guinevere, looking at him with approval.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp sank beside her on the bank
+and gave himself up to the full enjoyment
+of the moment. Both hands were
+badly bruised, and he had a dim misgiving
+that his coat was ripped up the back;
+but he was happy, with the wild, reckless
+happiness of one to whom Fate has been
+unexpectedly kind. Moreover, the goal
+toward which all his thought had been
+rushing for the past hour was in sight.
+He could already catch glimpses of the
+vision beautiful. He could hear himself
+storming the citadel with magic words
+of eloquence. Meanwhile he nursed the
+band-box and smiled dumbly into space.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.131" id="png.131"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">126</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>From far below, the pungent odor of
+burning leaves floated up, and the air
+was full of a blue haze that became
+luminous as the sun transfused it. It
+enveloped the world in mystery, and
+threw a glamour over the dying day.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s so pretty it hurts,&rdquo; said the girl,
+clasping her hands about her knees. &ldquo;I
+love to watch it all, but it makes the
+shivers go over me&mdash;makes me feel sort
+of lonesome. Don&#8217;t it you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp shook his head emphatically.
+It was the one time in years that down in
+the depths of his soul he had not felt
+lonesome. For as Indian summer had
+come back to earth, so youth had come
+back to Mr. Opp. The flower of his being
+was waking to bloom, and the spring
+tides were at flood.</p>
+
+<p>A belated robin overhead, unable
+longer to contain his rapture, burst into
+song; but Mr. Opp, equally full of his
+subject, was unable to utter a syllable.
+The sparkling eloquence and the fine
+phrases had evaporated, and only the
+bare truth was left.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.132" id="png.132"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">127</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Guinevere, having become aware of
+the very ardent looks that were being
+cast upon her, said she thought the boat
+must be about due.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp; &ldquo;that is, I
+was about to say&mdash;why&mdash;er&mdash;say, Miss
+Guin-never, do you think you could ever
+come to keer about me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere, thus brought to bay, took
+refuge in subterfuge. &ldquo;Why&mdash;Mr. Opp&mdash;I&#8217;m
+not old enough for you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, you are,&rdquo; he burst forth fervently.
+&ldquo;You are everything for me:
+old enough, and beautiful enough, and
+smart enough, and sweet enough. I never
+beheld a human creature that could even
+begin to think about comparing with you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere, in the agitation of the moment,
+nervously plucked all the leaves
+from the branch that had been acquired
+with such effort. It was with difficulty
+that she finally managed to lift her eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&#8217;ve been mighty good to me,&rdquo;
+she faltered, &ldquo;and&mdash;and made me lots
+happier; but I&mdash;I don&#8217;t care in the way
+you mean.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.133" id="png.133"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">128</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Is there anybody else?&rdquo; demanded
+Mr. Opp, ready to hurl himself to destruction
+if she answered in the affirmative.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">&ldquo;Oh, no,&rdquo; she answered him; &ldquo;there
+never has been anybody.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="illus pgbrk"><a name="png.134" id="png.134"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">129</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span><img src="images/illus134.jpg" width="450" height="738"
+ alt="" title="" /><br
+ />&ldquo;&lsquo;Why, Mr. Opp, I&#8217;m not old enough&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then I&#8217;ll take my chance,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Opp, expanding his narrow chest.
+&ldquo;Whatever I&#8217;ve got out of the world
+I&#8217;ve had to fight for. I don&#8217;t mind saying
+to you that I was sorter started out
+with a handicap. You know my sister&mdash;she&#8217;s
+a&mdash;well, a&#8217; invalid, you might say,
+and while her pa was living, my fortunes
+wasn&#8217;t what you might call as favorable
+as they are at present. I never thought
+there would be any use in my considering
+getting married till I met you, then
+I didn&#8217;t seem able somehow to consider
+nothing else. If you&#8217;ll just let me, I&#8217;ll
+wait. I&#8217;ll learn you to care. I won&#8217;t
+bother you, but just wait patient as long
+as you say.&rdquo; And this from Mr. Opp,
+whose sands of life were already half-run!
+&ldquo;All I ask for,&rdquo; he went on wistfully,
+&ldquo;is a little sign now and then.
+<a name="png.136" id="png.136"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">131</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>You might give me a little look or something
+just to keep the time from seeming
+too long.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It was almost a question, and as he
+leaned toward her, with the sunlight in
+his eyes, something of the beauty of the
+day touched him, too, just as it touched
+the weed at his feet, making them both
+for one transcendent moment part of the
+glory of the world.</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere Gusty, already in love with
+love, and reaching blindly out for something
+deeper and finer in her own life,
+was suddenly engulfed in a wave of sympathy.
+She involuntarily put out her
+hand and touched his fingers.</p>
+
+<p>The sun went down behind the distant
+shore, and the light faded on the river.
+Mr. Opp was almost afraid to breathe;
+he sat with his eyes on the far horizon,
+and that small, slender hand in his, and
+for the moment the world was fixed in its
+orbit, and Time itself stood still.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly out of the silence came the
+long, low whistle of the boat. They
+scrambled to their feet and hurried down
+<a name="png.137" id="png.137"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">132</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>the path, Mr. Opp having some trouble
+in keeping up with the nimbler pace of
+the girl.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll be calculatin&#8217; every minute until
+the arrival of the boat to-morrow night,&rdquo;
+he was gasping as they came within sight
+of the wharf. &ldquo;I&#8217;ll be envyin&#8217; every&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where&#8217;s my band-box?&rdquo; demanded
+Guinevere. &ldquo;Why, Mr. Opp, if you
+haven&#8217;t gone and left it up in the
+woods!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Five minutes later, just as the bell was
+tapping for the boat to start, a flying figure
+appeared on the wharf. He was hatless
+and breathless, his coat was ripped
+from collar to hem, and a large band-box
+flapped madly against his legs as he ran.
+He came down the home-stretch at a
+record-breaking pace, stepped on board
+as the gang-plank was lifted, deposited
+his band-box on the deck, then with a
+running jump cleared the rapidly widening
+space between the boat and the shore,
+and dropped upon the wharf.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">He continued waving his handkerchief
+even after the boat had rounded the
+<a name="png.138" id="png.138"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">133</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>curve, then, having edited a paper, promoted
+a large enterprise, effected a proposal,
+and performed two remarkable
+athletic stunts all in the course of a day,
+Mr. Opp turned his footsteps toward
+home.</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.139" id="png.139"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">134</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>IX</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/t-initial.png"
+ alt="T" title="T" width="149" height="150" /><span>he</span> next day dawned wet
+and chilly. A fine mist
+hung in the trees, and
+the leaves and grasses
+sagged under their burden
+of moisture. All the
+crimson and gold had changed to brown
+and gray, and the birds and crickets had
+evidently packed away their chirps and
+retired for the season.</p>
+
+<p>By the light of a flickering candle, Mr.
+D.&nbsp;Webster Opp partook of a frugal
+breakfast. The luxurious habits of the
+Moore household had made breakfast a
+movable feast depending upon the time
+of Aunt Tish&#8217;s arrival, and in establishing
+the new régime Mr. Opp had found it
+necessary to prepare his own breakfast
+in order to make sure of getting to the
+office before noon.</p>
+
+<p>As he sipped his warmed-over coffee,
+<a name="png.140" id="png.140"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">135</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>with his elbows on the red table-cloth,
+and his heels hooked on the rung of the
+chair, he recited to himself in an undertone
+from a very large and imposing
+book which was propped in front of him,
+the leaves held back on one side by a
+candlestick and on the other by a salt-cellar.
+It was a book which Mr. Opp was
+buying on subscription, and it was called
+&ldquo;An Encyclopedia of Wonder, Beauty,
+and Wisdom.&rdquo; It contained pellets of
+information on all subjects, and Mr. Opp
+made it a practice to take several before
+breakfast, and to repeat the dose at each
+meal as circumstances permitted. &ldquo;An
+editor,&rdquo; he told Nick, &ldquo;has got to keep
+himself instructed on all subjects. He
+has got to read wide and continuous.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>As a rule he followed no special line in
+his pursuit of knowledge, but with true
+catholicity of taste, took the items as they
+came, turning from a strenuous round
+with &ldquo;Abbeys and Abbots,&rdquo; to enter
+with fervor into the wilds of &ldquo;Abyssinia.&rdquo;
+The straw which served as
+bookmark pointed to-day to &ldquo;Ants,&rdquo; and
+<a name="png.141" id="png.141"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">136</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>ordinarily Mr. Opp would have attacked
+the subject with all the enthusiasm of an
+entomologist. But even the best regulated
+minds will at times play truant,
+and Mr. Opp&#8217;s had taken a flying leap
+and skipped six hundred and thirty-two
+pages, landing recklessly in the middle
+of &ldquo;Young Lochinvar.&rdquo; For the encyclopedia,
+in its laudable endeavor not
+only to cover all intellectual requirements,
+but also to add the crowning
+grace of culture, had appended a collection
+of poems under the title &ldquo;Favorites,
+Old and New.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, thus a-wing on the winds of
+poesy, had sipped his tepid coffee and
+nibbled his burnt toast in fine abstraction
+until he came upon a selection which
+his soul recognized. He had found words
+to the music that was ringing in his heart.
+It was then that he propped the book
+open before him, and determined not to
+close it until he had made the lines his
+own.</p>
+
+<p>Later, as he trudged along the road to
+town, he repeated the verses to himself,
+<a name="png.142" id="png.142"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">137</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>patiently referring again and again to
+the note-book in which he had copied the
+first words of each line.</p>
+
+<p>At the office door he regretfully dismounted
+from Pegasus, and resolutely
+turned his attention to the business of
+the day. His desire was to complete the
+week&#8217;s work by noon, spend the afternoon
+at home in necessary preparation
+for the coming guest, and have the following
+day, which was Saturday, free to
+devote to the interest of the oil company.</p>
+
+<p>In order to accomplish this, expedition
+was necessary, and Mr. Opp, being more
+bountifully endowed by nature with energy
+than with any other quality, fell to
+work with a will. His zeal, however, interfered
+with his progress, and he found
+himself in the embarrassing condition of
+a machine which is geared too high.</p>
+
+<p>He was, moreover, a bit bruised and
+stiff from the unusual performances of
+the previous day, and any sudden motion
+caused him to wince. But the pain
+brought recollection, and recollection was
+instant balm.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.143" id="png.143"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">138</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>It was hardly to be expected that
+things would deviate from their usual
+custom of becoming involved at a critical
+time, so Mr. Opp was not surprised when
+Nick was late and had to be spoken to, a
+task which the editor always achieved
+with great difficulty. Then the printing-press
+had an acute attack of indigestion,
+and no sooner was that relieved than the
+appalling discovery was made that there
+were no more good &ldquo;S&#8217;s&rdquo; in the type
+drawer.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Use dollar-marks for the next issue,&rdquo;
+directed Mr. Opp, &ldquo;and I&#8217;ll wire
+immediate to the city.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We&#8217;re kinder short on &lsquo;I&#8217;s&rsquo; too,&rdquo;
+said Nick. &ldquo;You take so many in your
+articles.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp looked injured. &ldquo;I very seldom
+or never begin on an &lsquo;I,&rsquo;&rdquo; he said
+indignantly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You get &#8217;em in somehow,&rdquo; said Nick.
+&ldquo;Why, the editor over at Coreyville
+even said &lsquo;Our Wife.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, &ldquo;I will, too,&mdash;that
+is&mdash;er&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.144" id="png.144"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">139</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>The telephone-bell covered his retreat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hello!&rdquo; he answered in a deep, incisive
+voice to counteract the effect of his
+recent embarrassment, &ldquo;Office of &lsquo;The
+Opp Eagle.&rsquo; Mr. Toddlinger? Yes, sir.
+You say you want your subscription
+stopped! Well, now, wait a minute&mdash;see
+here, I can explain that&mdash;&rdquo; but the other
+party had evidently rung off.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp turned with exasperation
+upon Nick:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you know what you went and did
+last week?&rdquo; He rose and, going to the
+file, consulted the top paper. &ldquo;There it
+is,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;just identical with what he
+asserted.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Nick followed the accusing finger and
+read:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. and Mrs. Toddlinger moved this
+week into their new horse and lot.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Before explanations could be entered
+into, there was a knock at the door.
+When it was answered, a very small
+black boy was discovered standing on the
+step. He wore a red shirt and a pair of
+ragged trousers, between which strained
+<a name="png.145" id="png.145"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">140</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>relations existed, and on his head was
+the brim of a hat from which the crown
+had long since departed. Hanging on a
+twine string about his neck was a large
+onion.</p>
+
+<p>He opened negotiations at once.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Old Miss says fer you-all to stop dat
+frowin&#8217; papers an&#8217; sech like trash outen
+de winder; dey blows over in our-all&#8217;s
+yard.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He delivered the message in the same
+belligerent spirit with which it had evidently
+been conveyed to him, and rolled
+his eyes at Mr. Opp as if the offense had
+been personal.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp drew him in, and closed the
+door. &ldquo;Did&mdash;er&mdash;did Mrs. Gusty send
+you over to say that?&rdquo; he asked anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yas, sir; she done havin&#8217; a mad spell.
+What&#8217;s dat dere machine fer?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s a printing-press. Do you think
+Mrs. Gusty is mad at me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;<em>Yas, sir</em>,&rdquo; emphatically; &ldquo;she&#8217;s mad
+at ever&#8217;body. She &#8217;lows she gwine lick
+me ef I don&#8217;t tek keer. She done got de
+<a name="png.146" id="png.146"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">141</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>kitchen so full o&#8217; switches hit looks jes
+lak outdoors.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t think she would really whip
+you,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, already feeling the
+family responsibility.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Naw, sir; she jes &#8217;low she gwine to.
+What&#8217;s in dem dere little drawers?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Type,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp. &ldquo;You go back
+and tell Mrs. Gusty that Mr. Opp says
+he&#8217;s very sorry to have caused her any
+inconvenience, and he&#8217;ll send over immediate
+and pick up them papers.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&#8217;s kinder skeered of her, too,
+ain&#8217;t you?&rdquo; grinned the ambassador,
+holding up one bare, black foot to the
+stove. &ldquo;My mammy she sasses back, but
+I runs.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, you&#8217;d better run now,&rdquo; said
+Mr. Opp, who resented such insight;
+&ldquo;but, see here, what&#8217;s that onion for?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To &#8217;sorb disease,&rdquo; said the youth,
+with the air of one who is promulgating
+some advanced theory in therapeutics;
+&ldquo;hit ketches it &#8217;stid of you. My pappy
+weared a&#8217; onion fer put-near a whole
+year, an&#8217; hit &#8217;sorbed all de diseases whut
+<a name="png.147" id="png.147"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">142</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>was hangin&#8217; round, an&#8217; nary a one never
+teched him. An&#8217; one day my pappy he
+got hongry, an&#8217; he et dat dere onion, an&#8217;
+whut you reckon? He up an&#8217; died!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, you go &#8217;long now,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Opp, &ldquo;and tell Mrs. Gusty just exactly
+verbatim what I told you. What did you
+say was your name?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Val,&rdquo; said the boy.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp managed to slip a nickel into
+the dirty little hand without Nick&#8217;s seeing
+him. Nick was rather firm about
+these things, and disapproved heartily
+of Mr. Opp&#8217;s indiscriminate charities.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Gimme nudder one an&#8217; I&#8217;ll tell you
+de rest ob it,&rdquo; whispered Val on the
+door-step.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp complied.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Valentine Day Johnson,&rdquo; he announced
+with pride; then pocketing his
+prize, he vanished around the corner of
+the house, forgetting his office of plenipotentiary
+in his sudden accession of
+wealth.</p>
+
+<p>Once more peace settled on the office,
+and Mr. Opp was engrossed in an article
+<a name="png.148" id="png.148"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">143</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>on &ldquo;The Greatest Petroleum Proposition
+South of the Mason and Dixon
+Line,&rdquo; when an ominous, wheezing
+cough announced the arrival of Mr.
+Tucker. This was an unexpected catastrophe,
+for Mr. Tucker&#8217;s day for spending
+the morning at the office was Saturday,
+when he came in to pay for his
+paper. It seemed rather an unkind trick
+of Fate&#8217;s that he should have been permitted
+to arrive a day too soon.</p>
+
+<p>The old gentleman drew up a chair to
+the stove, then deliberately removed his
+overcoat and gloves.</p>
+
+<p>It was when he took off his overshoes,
+however, that Mr. Opp and Nick exchanged
+looks of despair. They had a
+signal code which they habitually employed
+when storms swept the office, but
+in a calm like this they were powerless.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mighty sorry to hear about that uprisin&#8217;
+in Guatemala,&rdquo; said Mr. Tucker,
+who took a vivid interest in foreign affairs,
+but remained quite neutral about
+questions at home.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp moved about the office
+<a name="png.149" id="png.149"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">144</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>restlessly, knowing from experience that to
+sit down in the presence of Mr. Tucker
+was fatal. The only chance of escape lay
+in motion. He sharpened his pencils,
+straightened his desk, and tied up two
+bundles of papers while Mr. Tucker&#8217;s address
+on the probable future of the Central
+American republics continued. Then
+Mr. Opp was driven to extreme measures.
+He sent himself a telegram. This
+ruse was occasionally resorted to, to free
+the office from unwelcome visitors without
+offending them, and served incidentally
+to produce an effect which was not
+unpleasant to the editor.</p>
+
+<p>Scribbling a message on a telegraph-blank
+procured for the purpose from Mr.
+Gallop, Mr. Opp handed it secretly to
+Nick, who in turn vanished out of the
+back door only to reappear at the front.
+Then the editor, with much ostentation,
+opened the envelop, and, after reading
+the contents, declared that he had business
+that would require immediate action.
+Would Mr. Tucker excuse him? If
+so, Nick would hold his coat.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.150" id="png.150"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">145</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;But,&rdquo; protested Mr. Tucker, resisting
+the effort to force him into his overcoat,
+&ldquo;I want to talk over this oil
+business. We don&#8217;t want to take any
+risks with those fellows. As I was a-saying
+to Mr. Hager&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, taking his own
+hat from a nail, and apparently in great
+haste, &ldquo;I know, of course. You are exactly
+right about it. We&#8217;ll just talk it
+over as we go up-street,&rdquo; and linking his
+arm through Mr. Tucker&#8217;s, he steered
+him up the muddy channel of Main
+Street, and safely into the harbor of Our
+Hotel, where he anchored him breathless,
+but satisfied.</p>
+
+<p>Having thus disposed, to the best of
+his ability, of his business for the week,
+Mr. Opp turned his attention to his yet
+more arduous domestic affairs. The
+menu for the guest&#8217;s dinner had weighed
+rather heavily upon him all day, for he
+had never before entertained in his own
+home. His heart had been set on turkey;
+but as that was out of the question,
+he compromised on a goose,
+<a name="png.151" id="png.151"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">146</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>adhering tenaciously to the cranberry
+sauce.</p>
+
+<p>It was easier to decide on the goose
+than it was to procure it, and some time
+was consumed in the search. Mr. Opp
+brought all his mental powers to bear on
+the subject, and attacked the problem
+with a zeal that merited success.</p>
+
+<p>When he reached home at noon with
+his arm full of bundles, Aunt Tish met
+him with lamentations.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dey ain&#8217;t but one clean table-cloth,
+an&#8217; hit&#8217;s got a hole in hit, an&#8217; I can&#8217;t find
+no sheets to put on de company baid, an&#8217;
+dere ain&#8217;t three cups an&#8217; saucers in de
+house what belongs to theyselves. I
+shorely doan know what you thinkin&#8217;
+&#8217;bout, Mr. D., to go an&#8217; ast company fer.
+We-all never does hab company. An&#8217;
+Miss Kippy she be&#8217;n habin&#8217; a sort er
+spell, too, cryin&#8217; to herself, an&#8217; won&#8217;t tell
+me whut&#8217;s de matter.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp shook the raindrops from his
+hat-brim, and laid the goose tenderly on
+the table; then he stepped inside the dining-room
+door, and stood watching the
+<a name="png.152" id="png.152"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">147</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>childish figure that sat on the floor before
+the fire. She was putting artificial flowers
+on her head, and every time they fell
+off, she dropped her head on her knees
+and sobbed softly to herself. Again and
+again she made the experiment, and again
+and again the faded roses came tumbling
+into her lap.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll fix &#8217;em,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, coming
+up behind her; &ldquo;don&#8217;t you cry about it,
+Kippy; I can make them stay, easy.&rdquo; He
+searched around in the clothes-press until
+he found a paper box, which he tied
+securely upon Miss Kippy&#8217;s head.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now try it,&rdquo; he cried; &ldquo;put the flowers
+on your head; they&#8217;ll stay.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Timidly, as if afraid of another disappointment,
+she tried, and when the flowers
+were caught in the box, she gave a
+sigh of satisfaction and delight.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, sence I j&#8217;ined de church!&rdquo; exclaimed
+Aunt Tish, who had been watching
+proceedings from the doorway; then
+she added, as Mr. Opp came into the
+hall: &ldquo;Hit beats my time de way you
+handles dat pore chile. Sometimes she
+<a name="png.153" id="png.153"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">148</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>got jes good sense as you an&#8217; me has.
+She ast me t&#8217;other day if she wasn&#8217;t
+crazy. I &#8217;lowed no indeedy, dat crazy
+folks was lock up in a lunatic asylum.
+An&#8217; she says &lsquo;Where?&rsquo; &lsquo;Up at Coreyville,&rsquo;
+I say. She went on playin&#8217; jes as
+nice and happy. De chile&#8217;s all right ef
+she don&#8217;t git a fool notion; den dey ain&#8217;t
+nobody kin make out what she wants inceptin&#8217;
+you. She been cryin&#8217; over dem
+flowers ever sence breakfast.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why didn&#8217;t you come after me?&rdquo;
+demanded Mr. Opp.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Jes to tie a box on her haid?&rdquo; asked
+Aunt Tish. &ldquo;Lor&#8217;, I thought you was
+busy makin&#8217; dem newspapers.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;So I am,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, &ldquo;but whenever
+Miss Kippy gets to crying, I want
+you to come direct after me, do you hear?
+There ain&#8217;t anything more important
+than in keeping her from getting worried.
+Now, let&#8217;s have a look at that
+there table-cloth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>All afternoon Mr. Opp encountered
+difficulties that would have disheartened
+a less courageous host. With the limited
+<a name="png.154" id="png.154"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">149</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>means at hand it seemed impossible to
+entertain in a manner befitting the dignity
+of the editor of &ldquo;The Opp Eagle.&rdquo;
+But Mr. Opp, though sorely perplexed,
+was not depressed, for beneath the disturbed
+surface of his thoughts there ran
+an undercurrent of pure joy. It caused
+him to make strange, unnatural sounds
+in his throat which he meant for song; it
+made him stop every now and then in his
+work to glance tenderly and reminiscently
+at the palm of his right hand, once
+even going so far as to touch it softly
+with his lips. For since the last sun had
+set there had been no waking moment but
+had held for him the image of a golden
+world inhabited solely by a pair of luminous
+eyes, one small hand, and, it must
+be added, a band-box.</p>
+
+<p>Through the busy afternoon Mr. Opp
+referred constantly to his watch, and in
+spite of the manifold duties to be performed,
+longed impatiently for evening
+to arrive. At five o&#8217;clock he had moved
+the furniture from one bedroom to another,
+demonstrated beyond a possibility
+<a name="png.155" id="png.155"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">150</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>of doubt that a fire could not be made in
+the parlor grate without the chimney
+smoking, mended two chairs, hung a pair
+of curtains, and made three errands to
+town. So much accomplished, he turned
+his attention to the most difficult task
+of all.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kippy,&rdquo; he said, going to the window
+where she was gleefully tracing the
+course of the raindrops as they chased
+down the pane. &ldquo;Stop a minute, Kippy.
+Listen; I want to talk to you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Miss Kippy turned obediently, but her
+lips continued the dumb conversation she
+was having with the rain.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How would you like,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp,
+approaching the subject cautiously, &ldquo;to
+play like you was a grown-up lady&mdash;just
+for to-night, you know?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Miss Kippy looked at him suspiciously,
+and her lips stopped moving. Heretofore
+she had resisted all efforts to change
+her manner of dress.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There&#8217;s a gentleman a-coming,&rdquo;
+continued Mr. Opp, persuasively; &ldquo;he&#8217;s
+going to remain over till to-morrow, and
+<a name="png.156" id="png.156"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">151</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>Aunt Tish is cooking that large goose for
+him, and I&#8217;ve been fixing up the spare
+room. We are all endeavoring to give
+him a nice time. Don&#8217;t you want to dress
+up for him?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Will it make him glad?&rdquo; asked Miss
+Kippy.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp expiated on the enjoyment
+it would give the unknown guest to see
+Kippy in the blue merino dress which
+Aunt Tish had gotten out of Mrs. Opp&#8217;s
+old trunk up-stairs.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And you&#8217;ll let Aunt Tish arrange
+your hair up like a lady?&rdquo; went on Mr.
+Opp, pushing the point.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Miss Kippy, after a moment,
+&ldquo;Oxety will. She will make him
+glad.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good!&rdquo; said Mr. Opp. &ldquo;And if you
+will sit nice and quiet and never say a
+word all through supper, I&#8217;ll get you a
+book with pictures in it, representing
+flowers and things.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Roses?&rdquo; asked Miss Kippy, drawing
+a quick breath of delight; and when Mr.
+Opp nodded, she closed her eyes and
+<a name="png.157" id="png.157"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">152</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>smiled as if heaven were within sight.
+For Miss Kippy was like a harp across
+which some rough hand had swept, snapping
+all the strings but two, the high one
+of ecstasy and the low one of despair.</p>
+
+<p>At six o&#8217;clock Mr. Opp went up to
+make his toilet. The rain, which had
+been merely rehearsing all day, was now
+giving a regular performance, and it
+played upon the windows, and went trilling
+through the gutters on the roof, while
+the old cedar-tree scraped an accompaniment
+on the corner of the porch below.
+But, nothing daunted, Mr. Opp donned
+his bravest attire. Cyclones and tornadoes
+could not have deterred him from
+making the most elaborate toilet at his
+command. To be sure, he turned up the
+hem of his trousers and tied a piece of
+oilcloth securely about each leg, and he
+also spread a handkerchief tenderly over
+his pink necktie; but these could be easily
+removed after he heard the boat whistle.</p>
+
+<p>He dressed by the light of a sputtering
+candle before a small mirror the veracity
+of which was more than questionable. It
+<a name="png.158" id="png.158"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">153</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>presented him to himself as a person
+with a broad, flat face, the nose of which
+appeared directly between his eyes, and
+the mouth on a line with the top of his
+ears. But he made allowances for these
+idiosyncrasies on the part of the mirror;
+in fact, he made such liberal allowances
+that he was quite satisfied with the reflection.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll procure the hack to bring the
+company back in,&rdquo; he said to Aunt Tish
+rather nervously as he passed through
+the kitchen. &ldquo;You assist Miss Kippy to
+get arranged, and I&#8217;ll carry up the coal
+and set the table after I return back
+home. I can do it while the company is
+up in his room.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>All the way into town, as he splashed
+along the muddy road, he was alternately
+dreading the arrival of one passenger,
+and anticipating joyfully, the
+arrival of another. For as the time approached
+the impending presence of the
+company began to take ominous form,
+and Mr. Opp grew apprehensive.</p>
+
+<p>At the landing he found everything
+<a name="png.159" id="png.159"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">154</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>dark and quiet. Evidently the packet
+was unusually late, and the committee appointed
+to meet it and conduct the guests
+to their various destinations was waiting
+somewhere uptown, probably at Your
+Hotel. Mr. Opp paused irresolute: his
+soul yearned for solitude, but the rain-soaked
+dock offered no shelter except the
+slight protection afforded by a pile of
+empty boxes. Selecting the driest and
+largest of these, he turned it on end, and
+by an adroit adjustment of his legs, succeeded
+in getting inside.</p>
+
+<p>Below, the river rolled heavily past in
+the twilight, sending up tiny juts of water
+to meet the pelting rain. A cold, penetrating
+mist clung to the ground, and
+the wind carried complaining tales from
+earth to heaven. Everything breathed
+discomfort, but Mr. Opp knew it not.</p>
+
+<p>His soul was sailing sunlit seas of
+bliss, fully embarked at last upon the
+most magic and immortal of all illusions.
+Sitting cramped and numb in his narrow
+quarters, he peered eagerly into the
+darkness, watching for the first lights of
+<a name="png.160" id="png.160"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">155</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>the <i>Sunny South</i> to twinkle through the
+gloom. And as he watched he chanted
+in a sing-song ecstasy:</p>
+
+<div class="quote pgbrk">
+<div class="poem">
+<div>&ldquo;She is coming, my own, my sweet;</div>
+<div class="i2">Were it ever so airy a tread,</div>
+<div>My heart would hear her and beat,</div>
+<div class="i2">Were it earth in an earthy bed;</div>
+<div>My dust would hear her and beat,</div>
+<div class="i2">Had I lain for a century dead;</div>
+<div>Would start and tremble under her feet,</div>
+<div class="i2">And blossom in purple and red.&rdquo;</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.161" id="png.161"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">156</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>X</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/w-initial.png"
+ alt="W" title="W" width="144" height="150" /><span>hen</span> Miss Guinevere
+Gusty tripped up the
+gang-plank of the <i>Sunny
+South</i> late that afternoon,
+vainly trying to
+protect herself from the
+driving rain, she was met half-way by
+the gallant old captain.</p>
+
+<p>Tradition had it that the captain had
+once cast a favorable eye upon her
+mother; but Mrs. Gusty, being cross-eyed,
+had looked elsewhere.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We are a pudding without plums,&rdquo;
+he announced gaily, as he held the umbrella
+at an angle calculated to cause a
+waterspout in the crown of her hat&mdash;&ldquo;not
+a lady on board. All we needed
+was a beautiful young person like you to
+liven us up. You haven&#8217;t forgotten
+those pretty tunes you played for me last
+trip, have you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.162" id="png.162"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">157</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Guinevere laughed, and shook her
+head. &ldquo;That was just for you and the
+girls,&rdquo; she said.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, it&#8217;ll be for me and the boys
+this time. I&#8217;ve got a nice lot of gentlemen
+on board, going down to your place,
+by the way, to buy up all your oil-lands.
+Now I know you are going to play for
+us if I ask you to.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My goodness! are they on this
+boat?&rdquo; asked Guinevere, in a flutter. &ldquo;I
+am so glad; I just love to watch city
+people.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said the captain; &ldquo;that was
+Mr. Mathews talking to me as you came
+aboard&mdash;the one with the white beard.
+Everything that man touches turns to
+money. That glum-looking young fellow
+over there is his secretary. Hinton
+is his name; curious sort of chap.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere followed his glance with
+eager interest. &ldquo;The solemn one with
+the cap pulled over his eyes?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>The captain nodded. &ldquo;All the rest are
+inside playing cards and having a good
+time; but he&#8217;s been moping around like
+<a name="png.163" id="png.163"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">158</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>that ever since they got on board. I&#8217;ve
+got to go below now, but when I come
+back, you&#8217;ll play some for me, won&#8217;t
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere protested violently, but
+something within her whispered that if
+the captain was very insistent she would
+render the selection which had won her a
+gold medal at the last commencement.</p>
+
+<p>Slipping into the saloon, she dropped
+quietly into one of the very corpulent
+chairs which steamboats particularly affect,
+and, unobserved, proceeded to give
+herself up to the full enjoyment of the
+occasion. The journey from Coreyville
+to the Cove, in the presence of the distinguished
+strangers, had assumed the
+nature of an adventure. Giving her
+imagination free rein, Miss Gusty, without
+apology, transported the commonplace
+group of business men at the card-table
+into the wildest realms of romance.
+The fact that their language, appearance,
+and manner spoke of the city, was
+for her a sufficient peg upon which to
+hang innumerable conjectures. So deep
+<a name="png.164" id="png.164"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">159</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>was she in her speculations that she did
+not hear the captain come up behind her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where have you been hiding?&rdquo; he
+asked in stentorian tones. &ldquo;I was afraid
+you&#8217;d gotten out on deck and the wind
+had blown you overboard. Don&#8217;t you
+think it&#8217;s about time for that little tune?
+We are forty minutes late now, and
+we&#8217;ll lose another half-hour taking on
+freight at Smither&#8217;s Landing. I&#8217;ve
+been banking on hearing that little
+dance-piece you played for me before.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I can&#8217;t play&mdash;before them,&rdquo; said
+Guinevere, nervously.</p>
+
+<p>The captain laughed. &ldquo;Yes, you can;
+they&#8217;ll like it. Mr. Mathews said something
+mighty pretty about you when you
+came on board.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He didn&#8217;t&mdash;honest?&rdquo; said Guinevere,
+blushing. &ldquo;Oh, truly, Captain, I
+can&#8217;t play!&rdquo; But even as she spoke she
+unbuttoned her gloves. Her accomplishment
+was clamoring for an exhibition,
+and though her spirit failed her,
+she twirled the piano-stool and took her
+seat.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.165" id="png.165"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">160</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>The group of men at the table, heretofore
+indifferent to proceedings, looked
+up when a thundering chord broke the
+stillness. A demure young girl, with
+gentle, brown eyes, was making a furious
+and apparently unwarranted attack
+upon the piano. Her one desire evidently
+was to get inside of the instrument.
+With insinuating persistence she
+essayed an entrance through the treble,
+and, being unable to effect it, fell upon
+the bass, and exhausted a couple of
+rounds of ammunition there. The assault
+on both flanks being unsuccessful,
+she resorted to strategy, crossing her
+hands and assailing each wing of the
+enemy from an unexpected quarter.
+When this move failed, she evidently
+became incensed, and throwing aside
+diplomacy, rallied all her forces, charging
+her artillery up to the highest note,
+then thundering down to the lowest,
+beating down the keys as fast as they
+dared to rise. In the midst of the
+carnage, when the clamor was at its
+height and victory seemed imminent, she
+<a name="png.166" id="png.166"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">161</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>suddenly paused, with one hand in air
+and her head gently inclined, and, tapping
+out two silvery bugle-notes of truce,
+raised the siege.</p>
+
+<p>The appalling silence that ensued
+might have hung above a battle-field of
+slain and wounded. The captain bit his
+mustache.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That wasn&#8217;t exactly the one I
+meant,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;I want that little
+dance-tune with the jingle to it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Miss Gusty, disappointed and surprised
+at the effect which her masterpiece
+had failed to produce, was insisting
+with flushed cheeks that she could
+play no more, when the gentleman who
+was called Mr. Mathews rose from the
+table and came toward her. His hair
+and pointed beard were white, but his
+eyes were still young, and he looked at
+her while he spoke to the captain.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I beg your pardon, Captain,&rdquo; he was
+saying in smooth, even tones, &ldquo;can&#8217;t you
+persuade the young lady to sing something
+for us?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I never took vocal,&rdquo; said Guinevere,
+<a name="png.167" id="png.167"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">162</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>looking at him frankly. &ldquo;I&#8217;m making a
+specialty of instrumental.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The gentleman looked sidewise at his
+companions and stroked his beard
+gravely. &ldquo;But you <em>do</em> sing?&rdquo; he persisted.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just popular music,&rdquo; said Guinevere.
+&ldquo;I was going to take &lsquo;The Holy
+City&rsquo; and &lsquo;The Rosary&rsquo; last year, but the
+vocal teacher got sick.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In response to a very urgent invitation,
+she took her seat again, and this
+time sang a sentimental ditty concerning
+the affairs of one &ldquo;Merry Little
+Milly in the Month of May.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This selection met with prompt favor,
+and the men left their cards, and gathered
+about the piano, demanding an encore.</p>
+
+<p>Miss Guinevere&#8217;s voice was very
+small, and her accompaniment very
+loud, but, in her effort to please, she unconsciously
+became dramatic in her expression,
+and frowned and smiled and
+lifted her brows in sympathy with the
+emotions of the damsel in the song.
+And Miss Guinevere&#8217;s eyes being
+<a name="png.168" id="png.168"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">163</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>expressive and her lips very red, the result
+proved most satisfactory to the
+audience.</p>
+
+<p>One stout young man in particular expressed
+himself in such unrestrained
+terms of enthusiasm, that Guinevere,
+after singing several songs, became visibly
+embarrassed. Upon the plea of
+being too warm she made her escape,
+half-promising to return and sing again
+later on.</p>
+
+<p>Flushed with the compliments and the
+excitement, and a little uncertain about
+the propriety of it all, she hurried
+through the swing-door and, turning
+suddenly on the deck, stumbled over
+something in the darkness.</p>
+
+<p>It proved to be a pair of long legs that
+were stretched out in front of a silent
+figure, who shot a hand out to restore
+Miss Gusty to an upright position. But
+the deck was slippery from the rain, and
+before he could catch her, she went down
+on her knees.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did it hurt you?&rdquo; a voice asked anxiously.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.169" id="png.169"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">164</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;It don&#8217;t matter about me,&rdquo; answered
+Guinevere, &ldquo;just so it didn&#8217;t spoil my
+new dress. I&#8217;m afraid there&#8217;s an awful
+tear in it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I hope not,&rdquo; said the voice. &ldquo;I&#8217;d
+hate to be guilty of dress slaughter even
+in the second degree. Sure you are
+not hurt? Sit down a minute; here&#8217;s
+a chair right behind you, out of the
+wind.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere groped about for the chair.
+&ldquo;Mother can mend it,&rdquo; she went on,
+voicing her anxiety, &ldquo;if it isn&#8217;t too
+bad.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And if it is?&rdquo; asked the voice.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll have to wear it, anyhow. It&#8217;s
+brand splinter new, the first one I ever
+had made by a sure-enough dressmaker.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;My abominable legs!&rdquo; muttered the
+voice.</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere laughed, and all at once became
+curious concerning the person who
+belonged to the legs.</p>
+
+<p>He had dropped back into his former
+position, with feet outstretched, hands in
+<a name="png.170" id="png.170"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">165</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>pockets, and cap pulled over his eyes,
+and he did not seem inclined to continue
+the conversation.</p>
+
+<p>She drew in deep breaths of the cool
+air, and watched the big side-wheel
+churn the black water into foam, and
+throw off sprays of white into the darkness.
+She liked to be out there in the
+sheltered corner, watching the rain dash
+past, and to hear the wind whistling up
+the river. She was glad to be in the
+dark, too, away from all those gentlemen,
+so ready with their compliments.
+But the sudden change from the heated
+saloon to the cold deck chilled her, and
+she sneezed.</p>
+
+<p>Her companion stirred. &ldquo;If you are
+going to stay out here, you ought to put
+something around you,&rdquo; he said irritably.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m not very cold. Besides, I don&#8217;t
+want to go in. I don&#8217;t want them to
+make me sing any more. Mother&#8217;ll be
+awfully provoked if I take cold, though.
+Do you think it&#8217;s too damp?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There&#8217;s my overcoat,&rdquo; said the
+<a name="png.171" id="png.171"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">166</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>man, indifferently; &ldquo;you can put that
+around you if you want to.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She struggled into the large sleeves,
+and he made no effort to help her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You don&#8217;t like music, do you?&rdquo; she
+asked naïvely as she settled back in her
+chair.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, yes,&rdquo; he said slowly. &ldquo;I
+should say the thing I dislike least in the
+world is music.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then why didn&#8217;t you come in to
+hear me play?&rdquo; asked Guinevere, emboldened
+by the darkness.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I could hear it outside,&rdquo; he assured
+her; &ldquo;besides, I have a pair of
+defective lamps in my head. The electric
+lights hurt my eyes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He struck a match as he spoke to relight
+his pipe, and by its flare she caught
+her first glimpse of his face, a long,
+slender, sensitive face, brooding and unhappy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I guess you are Mr. Hinton,&rdquo; she
+said as if to herself.</p>
+
+<p>He turned with the lighted match in
+his hand. &ldquo;How did you know that?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.172" id="png.172"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">167</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;The captain told me. He pointed out
+you and Mr. Mathews, but he didn&#8217;t tell
+me any of the rest.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A branch of your education that can
+afford to remain neglected,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Hinton as he puffed at his pipe.</p>
+
+<p>The door of the saloon swung open,
+and the chubby gentleman appeared in
+the light, shading his eyes, and calling
+out that they were all waiting for the
+little canary-bird.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t want to go,&rdquo; whispered
+Guinevere, shrinking back into the
+shadow.</p>
+
+<p>The chubby gentleman peered up and
+down the deck, then, assailed by a gust
+of wind, beat a hasty retreat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t like him,&rdquo; announced Guinevere,
+drawing a breath of relief. &ldquo;It
+isn&#8217;t just because he&#8217;s fat and ugly;
+it&#8217;s the silly way he looks at you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What a pity you can&#8217;t tell him so!&rdquo;
+said her companion, dryly. &ldquo;Such blasphemy
+might do him good. He is the
+scion of a distinguished family made
+wealthy by the glorious sale of pork.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.173" id="png.173"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">168</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Are all the gentlemen millionaires?&rdquo;
+asked Guinevere in awe.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Present company excepted,&rdquo; qualified
+Hinton.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;ll seem awful small to them down
+in the Cove. Why, we haven&#8217;t got room
+enough at the two hotels to put them all
+up.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, you live there, do you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes; I&#8217;ve just been up at Coreyville
+spending the night. I used to hate it
+down at the Cove, it was so little and
+stupid; but I like it better now.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>There was a long silence, during which
+each pursued a widely different line of
+thought.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We have got a newspaper at the
+Cove now,&rdquo; announced Guinevere. &ldquo;It&#8217;s
+an awful nice paper, called &lsquo;The Opp
+Eagle.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Opp?&rdquo; repeated Hinton. &ldquo;Oh, yes,
+that was the man I telephoned to. What
+sort of chap is he, anyhow?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He&#8217;s awfully smart,&rdquo; said Guinevere,
+her cheeks tingling. &ldquo;Not so much
+<a name="png.174" id="png.174"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">169</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>book learning, but a fine brain. The
+preacher says he&#8217;s got a natural gift of
+language. You ought to see some of his
+editorials.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hiding his light under a bushel,
+isn&#8217;t he?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;s just it,&rdquo; said Guinevere, glad
+to expatiate on the subject. &ldquo;If Mr. Opp
+could get in a bigger place and get more
+chances, he&#8217;d have a lot more show.
+But he won&#8217;t leave Miss Kippy. She&#8217;s
+his sister, you know; there is only the
+two of them, and she&#8217;s kind of crazy,
+and has to have somebody take care of
+her. Mother thinks it&#8217;s just awful he
+don&#8217;t send her to an asylum, but I know
+how he feels.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is he a young man?&rdquo; asked Mr.
+Hinton.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well&mdash;no, not exactly; he&#8217;s just seventeen
+years and two months older than
+I am.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh,&rdquo; said Hinton, comprehensively.</p>
+
+<p>There was another long pause, during
+which Guinevere turned things over in
+<a name="png.175" id="png.175"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">170</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>her mind, and Mr. Hinton knocked the
+ashes from his pipe.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I think girls seem a good deal older
+than they are, don&#8217;t you?&rdquo; she asked
+presently.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Some girls,&rdquo; Hinton agreed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How old would you take me for?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In the dark?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;About twelve.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, that&#8217;s not fair,&rdquo; said Guinevere.
+&ldquo;I&#8217;m eighteen, and lots of people
+take me for twenty.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That is when they can see you,&rdquo; said
+Hinton.</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere decided that she did not
+like him. She leaned back in her corner
+and tried not to talk. But this course
+had its disadvantage, for when she was
+silent he seemed to forget she was there.</p>
+
+<p>Once he took a turn up and down the
+deck, and when he came back, he stood
+for a long time leaning over the rail and
+gazing into the water. As he turned to
+sit down she heard him mutter to himself:</p>
+
+<div class="quote">
+<div class="poem">
+<div><a name="png.176" id="png.176"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">171</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;&hellip;&nbsp;That no life lives forever;</div>
+<div>That dead men rise up never;</div>
+<div>That even the weariest river</div>
+<div>Winds somewhere safe to sea.&rdquo;</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>Guinevere repeated the words softly
+to herself, and wondered what they
+meant. She was still thinking about
+them when a dim red light in the distance
+told her they were approaching the
+Cove. She slipped off the heavy overcoat
+and began to put on her gloves.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hello! we are getting in, are we?&rdquo;
+asked Hinton, shaking himself into an
+upright position. &ldquo;Is that Cove City
+where the big red light bores into the
+water like a corkscrew?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They moved to the bow of the boat and
+watched as it changed its course and
+made for the opposite shore.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Did you mean,&rdquo; said Guinevere, absently,
+&ldquo;that you wanted it all to end
+like that? For us to just go out into
+nothing, like the river gets lost in the
+ocean?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton glanced at her in surprise, and
+<a name="png.177" id="png.177"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">172</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>discovered that there was an unusually
+thoughtful face under the sweeping brim
+of the red hat. The fact that she was
+pretty was less evident to him than the
+fact that she was wistful. His mood
+was sensitive to minor chords.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I guess you <em>are</em> eighteen,&rdquo; he said,
+and he smiled, and Guinevere smiled
+back, and the chubby gentleman, coming
+suddenly out upon them, went in again
+and slammed the door.</p>
+
+<p>The lights on the landing twinkled
+brighter and brighter, and presently figures
+could be seen moving here and
+there. The steamer, grumbling with
+every chug of the wheel, was brought
+around, and the roustabouts crowded
+along the rail, ready to make her fast.</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere and Hinton stood on the
+upper deck under his umbrella and
+waited.</p>
+
+<p>Directly below them on the dock a
+small, fantastic figure made frantic efforts
+to attract their attention. He
+stood uncovered, regardless of the rain,
+madly waving his hat.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.178" id="png.178"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">173</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Is that anybody you know?&rdquo; asked
+Hinton.</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere, who was watching the
+lights on the water, started guiltily.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Where?&rdquo; she asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Down to the right&mdash;that comical little
+codger in the checked suit.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">Guinevere looked, then turned upon
+Hinton eyes that were big with indignation.
+&ldquo;Why, of course,&rdquo; she said;
+&ldquo;that&#8217;s Mr. Opp.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.179" id="png.179"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">174</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>XI</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/a-initial.png"
+ alt="A" title="A" width="156" height="150" /><span>s</span> Willard Hinton stood
+on the porch of Your
+Hotel and waited for his
+host for the night to call
+for him, he was in that
+state of black dejection
+that comes to a young man when Ambition
+has proposed to Fortune, and been
+emphatically rejected. For six years he
+had worked persistently and ceaselessly
+toward a given goal, doing clerical work
+by day and creative work by night,
+going from shorthand into longhand, and
+from numerical figures into figures of
+speech. For the way that Hinton&#8217;s soul
+was traveling was the Inky Way, and at
+its end lay Authorship.</p>
+
+<p>Hinton had taken himself and his
+work seriously, and served an apprenticeship
+of hard study and conscientious
+<a name="png.180" id="png.180"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">175</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>preparation. So zealous was he, in fact,
+that he had arrived at the second stage
+of his great enterprise with a teeming
+brain, a practised hand, and a pair of
+affected eyes over which the oculists
+shook their heads and offered little encouragement.</p>
+
+<p>For four months he had implicitly
+obeyed orders, attending only to his
+regular work, eating and sleeping with
+exemplary regularity, and spending all
+of his spare time in the open air. But
+the ravages made in the long nights
+dedicated to the Muses were not to be so
+easily repaired, and his eyes, instead of
+improving, were growing rapidly worse.
+The question of holding his position had
+slipped from a matter of months into
+weeks.</p>
+
+<p>As he stood on the porch, he could
+hear the bustle of entertainment going
+on within the limited quarters of Your
+Hotel. Jimmy Fallows was in his element.
+As bartender, head waiter, and
+jovial landlord he was playing a triple
+bill to a crowded house. Occasionally he
+<a name="png.181" id="png.181"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">176</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>opened the door and urged Hinton to
+come inside.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Opp&#8217;ll be here &#8217;fore long,&rdquo; he
+would say. &ldquo;He&#8217;s expecting you, but
+he had to stop by to take his girl home.
+You better step in and get a julep.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Hinton, wrapped in the gloom of
+his own thoughts, preferred to remain
+where he was. Already he seemed to
+belong to the dark, to be a thing apart
+from his fellow-men. He shrank from
+companionship and sympathy as he
+shrank from the light. He longed to
+crawl away like a sick animal into some
+lonely corner and die. Whichever way
+he turned, the great specter of darkness
+loomed before him. At first he had
+fought, then he had philosophically stood
+still, now he was retreating. Again and
+again he told himself that he would meet
+it like a man, and again and again he
+shrank back, ready to seek escape anywhere,
+<ins class="TNsilent" title="Transcriber's note:
+ original ends paragraph with a double closing quote">anyhow.</ins></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;O God, if I weren&#8217;t so damnably
+young!&rdquo; he cried to himself, beating his
+clenched hand against his brow. &ldquo;More
+<a name="png.182" id="png.182"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">177</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>than half my life yet to live, and in the
+dark!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The rattle of wheels and the stopping
+of a light in front of the hotel made him
+pull himself together.</p>
+
+<p>The small gentleman in the checked
+suit whom he had seen on the wharf
+strode in without seeing him. He paused
+before he opened the door and smoothed
+his scanty locks and rearranged his
+pink necktie. Then he drew in his
+chin, threw out his chest, and with a
+carefully prepared smile of welcome
+entered.</p>
+
+<p>The buzz within increased, and it was
+some minutes before the door opened
+again and Jimmy Fallows was heard
+saying:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He&#8217;s round here some place. Mr.
+Hinton! Oh, here you are! Let me
+make you acquainted with Mr. Opp;
+he&#8217;s going to take you out to his house
+for the night.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>No sooner had Hinton&#8217;s hand been released
+from Mr. Opp&#8217;s cordial grasp
+than he felt that gentleman&#8217;s arm thrust
+<a name="png.183" id="png.183"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">178</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>through his, and was aware of being rapidly
+conducted down the steps and out to
+the vehicle.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;On no possible account,&rdquo; Mr. Opp
+was saying, with Hinton&#8217;s grip in one
+hand and two umbrellas in the other,
+&ldquo;would I have allowed myself to be late,
+except that it was what you might consider
+absolutely necessary. Now, you
+get right in; just take all that robe. No,
+the grip can go right here between my
+feet. We trust that you will not regard
+the weather in any ways synonymous
+with the state of our feelings of welcome.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Hinton remarked rather shortly
+that the weather never mattered to him
+one way or another.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That&#8217;s precisely like myself,&rdquo; Mr.
+Opp went on. &ldquo;I come of very sturdy,
+enduring stock. For a man of my size I
+doubt if you&#8217;d find a finer constitution
+in the country. You wouldn&#8217;t particularly
+think it to look at me, now would
+you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton looked at the small, stooping
+<a name="png.184" id="png.184"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">179</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>figure, and at the peaked, sallow face,
+and said rather sarcastically that he
+would not.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Strong as an ox,&rdquo; declared Mr. Opp.</p>
+
+<p>Just here the horse stumbled, and they
+were jerked violently forward.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp apologized. &ldquo;Just at present
+we are having a little difficulty with
+our country roads. We have taken the
+matter up in &lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo; last week.
+All these things take time to regulate,
+but we are getting there. This oil boom
+is going to revolutionize things. It&#8217;s
+my firm and abiding conviction that we
+are on the eve of a great change. It
+wouldn&#8217;t surprise me in the least if this
+town grew to be one of the principalest
+cities on the Ohio River.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To be a worthy eyrie for your
+&lsquo;Eagle&rsquo;?&rdquo; suggested Hinton.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;The Opp Eagle,&rsquo;&rdquo; corrected Mr.
+Opp. &ldquo;I don&#8217;t know as you know that I
+am the sole proprietor, as well as being
+the editor in addition.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Hinton, &ldquo;I did not know.
+How does it happen that a man with such
+<a name="png.185" id="png.185"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">180</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>responsibilities can take time to dabble
+in oil-wells?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You don&#8217;t know me,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp,
+with a paternal smile at his own ability.
+&ldquo;Promoting and organizing comes as
+natural to me as breathing the atmosphere.
+I am engineering this scheme
+with one hand, the Town Improvement
+League with another, and &lsquo;The Opp
+Eagle&rsquo; with another. Then, in a minor
+kind of way, I am a active Odd Fellow,
+first cornetist in the Unique Orchestra,
+and a director in the bank. And beside,&rdquo;
+Mr. Opp concluded with some coyness,
+&ldquo;there is the natural personal social diversions
+that most young men indulge
+in.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>By this time they had reached the
+gray old house on the river-bank, and
+Mr. Opp hitched the horse and held the
+lantern, while Hinton stepped from one
+stony island to another in the sea of
+mud.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just enter right into the dining-room,&rdquo;
+said Mr. Opp, throwing open the
+door. &ldquo;Unfortunately we are having a
+<a name="png.186" id="png.186"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">181</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>temporary difficulty with the parlor
+heating apparatus. If you&#8217;ll just pass
+right on up-stairs, I&#8217;ll show you the
+guest-chamber. Be careful of your
+head, please!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With pomp and dignity Mr. Hinton
+was conducted to his apartment, and
+urged to make known any possible want
+that might occur to him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll be obliged to leave you for a
+spell,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, &ldquo;in order to attend
+to the proper putting up of the
+horse. If you&#8217;ll just consider everything
+you see as yours, and make yourself
+entirely at home, I&#8217;ll come up for
+you in about twenty minutes.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Left alone, Hinton went to the bureau
+to pin a paper around the lamp, and as
+he did so he encountered a smiling face
+in the mirror. The face was undoubtedly
+his, but the smile seemed almost to
+belong to a stranger, so long had it been
+since he had seen it.</p>
+
+<p>He made a hasty toilet, and sat down
+with his back to the light to await his
+summons to dinner. The large room,
+<a name="png.187" id="png.187"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">182</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>poorly and scantily furnished, gave unmistakable
+evidence of having been arranged
+especially for his coming. There
+was no covering on the floor, there were
+no pictures on the wall; but the wall-paper
+was of a sufficiently decorative
+character to warrant the absence of
+other adornment. It may be said to
+have been a botanical paper, for roses
+and lilies and sunflowers and daisies
+grew in riotous profusion. The man
+who hung the paper evidently was of a
+scientific turn, for in matching the strips
+he had gained some results in cross-grafting
+that approached the miraculous.</p>
+
+<p>After sufficient time had elapsed to
+have stabled half a dozen horses, Hinton,
+whose appetite was becoming ravenous,
+went into the hall and started down
+the steps. When half-way down he
+heard a crash of china, and saw his host,
+in his shirt-sleeves, staggering under a
+large tray overcrowded with dishes.</p>
+
+<p>Beating a hasty retreat, he went
+quietly up the steps again, but not before
+he heard a querulous voice remonstrate:</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.188" id="png.188"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">183</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Now, Mr. D., if you ain&#8217;t done busted
+two plates and a tea-cup!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Retiring to his room until the trouble
+should be adjusted, Hinton once more
+contemplated the floral paper. As he sat
+there, the door creaked slightly, and
+looking up, he thought he saw some one
+peeping at him through the crack. Later
+he distinctly heard the rustle of garments,
+a stealthy step, and the closing of
+the door across the hall.</p>
+
+<p>At last Mr. Opp came somewhat noisily
+up the steps and, flinging wide the
+door, invited him to descend. In the
+dining-room below the scene was nothing
+short of festal. All the candlesticks
+were filled with lighted candles, an
+American flag was draped across the top
+of the clock, and the little schooner that
+rocked behind the pendulum seemed fired
+with the determination to get somewhere
+to-night if it never did again. Even
+the owls on each end of the mantel
+wore a benignant look, and seemed
+to beam a welcome on the honored
+guest.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.189" id="png.189"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">184</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>But it was the dining-table that held
+the center of the stage, and that held
+everything else as well. The dinner,
+through its sequence of soup, meat,
+salad, and desert, was displayed in
+lavish hospitality. Cove etiquette evidently
+demanded that no square inch of
+the table-cloth should remain unoccupied.</p>
+
+<p>Seated at the table, with hands demurely
+folded, was the most grotesque
+figure that Hinton had ever seen. Clad
+in a queer, old-fashioned garment of
+faded blue cloth, with very full skirt and
+flowing sleeves, with her hair gathered
+into a tight knot at the back of her head,
+and a necklace of nutshells about her
+neck, a strange little lady sat and
+watched him with parted lips and wide,
+excited eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you&#8217;ll just sit here opposite my
+sister,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, not attempting an
+introduction, &ldquo;I&#8217;ll as usual take my
+customary place at the head of the
+board.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It was all done with great éclat, but
+<a name="png.190" id="png.190"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">185</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>from the first there were unmistakable
+signs of nervousness on the part of the
+host. He left the table twice before the
+soup was removed, once to get the napkins
+which had been overlooked, and
+once to persuade his sister not to put the
+baked potatoes in her lap.</p>
+
+<p>When the critical moment for the trial
+of strength between him and the goose
+arrived, he was not in good condition.
+It was his first wrestling match with a
+goose, and his technical knowledge of the
+art consisted in the meager fact that the
+strategic point was to become master of
+the opponent&#8217;s legs. The fowl had,
+moreover, by nature of its being, the advantage
+of extreme slipperiness, an
+expedient recognized and made use of by
+the gladiators of old.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, limited as to space, and
+aware of a critical audience, rose to the
+occasion, and with jaw set and the light
+of conquest in his eye entered the fray.
+He pushed forward, and pulled back, he
+throttled, he went through facial and
+bodily contortions. The match was
+<a name="png.191" id="png.191"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">186</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>conducted in &ldquo;the catch hold, first down to
+lose style,&rdquo; and the honors seemed
+equally divided. At last, by the adroit
+administration of a left-leg stroke, Mr.
+Opp succeeded in throwing his adversary,
+but unfortunately he threw it too
+far.</p>
+
+<p>The victory, though brilliant, was not
+without its casualties. The goose, in its
+post-mortem flight, took its revenge, and
+the overturned cranberries sent a crimson
+stain across the white cloth, giving
+a sanguinary aspect to the scene.</p>
+
+<p>When order was restored and Mr. Opp
+had once more taken his seat, the little
+lady in the blue dress, who had remained
+quiet during the recent conflict,
+suddenly raised her voice in joyous song.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, Kippy,&rdquo; warned Mr. Opp, putting
+a restraining hand on her arm, and
+looking at her appealingly. The little
+lady shrank back in her chair and her
+eyes filled as she clasped his hand tightly
+in both of hers.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;As I was remarking,&rdquo; Mr. Opp went
+steadily on, trying to behave as if it were
+<a name="png.192" id="png.192"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">187</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>quite natural for him to eat with his left
+hand, &ldquo;the real value of the underground
+product in this country has been
+but fairly made apparent, and now that
+you capitalists are coming in to take a
+hold, there&#8217;s no way of forming a idea
+of the ultimate result.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton, upon whom no phase of the
+situation had been lost, came valiantly
+to Mr. Opp&#8217;s rescue. He roused himself
+to follow his host&#8217;s lead in the conversation;
+he was apparently oblivious
+to the many irregularities of the dinner.
+In fact, it was one of the rare occasions
+upon which Hinton took the trouble to
+exert himself. Something in the dreary
+old room, with its brave attempt at
+cheer, in the half-witted little lady who
+was making such superhuman efforts to
+be good, and above all in the bombastic,
+egotistical, ignorant editor who was trying
+to keep up appearances against such
+heavy odds, touched the best and deepest
+that was in Hinton, and lifted him out of
+himself. Gradually he began to take the
+lead in the conversation. With great tact
+<a name="png.193" id="png.193"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">188</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>he relieved Mr. Opp of the necessity of
+entertaining, and gave him a chance to
+eat his dinner. He told stories so simple
+that even Miss Kippy loosened her hold
+on her brother&#8217;s hand to listen.</p>
+
+<p>When the sunset of the dinner in the
+form of a pumpkin pie had disappeared,
+the gentlemen retired to the fire.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Don&#8217;t you smoke?&rdquo; asked Hinton,
+holding a match to his pipe.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, yes,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, &ldquo;I have
+smoked occasional. It&#8217;s amazing how it
+assists you in creating newspaper articles.
+One of the greatest editorials I
+ever turned out was when I had a cigar
+in my mouth.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then why don&#8217;t you smoke?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp glanced over his shoulders at
+Aunt Tish, who, with Miss Kippy&#8217;s
+doubtful assistance, was clearing the
+table.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I don&#8217;t mind telling you,&rdquo; he said
+confidentially, &ldquo;that up to the present
+time I&#8217;ve experienced a good many business
+reverses and considerable family
+responsibility. I hope now in a year or
+<a name="png.194" id="png.194"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">189</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>two to be able to indulge them little extra
+items. The lack of money,&rdquo; he added
+somewhat proudly, &ldquo;is no disgrace; but
+I can&#8217;t deny it&#8217;s what you might call
+limiting.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton smiled. &ldquo;I think I&#8217;ve got a
+cigar somewhere about me. Here it is.
+Will you try it?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp didn&#8217;t care if he did, and
+from the manner in which he lighted it,
+and from the way in which he stood,
+with one elbow on the high mantel-shelf
+and his feet gracefully crossed, while he
+blew curling wreaths toward the ceiling,
+it was not difficult to reckon the extent
+of his self-denial.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you indulge much in the pleasure
+of reading?&rdquo; he asked, looking at Hinton
+through the cloud of smoke.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I did,&rdquo; said Hinton, drawing a deep
+breath.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s a great pastime,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp.
+&ldquo;I wonder if you are familiar with this
+here volume.&rdquo; He took from the shelf
+&ldquo;The Encyclopedia of Wonder, Beauty,
+and Wisdom.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.195" id="png.195"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">190</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Hardly a thumb-nail edition,&rdquo; said
+Hinton, receiving it with both hands.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Say, it&#8217;s a remarkable work,&rdquo; said
+Mr. Opp, earnestly; &ldquo;you ought to get
+yourself one. Facts in the first part, and
+the prettiest poetry you ever read in the
+back: a dollar down and fifty cents a
+month until paid for. Here, let me show
+you; read that <ins class="TNsilent" title="Transcriber's note:
+ original lacks closing quote">one.&rdquo;</ins></p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I can&#8217;t see it,&rdquo; said Hinton.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll get the lamp.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never mind, Opp; it isn&#8217;t that. You
+read it to me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp complied with great pleasure,
+and having once started, he found it
+difficult to stop. From &ldquo;Lord Ullin&#8217;s
+Daughter&rdquo; he passed to &ldquo;Curfew,&rdquo;
+hence to &ldquo;Barbara Frietchie&rdquo; and
+&ldquo;Young Lochinvar,&rdquo; and as he read
+Hinton sat with closed eyes and traveled
+into the past.</p>
+
+<p>He saw a country school-house, and
+himself a youngster of eight competing
+for a prize. He was standing on a platform,
+and the children were below him,
+and behind him was a row of visitors.
+<a name="png.196" id="png.196"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">191</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>He was paralyzed with fear, but bursting
+with ambition. With one supreme effort
+he began his speech:</p>
+
+<div class="quote">
+<div class="poem">
+<div>Oh, the young Lochinvar has came out of the
+     west!</div>
+</div>
+</div>
+
+<p>He got no further; a shout from the
+big boys and a word from the teacher,
+and he burst into tears and fled for
+refuge to his mother. How the lines
+brought it all back! He could feel her
+arms about him now, and her cheek
+against his, and hear again her words of
+comfort. In all the years since she had
+been taken from him he had never
+wanted her so insistently as during those
+few moments that Mr. Opp&#8217;s high voice
+was doing its worst for the long-suffering
+Lochinvar.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. D.,&rdquo; said a complaining voice
+from the doorway, &ldquo;Miss Kippy won&#8217;t
+lemme tek her dress off to go to baid.
+She &#8217;low she gwine sleep in hit.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp abruptly descended from his
+elocutionary flight, and asked to be excused
+for a few moments.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.197" id="png.197"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">192</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Just a little domestic friction,&rdquo; he
+assured Hinton; &ldquo;you can glance over
+the rest of the poems, and I&#8217;ll be back
+soon.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton, left alone, paced restlessly up
+and down the room. The temporary diversion
+was over, and he was once more
+face to face with his problem. He went
+to the table, and, taking a note from his
+pocket, bent over the lamp to read it.
+The lines blurred and ran together, but a
+word here and there recalled the contents.
+It was from Mr. Mathews, who
+preferred writing disagreeable things to
+saying them. Mr. Mathews, the note
+said, had been greatly annoyed recently
+by repeated errors in the reports of his
+secretary; he was neither as rapid nor as
+accurate as formerly, and an improvement
+would have to be made, or a change
+would be deemed advisable.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Delicate tact!&rdquo; sneered Hinton,
+crushing the paper in his hand. &ldquo;Courtesy
+sometimes begets a request, and the
+shark shrinks from conferring favors.
+And I&#8217;ve got to stick it out, to go on
+<a name="png.198" id="png.198"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">193</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>accepting condescending disapproval
+until a &lsquo;change is deemed advisable.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He dropped his head on his arms, and
+so deep was he in his bitter thoughts
+that he did not hear Mr. Opp come into
+the room. That gentleman stood for a
+moment in great embarrassment; then he
+stepped noiselessly out, and heralded his
+second coming by rattling the door-knob.</p>
+
+<p>The wind had risen to a gale, and it
+shrieked about the old house and tugged
+at the shutters and rattled the panes incessantly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You take the big chair,&rdquo; urged Mr.
+Opp, who had just put on a fresh log and
+sent the flames dancing up the chimney;
+&ldquo;and here&#8217;s a pitcher of hard cider
+whenever you feel the need of a little refreshment.
+You ain&#8217;t a married man I
+would judge, Mr. Hinton.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Thank the Lord, no!&rdquo; exclaimed
+Hinton.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, pursing his
+lips and smiling, &ldquo;you know that&#8217;s
+just where I think us young men are
+making a mistake.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.199" id="png.199"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">194</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Matrimony,&rdquo; said Hinton, &ldquo;is about
+the only catastrophe that hasn&#8217;t befallen
+me during my short and rocky career.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;See here,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, &ldquo;I used to
+feel that way, too.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Before you met her?&rdquo; suggested
+Hinton.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp looked pleased but embarrassed.
+&ldquo;I can&#8217;t deny there is a young
+lady,&rdquo; he said; &ldquo;but she is quite young
+as yet. In fact, I don&#8217;t mind telling you
+she&#8217;s just about half my age.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton, instead of putting two and two
+together, added eighteen to eighteen.
+&ldquo;And you are about thirty-six?&rdquo; he
+asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Exactly,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, surprised.
+&ldquo;I am most generally considered a long
+sight younger.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>From matrimony the conversation
+drifted to oil-wells, then to journalism,
+and finally to a philosophical discussion
+of life itself. Mr. Opp got beyond his
+depth again and again, and at times he
+became so absorbed that he gave a very
+poor imitation of himself, and showed
+<a name="png.200" id="png.200"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">195</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>signs of humility that were rarely if
+ever visible.</p>
+
+<p>Hinton meantime was taking soundings,
+and sometimes his plummet
+stopped where it started, and sometimes
+it dropped to an unexpected depth.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; he said at last, rising, &ldquo;we
+must go to bed. You&#8217;ll go on climbing a
+ladder in the air, and I&#8217;ll go on burrowing
+like a mole in the ground, and
+what is the good of it all? What chance
+have either of us for coming out anywhere?
+You can fool yourself; I can&#8217;t:
+that&#8217;s the difference.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp&#8217;s unusual mental exertions
+had apparently affected his entire body,
+his legs were tightly wrapped about each
+other, his arms were locked, and his features
+were drawn into an amazing
+pucker of protest.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That ain&#8217;t it,&rdquo; he said emphatically,
+struggling valiantly to express his conviction:
+&ldquo;this here life business ain&#8217;t
+run on any such small scale as that. According
+to my notion, or understanding,
+it&#8217;s&mdash;well&mdash;what you might call, in military
+<a name="png.201" id="png.201"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">196</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>figures, a fight.&rdquo; He paused a
+moment and tied himself if possible even
+into a tighter knot, then proceeded
+slowly, groping his way: &ldquo;Of course
+there&#8217;s some that just remains around
+in camp, afraid to fight and afraid to
+desert, just sort of indulging in conversation,
+you might say, about the rest of
+the army. Then there is the cowards
+and deserters. But a decent sort of
+a individual, or rather soldier, carries
+his orders around with him, and the
+chief and principal thing he&#8217;s got to do
+is to follow them. What the fight is concerning,
+or in what manner the general
+is a-aiming to bring it all correct in the
+end, ain&#8217;t, according to my conclusion,
+a particle of our business.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">Having arrived at this point of the
+discussion in a somewhat heated and indignant
+state, Mr. Opp suddenly remembered
+his duties as host. With a lordly
+wave of the hand he dismissed the subject,
+and conducted Hinton in state to
+his bed-chamber, where he insisted upon
+lighting the fire and arranging the bed.</p>
+
+<p class="illus pgbrk"><a name="png.202" id="png.202"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">197</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span><img src="images/illus202.jpg" width="450" height="733"
+ alt="" title="" /><br
+ />&ldquo;It was Mr. Opp saying his prayers&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.204" id="png.204"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">199</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Hinton sat for a long time before undressing,
+listening to the wind in the
+chimney, to the scrape, scrape of the
+cedar on the roof, and to the yet more
+dismal sounds that were echoing in his
+heart. Everything about the old house
+spoke of degeneration, decay; yet in the
+midst of it lived a man who asked no
+odds of life, who took what came, and
+who lived with a zest, an abandon, a
+courage that were baffling. Self-deception,
+egotism, cheap optimism&mdash;could
+they bring a man to this state of mind?
+Hinton wondered bitterly what Opp
+would do in his position; suppose his
+sight was threatened, how far would his
+foolish self-delusion serve him then?</p>
+
+<p>But he could not imagine Mr. Opp,
+lame, halt, or blind, giving up the fight.
+There was that in the man&mdash;egotism,
+courage, whatever it was&mdash;that would
+never recognize defeat, that quality that
+wins out of a life of losing the final victory.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">Before he retired, Hinton found there
+was no drinking water in his room, and,
+<a name="png.205" id="png.205"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">200</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>remembering a pitcher full in the dining-room,
+he took the candle and softly
+opened his door. The sudden cold draft
+from the hall made the candle flare, but
+as it steadied, Hinton saw that an old
+cot had been placed across the door opposite
+his, as if on guard, and that beside
+it knelt an ungainly figure in white, with
+his head clasped in his hands. It was
+Mr. Opp saying his prayers.</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.206" id="png.206"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">201</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>XII</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/t-initial.png"
+ alt="T" title="T" width="149" height="150" /><span>he</span> visit of the capitalists
+marked the beginning of
+a long and profitable
+spell of insomnia for the
+Cove. The little town
+had gotten a gnat in its
+eye when Mr. Opp arrived, and now that
+it had become involved in a speculation
+that threatened to develop into a boom,
+it found sleep and tranquillity a thing of
+the past.</p>
+
+<p>The party of investigators had found
+such remarkable conditions that they
+were eager to buy up the ground at once;
+but they met with unexpected opposition.</p>
+
+<p>At a meeting which will go down to
+posterity in the annals of Cove City, the
+Turtle Creek Land Company, piloted by
+the intrepid Mr. Opp, had held its course
+<a name="png.207" id="png.207"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">202</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>against persuasion, threats, and bribes.
+There was but one plank in the company&#8217;s
+platform, and that was a determination
+not to sell. To this plank they
+clung through the storm of opposition,
+through the trying calm of indifference
+that followed, until a truce was declared.</p>
+
+<p>Finally an agreement was reached by
+which the Turtle Creek Land Company
+was to lease its ground to the capitalists,
+receive a given per cent. of the oil produced,
+and maintain the right to buy
+stock up to a large and impossible
+amount at any time during the ensuing
+year.</p>
+
+<p>Close upon this contract came men and
+machinery to open up a test well. For
+weeks hauling was done up the creek bottom,
+there being no road leading to the
+oil spring where the first drilling was to
+be done.</p>
+
+<p>The town watched the operations with
+alternate scorn and interest. It was facetious
+when water and quicksands were
+encountered, and inclined to be sarcastic
+when work was suspended on account of
+<a name="png.208" id="png.208"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">203</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>the weather. But one day, after the pipe
+had been driven to a considerable depth
+and the rock below had been drilled for
+six inches, the drill suddenly fell into a
+crevice, and upon investigation the hole
+was found to be nearly full of petroleum.</p>
+
+<p>The Cove promptly went into a state
+of acute hysteria. Speculation spread
+like the measles, breaking out in all manner
+of queer and unexpected places.
+Everybody who could command a dollar
+promptly converted it into oil stock.
+Miss Jim Fenton borrowed money from
+her cousin in the city, and plunged recklessly;
+the Missionary Band raffled off
+three quilts and bought a share with the
+proceeds; Mr. Tucker foreclosed two
+mortgages on life-long friends in order
+to raise more money; while the amount
+of stock purchased by Mr. D.&nbsp;Webster
+Opp was limited only by his credit at the
+bank.</p>
+
+<p>The one note of warning that was
+sounded came from Mrs. Fallows, who
+sat on the porch of Your Hotel, and, like
+the Greek Chorus, foretold the disasters
+<a name="png.209" id="png.209"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">204</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>that would befall, and prophesied nothing
+but evil for the entire enterprise.
+Even the urbane Jimmy became ruffled
+by her insistent iteration, and declared
+that she &ldquo;put him in mind of a darned
+old whip-o&#8217;-will.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Mrs. Fallows&#8217;s piping note was
+lost in the gale of enthusiasm. Farmers
+coming into town on Saturday became
+infected and carried the fever into the
+country. The entire community suspended
+business to discuss the exciting
+situation.</p>
+
+<p>These were champagne days for Mr.
+Opp. Life seemed one long, sparkling,
+tingling draft and he was drinking it to
+Guinevere. If her eyes drooped and she
+met his smile with a sigh, he saw it not,
+for the elixir had gone to his head.</p>
+
+<p>Compelled to find some outlet for his
+energy, he took advantage of the Cove&#8217;s
+unwonted animation and plunged into
+municipal reform. &ldquo;The Opp Eagle&rdquo;
+demanded streets, it demanded lamp-posts,
+it demanded temperance. The
+right of pigs to take their daily siesta in
+<a name="png.210" id="png.210"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">205</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>the middle of Main Street was questioned
+and fiercely denied. Dry-goods
+boxes, which for years had been the only
+visible means of support for divers
+youths of indolent nature, were held up
+to such scathing ridicule that the owners
+were forced to remove them.</p>
+
+<p>The policies suggested by Mr. Opp, the
+editor, were promptly acted upon by Mr.
+Opp, the citizen. So indignant did he
+become when he read his own editorials
+that nothing short of immediate action
+was to be considered. He arranged a
+reform party and appointed himself
+leader. Mat Lucas, he made Superintendent
+of Streets; Mr. Gallop, chairman
+of the Committee on City Lights. In
+fact, he formed enough committees to
+manage a Presidential campaign.</p>
+
+<p>The attitude of the town toward him
+was that of a large lump of dough to a
+small cake of yeast. It was willing to
+be raised, but doubtful of the motive
+power.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;d feel surer,&rdquo; said Jimmy Fallows,
+&ldquo;if his intellect was the standard
+<a name="png.211" id="png.211"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">206</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>size. It appears so big to him he can&#8217;t
+get his language ready-made; he has to
+have it made to order.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But since the successful management
+of the oil-wells, Mr. Opp&#8217;s opinion was
+more and more considered. In the
+course of a short time the office of &ldquo;The
+Opp Eagle&rdquo; became the hub about which
+the township revolved.</p>
+
+<p>One afternoon in March the editor was
+sitting before his deal table, apparently
+in the most violent throes of editorial
+composition.</p>
+
+<p>Nick, who was impatiently waiting for
+copy, had not dared to speak for an hour,
+for fear of slipping a cog in the intricate
+machinery of creation. The constant
+struggle to supply &ldquo;The Opp Eagle&rdquo;
+with sufficient material to enable it to fly
+every Thursday was telling upon the
+staff; he was becoming irritable.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well?&rdquo; he said impatiently, as Mr.
+Opp finished the tenth page and gathered
+the large sheets into his hand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, yes, to be sure,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp,
+guiltily; &ldquo;I am at your disposal. Just
+<a name="png.212" id="png.212"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">207</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>finishing a little private correspondence
+of a personal nature that couldn&#8217;t wait
+over.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ain&#8217;t that copy?&rdquo; demanded Nick,
+fixing him with an indignant eye.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, no,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, uneasily.
+&ldquo;The fact is, I haven&#8217;t been able to accomplish
+any regular editorial this week.
+Unusual pressure of outside business
+and&mdash;er&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;How long is she going to stay down
+in Coreyville?&rdquo; Nick asked, with a contemptuous
+curl of his lip.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp paused in the act of addressing
+the envelop, and gave Nick a look
+that was designed to scorch.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;May I inquire to who you refer?&rdquo;
+he asked with dignity.</p>
+
+<p>Nick&#8217;s eyes dropped, and he shuffled
+his feet. &ldquo;I just wanted to put it in the
+paper. We got to fill up with something.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, slightly conciliated,
+&ldquo;you can mention that she has
+gone back to attend the spring term at
+the Young Ladies&#8217; Seminary.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.213" id="png.213"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">208</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Gone back to school again?&rdquo; exclaimed
+Nick, unable to control his curiosity.
+&ldquo;What for?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;To attend the spring term,&rdquo; repeated
+Mr. Opp, guardedly. Then he added in
+a burst of confidence: &ldquo;Nick, has it ever
+occurred to you that Mrs. Gusty was
+what you might term a peculiar woman?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Nick was not interested in the psychological
+idiosyncrasies of the Gusty
+family. &ldquo;The Opp Eagle&rdquo; was crying
+for food, and Nick would have sacrificed
+himself and his chief to fill the
+vacancy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;See here, Mr. Opp, do you know what
+day it is? It&#8217;s Monday, and we&#8217;ve got
+two columns to fill. New subscriptions
+are coming in all the time. We&#8217;ve got
+to live up to our reputation.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Extremely well put,&rdquo; agreed Mr.
+Opp; &ldquo;the reputation of the paper must
+be guarded above all things. I like to
+consider that after my mortal remains
+has returned to dust, my name will be
+perpetuated in this paper. That no monument
+in marble will be necessary, so
+<a name="png.214" id="png.214"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">209</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>long as &lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo; continues to
+circulate from home to home, and to promulgate
+those&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Can&#8217;t you write some of it down?&rdquo;
+suggested Nick; &ldquo;it would fill up a
+couple of paragraphs. Part of it you
+used before, but we might change it
+around some.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Never,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp. &ldquo;On no
+consideration would I repeat myself in
+print. I&#8217;ll just run through my box
+here, and see what new material I have.
+Here&#8217;s something; take it down as I dictate.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Pastor Joe Tyler is holding divine
+service every second Sunday in Cove
+City. He has had thirty conversions,
+and on Saturday was presented with a
+$20.00 suit of clothing from and by this
+community, and a barrel of flour, which
+fully attests what a general church
+awakening will accomplish in the direction
+of good. No one should think of
+endeavoring to rear their children or redeem
+society without the application of
+the gospel twice per month.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.215" id="png.215"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">210</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Now, if you can keep that up,&rdquo; said
+Nick, hopefully, &ldquo;we&#8217;ll get through in
+no time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Mr. Opp had gone back to his
+letter, and was trying to decide whether
+it would take one stamp or two. When
+he felt Nick&#8217;s reproachful eye upon him,
+he put the envelop resolutely in his
+pocket.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&#8217;ve already said that work would
+be resumed at the oil-wells as early as
+the inclemency of the weather would permit,
+haven&#8217;t you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We&#8217;ve had it in every issue since last
+fall,&rdquo; said Nick.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, now, let&#8217;s see,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp,
+diving once more into his reserve box.
+&ldquo;Here, take this down: &lsquo;Mr. Jet Connor
+had his house burnt last month, it being
+the second fire he has had in ten years.
+Misfortunes never come single.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; encouraged Nick. &ldquo;Now
+can&#8217;t you work up that idea about the
+paper offering a prize?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp seized his brow firmly between
+his palms and made an heroic effort
+<a name="png.216" id="png.216"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">211</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span> to concentrate his mind upon the
+business at hand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just wait a minute till I get it arranged.
+Now write this: &lsquo;&ldquo;The Opp
+Eagle&rdquo; has organized a club called the
+B.B.B. Club, meaning the Busy Bottle-Breakers
+Club. A handsome prize of a
+valued nature will be awarded the boy or
+girl which breaks the largest number
+of whisky and beer bottles before the
+first of May.&rsquo; The boats to Coreyville
+run different on Sunday, don&#8217;t they,
+Nick?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Nick, who had unquestioningly taken
+the dictation until he reached his own
+name, glanced up quickly, then threw
+down his pen and sighed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m going up to Mr. Gallop&#8217;s,&rdquo; he
+said in desperation; &ldquo;he&#8217;s got his mind
+on things here in town. I&#8217;ll see what he
+can do for me.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp remorsefully allowed him to
+depart, and gazed somewhat guiltily at
+the unaccomplished work before him.
+But instead of making reparation for
+recent delinquency, he proceeded to
+<a name="png.217" id="png.217"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">212</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>make even further inroads into the time
+that belonged to &ldquo;The Opp Eagle.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Moving stealthily to the door, he
+locked it, then pulled down the shade
+until only a strip of light fell across his
+table. These precautions having been
+observed, he took from his pocket a number
+of letters, and, separating a large
+typewritten one from several small blue
+ones, arranged the latter in a row before
+him according to their dates, and proceeded,
+with evident satisfaction, to read
+them through twice. Then glancing
+around to make quite sure that no one
+had crawled through the key-hole, he
+unlocked a drawer, and took out a key
+which in turn unlocked a box from which
+he carefully took a small object, and contemplated
+it with undisguised admiration.</p>
+
+<p>It was an amethyst ring, and in the
+center of the stone was set a pearl. He
+held it in the narrow strip of light, and
+read the inscription engraved within:
+&ldquo;Guinevere forever.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>For Miss Guinevere Gusty, ever plastic
+<a name="png.218" id="png.218"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">213</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>to a stronger will, had succumbed to
+the potent combination of absence and
+ardor, and given her half-hearted consent
+for Mr. Opp to speak to her mother.
+Upon that lady&#8217;s unqualified approval
+everything would depend.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp had received the letter a week
+ago, and he had immediately written to
+the city for a jeweler&#8217;s circular, made his
+selection, and received the ring. He had
+written eight voluminous and eloquent
+epistles to Guinevere, but he had not yet
+found the propitious moment in which to
+call upon Mrs. Gusty. Every time he
+started, imperative business called him
+elsewhere.</p>
+
+<p>As he sat turning the stone in the sunlight
+and admiring every detail, the conviction
+oppressed him that he could no
+longer find any excuse for delay. But
+even as he made the decision to face the
+ordeal, his eye involuntarily swept the
+desk for even a momentary reprieve.
+The large typewritten letter arrested
+his attention; he took it up and reread
+it.</p>
+
+<div class="quote">
+<p><a name="png.219" id="png.219"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">214</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span><span class="smc">Dear Opp</span>: Do you know any nice, comfortable
+place in your neighborhood for a man
+to go blind in? I&#8217;ll be in the hospital for another
+month, and after that I am to spend the
+summer out of doors, in joyful anticipation of
+an operation which I am assured beforehand
+will probably be unsuccessful. Under the
+peculiar circumstances I am not particular
+about the scenery, human or natural; the
+whole affair resolves itself into a matter of flies
+and feather-beds. If you know of any place
+where I can be reasonably comfortable, I wish
+you&#8217;d drop me a line. The ideal place for me
+would be a neat pine box underground, with a
+dainty bunch of daisies overhead.</p>
+
+<p class="yours">Yours gratefully,</p>
+
+<p class="sign"><span class="smc">Willard Hinton.</span></p>
+
+<p class="noindent">P.S. I sent you a box of my books last week.
+Chuck out what you don&#8217;t want. The candy
+was for your sister.</p>
+
+</div>
+
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, with the letter still in his
+hand, suddenly saw a way out of his
+difficulty: he would make Hinton&#8217;s request
+an excuse for a call upon Mrs.
+<a name="png.220" id="png.220"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">215</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>Gusty. No surer road to her good
+graces could he travel than by seeking
+her advice.</p>
+
+<p>Replacing the ring in the drawer and
+the letters in his pocket, he buttoned up
+his coat, and with a stern look of determination
+went out of the office. At the
+Gusty gate he encountered Val, who was
+on all fours by the fence, searching for
+something.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What&#8217;s the matter, Val?&rdquo; asked Mr.
+Opp. &ldquo;Lost something?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Val raised a pair of mournful eyes.
+&ldquo;Yas, sir; you bet I is. Done lost a
+penny Mr. Jimmy Fallows gimme for
+puttin&#8217; my fisty in my mouf.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Putting your fist in your mouth!&rdquo;
+repeated Mr. Opp, surprised. &ldquo;Can you
+perform that act?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Val promptly demonstrated; but just
+as he was midway, a peremptory voice
+called from a rear window:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Val! You Val! You better answer
+me this minute!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Val cowered lower behind the fence,
+and violently motioned Mr. Opp to go on.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.221" id="png.221"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">216</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Is&mdash;er&mdash;is Mrs. Gusty feeling well
+to-day?&rdquo; asked Mr. Opp, still lingering
+at the gate.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Jes tolerable,&rdquo; said Val, lying flat on
+his back and speaking in guarded tones.
+&ldquo;Whenever she gits to beatin&#8217; de carpets,
+an&#8217; spankin&#8217; de beds, and shakin&#8217;
+de curtains, I keeps outen de way.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you think&mdash;er&mdash;that&mdash;er&mdash;I better
+go in?&rdquo; asked Mr. Opp, sorely in
+need of moral support.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yas, sir; she&#8217;s &#8217;spectin&#8217; yer.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>This surprising announcement nerved
+Mr. Opp to open the gate.</p>
+
+<p>It is said that the best-drilled soldiers
+dodge when they first face the firing-line,
+and if Mr. Opp&#8217;s knees smote together
+and his body became bathed in profuse
+perspiration, it should not be attributed
+to lack of manly courage.</p>
+
+<p>In response to his knock, Mrs. Gusty
+herself opened the door. The signs that
+she had been interrupted in the midst of
+her toilet were so unmistakable that Mr.
+Opp promptly averted his eyes. A shawl
+had been hastily drawn about her shoulders,
+<a name="png.222" id="png.222"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">217</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>on one cheek a streak of chalk
+awaited distribution, and a single bristling
+curl-paper, rising fiercely from the
+top of her forehead, gave her the appearance
+of a startled unicorn.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&#8217;ll have to excuse me, Mr. Opp,&rdquo;
+she said firmly, putting the door between
+them. &ldquo;I can&#8217;t come out, and you can&#8217;t
+come in. Did you want anything?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, yes,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, looking
+helplessly at the blank door. &ldquo;You see,
+there is a matter I have been considering
+discussing with you for a number of
+weeks. It&#8217;s a&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If it&#8217;s waited this long, I should think
+it could wait till to-morrow,&rdquo; announced
+the lady with decision.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp felt that his courage could
+never again stand the strain of the last
+few moments. He must speak now or
+never.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s immediate,&rdquo; he managed to gasp
+out. &ldquo;If you could arrange to give me
+five or ten minutes, I won&#8217;t occupy more
+than that.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Gusty considered. &ldquo;I am looking
+<a name="png.223" id="png.223"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">218</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>for company myself at five o&#8217;clock.
+That wouldn&#8217;t give you much time.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Ample,&rdquo; urged Mr. Opp; &ldquo;it&#8217;s just
+a little necessary transaction, as it
+were.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Gusty reluctantly consented.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You go on in the parlor, then,&rdquo; she
+said. &ldquo;I&#8217;ll be in as quick as I can. You
+won&#8217;t more than have time to get started,
+though.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp passed into the parlor and
+hung his hat on the corner of a large, unframed
+canvas that stood on the floor
+with its face to the wall. The room had
+evidently been prepared for a visitor, for
+a fire was newly kindled and a vase of
+flowers adorned the table. But Mr. Opp
+was not making observations. He alternately
+warmed his cold hands at the fire,
+and fanned his flushed face with his
+handkerchief. He was too nervous to
+sit still, yet his knees trembled when he
+moved about. It was only when he
+touched the little packet of letters in
+his breast pocket that his courage revived.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.224" id="png.224"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">219</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>At last Mrs. Gusty came in with a
+rustle of garments suggestive of Sunday.
+Even in his confusion Mr. Opp
+was aware that there was something unusual
+in her appearance. Her hair, ordinarily
+drawn taut to a prim knot at the
+rear, had burst forth into curls and puffs
+of an amazing complexity. Moreover,
+her change of coiffure had apparently
+affected her spirits, for she, too, was
+flurried and self-conscious and glanced
+continually at the clock on the mantel.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll endeavor not to intrude long on
+your time,&rdquo; began Mr. Opp, politely,
+when they were seated side by side on
+the horse-hair sofa. &ldquo;You&mdash;er&mdash;can&#8217;t
+be in total ignorance of the subject that&mdash;er&mdash;I
+mean to bring forward.&rdquo; He
+moistened his lips, and glanced at her for
+succor, but she was adamant. &ldquo;I want
+to speak with you,&rdquo; he plunged on desperately&mdash;&ldquo;that
+is, I thought I had better
+talk with you about Mr. Hinton.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who?&rdquo; blazed forth Mrs. Gusty in
+indignant surprise.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Hinton,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, breathlessly,
+<a name="png.225" id="png.225"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">220</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>&ldquo;a young friendly acquaintance
+of mine. Wants to get board for the
+summer, you know; would like a nice,
+quiet place and all that, Mrs. Gusty. I
+thought I&#8217;d consult you about it, Mrs.
+Gusty, if you don&#8217;t mind.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She calmly fixed one eye upon him
+and one upon the clock while he went
+into particulars concerning Mr. Hinton.
+When he paused for breath, she folded
+her arms and said:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Opp, if you want to say what
+you come to say, you haven&#8217;t got but
+four minutes to do it in.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, yes,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, gratefully,
+but helplessly; &ldquo;I was just coming to
+that point. It&#8217;s a matter&mdash;that&mdash;er&mdash;well
+you might say it is in a way pertaining&mdash;to&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Guin-never!&rdquo; snapped Mrs. Gusty,
+unable longer to stand his hesitation.
+&ldquo;I&#8217;d have been a deaf-mute and a fool
+to boot not to have known it long ago.
+Not that I&#8217;ve been consulted in the matter.&rdquo;
+She lifted a stiffened chin, and
+turned her gaze upward.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.226" id="png.226"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">221</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;You have,&rdquo; declared Mr. Opp, earnestly;
+&ldquo;that is, you will be. Everything
+is pending on you. There has been
+no steps whatever taken by Miss Guinnever
+or I&mdash;rather I might say by her. I
+can&#8217;t say but what I have made some
+slight preliminary arrangements.&rdquo; He
+paused, then went on anxiously: &ldquo;I trust
+there ain&#8217;t any personal objections to
+the case.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Gusty made folds in her black-silk
+skirt and creased them down with
+her thumb-nail. &ldquo;No,&rdquo; she said shortly;
+&ldquo;far as I can see, Guin-never would be
+doing mighty well to get you. You&#8217;d be
+a long sight safer than a good-looking
+young fellow. Of course a man being so
+much older than a girl is apt to leave her
+a widow. But, for my part, I believe in
+second marriages.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp felt as if he had received a
+hot and cold douche at the same time;
+but the result was a glow.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then you don&#8217;t oppose it, Mrs.
+Gusty,&rdquo; he cried eagerly. &ldquo;You&#8217;ll write
+her you are willing?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.227" id="png.227"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">222</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Not yet,&rdquo; said Mrs. Gusty; &ldquo;there&#8217;s
+a condition.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There ain&#8217;t any condition in the
+world I won&#8217;t meet to get her,&rdquo; he exclaimed
+recklessly, his fervor bursting
+its bounds. &ldquo;You don&#8217;t know how I feel
+about that young lady. Why, I&#8217;d live
+on bread and water all the rest of my
+life if it would make her happy. There
+hasn&#8217;t been a hour since I met her that
+she hasn&#8217;t held my soul&mdash;as you might
+say&mdash;in the pa&#8217;m of her hand.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;People don&#8217;t often get it so bad at
+our age,&rdquo; remarked Mrs. Gusty, sarcastically,
+and Mr. Opp winced.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The condition,&rdquo; went on Mrs. Gusty,
+&ldquo;that I spoke about, was your sister. Of
+course I never would consent to Guin-never
+living under the same roof with a
+crazy person.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The hope which was carrying Mr.
+Opp to the dizziest heights dropped to
+earth at this unexpected shaft, and for a
+moment he was too stunned to speak.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kippy?&rdquo; he began at last, and his
+voice softened at the name. &ldquo;Why, you
+<a name="png.228" id="png.228"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">223</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>don&#8217;t understand about her. She&#8217;s just
+similar to a little child. I told Miss
+Guin-never all about her; she never
+made any objections. You&mdash;you&mdash;wouldn&#8217;t
+ask me to make any promises
+along that line?&rdquo; Abject entreaty shone
+from Mr. Opp&#8217;s eyes; it was a plea for
+a change of sentence. She had asked
+of him the only sacrifice in the world at
+which he would have faltered. &ldquo;Don&#8217;t&mdash;don&#8217;t
+put it like that!&rdquo; he pleaded,
+laying his hand on her arm in his earnestness.
+&ldquo;I&#8217;m all she&#8217;s got in the
+world; I&#8217;ve kind of become familiar
+with her ways, you know, and can manage
+her. She&#8217;ll love Miss Guin-never
+if I tell her to. She shan&#8217;t be a bit of
+care or trouble; I and Aunt Tish will
+continue on doing everything for her.
+You won&#8217;t refuse your consent on that
+account, will you? You&#8217;ll promise to
+say yes, now won&#8217;t you, Mrs. Gusty?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A slight and ominous cough in the
+doorway caused them both to start. Mr.
+Tucker, in widower&#8217;s weeds, but with a
+jonquil jauntily thrust through his buttonhole,
+<a name="png.229" id="png.229"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">224</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>stood with his hand still on the
+knob, evidently transfixed by the scene
+he had witnessed.</p>
+
+<p>For a moment the company was enveloped
+in a fog of such dense embarrassment
+that all conversation was
+suspended. Mrs. Gusty was the first to
+emerge.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Howdy, Mr. Tucker,&rdquo; she said, rustling
+forward in welcome. &ldquo;I didn&#8217;t
+think you&#8217;d get here before five. Mr.
+Opp just dropped in to consult me about&mdash;about
+boarding a friend of his. Won&#8217;t
+you draw up to the fire?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Tucker edged forward with a suspicious
+eye turned upon Mr. Opp, who was
+nervously searching about for his hat.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;There it is, by the door,&rdquo; said Mrs.
+Gusty, eager to speed his departure; and
+as they both reached for it, the picture
+upon which it hung toppled forward and
+fell, face upward, on the floor. It was
+the portrait of Mr. Tucker mourning
+under the willow-tree which Miss Jim
+had left with Mrs. Gusty for safe-keeping.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.230" id="png.230"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">225</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Mr. Opp went home across the fields
+that evening instead of through the
+town. He was not quite up to any of his
+rôles&mdash;editor, promoter, or reformer.
+In fact, he felt a desperate need of a brief
+respite from all histrionic duties. A reaction
+had set in from the excitement of
+the past week, and the complication involved
+in Mrs. Gusty&#8217;s condition puzzled
+and distressed him. Of course, he
+assured himself repeatedly, there was a
+way out of the difficulty; but he was not
+able to find it just yet. He had observed
+that Mrs. Gusty&#8217;s opinions became fixed
+convictions under the slightest opposition,
+whereas Guinevere&#8217;s firmest decision
+trembled at a breath of disapproval.
+He sighed deeply as he meditated upon
+the vagaries of the feminine mind.</p>
+
+<p>Overhead the bare trees lifted a network
+of twigs against a dull sky, a cold
+wind stirred the sedge grass, and fluttered
+the dry leaves that had lain all
+winter in the fence corners. Everything
+looked old and worn and gray, even Mr.
+Opp, as he leaned against a gaunt, white
+<a name="png.231" id="png.231"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">226</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>sycamore, his head bent, and his brows
+drawn, wrestling with his problem.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly he lifted his head and listened,
+then he smiled. In the tree above
+him a soft but animated conversation
+was in progress. A few daring birds
+had braved the cold and the wind, and
+had ventured back to their old trysting-place
+to wait for the coming of the
+spring. No hint of green had tinged the
+earth, but a few, tiny, pink maple-buds
+had given the secret away, and the birds
+were cuddled snugly together, planning,
+in an ecstasy of subdued enthusiasm, for
+the joyous days to come.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp listened and understood.
+They were all whispering about one
+thing, and he wanted to whisper about
+it, too. It was the simple theme of love
+without variations&mdash;love, minus problems,
+minus complications, minus consequences.
+He took out his little packet of
+letters and read them through; then, unmindful
+of the chill, he stretched himself
+under the tree and listened to the birds
+until the twilight silenced them.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.232" id="png.232"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">227</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>When he reached home at last, Miss
+Kippy met him at the door with a happy
+cry of welcome.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;D.,&rdquo; she said, with her arm through
+his, and her cheek rubbing his sleeve,
+&ldquo;I&#8217;ve been good. I&#8217;ve let my hair stay
+up all day, and Aunt Tish is making me
+a long dress like a lady.&rdquo; She looked at
+him shyly and smiled, then she pulled
+his head down and whispered, &ldquo;If I&#8217;m
+very good, when I grow up, can I marry
+Mr. Hinton?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">Miss Kippy, too, had been listening to
+the bird-song.</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.233" id="png.233"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">228</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>XIII</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/i-initial.png"
+ alt="I" title="I" width="160" height="150" /><span>t</span> was May when Willard
+Hinton arrived at the
+Cove and took up his
+abode at Mrs. Gusty&#8217;s.
+For the first week he
+kept to his bed, but at
+the end of that time he was able to crawl
+down to the porch and, under the protection
+of dark glasses and a heavy shade,
+sit for hours at a time in the sunshine.
+The loss of his accustomed environment,
+the ennui that ensues from absolute
+idleness, the consciousness that the
+light was growing dimmer day by day,
+combined to plunge him into abysmal
+gloom.</p>
+
+<p>He shrank from speaking to any one,
+he scowled at a suggestion of sympathy,
+he treated Mr. Opp&#8217;s friendly overtures
+with open discourtesy. Conceiving himself
+on the rack of torture, he set his
+<a name="png.234" id="png.234"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">229</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>teeth and determined to submit in
+silence, but without witnesses.</p>
+
+<p>One endless day dragged in the wake
+of another, and between them lay the
+black strips of night that were heavy
+with the suggestion of another darkness
+pending. When sleep refused to come,
+he would go out into the woods and walk
+for hours, moody, wretched, and sick to
+his innermost soul with loneliness.</p>
+
+<p>The one thing in the whole dreary
+round of existence that roused in him a
+spark of interest was his hostess. She
+bestowed upon him the same impersonal
+attention that she gave her fowls. She
+fed him and cared for him and doctored
+him as she saw fit, and after these duties
+were performed, she left him to himself,
+pursuing her own vigorous routine in
+her own vigorous way.</p>
+
+<p>Hinton soon discovered that Mrs.
+Gusty was temperamental. Her intensely
+energetic nature demanded an
+emotional as well as a physical outlet.
+Sometime during the course of each day
+she indulged in emotional fireworks,
+<a name="png.235" id="png.235"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">230</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>bombs of anger, rockets of indignation,
+or set pieces of sulks and pouts.</p>
+
+<p>These periodic spells of anger acted
+upon her like wine: they warmed her
+vitals and exhilarated her; they made
+her talk fluently and eloquently. As a
+toper will accept any beverage that intoxicates,
+so Mrs. Gusty accepted any
+cause that would rouse her. At stated
+intervals her feelings demanded a stimulant,
+and obeying the call of nature, she
+went forth and got angry.</p>
+
+<p>Hinton came to consider these outbursts
+as the one diversion in a succession
+of monotonous hours. He tabulated
+the causes, and made bets with himself
+as to the strength and duration of each.</p>
+
+<p>Meanwhile the sun and the wind and
+the silence were working their miracle.
+Hinton was introduced to nature by a
+warlike old rooster whose Hellenic cast
+of countenance had suggested the name
+of Menelaus. A fierce combat with a
+brother-fowl had inevitably recalled the
+great fight with Paris, and upon investigation
+Hinton found that the speckled
+<a name="png.236" id="png.236"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">231</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>hen was Helen of Troy! This was but
+the beginning of a series of discoveries,
+and the result was an animated and
+piquant version of Greek history, which
+boldly set aside tradition, and suggested
+many possibilities heretofore undreamed
+of.</p>
+
+<p>Early one morning as Hinton was
+wandering listlessly about the yard he
+heard the gate click, and, looking up,
+saw Mr. Opp hurrying up the walk with
+a large bunch of lilacs in one hand and
+a cornet in the other.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Good morning,&rdquo; said that gentleman,
+cheerily. &ldquo;Mighty glad to see you
+out enjoying the beauties of nature. I
+haven&#8217;t got but a moment in which to
+stop; appointment at eight-fifteen. We
+are arranging for a concert soon up in
+Main Street, going to practise this afternoon.
+I&#8217;ll be glad to call by for you if
+you feel able to enjoy some remarkable
+fine selections.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton accepted the proffered bouquet,
+but made a wry face at the invitation.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.237" id="png.237"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">232</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;None of your concerts for me,&rdquo; he
+said brusquely. &ldquo;It would interfere too
+seriously with my own musical job of
+getting in tune with the infinite.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mornin&#8217;, Mr. Opp,&rdquo; said Mrs.
+Gusty from the dining-room window.
+&ldquo;There ain&#8217;t many editors has time to
+stand around and talk this time of day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just paused a moment in passing,&rdquo;
+said Mr. Opp. &ldquo;Wanted to see if I
+couldn&#8217;t induce our young friend here
+to give us a&#8217; article for &lsquo;The Opp Eagle.&rsquo;
+Any nature, you know; we are always
+metropolitan in our taste. Thought
+maybe he&#8217;d tell us some of his first impressions
+of our city.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton smiled and shook his head.
+&ldquo;You&#8217;d better not stir up my impressions
+about anything these days; I am
+apt to splash mud.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We can stand it,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, affably.
+&ldquo;If Cove City needs criticism
+and rebuke, &lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo; is the vehicle
+to administer it. You dictate a few
+remarks to my reporter, and I&#8217;ll feature
+it on the front editorial column.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.238" id="png.238"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">233</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Hinton&#8217;s eyes twinkled wickedly behind
+his blue glasses. &ldquo;I&#8217;ll give you an
+article,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;but no name is to be
+signed.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, regretting the stipulation,
+but pleased with the promise, was turning
+to depart when Mrs. Gusty appeared
+once more at the window.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What&#8217;s the matter with the oil-wells?&rdquo;
+she demanded, as she dusted off
+the sill. &ldquo;Why don&#8217;t they open up?
+You can&#8217;t use bad weather for an excuse
+any longer.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It wasn&#8217;t the weather,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Opp, with the confident and superior
+manner of one who is conversant with
+the entire situation. &ldquo;This here delay
+has been arranged with a purpose. I
+and Mr. Mathews has a plan that will
+eventually yield every stock-holder in the
+Cove six to one for what he put into it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Intend selling out to a syndicate?&rdquo;
+asked Hinton.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp looked at him in surprise.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, yes; I don&#8217;t mind telling you
+two, but it mustn&#8217;t go any farther. The
+<a name="png.239" id="png.239"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">234</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>oil prospects in this region are of such a
+great magnitude that we can&#8217;t command
+sufficient capital to do &#8217;em justice. I
+and Mr. Mathews are at present negotiating
+with several large concerns with
+a view to selling out the entire business
+at a large profit. You can&#8217;t have any
+conception of the tac&#8217; and patience it
+takes to manage one of these large
+deals.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who was that man Clark that was
+down here last week?&rdquo; asked Mrs. Gusty,
+impressed, in spite of herself, at being
+taken into the confidence of such a man
+of affairs.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp&#8217;s face clouded. &ldquo;Now that
+was a very unfortunate thing about
+Clark. He was sent down by the Union
+Syndicate of New York city to make a
+report on the region, and he didn&#8217;t get
+the correct ideas in the case at all. If
+they hadn&#8217;t sent such a poor man, the
+whole affair might have been settled by
+now.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Wasn&#8217;t his report favorable?&rdquo;
+asked Hinton.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.240" id="png.240"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">235</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;He hasn&#8217;t made it yet,&rdquo; said Mr.
+Opp; &ldquo;but he let drop sundry casual remarks
+to me that showed he wasn&#8217;t a
+man of fine judgment at all. I went
+over the ground with him, and pointed
+out some of the places where we calculated
+on drilling; but he was so busy
+making measurements and taking notes
+that he didn&#8217;t half hear what I was saying.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He stayed at Our Hotel,&rdquo; said Mrs.
+Gusty. &ldquo;Mr. Tucker said he had as
+mean a face as ever he looked into.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Who said so?&rdquo; asked Hinton.</p>
+
+<p>She tossed her head and flipped her
+duster at him, but it was evident that she
+was not displeased.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;By the way, Mr. Opp,&rdquo; she said,
+&ldquo;I&#8217;m thinking about letting Guin-never
+come home week after next. Guess you
+ain&#8217;t sorry to hear that.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>On the contrary, Mr. Opp was overcome
+with joy. Letters were becoming
+less and less satisfying, and the problem
+suggested by Mrs. Gusty was still waiting
+solution.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.241" id="png.241"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">236</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;If you&#8217;ll just mention the date,&rdquo; he
+said, trying to keep his countenance
+from expressing an undue amount of
+rapture, &ldquo;I&#8217;ll make a business trip
+down to Coreyville on purpose to accompany
+her back home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Mrs. Gusty declined to be explicit.
+She deemed it unwise to allow a mere
+man to know as much as she did upon
+any given subject.</p>
+
+<p>Hinton&#8217;s editorial appeared in the
+next issue of &ldquo;The Opp Eagle.&rdquo; It was
+a clever and cutting satire on the impressions
+of a foreigner visiting America for
+the first time. Hinton interviewed himself
+concerning his impressions of the
+Cove. He approached the subject with
+great seriousness, handling village
+trifles as if they were municipal cannon-balls.
+He juggled with sense and nonsense,
+with form and substance. The result
+shot far over the heads of the country
+subscribers, and hit the bull&#8217;s-eye of a
+big city daily.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp&#8217;s excitement was intense
+when he found that an editorial from
+<a name="png.242" id="png.242"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">237</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>&ldquo;The Opp Eagle&rdquo; had been copied in a
+New York paper. The fact that it was
+not his own never for a moment dimmed
+the glory of the compliment.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We are getting notorious,&rdquo; he said
+exultingly to Hinton. &ldquo;There are few,
+if any, papers that in less than a year
+has extended its influence as far as the
+Atlantic Ocean. Now I am considering
+if it wouldn&#8217;t be a wise and judicious
+thing to get you on the staff permanent&mdash;while
+you are here, that is. Of course
+you understand I am invested up pretty
+close; but I&#8217;d be willing to let you have
+a little of my oil stock in payment for
+services.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton laughingly shook his head.
+&ldquo;Whenever you run short of material,
+you can call on me. The honor of seeing
+my humble efforts borne aloft on the
+wings of &lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo; will be sufficient
+reward.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Having once conceived it as a favor
+that was in his power to bestow, Mr.
+Opp lost no opportunity for inviting
+contributions from the aspiring author.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.243" id="png.243"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">238</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>As Hinton&#8217;s strength returned, Mr.
+Opp adopted him as a protégé, at first
+patronizing him, then consulting him,
+and finally frankly appealing to him.
+For during the long afternoon walks
+which they got into the habit of taking
+together, Mr. Opp, in spite of bluster
+and brag and evasion, found that he was
+constantly being embarrassed by a question,
+a reference, a statement from his
+young friend. It was the first time
+he had ever experienced any difficulty in
+keeping his head above the waves of his
+own ignorance.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You see,&rdquo; he said one day by way of
+explanation, &ldquo;my genius was never
+properly tutored in early youth. It&#8217;s
+what some might regard as a remarkable
+brain that could cope with all the
+different varieties of enterprises that I
+have engaged in, with no instruction or
+guidance but just the natural elements
+that God give it in the beginning.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But in spite of Mr. Opp&#8217;s lenient attitude
+toward his intellectual short-comings,
+it was evident that upon the serene
+<a name="png.244" id="png.244"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">239</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>horizon of his egotism small clouds of
+humility were threatening to gather.</p>
+
+<p>Hinton, restlessly seeking for something
+to fill the vacuum of his days,
+found Mr. Opp and his paper a growing
+source of diversion. &ldquo;The Opp Eagle,&rdquo;
+at first an object of ridicule, gradually
+became a point of interest in his limited
+range of vision. Under his suggestions
+it was enlarged and improved, and
+induced to publish news not strictly
+local.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, meanwhile, was buzzing as
+persistently and ineffectually as a fly on
+a window-pane. The night before
+Guinevere&#8217;s return, he found that, in
+order to accomplish all that he was committed
+to, it would be necessary to spend
+the night at the office.</p>
+
+<p>The concert for which the Unique Orchestra
+had been making night hideous
+for two weeks had just come to a successful
+close, and the editor found himself
+at a late hour tramping out the
+lonely road that led to the office with the
+prospect of a couple of hours&#8217; work to
+<a name="png.245" id="png.245"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">240</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>do before he could seek a well-earned
+rest upon the office bench.</p>
+
+<p>He was flushed with his double triumph
+as director and cornet soloist, and
+still thrilled by the mighty notes he had
+breathed into his beloved instrument.</p>
+
+<p>The violin sobs, the flute complains,
+the drum insists, but the cornet brags,
+and Mr. Opp found it the instrument
+through which he could best express himself.</p>
+
+<p>It was midnight, and the moon, one
+moment shining brightly and the next
+lost behind a flying cloud, sent all sorts
+of queer shadows scurrying among the
+trees. Mr. Opp thought once that he saw
+the figure of a man appear and disappear
+in the road before him, but he was
+so engrossed in joyful anticipation of
+the morrow that he gave the incident no
+attention. As he was passing the Gusty
+house, he was rudely plunged from sentiment
+into suspicion by the sight of a
+figure stealthily moving along the wall
+beneath the front windows.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp crouched behind the fence to
+<a name="png.246" id="png.246"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">241</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>watch him, but the moon took that inopportune
+moment to sink into a bank of
+clouds, and the yard was left in darkness.
+No sound broke the stillness save
+the far-off bark of a dog or an occasional
+croak from a bullfrog. Mr. Opp waited
+and listened in a state of intense suspense.
+Presently he heard the unmistakable
+sound of a window being
+cautiously raised, and then just as cautiously
+lowered. Summoning all his
+courage, he skirted the yard and hid in
+the bushes near the house. Nothing was
+to be seen or heard. He watched for a
+light at any of the windows, but none
+came.</p>
+
+<p>The rash desire to capture the burglar
+single-handed, and thus distinguish himself
+in the eyes of Guinevere&#8217;s mother,
+caused Mr. Opp to stiffen his knees and
+assume a fierce and determined expression.
+But he was armed only with his
+cornet, which, though often deadly as an
+instrument of attack, has never been
+recognized as a weapon of defense.
+There seemed no alternative but to
+<a name="png.247" id="png.247"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">242</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>waken Hinton and effect a simultaneous
+attack from within and without.</p>
+
+<p>After throwing a few unsuccessful
+pebbles at Hinton&#8217;s window, Mr. Opp
+remembered a ladder he had seen at the
+back of the barnyard. Shaking as if
+with the ague, but breathing dauntless
+courage, he departed in great excitement
+to procure it.</p>
+
+<p>Unfortunately another party was in
+possession. A dozen guinea-fowls were
+roosting on the rungs, and when he gave
+them to understand they were to vacate
+they raised an outcry that would have
+quelled the ardor of a less valiant knight.</p>
+
+<p>But the romantic nature of the adventure
+had fired Mr. Opp&#8217;s imagination.
+He already saw himself lightly dusting
+his hands after throttling the intruder,
+and smiling away Mrs. Gusty&#8217;s solicitude
+for his safety. Meanwhile he staggered
+back to the house with his burden,
+dodging fearfully at every shadow, and
+painfully aware that his heart was beating
+a tattoo on his ear-drums.</p>
+
+<p>Placing the ladder as quietly as possible
+<a name="png.248" id="png.248"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">243</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>under Hinton&#8217;s window, he cautiously
+began the ascent. The sudden
+outburst of the guineas had set his
+nerves a-quiver, and what with his
+breathless condition, and a predisposition
+to giddiness, he found some difficulty
+in reaching the sill. When at last
+he succeeded, he saw, by the light of the
+now refulgent moon, the figure of Hinton
+lying across the foot of the bed,
+dressed, but asleep. The opening not
+being sufficiently large to admit him, he
+thrust in his head and whispered
+hoarsely through his chattering teeth:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hinton! I say, Hinton, there&#8217;s a
+burglar in the house!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton started up, and stared dully at
+the excited apparition.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hush!&rdquo; whispered Mr. Opp, dramatically,
+lifting a warning hand. &ldquo;I&#8217;ve
+been tracking the scoundrel for half an
+hour. He&#8217;s in the house now. We&#8217;ll
+surround him. We&#8217;ll bind him hand
+and foot. You get the front door open,
+and I&#8217;ll meet you on the outside. It&#8217;s
+all planned; just do as I say.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.249" id="png.249"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">244</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Hinton, who was springing for the
+door, paused with his hand on the knob.
+&ldquo;What&#8217;s that?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It was Mrs. Gusty&#8217;s commanding
+tones from a front window: &ldquo;He&#8217;s
+round at the side of the house. He&#8217;s
+been after my guineas! I saw him a
+minute ago going across the yard with
+a ladder. Shoot him if you can. Shoot
+him in the leg, so he can&#8217;t get away.
+Quick! Quick!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp had only time to turn from
+the window when he felt the ladder
+seized from below and jerked violently
+forward. With a terrific crash he came
+down with it, and found himself locked
+in a close struggle with the supposed
+burglar. To his excited imagination his
+adversary seemed a Titan, with sinews
+of steel and breath of fire. The combatants
+rolled upon the ground and fought
+for possession of each other&#8217;s throats.
+The conflict, while fierce, was brief.
+As Hinton and Mrs. Gusty rushed
+around the corner of the house, the fighters
+shouted in unison, &ldquo;I&#8217;ve got him!&rdquo;
+<a name="png.250" id="png.250"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">245</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>and Mr. Opp, opening one swollen eye,
+gazed down into the mild but bloody features
+of little Mr. Tucker!</p>
+
+<p>With the instinct that always prompted
+him to apologize when any one bumped
+into him, he withdrew his hands immediately
+from Mr. Tucker&#8217;s throat and
+began vehement explanations. But Mr.
+Tucker still clung to his collar, sputtering
+wrathful ejaculations. Mrs. Gusty,
+wrapped in a bed-quilt, and with her unicorn
+horn at its most ferocious angle,
+held the lamp on high while Hinton
+rushed between the belligerents.</p>
+
+<p>Excited and incoherent explanations
+followed, and it was not until Mr. Opp,
+who was leaning limply against a tree,
+regained his breath that the mystery
+was cleared up.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you will just listen here at me a
+moment,&rdquo; he implored, holding a handkerchief
+to his bruised face. &ldquo;We are
+one and all laboring under a grave error.
+It&#8217;s my belief that there ain&#8217;t any
+burglar whatsoever here at present.
+Mr. Hinton forgot his key and had to
+<a name="png.251" id="png.251"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">246</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>climb in the window. I mistaken him
+for the burglar, and Mrs. Gusty, here,
+from what she relates, mistaken me for
+him, and not knowing Mr. Hinton had
+come in, telephoned our friend Mr.
+Tucker, and me and Mr. Tucker might
+be said, in a general way, to have mistaken
+each other for him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;A pretty mess to get us all into!&rdquo;
+exclaimed Mrs. Gusty. &ldquo;A man made
+his fortune once &#8217;tending to his own
+business.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But, Mrs. Gusty&mdash;&rdquo; began Mr. Opp,
+indignantly.</p>
+
+<p>Hinton interrupted. &ldquo;You would better
+put something on that eye of yours.
+It will probably resemble a Whistler
+&lsquo;Nocturne&rsquo; by morning. What are you
+looking for?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The object lost proved to be Mr. Opp&#8217;s
+cherished cornet, and the party became
+united in a common cause and joined in
+the search. Some time elapsed before
+the horn was found under the fallen ladder,
+having sustained internal injuries
+which subsequently proved fatal.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk"><a name="png.252" id="png.252"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">247</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>When dawn crept into the dingy office
+of &ldquo;The Opp Eagle,&rdquo; the editor was
+watching for it. He was waiting to welcome
+the day that would bring back
+Guinevere. As Hope with blindfold eyes
+bends over her harp and listens to the
+faint music of her one unbroken string,
+so Mr. Opp, with bandaged head, bent
+over his damaged horn and plaintively
+evoked the only note that was left
+therein.</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.253" id="png.253"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">248</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>XIV</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/t-initial.png"
+ alt="T" title="T" width="149" height="150" /><span>hose</span> who have pursued
+the coy goddess of happiness
+through the mazes
+of the labyrinth of life,
+know well how she invites
+her victim on from point
+to point, only to evade capture at the end.
+Mr. Opp rose with each summer dawn,
+radiant, confident, and expectant, and
+each night he sat in his window with his
+knees hunched, and his brows drawn,
+and wrestled with that old white-faced
+fear.</p>
+
+<p>Two marauders were harassing the
+editor these days, dogging his footsteps,
+and snapping at him from ambush. One
+was the wolf that howls at the door, and
+the other was the monster whose eyes
+are green.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.254" id="png.254"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">249</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Since the halcyon days that had
+wafted Miss Guinevere Gusty back to the
+shore of the Cove, Mr. Opp had not
+passed a serene hour out of her presence.
+His disposition, though impervious
+to the repeated shafts of unkind
+fortune, was not proof against the corrosive
+effect of jealousy.</p>
+
+<p>If he could have regarded Willard
+Hinton in the light of a hated rival, and
+met him in fair and open fight, the situation
+would have been simplified. But
+Hinton was the friend of his bosom, the
+man who, he had declared to the town,
+&ldquo;possessed the grandest intelligence he
+had ever encountered in a human mind.&rdquo;
+He admired him, he respected him, and,
+in direct contradiction to the emotion
+that was consuming him, he trusted him.</p>
+
+<p>Concerning Miss Guinevere Gusty&#8217;s
+state of mind, Mr. Opp permitted himself
+only one opinion. He fiercely denied
+that she was absent-minded and listless
+when alone with him; he refused to believe
+his own eyes when he saw a light
+in her face when she looked at Hinton
+<a name="png.255" id="png.255"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">250</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>that was never there for him. He preferred
+to exaggerate to himself her
+sweetness, her gentleness, her loyalty,
+demanding nothing, and continuing to
+give all.</p>
+
+<p>His entire future happiness, he assured
+himself, hung upon the one question
+of little Miss Kippy. For four months
+the problem had been a matter for daily,
+prayerful consideration, but he was still
+in the dark.</p>
+
+<p>When he was with Guinevere the solution
+seemed easy. In explaining away
+the difficulties to her, he explained them
+away to himself, also. It was only a
+matter of time, he declared, before the
+oil-well would yield rich profit. When
+that time arrived, he would maintain
+two establishments, the old one for Miss
+Kippy, and a new and elegant one for
+themselves. Mr. Opp used the hole in
+the ground as a telescope through which
+he viewed the stars of the future.</p>
+
+<p>But when he was alone with Kippy,
+struggling with her whims, while he tried
+to puzzle out the oldest and most universal
+<a name="png.256" id="png.256"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">251</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>of conundrums,&mdash;that of making
+ends meet,&mdash;the future seemed entirely
+blotted out by the great blank wall of
+the present.</p>
+
+<p>The matter was in a way complicated
+by the change that had come over Miss
+Kippy herself. Two ideas alternately
+depressed and elated her. The first was
+a fixed antipathy to the photograph of
+Miss Guinevere Gusty which Mr. Opp
+had incased in a large hand-painted
+frame and installed upon his dresser.
+At first she sat before it and cried, and
+later she hid it and refused for days to
+tell where it was. The sight of it made
+her so unhappy that Mr. Opp was obliged
+to keep it under lock and key. The other
+idea produced a different effect. It had
+to do with Hinton. Ever since his visit
+she had talked of little else. She pretended
+that he came to see her every day,
+and she spread her doll dishes, and repeated
+scraps of his conversation, and
+acted over the events of the dinner at
+which he had been present. The short
+gingham dresses no longer pleased her;
+<a name="png.257" id="png.257"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">252</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>she wanted long ones, with flowing
+sleeves like the blue merino. She tied
+her hair up in all manner of fantastic
+shapes, and stood before the glass smiling
+and talking to herself for hours.
+But there were times when her mind
+paused for a moment at the normal, and
+then she would ask frightened, bewildered
+questions, and only Mr. Opp could
+soothe and reassure her.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;D.,&rdquo; she said one night suddenly,
+&ldquo;how old am I?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, whose entire mental and
+physical powers were concentrated upon
+an effort to put a new band on his old
+hat, was taken off his guard. &ldquo;Twenty-six,&rdquo;
+he answered absently.</p>
+
+<p>A little cry brought him to her side.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; she whispered, shivering away
+from him, yet clinging to his sleeve,
+&ldquo;that&#8217;s a lady that&#8217;s grown up!
+Ladies don&#8217;t play with dolls. But I want
+to be grown up, too. D., why am I different?
+I want to be a lady; show me
+how to be a lady!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp gathered her into his arms,
+<a name="png.258" id="png.258"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">253</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>along with his hat, a pair of scissors, and
+a spool of thread.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Don&#8217;t, Kippy!&rdquo; he begged. &ldquo;Now,
+don&#8217;t cry like that! You are getting on
+elegant. Hasn&#8217;t brother D. learned you
+to read a lot of pieces in your first
+reader? And ain&#8217;t we going to begin on
+handwriting next? Wouldn&#8217;t you like
+to have a slate, and a sponge to rub out
+with?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In an instant her mood veered.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And a basket?&rdquo; she cried eagerly.
+&ldquo;The children carry a basket, too. I see
+them when I peep through the shutters.
+Can I have a basket, too?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The network of complexities that was
+closing in upon Mr. Opp apparently affected
+his body more than his spirits.
+He seemed to shrivel and dwindle as the
+pressure increased; but the fire in his
+eyes shone brighter than before.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;None of his folks live long over
+forty,&rdquo; said Mrs. Fallows, lugubriously;
+&ldquo;they sorter burn themselves out.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton, meanwhile, utterly unaware
+of being the partial cause of the seismic
+<a name="png.259" id="png.259"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">254</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>disturbance in the editorial bosom, pursued
+the monotonous routine of his days.
+It had taken him only a short time to
+adapt himself to the changes that the return
+of the daughter of the house had
+brought about. He had anticipated her
+arrival with the dread a nervous invalid
+always feels toward anything that may
+jolt him out of his habitual rut. He held
+a shuddering remembrance of her musical
+accomplishments, and foresaw with
+dread the noisy crowd of young people
+she might bring about the house.</p>
+
+<p>But Guinevere had slipped into her
+place, an absent-minded, dreamy, detached
+damsel, asserting nothing, claiming
+nothing, bending like a flower in the
+high winds of her mother&#8217;s wrath.</p>
+
+<p>Hinton watched the dominating influence
+nip every bud of individuality that
+the girl ventured to put forth, and he determined
+to interfere. During the long
+months he had spent with Mrs. Gusty
+he had discovered a way to manage her.
+The weak spot in her armor was pride
+of intellect; she acknowledged no man
+<a name="png.260" id="png.260"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">255</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>her superior. By the use of figurative
+language, and references to esoteric
+matters, he was always able to baffle and
+silence her. His joy in handling her in
+one of her tempers was similar to that
+of controlling a cat-boat in squally
+weather. Both experiences redounded
+to his masculine supremacy.</p>
+
+<p>One hot August day, he and Mrs.
+Gusty had just had an unusually sharp
+round, but he had succeeded, by alternate
+compliment and sarcasm, in reducing
+her to a very frustrated and baffled condition.</p>
+
+<p>It was Sunday, the day the Cove
+elected for a spiritual wash-day. In
+the morning the morals of the community
+were scrubbed and rinsed in the
+meeting-house, and in the afternoon they
+were hung out on the line to dry. The
+heads of the families sat in their front
+yards and dutifully tended the children,
+while their wives flitted from house to
+house, visiting the sick and the afflicted,
+and administering warnings to the delinquent.
+It was a day in which Mrs.
+<a name="png.261" id="png.261"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">256</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>Gusty&#8217;s soul reveled, and she demanded
+that Guinevere&#8217;s soul should revel likewise.</p>
+
+<p>It was with the determination that
+Guinevere should occasionally be allowed
+the privilege of following her own
+inclinations that Hinton hurled himself
+into the breach.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll go, Mother,&rdquo; said Guinevere;
+&ldquo;but it&#8217;s so hot. We went to see everybody
+last Sunday. I thought I&#8217;d rather
+stay home and read, if you didn&#8217;t
+mind.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Gusty tossed her head in disgust,
+and turned to Hinton.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Now, ain&#8217;t that a Gusty for you! I
+never saw one that didn&#8217;t want to set
+down to the job of living. Always
+moping around with their nose in a book.
+I never was a reader, never remember
+wasting a&#8217; hour on a book in my life, and
+yet I never saw the time that I wasn&#8217;t
+able to hold my own with any Gusty
+living.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In short,&rdquo; said Hinton, sympathetically,
+&ldquo;to quote a noted novelist, you
+<a name="png.262" id="png.262"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">257</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>have never considered it necessary to
+add the incident of learning to the accident
+of brains.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Gusty tied her bonnet-strings in
+a firmer knot as she looked at him uncertainly,
+then, not deigning to cast another
+glance in the direction of her daughter,
+who was disappearing up the stairs,
+swept out of the house.</p>
+
+<p>Hinton looked at his watch; it was not
+yet two o&#8217;clock. The afternoon threatened
+to be a foretaste of eternity. He
+went out on the porch and lay in the
+hammock, with his hands clasped across
+his eyes. He could no longer see to read
+or to write. The doctor said the darkness
+might close in now at any time,
+after that the experiment of an operation
+would be made, and there was one
+chance in a hundred for the partial
+restoration of the sight.</p>
+
+<p>Having beaten and bruised himself
+against the bars of Fate, he now lay exhausted
+and passive in the power of his
+jailer. He had tried to run his own life
+in his own way, and the matter had been
+<a name="png.263" id="png.263"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">258</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>taken out of his hands. He must lie still
+now and wait for orders from headquarters.
+The words of Mr. Opp, spoken in
+the low-ceiled, weird old dining-room,
+came vividly back to him: &ldquo;What the
+fight is concerning, or in what manner
+the general is a-aiming to bring it all correct
+in the end, ain&#8217;t, according to my
+conclusion, a particle of our business.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>And Hinton, after a year of rebellion
+and struggle and despair, had at last acknowledged
+a superior officer and declared
+himself ready to take whatever
+orders came.</p>
+
+<p>As he lay in the hammock he turned
+his head at every noise within the house,
+and listened. He had become amazingly
+dependent upon a soft, drawling voice
+which day after day read to him for
+hours at a time. At first he had met
+Guinevere&#8217;s offers of help with moody
+irritability.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Pray, don&#8217;t bother about me,&rdquo; he
+had said. &ldquo;I am quite able to look after
+myself; besides, I like to be alone.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But her unobtrusive sympathy and
+<a name="png.264" id="png.264"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">259</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>childish frankness soon conquered his
+pride. She read to him from books she
+did not understand, played games with
+him, and showed him new walks in the
+woods. And incidentally, she revealed
+to him her struggling, starving, wistful
+soul that no one else had ever discovered.</p>
+
+<p>She never talked to him of her love
+affair, but she dwelt vaguely on the
+virtues of duty and loyalty and self-sacrifice.
+The facts in the case were
+supplied by Mrs. Gusty.</p>
+
+<p>Hinton looked at his watch again, and
+groaned when he found it was only a
+quarter past two. Feeling his way cautiously
+along the porch and down the
+steps, he moved idly about the yard. He
+could not distinguish Menelaus from
+Paris now, and Helen of Troy was no
+longer to be recognized.</p>
+
+<p>At long intervals a vehicle rattled
+past, leaving a cloud of dust behind.
+The air shimmered with the heat, and
+the low, insistent buzzing of bees beat
+on his ears mercilessly. He wondered
+<a name="png.265" id="png.265"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">260</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>impatiently why Guinevere did not come
+down, then checked himself as he remembered
+the constant demands he
+made upon her time.</p>
+
+<p>At three o&#8217;clock he could stand it no
+longer. He felt a queer, dull sensation
+about his head, and he constantly drew
+his hand across his eyes to dispel the impression
+of a mist before them.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, Miss Guinevere!&rdquo; he called up
+to her window. &ldquo;Would you mind coming
+down just for a little while!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere&#8217;s head appeared so
+promptly that it was evident it had been
+lying on the window-sill.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is it time for your medicine?&rdquo; she
+asked guiltily. &ldquo;Mother said it didn&#8217;t
+come till four.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, no,&rdquo; said Hinton, with forced
+cheerfulness; &ldquo;it isn&#8217;t that. You remember
+the old song, don&#8217;t you, &lsquo;When
+a man&#8217;s afraid, a beautiful maid is a
+cheering sight to see&rsquo;?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She disappeared from the window,
+and in a moment joined him behind the
+screen of honeysuckles on the porch.
+<a name="png.266" id="png.266"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">261</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>The hammock hung, inviting ease, but
+neither of them took it. She sat primly
+on the straight-backed, green settee, and
+he sat on the step at her feet with his hat
+pulled over his eyes.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What an infernal nuisance I have
+been to you!&rdquo; he said ruefully; &ldquo;but no
+more than I have been to myself. The
+only difference was that I had to stand
+it, and you stood it out of the goodness
+of that kind little heart of yours. Well,
+it&#8217;s nearly over now; I&#8217;m expecting to
+go to the city any day. I guess you&#8217;ll
+not be sorry to get rid of me, will you,
+Miss Guinevere?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Instead of answering, she drew a quick
+breath and turned her head away.
+When she did speak, it was after a long
+pause.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I like the way you say my name.
+Nobody says it like that down here.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Guinevere?&rdquo; he repeated.</p>
+
+<p>She nodded. &ldquo;When you say it like
+that, I feel like I was another person.
+It makes me think of flowers, and poetry,
+and the wind in the trees, and all those
+<a name="png.267" id="png.267"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">262</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>things I&#8217;ve been reading you out of your
+books. Guin-never and Guinevere <em>don&#8217;t</em>
+seem the same at all, do they?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;They aren&#8217;t the same,&rdquo; he said,
+&ldquo;and you aren&#8217;t the same girl I met on
+the boat last March. I guess we&#8217;ve both
+grown a bit since then. You know I was
+rather keen on dying about that time,&mdash;&lsquo;in
+love with easeful death,&rsquo;&mdash;well, now
+I am not keen about anything, but I am
+willing to play the game out.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>They sat in silence for a while, then he
+said slowly, without raising his eyes: &ldquo;I
+am not much good at telling what I feel,
+but before I go away I want you to know
+how much you&#8217;ve helped me. You have
+been the one light that was left to show
+me the way down into the darkness.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">A soft touch on his shoulder made him
+lift his head. Guinevere was bending
+toward him, all restraint banished from
+her face by the compassion and love that
+suffused it.</p>
+
+<p class="illus pgbrk"><a name="png.268" id="png.268"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">263</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span><img src="images/illus268.jpg" width="450" height="712"
+ alt="" title="" /><br
+ />&ldquo;&lsquo;Oh, my God, it has come&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Instinctively he swayed toward her, all
+the need of her crying out suddenly
+within him, then he pulled himself
+<a name="png.270" id="png.270"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">265</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>sharply together, and, resolutely thrusting
+his hands in his pockets, rose and
+took a turn up and down the porch.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Do you mind reading to me a little?&rdquo;
+he asked at length. &ldquo;There are forty
+devils in my head to-day, all hammering
+on the back of my eyeballs. I&#8217;ll get my
+Tennyson; you like him better than you
+do the others. Wait; I&#8217;m going.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But she was up the steps before him,
+eager to serve, and determined to spare
+him every effort.</p>
+
+<p>Through the long afternoon Guinevere
+read, stumbling over the strange words
+and faltering through the difficult passages,
+but vibrant to the beauty and the
+pathos of it all. On and on she read, and
+the sun went down, and the fragrance of
+dying locust bloom came faintly from
+the hill, and overhead in the tree-tops
+the evening breeze murmured its world-old
+plaint of loneliness and longing.</p>
+
+<p>Suddenly Guinevere&#8217;s voice faltered,
+then steadied, then faltered again, then
+without warning she flung her arms
+across the back of the bench, and, dropping
+<a name="png.271" id="png.271"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">266</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>her head upon them, burst into passionate
+sobs.</p>
+
+<p>Hinton, who had been sitting for a
+long time with his hands pressed over
+his eyes, sprang up to go to her.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">&ldquo;Guinevere,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;what&#8217;s the
+matter? Don&#8217;t cry, dear!&rdquo; Then, as he
+stumbled, a look of terror crossed his
+face and he caught at the railing for
+support. &ldquo;Where are you?&rdquo; he asked
+sharply. &ldquo;Speak to me! Give me your
+hand! I can&#8217;t see&mdash;I can&#8217;t&mdash;oh, my
+God, it has come!&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.272" id="png.272"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">267</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>XV</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/t-initial.png"
+ alt="T" title="T" width="149" height="150" /><span>he</span> warning note sounded
+by Mrs. Fallows at the
+beginning of the oil
+boom was echoed by
+many before the summer
+was over. The coldest
+thing in the world is an exhausted enthusiasm,
+and when weeks slipped into
+months, and notes fell due, and the bank
+became cautious about lending money, a
+spirit of distrust got abroad, and a financial
+frost settled upon the community.</p>
+
+<p>Notwithstanding these conditions,
+&ldquo;The Opp Eagle&rdquo; persistently screamed
+prosperity. It attributed the local depression
+to the financial disturbance that
+had agitated the country at large, and
+assured the readers that the Cove was
+on the eve of the greatest period in its
+history.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.273" id="png.273"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">268</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;The ascending, soaring bubble of inflated
+prices cannot last much longer,&rdquo;
+one editorial said; &ldquo;the financial flurry
+in the Wall Streets of the North were
+pretty well over before we become aware
+of it, in a major sense. &lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo;
+has in the past, present, and future
+waged noble warfare against the calamity
+jays. Panic or no panic, Cove City
+refuses to remain in the backgrounds.
+There has been a large order for job-work
+in this office within the past ten
+days, also several new and important
+subscribers, all of which does not make
+much of a showing for hard times, at
+least not from our point of looking at
+it.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But in the same issue, in an inconspicuous
+corner, were a couple of lines
+to the effect that &ldquo;the editor would be
+glad to take a load of wood on subscription.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The truth was that it required all of
+Mr. Opp&#8217;s diplomacy to rise to the
+occasion. The effort to meet his own
+obligations was becoming daily more
+<a name="png.274" id="png.274"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">269</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>embarrassing, and he was reduced to
+economies entirely beneath the dignity
+of the editor of &ldquo;The Opp Eagle.&rdquo; But
+while he cheerfully restricted his diet to
+two meals a day, and wore shirt-fronts
+in lieu of the genuine article, he was,
+according to Nick&#8217;s ideas, rashly extravagant
+in other ways.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What did you go and buy Widow
+Green&#8217;s oil-shares back for?&rdquo; Nick demanded
+upon one of these occasions.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, you see,&rdquo; explained Mr. Opp,
+&ldquo;it was purely a business proposition.
+Any day, now, things may open up in a
+way that will surprise you. I have good
+reason to believe that those shares are
+bound to go up; and besides,&rdquo; he added
+lamely in an undertone, &ldquo;I happen to
+know that that there lady was in immediate
+need of a little ready money.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;So are we,&rdquo; protested Nick; &ldquo;we
+need every cent we can get for the paper.
+If we don&#8217;t get ahead some by the first
+of the year, we are going under, sure as
+you live.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp laid a hand upon his shoulder
+<a name="png.275" id="png.275"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">270</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>and smiled tolerantly. &ldquo;Financiers get
+used to these fluctuations in money circles.
+Don&#8217;t you worry, Nick; you leave
+that to the larger brains in the concern.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But in spite of his superior attitude of
+confidence, Nick&#8217;s words rankled in his
+mind, and the first of the year became a
+time which he preferred not to consider.</p>
+
+<p>One day in September the mail-packet
+brought two letters of great importance
+to Mr. Opp. One was from Willard
+Hinton, the first since his operation, and
+the other was from Mr. Mathews, stating
+that he would arrive at the Cove that day
+to lay an important matter of business
+before the stock-holders of the Turtle
+Creek Land Company.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp rushed across the road, a letter
+in each hand, to share the news with
+Guinevere.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s as good as settled,&rdquo; he cried,
+bursting in upon her, where she sat at
+the side door wrestling with a bit of
+needlework. &ldquo;Mr. Mathews will be here
+to-day. He is either going to open up
+work or sell out to a syndicate. I&#8217;m
+<a name="png.276" id="png.276"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">271</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>going to use all my influence for the latter;
+it&#8217;s the surest and safest plan.
+Miss Guin-never,&rdquo;&mdash;his voice softened,&mdash;
+&ldquo;this is all I been waiting for to make
+my last and final arrangement with your
+mother. It was just yesterday she was
+asking me what I&#8217;d decided to do, and I
+don&#8217;t mind telling you, now it&#8217;s all over,
+I never went to bed all last night&mdash;just
+sat up trying to figure it out. But this
+will settle it. I&#8217;ll be in a position to
+have a little home of my own and take
+care of Kippy, too. I don&#8217;t know as I
+ever was so happy in all my life put
+together before.&rdquo; He laughed nervously,
+but his eyes anxiously studied her
+averted face.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then there&#8217;s more news,&rdquo; he
+plunged on, when she did not speak&mdash;&ldquo;a
+letter from Mr. Hinton. I thought
+maybe you&#8217;d like to hear what he had
+to say.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Guinevere&#8217;s scissors dropped with a
+sharp ring on the stepping-stone below,
+and as they both stooped to get them,
+their fingers touched. Mr. Opp ardently
+<a name="png.277" id="png.277"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">272</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>seized her hand in both of his, but unfortunately
+he seized her needle as well.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Oh, I am so sorry!&rdquo; she said.
+&ldquo;Wait, let me do it,&rdquo; and with a compassion
+which he considered nothing short
+of divine she extricated the needle, and
+comforted the wounded member. Mr.
+Opp would have gladly suffered the fate
+of a St. Sebastian to have elicited such
+sympathy.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Is&mdash;is Mr. Hinton better?&rdquo; she
+asked, still bending over his hand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hinton?&rdquo; asked Mr. Opp. &ldquo;Oh, I
+forgot; yes. I&#8217;ll read you what he says.
+He got his nurse to write this for him.</p>
+
+<div class="quote">
+<p class="noindent"><span class="smc">Dear Opp</span>: The die is cast; I am a has-been.
+I did not expect anything, so I am not disappointed.
+The operation was what they called
+successful. The surgeon, I am told, did a
+very brilliant stunt; something like taking
+my eyes out, playing marbles with them, and
+getting them sewed back again all in three
+minutes and a half. The result to the patient
+is of course purely a minor consideration,
+but it may interest you to know that I
+can tell a biped from a quadruped, and may
+<a name="png.278" id="png.278"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">273</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>in time, by the aid of powerful glasses, be
+able to distinguish faces.</p>
+
+<p>With these useful and varied accomplishments
+I have decided to return to the Cove.
+My modest ambition now is to get out of the
+way, and the safest plan is to keep out of the
+current.</p>
+
+<p>You will probably be a Benedick by the
+time I return. My heartiest congratulations
+to you and Miss Guinevere. Words cannot
+thank either of you for what you have done
+for me. All I can say is that I have tried to
+be worthy of your friendship.</p>
+
+<p>What&#8217;s left of me is</p>
+
+<p class="yours">Yours,</p>
+
+<p class="sign"><span class="smc">Willard <ins class="TNsilent" title="Transcriber's note:
+ original lacks closing quote">Hinton.</ins></span>&rdquo;</p>
+
+</div>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp avoided looking at her as he
+folded the sheets and put them back in
+the envelop. The goal was bright before
+his eyes, but quicksands dragged at his
+feet.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And he <em>will</em> find us married, won&#8217;t
+he, Miss Guin-never? You&#8217;ll be ready
+just as soon as I and your mother come
+to a understanding, won&#8217;t you? Why,
+it seems more like eleven years than
+<a name="png.279" id="png.279"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">274</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>eleven months since you and me saw that
+sunset on the river! There hasn&#8217;t been
+a day since, you might say, that hasn&#8217;t
+been occupied with you. All I ask for
+in the world is just the chance for the
+rest of my life of trying to make you
+happy. You believe that, don&#8217;t you,
+Miss Guin-never?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; she said miserably, gazing out
+at the little arbor Hinton had made for
+her beneath the trees.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, I&#8217;ll stop by this evening after
+the meeting, if it ain&#8217;t too late,&rdquo; said
+Mr. Opp. &ldquo;You&#8217;ll&mdash;you&#8217;ll be&mdash;glad
+if everything culminates satisfactory,
+won&#8217;t you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;m glad of everything good that
+comes to you,&rdquo; said Guinevere so earnestly
+that Mr. Opp, who had lived on
+a diet of crumbs all his life, looked at
+her gratefully, and went back to the office
+assuring himself that all would be well.</p>
+
+<p>The visit of Mr. Mathews, while
+eagerly anticipated, could not have fallen
+on a less auspicious day. Aunt Tish, the
+arbiter of the Opp household, had been
+<a name="png.280" id="png.280"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">275</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>planning for weeks to make a visit to
+Coreyville, and the occasion of an opportune
+funeral furnished an immediate excuse.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No, <em>sir</em>, Mr. D., I can&#8217;t put hit off till
+to-morrow,&rdquo; she declared in answer to
+Mr. Opp&#8217;s request that she stay with
+Miss Kippy until after the stock-holders&#8217;
+meeting. &ldquo;I&#8217;s &#8217;bleeged to go on dat
+night boat. De funeral teks place at ten
+o&#8217;clock in de mawnin&#8217;, an&#8217; I&#8217;s gwine be
+dar ef I has to swim de ribber.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Was he a particular friend, the one
+that died?&rdquo; asked Mr. Opp.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Friend? Bunk Bivens? Dat onery,
+good-fer-nothin&#8217; ole half-strainer? Naw,
+sir; he ain&#8217;t no friend ob mine.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, what makes you so pressing
+and particular about attending his
+funeral?&rdquo; asked Mr. Opp.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;&#8217;Ca&#8217;se I &#8217;spise him so. I been hating
+dat nigger fer pretty nigh forty year,
+an&#8217; I ain&#8217;t gwine lose dis chanst ob seein&#8217;
+him buried.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But, Aunt Tish,&rdquo; persisted Mr. Opp,
+impatiently, &ldquo;I&#8217;ve got a very important
+<a name="png.281" id="png.281"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">276</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>and critical meeting this afternoon. The
+business under consideration may be
+wound up in the matter of a few minutes,
+and then, again, it may prolong
+itself into several consecutive hours.
+You&#8217;ll have to stay with Kippy till I get
+home.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The old woman looked at him
+strangely. &ldquo;See dis heah hole in my
+haid, honey? &#8217;Member how you and Ben
+uster ast Aunt Tish what mek hit? Dat
+nigger Bunk Bivens mek hit. He was a
+roustabout on de ribber, an&#8217; him an&#8217; yer
+paw fell out, an&#8217; one night when you was
+a baby he follow yer paw up here, an&#8217; me
+an&#8217; him had hit out.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But where was my father?&rdquo; asked
+Mr. Opp.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Dey was &#8217;sputin&#8217; right heah in dis
+heah kitchen where we&#8217;s standin&#8217; at, an&#8217;
+dat mean, bow-laigged nigger didn&#8217;t
+have no better manners den to &#8217;spute wif
+a gentleman dat was full. An&#8217; pore Miss
+she run in so skeered an&#8217; white an&#8217; she
+say, &lsquo;Aunt Tish, don&#8217;t let him hurt him;
+he don&#8217;t know what he&#8217;s sayin&#8217;,&rsquo; she
+<a name="png.282" id="png.282"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">277</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>baig, an&#8217; I tell her to keep yer paw outen
+de way an&#8217; I tek keer ob Bunk.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;And did he fight you?&rdquo; asked Mr.
+Opp, indignantly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Naw, sir; I fit him. We put nigh
+tore up de floor ob de kitchen. Den he
+bust my haid open wif de poker, an&#8217;
+looks lak I been losing my knowledge
+ever sence. From dat day I &#8217;low I&#8217;s
+gwine to git even if it took me till I died,
+an&#8217; now dat spiteful old devil done died
+fust. But I&#8217;s gwine see him buried. I
+want to see &#8217;em nail him up in a box and
+th&#8217;ow dirt on him.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Aunt Tish ended the recital in a sing-song
+chant, worked up to a state of hysteria
+by the recital of her ancient wrong.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp sighed both for the past and
+the present. He saw the futility of arguing
+the case.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, you&#8217;ll stay until the boat whistles?&rdquo;
+he asked. &ldquo;Sometimes it is two
+hours late.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yas, sir; but when dat whistle toots
+I&#8217;s gwine. Ef you is heah, all right; ef
+you ain&#8217;t, all right: I&#8217;s <em>gwine</em>!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.283" id="png.283"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">278</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>As Mr. Opp passed through the hall he
+saw Miss Kippy slip ahead of him and
+conceal herself behind the door. She
+carried something hidden in her apron.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Have you learned your reading lesson
+to say to brother D. to-night?&rdquo; he
+asked, ignoring her behavior. &ldquo;You are
+getting so smart, learning to read handwriting
+just as good as I can!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Miss Kippy only peeped at him
+through the crack in the door and refused
+to be friendly. For several days
+she had been furtive and depressed, and
+had not spoken to either Aunt Tish or
+himself.</p>
+
+<p>On the way to his office Mr. Opp was
+surprised to see Mr. Gallop leaning out
+of the window of his little room beckoning
+frantically. It was evident that Mr.
+Gallop had a secret to divulge, and Mr.
+Gallop with a secret was as excited as a
+small bird with a large worm.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Just come in a minute and sit down,&rdquo;
+he fluttered; &ldquo;you&#8217;ll have to excuse the
+looks of things. Having just this one
+<a name="png.284" id="png.284"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">279</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>room for telegraph office and bedroom
+and everything crowds me up awful.
+I&#8217;ve been trying to fix my lunch for half
+an hour, but the telephone just keeps me
+busy. Then, besides, Mr. Mathews was
+here; he came down on the launch at
+twelve o&#8217;clock. Now, of course I know it
+ain&#8217;t right to repeat anything I hear over
+the long-distance wire, but being such a
+good friend of yours, and you being such
+a friend of mine&mdash;why, Mr. Opp there
+ain&#8217;t anybody in the world I owe more to
+than I do to you, not only the money
+you&#8217;ve lent me from time to time, but
+your standing up for me when everybody
+was down on me&mdash;and&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes; but you was remarking about
+Mr. Mathews?&rdquo; Mr. Opp interrupted.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes; and I was saying I never make
+a practice of repeating what I hear, but
+he was talking right here in the room,
+and I was mixing up a little salad dressing
+I promised Mrs. Fallows for the
+social,&mdash;it&#8217;s to be over at Your Hotel
+this evening&mdash;there&#8217;s the telephone!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.285" id="png.285"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">280</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Mr. Opp sat on the edge of the sofa,
+the rest of it being occupied with gaily
+embroidered sofa pillows, specimens, the
+town declared, of Mr. Gallop&#8217;s own
+handiwork. In fact, the only unoccupied
+space in the room was on the ceiling, for
+between his duties as operator and
+housekeeper Mr. Gallop still found time
+to cultivate the arts, and the result of his
+efforts was manifest in every nook and
+corner.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It was Mrs. Gusty getting after Mr.
+Toddlinger for sending vanilla extract
+instead of lemon,&rdquo; explained Mr. Gallop,
+who had stopped to hear the discussion.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Well, as I was saying, Mr. Mathews
+called up somebody in the city almost as
+soon as he got here&mdash;Now you&#8217;ve got to
+promise me you won&#8217;t tell a living soul
+about this.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp promised.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He said to telegraph New York
+party that terms were agreed on, and to
+mail check at once to Clark, and tell him
+to keep his mouth shut. Then the other
+end said something, and Mr. Mathews
+<a name="png.286" id="png.286"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">281</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>said: &lsquo;We can&#8217;t afford to wait. You
+telegraph at once; I&#8217;ll manipulate the
+crowd down here.&rsquo; They talked a lot
+more, then he said awful low, but I heard
+him: &lsquo;Well, damn it! they&#8217;ve got to.
+There&#8217;s too much at stake.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The editor sat with his hat in his hand,
+and blinked at the operator: &ldquo;Manipulate,&rdquo;
+he said in a puzzled tone, &ldquo;did he
+use that particular word?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Gallop nodded.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He may have been referring to something
+else,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, waiving aside
+any disagreeable suspicion. &ldquo;Mr. Mathews
+is a business gentleman. He&#8217;s
+involved in a great many ventures,
+something like myself. You wouldn&#8217;t
+think from what you heard that&mdash;er&mdash;that
+he was contemplating not acting exactly&mdash;fair
+with us, would you?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Gallop, having delivered himself
+of his information, did not feel called
+upon to express a personal opinion.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If you ever say I told you a word of
+this, I&#8217;ll swear I didn&#8217;t,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It
+was just because you were such a good
+<a name="png.287" id="png.287"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">282</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>friend, and&mdash;there&#8217;s that &#8217;phone
+again!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>During the early hours of the afternoon,
+Mr. Opp was oppressed with a
+vague uneasiness. He made several attempts
+to see Mr. Mathews, but that
+gentleman was closeted with his stenographer
+until five o&#8217;clock, the hour named
+for the meeting.</p>
+
+<p>All feeling of distrust was banished,
+however, when Mr. Mathews made his
+way through the crowd of stock-holders
+that filled the office of Your Hotel, and
+took his stand by the desk. He was so
+bland and confident, so satisfied with
+himself and the world and the situation,
+that, as Jimmy Fallows remarked, &ldquo;You
+kinder looked for him to purr when he
+wasn&#8217;t talking.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He set forth at great length the undoubted
+oil wealth of the region, he complimented
+them on their sagacity and
+foresight in buying up the Turtle Creek
+ground, he praised the Cove in general
+and that distinguished citizen, the editor
+of &ldquo;The Opp Eagle,&rdquo; in particular. The
+<a name="png.288" id="png.288"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">283</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>enterprise upon which they had embarked,
+he said, had grown to such proportions
+that large capital was required
+to carry it on. Owing to the recent depression
+in the money market, the Kentucky
+company did not feel able properly
+to back the concern, so it had been agreed
+that if a good offer was made to buy it,
+it should be accepted. It was with such
+an offer, Mr. Mathews said, that he had
+come to them to-day.</p>
+
+<p>A stir of excitement met this announcement,
+and Miss Jim Fenton waved
+her lace scarf in her enthusiasm.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Some time ago,&rdquo; went on Mr. Mathews,
+graciously acknowledging the applause,
+&ldquo;the Union Syndicate of New
+York sent an expert, Mr. Clark, down
+here to report on the oil conditions in
+this region.&rdquo; Mr. Opp&#8217;s eyes became
+fixed on Mr. Mathews&#8217;s face, and his lips
+parted. &ldquo;The report was so entirely
+satisfactory,&rdquo; continued Mr. Mathews,
+&ldquo;that the following offer has been
+made.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp rose immediately. &ldquo;Excuse
+<a name="png.289" id="png.289"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">284</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>me, sir, there is&mdash;er&mdash;rather, there must
+be some little mistake just at this juncture.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>All eyes were turned upon him, and a
+murmur of dissent arose at an interruption
+at such a critical point.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Mathews gave him permission to
+proceed.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You see&mdash;I&mdash;Mr. Clark, that is,&rdquo;&mdash;Mr.
+Opp&#8217;s fingers were working nervously
+on the back of the chair before
+him,&mdash;&ldquo;him and myself went over the
+ground together, and&mdash;I&mdash;well, I must
+say I don&#8217;t consider him a competent
+judge.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Mathews smiled. &ldquo;I am afraid,
+Mr. Opp, that your opinion is overruled.
+Mr. Clark is a recognized authority, although,&rdquo;
+he added significantly, &ldquo;of
+course the most expert make mistakes at
+times.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That ain&#8217;t the point,&rdquo; persisted Mr.
+Opp; &ldquo;it&#8217;s the conflicting difference in
+what he said to me, and what he&#8217;s reported
+to them. He told me that he
+didn&#8217;t consider our prospects was worth
+<a name="png.290" id="png.290"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">285</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>a picayune, and if the wells were drilled,
+they probably wouldn&#8217;t run a year. I
+didn&#8217;t believe him then; but you say
+now that he is a expert and that he
+knows.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Mathews&#8217;s tolerance seemed limitless.
+He waited patiently for Mr. Opp
+to finish, then he said smoothly:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes, yes; I understand your point
+perfectly, Mr. Opp. Mr. Clark&#8217;s remarks
+were injudicious, but he was looking
+at all sides of the question. He saw
+me after he saw you, you know, and I
+was able to direct his attention to the
+more favorable aspects of the case. His
+report was entirely favorable, and I
+guess that is all that concerns us, isn&#8217;t
+it?&rdquo; He embraced the room with his
+smile.</p>
+
+<p>During the next quarter of an hour
+Mr. Opp sat with his arms folded and
+his eyes bent on the floor and bit his lips
+furiously. Something was wrong. Again
+and again he fought his way back to this
+conclusion through the enveloping mazes
+of Mr. Mathews&#8217;s plausibility. Why
+<a name="png.291" id="png.291"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">286</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>had they waited so long after drilling
+that first well? Why, after making elaborate
+plans and buying machinery, had
+they suddenly decided to sell? Why had
+Mr. Clark given such contradictory opinions?
+What did Mr. Mathews mean by
+that message from Mr. Gallop&#8217;s office?
+Mr. Opp&#8217;s private affairs, trembling in
+the balance, were entirely lost sight of
+in his determination for fair play.</p>
+
+<p>Covering his eyes with his hand, and
+trying not to hear the flood of argument
+which Mr. Mathews was bringing to
+bear upon his already convinced audience,
+Mr. Opp attempted to recall all that
+Mr. Gallop had told him.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;He said &lsquo;manipulate,&rsquo;&rdquo; repeated
+Mr. Opp to himself. &ldquo;I remember that,
+and he said &lsquo;telegraph New York party
+that terms were agreed on.&rsquo; Then he
+said &lsquo;mail check to Clark; tell him to
+keep his mouth shut.&rsquo; What&#8217;s <em>he</em> paying
+Clark for? Why&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The motion before the house,&rdquo; Mr.
+Tucker&#8217;s piping voice broke in upon his
+agitated reasoning, &ldquo;is whether the
+<a name="png.292" id="png.292"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">287</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>stock-holders of the Turtle Creek Land
+Company is willing to sell out at a rate
+of seven to one to the Union Syndicate.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In the buzz of delight that ensued, Mr.
+Opp found himself standing on a chair
+and demanding attention.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Listen here,&rdquo; he cried, pounding on
+the wall with his hand, &ldquo;I&#8217;ve got important
+information that&#8217;s got to be told:
+that man Clark is a rascal. He&#8217;s&mdash;he&#8217;s
+deceiving his company. He&#8217;s been paid
+to make a good report of our ground. I
+can&#8217;t prove it, but I know it. We&#8217;re
+taking part in a fraud; we&#8217;re&mdash;we&#8217;re
+being manipulated.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp almost shrieked the last word
+in his agony of earnestness; but before
+the crowd could fully apprehend his
+meaning, Mr. Mathews rose and said
+somewhat sharply:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;What the representative of the
+Union Syndicate is, or is not, doesn&#8217;t
+concern us in the least. I come to you
+with a gilt-edged proposition; all I ask
+you is to sit tight, and take my advice,
+and I guarantee you an immediate
+<a name="png.293" id="png.293"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">288</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>return of seven dollars to every one you
+put into this concern. Mr. Chairman,
+will you put it to the vote?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Mr. Opp again stopped proceedings.
+&ldquo;As a director in this company I
+won&#8217;t stand for what&#8217;s going on. I&#8217;ll
+telegraph the syndicate. I&#8217;ll advertise
+the whole matter!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mat Lucas pulled at his sleeve, and the
+preacher put a restraining arm about his
+shoulder. The amazing rumor had become
+current that the Cove&#8217;s stanchest
+advocate for temperance had been indulging
+in drink, and there was nothing
+in the editor&#8217;s flushed face and excited
+manner to contradict the impression.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;If by any chance,&rdquo; Mr. Mathews
+went on in a steady voice, &ldquo;there should
+be a stock-holder who is unwilling to take
+advantage of this magnificent offer, we
+need hardly say that we are prepared to
+buy his stock back at the amount he gave
+for it.&rdquo; He smiled, as if inviting ridicule
+at the absurdity of the proposition.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am unwilling,&rdquo; cried Mr. Opp,
+<a name="png.294" id="png.294"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">289</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>tugging at the restraining hands. &ldquo;I have
+never yet in all the length and breadth
+of my experience been associated with a
+dishonest act.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Don&#8217;t! Mr. Opp, don&#8217;t!&rdquo; whispered
+Mat Lucas. &ldquo;You&#8217;re acting like a crazy
+man. Don&#8217;t you see you are losing the
+chance to make three thousand dollars?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That hasn&#8217;t nothing to do with it,&rdquo;
+cried Mr. Opp, almost beside himself.
+&ldquo;I&#8217;ll not be a party to the sale. I&#8217;ll&mdash;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Mathews turned to his secretary.
+&ldquo;Just fix up those papers for Mr. Opp,
+and give him a check for what is coming
+to him. Now, Mr. Chairman, will you
+put the matter to the vote?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Amid the hilarious confusion that succeeded
+the unanimous vote, and the subsequent
+adjournment of the meeting, Mr.
+Opp pushed his way through the crowd
+that surrounded Mr. Mathews.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You know what I was alluding at,&rdquo;
+he shouted through his chattering teeth.
+&ldquo;You&#8217;ve carried this through, but I&#8217;ll
+blockade you. I am going to tell the
+truth to the whole community. I am
+<a name="png.295" id="png.295"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">290</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>going to telegraph to the syndicate and
+stop the sale.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Mathews lifted his brows and
+smiled deprecatingly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I am sorry you have worked yourself
+up to such a pitch, my friend,&rdquo; he said.
+&ldquo;Telegraph, by all means if it will ease
+your mind; but the fact is, the deal was
+closed at noon to-day.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">The long, low whistle of the packet
+sounded, but Mr. Opp heeded it not. He
+was flinging his way across to the telegraph
+office in a frenzy of Quixotic impatience
+to right the wrong of which he
+had refused to be a part.</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.296" id="png.296"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">291</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>XVI</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/h-initial.png"
+ alt="H" title="H" width="151" height="150" /><span>alf</span> an hour later, Mr. Opp
+dragged himself up the
+hill to his home. All the
+unfairness and injustice
+of the universe seemed
+pressing upon his heart.
+Every muscle in his body quivered in remembrance
+of what he had been through,
+and an iron band seemed tightening
+about his throat. His town had refused
+to believe his story! It had laughed in
+his face!</p>
+
+<p>With a sudden mad desire for sympathy
+and for love, he began calling
+Kippy. He stumbled across the porch,
+and, opening the door with his latch-key,
+stood peering into the gloom of the room.</p>
+
+<p>The draft from an open window blew
+a curtain toward him, a white spectral,
+<a name="png.297" id="png.297"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">292</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>beckoning thing, but no sound broke the
+stillness.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Kippy!&rdquo; he called again, his voice
+sharp with anxiety.</p>
+
+<p>From one room to another he ran,
+searching in nooks and corners, peering
+under the beds and behind the doors,
+calling in a voice that was sometimes a
+command, but oftener a plea: &ldquo;Kippy!
+Kippy!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At last he came back to the dining-room
+and lighted the lamp with shaking
+hands. On the hearth were the remains
+of a small bonfire, with papers scattered
+about. He dropped on his knees and
+seized a bit of charred cardboard. It
+was a corner of the hand-painted frame
+that had incased the picture of Guinevere
+Gusty! Near it lay loose sheets of
+paper, parts of that treasured package
+of letters she had written him from
+Coreyville.</p>
+
+<p>As Mr. Opp gazed helplessly about the
+room, his eyes fell upon something white
+pinned to the red table-cloth. He held it
+to the light. It was a portion of one of
+<a name="png.298" id="png.298"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">293</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>Guinevere&#8217;s letters, written in the girl&#8217;s
+clear, round hand:</p>
+
+<div class="quote">
+<p>Mother says I can never marry you until
+Miss Kippy goes to the asylum.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp got to his feet. &ldquo;She&#8217;s read
+the letter,&rdquo; he cried wildly; &ldquo;she&#8217;s
+learned out about herself! Maybe she&#8217;s
+in the woods now, or down on the bank!&rdquo;
+He rushed to the porch. &ldquo;Kippy!&rdquo; he
+shouted. &ldquo;Don&#8217;t be afraid! Brother D.&#8217;s
+coming to get you! Don&#8217;t run away,
+Kippy! Wait for me! Wait!&rdquo; and
+leaving the old house open to the night,
+he plunged into the darkness, beating
+through the woods and up and down the
+road, calling in vain for Kippy, who lay
+cowering in the bottom of a leaking skiff
+that was drifting down the river at the
+mercy of the current.</p>
+
+<p class="tb">Two days later, Mr. Opp sat in the office
+of the Coreyville Asylum for the Insane
+and heard the story of his sister&#8217;s wanderings.
+Her boat had evidently been
+<a name="png.299" id="png.299"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">294</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>washed ashore at a point fifteen miles
+above the town, for people living along
+the river had reported a strange little
+woman, without hat or coat, who came to
+their doors crying and saying her name
+was &ldquo;Oxety,&rdquo; and that she was crazy,
+and begging them to show her the way
+to the asylum. On the second day she
+had been found unconscious on the steps
+of the institution, and since then, the
+doctor said, she had been wild and unmanageable.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Considering all things,&rdquo; he concluded,
+&ldquo;it is much wiser for you not to
+see her. She came of her own accord,
+evidently felt the attack coming on, and
+wanted to be taken care of.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He was a large, smooth-faced man,
+with the conciliatory manner of one who
+regards all his fellow-men as patients in
+varying degrees of insanity.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But I&#8217;m in the regular habit of taking
+care of her,&rdquo; protested Mr. Opp.
+&ldquo;This is just a temporary excitement
+for the time being that won&#8217;t ever, probably,
+occur again. Why, she&#8217;s been
+<a name="png.300" id="png.300"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">295</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>improving all winter; I&#8217;ve learnt her to
+read and write a little, and to pick out
+a number of cities on the geographical
+atlas.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All wrong,&rdquo; exclaimed the doctor;
+&ldquo;mistaken kindness. She can never be
+any better, but she may be a great deal
+worse. Her mind should never be stimulated
+or excited in any way. Here, of
+course, we understand all these things
+and treat the patient accordingly.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Then I must just go back to treating
+her like a child again?&rdquo; asked Mr. Opp,
+&ldquo;not endeavoring to improve her intellect,
+or help her grow up in any way?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>The doctor laid a kindly hand on his
+shoulder.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You leave her to us,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;The
+State provides this excellent institution
+for just such cases as hers. You do
+yourself and your family, if you have
+one, an injustice by keeping her at home.
+Let her stay here for six months or so,
+and you will see what a relief it will be.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp sat with his elbow on the
+desk and his head propped in his hand,
+<a name="png.301" id="png.301"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">296</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>and stared miserably at the floor. He
+had not had his clothes off for two
+nights, and he had scarcely taken time
+from his search to eat anything. His
+face looked old and wizened and haunted
+from the strain. Yet here and now he
+was called upon to make his great decision.
+On the one hand lay the old, helpless
+life with Kippy, and on the other a
+future of dazzling possibility with Guinevere.
+All of his submerged self suddenly
+rose and demanded happiness. He
+was ready to snatch it, at any cost, regardless
+of everything and everybody&mdash;of
+Kippy; of Guinevere, who, he knew,
+did not love him, but would keep her
+promise; of Hinton, whose secret he had
+long ago guessed. And, as a running
+accompaniment to his thoughts, was the
+quiet, professional voice of the doctor
+urging him to the course that his heart
+prompted. For a moment the personal
+forces involved trembled in equilibrium.</p>
+
+<p>After a long time he unknotted his fingers,
+and drew his handkerchief across
+his brow.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.302" id="png.302"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">297</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;I guess I&#8217;ll go up and see her now,&rdquo;
+he said, with the gasping breath of a man
+who has been under water.</p>
+
+<p>In vain the doctor protested. Mr.
+Opp was determined.</p>
+
+<p>As the door to the long ward was being
+unlocked, he leaned for a moment
+dizzily against the wall.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You&#8217;d better let me give you a swallow
+of whisky,&rdquo; suggested the doctor,
+who had noted his exhaustion.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp raised his hand deprecatingly,
+with a touch of his old professional
+pride. &ldquo;I don&#8217;t know as I&#8217;ve had
+occasion to mention,&rdquo; he said, &ldquo;that I
+am the editor and sole proprietor of &lsquo;The
+Opp Eagle&rsquo;; and that bird,&rdquo; he added,
+with a forced smile, &ldquo;is, as everybody
+knows, a complete teetotaler.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>At the end of the crowded ward, with
+her face to the wall, was a slight, familiar
+figure. Mr. Opp started forward; then
+he turned fiercely upon the attendant.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Her hands are <ins class="TNsilent" title="Transcriber's note:
+ original reads 'tired'">tied</ins>! Who dared to
+tie her up like that?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;It&#8217;s just a soft handkerchief,&rdquo;
+<a name="png.303" id="png.303"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">298</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>replied the matronly woman, reassuringly.
+&ldquo;We were afraid she would pull her hair
+out. She wants its fixed a certain way;
+but she&#8217;s afraid for any of us to touch
+her. She has been crying about it ever
+since she came.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>In an instant Mr. Opp was on his
+knees beside her. &ldquo;Kippy, Kippy darling,
+here&#8217;s brother D.; he&#8217;ll fix it for
+you! You want it parted on the side,
+don&#8217;t you, tied with a bow, and all the
+rest hanging down? Don&#8217;t cry so,
+Kippy. I&#8217;m here now; brother D.&#8217;ll
+take care of you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She flung her loosened arms around
+him and clung to him in a passion of relief.
+Her sobs shook them both, and his
+face and neck were wet with her tears.</p>
+
+<p>As soon as they could get her sufficiently
+quiet, they took her into her little
+bedroom.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You let the lady get you ready,&rdquo;
+urged Mr. Opp, still holding her hand,
+&ldquo;and I&#8217;ll take you back home, and Aunt
+Tish will have a nice, hot supper all waiting
+for us.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.304" id="png.304"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">299</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>But she would let nobody else touch
+her, and even then she broke forth into
+piteous sobs and protests. Once she
+pushed him from her and looked about
+wildly. &ldquo;No, no,&rdquo; she cried, &ldquo;I mustn&#8217;t
+go; I am crazy!&rdquo; But he told her about
+the three little kittens that had been born
+under the kitchen steps, and in an instant
+she was all a-tremble with eagerness to
+go home to see them.</p>
+
+<p>An hour later, Mr. Opp and his charge
+sat on the river-bank and waited for the
+little launch that was to take them back
+to the Cove. A curious crowd had gathered
+at a short distance, for their story
+had gone the rounds.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp sat under the fire of curious
+glances, gazing straight in front of him,
+and only his flushed face showed what he
+was suffering. Miss Kippy, in her
+strange clothes and with her pale hair
+flying about her shoulders, sat close by
+him, her hand in his.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;D.,&rdquo; she said once in a high, insistent
+voice, &ldquo;when will I be grown up
+enough to marry Mr. Hinton?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.305" id="png.305"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">300</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Mr. Opp for a moment forgot the
+crowd. &ldquo;Kippy,&rdquo; he said with all the
+gentle earnestness that was in him, &ldquo;you
+ain&#8217;t never going to grow up at all. You
+are just always going to be brother D.&#8217;s
+little girl. You see, Mr. Hinton&#8217;s too
+old for you, just like&mdash;&rdquo; he paused, then
+finished it bravely&mdash;&ldquo;just like I am too
+old for Miss Guin-never. I wouldn&#8217;t be
+surprised if they got married with each
+other some day. You and me will just
+have to take care of each other.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>She looked at him with the quick suspicion
+of the insane, but he was ready for
+her with a smile.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">&ldquo;Oh, D.,&rdquo; she cried, in a sudden rapture,
+&ldquo;we are glad, ain&#8217;t we?&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.306" id="png.306"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">301</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>XVII</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/f-initial.png"
+ alt="F" title="F" width="157" height="150" /><span>or</span> the next four weeks
+there was no issue of
+&ldquo;The Opp Eagle.&rdquo; When
+it did make its appearance,
+it contained the
+following editorial:</p>
+
+<div class="quote">
+<p>Ye editor has for several weeks been the
+victim of the La Grip which eventuated into a
+rising in our left ear. Although we are still
+in severe and continuous pain, we know that
+behind the clouds of suffering the blue sky of
+health is still shining, and that a brighter day
+is coming, as it were.</p>
+</div>
+
+<p>The night of Mr. Opp&#8217;s return from
+Coreyville, he had written a long letter
+to Guinevere Gusty telling her of his
+final decision in regard to Kippy, and
+releasing her from her promise. This
+having been accomplished, he ceased to
+<a name="png.307" id="png.307"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">302</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>fight against the cold and exhaustion,
+and went to bed with a hard chill.</p>
+
+<p>Aunt Tish, all contrition for the disasters
+she thought she had brought upon
+the household, served him night and day,
+and even Miss Kippy, moved by the unusual
+sight of her brother in bed, made
+futile efforts to assist in the nursing.</p>
+
+<p>When at last he was able to crawl back
+to the office, he found startling changes
+had taken place in the Cove. The
+prompt payment of the oil stock-holders
+by the Union Syndicate had brought
+about such a condition of prosperity and
+general satisfaction as had never before
+been known. The civic spirit planted
+and carefully nourished by &ldquo;The Opp
+Eagle&rdquo; burst into bloom under this sudden
+and unexpected warmth. Committees,
+formed the year before, were called
+upon for reports, and gratifying results
+were obtained. The Cove awoke to the
+fact that it had lamp-posts, and side-walks
+and a post-office, with a possibility,
+looming large, of a court house.</p>
+
+<p>Nor did this ambition for improvement
+<a name="png.308" id="png.308"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">303</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>stop short with the town: it extended to
+individuals. Jimmy Fallows was going
+to build a new hotel; Mr. Tucker was
+going to convert his hotel into a handsome
+private residence, for which Mrs.
+Gusty had been asked to select the wall-paper;
+Mat Lucas was already planning
+to build a large store on Main Street,
+and had engaged Mr. Gallop to take
+charge of the dry-goods department.
+The one person upon whom prosperity
+had apparently had a blighting effect
+was Miss Jim Fenton. Soon after the
+receipt of her check, she had appeared
+in the Cove in a plain, black tailor suit,
+and a small, severe felt hat innocent of
+adornment. The French-heeled slippers
+had been replaced by heavy walking
+shoes, and the lace scarf was discarded
+for a stiff linen collar.</p>
+
+<p>But the state of Miss Jim&#8217;s mind was
+not to be judged by the somberness of
+her raiment. The novelty of selecting
+her own clothes, of consulting her own
+taste, of being rid of the entangling dangers
+of lace ruffles and flying furbelows,
+<a name="png.309" id="png.309"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">304</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>to say nothing of unwelcome suitors,
+gave her a sense of exhilaration and independence
+which she had not enjoyed
+for years.</p>
+
+<p>In the midst of all these tangible evidences
+of success, Mr. Opp found himself
+indulging in a hand-to-hand struggle
+with failure. As a hunter aims at a point
+well in advance of the flying bird, so he
+had aimed at possibilities ahead of the
+facts, and when events took an unexpected
+turn, he was left stranded, his
+ammunition gone, his judgment questioned,
+and his hands empty. He had
+been conducting his affairs not on the
+basis of his present income, but in reference
+to the large sums which he confidently
+believed would accrue from the
+oil-wells.</p>
+
+<p>The circulation of &ldquo;The Opp Eagle&rdquo;
+was increasing steadily, but the growing
+bird must be fed, and the editor, struggling
+to meet daily pressing obligations,
+was in no condition to furnish the steady
+demand for copy.</p>
+
+<p>All unnecessary diversions were
+<a name="png.310" id="png.310"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">305</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>ruthlessly foregone. He resigned with a
+pang the leadership of the Union Orchestra,
+he gave up his membership with the
+Odd Fellows. Even his more important
+duties, as president of the Town Improvement
+League, and director in the
+bank, were relinquished. For, in addition
+to his editorials, he had undertaken
+to augment his slender income by selling
+on subscription the &ldquo;Encyclopedia of
+Wonder, Beauty, and Wisdom.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>It was at this low ebb of Mr. Opp&#8217;s
+fortunes that Willard Hinton returned
+to the Cove. He was still pale from his
+long confinement, but there was an unusual
+touch of animation about him, the
+half-surprised interest of one who has
+struck bottom, and found it not so bad
+as he had expected.</p>
+
+<p>One dark afternoon in November he
+made his way over to the office of &ldquo;The
+Opp Eagle,&rdquo; and stood irresolute in the
+door.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That you, Mr. Opp? Or is it Nick?&rdquo;
+He blinked uncertainly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Why, it is me,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp.
+<a name="png.311" id="png.311"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">306</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>&ldquo;Come right in. I&#8217;ve been so occupied
+with engagements that I haven&#8217;t
+scarcely had occasion to see anything
+of you since you come back. You are
+getting improved all the time, ain&#8217;t
+you? I thought I saw you writing on
+a type-writer when I passed this morning.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Yes,&rdquo; said Hinton; &ldquo;it&#8217;s a little machine
+I got before I came down, with
+raised letters on the keyboard. If I progress
+at the rapid pace I have started,
+I&#8217;ll be an expert before long. Mrs.
+Gusty was able to read five words out
+of ten this morning!&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hope you&#8217;ll do us an article or
+two,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp. &ldquo;I don&#8217;t mind telling
+you that things has been what you
+might name as pressing ever since that
+trouble about the oil-wells. I&#8217;m not regretting
+any step that I taken, and I am
+endeavoring not to harbor any feelings
+against those that went on after I give
+my word it wasn&#8217;t a fair transaction.
+But if what that man Clark said is true,
+Mr. Hinton, the Union Syndicate will
+<a name="png.312" id="png.312"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">307</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>never open up another well in this community.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Your conscience proved rather an
+expensive luxury that time, didn&#8217;t it,
+Mr. Opp?&rdquo; asked Hinton, who had heard
+as many versions of the affair as there
+were citizens in the Cove.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp shrugged his shoulders, and
+pursed his lips. &ldquo;It&#8217;s a matter that I
+cannot yet bring myself to talk about.
+After a whole year and more of associating
+with me in business and social ways,
+to think they wouldn&#8217;t be willing to take
+my word for what I said.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;But it wasn&#8217;t to their advantage,&rdquo;
+said Hinton, smiling. &ldquo;You forget the
+amount of money involved.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; declared Mr. Opp with some
+heat, &ldquo;you do those gentlemen a injustice.
+There ain&#8217;t a individual of them
+that is capable of a dishonest act, any
+more than you or me. They just lacked
+the experience in dealing with a man like
+Mr. Mathews.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton&#8217;s smile broadened; he reached
+over and grasped Mr. Opp&#8217;s hand.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.313" id="png.313"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">308</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;Do you know you are a rattling good
+fellow? I am sorry things have gotten
+so balled up with you.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ll pay out,&rdquo; said the editor.
+&ldquo;It&#8217;ll take some time, but I&#8217;ve got a remarkable
+ability for work in me. I don&#8217;t
+mind telling you, though I&#8217;ll have to ask
+you not to mention the fact to no one at
+present, that I am considering inventing
+a patent. It&#8217;s a sort of improved type-setter,
+one of the most remarkable
+things you ever witnessed. I never
+knew till about six months ago what a
+scientific turn my mind could take.
+I&#8217;ve worked this whole thing out in
+my brain without the aid of a model of
+any sort.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In the meanwhile,&rdquo; said Hinton, &ldquo;I
+hear you will have to sell your paper.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp winced, and the lines in his
+face deepened. &ldquo;Well, yes,&rdquo; he said,
+&ldquo;I have about decided to sell, provided
+I keep the editorship, of course. After
+my patent gets on the market I will soon
+be in a position to buy it back.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Mr. Opp,&rdquo; said Hinton, &ldquo;I&#8217;ve got a
+<a name="png.314" id="png.314"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">309</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>proposition to make to you. I have a
+moderate sum of money in bank which I
+want to invest in business. How would
+you like to sell out the paper to me, lock,
+stock, and barrel?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp, whose eyes had been resting
+on the bills that strewed his table,
+looked up eagerly.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;You to own it, and me to run it?&rdquo; he
+asked hopefully.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Hinton; &ldquo;you would help
+me to run it, I hope, but I would be the
+editor. I have thought the matter over
+seriously, and I believe, with competent
+help, I can make the paper an up-to-date,
+self-supporting newspaper, in spite of
+my handicap.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp sat as if stunned by a blow.
+He had known for some time that he
+must sell the paper in order to meet his
+obligations, but the thought of relinquishing
+his control of it never dawned
+upon him. It was the pride of his heart,
+the one tangible achievement in a wilderness
+of dreams. Life without Guinevere
+had seemed a desert; life without &ldquo;The
+<a name="png.315" id="png.315"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">310</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>Opp Eagle&rdquo; seemed chaos. He looked
+up bewildered.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We&#8217;d continue on doing business
+here in the regular way?&rdquo; he asked.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; said Hinton; &ldquo;I would build a
+larger office uptown, and put in new
+presses; we could experiment with your
+new patent type-setter as soon as you got
+it ready.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>But Mr. Opp was beyond pleasantries.
+&ldquo;You&#8217;d keep Nick?&rdquo; he asked. &ldquo;I
+wouldn&#8217;t consider anything that would
+cut Nick out.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;By all means,&rdquo; said Hinton. &ldquo;I&#8217;m
+counting on you and Nick to initiate me
+into the mysteries of the profession.
+You could be city editor, and Nick&mdash;well,
+we could make him foreman.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>One last hope was left to Mr. Opp,
+and he clung to it desperately, not daring
+to voice it until the end.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;The name,&rdquo; he said faintly, &ldquo;would
+of course remain &lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo;?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Hinton dropped his eyes; he could
+not stand the wistful appeal in the drawn
+face opposite.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.316" id="png.316"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">311</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>&ldquo;No,&rdquo; he said shortly; &ldquo;that&#8217;s a&mdash;little
+too personal. I think I should call
+my paper &lsquo;The Weekly News.&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp could never distinctly remember
+what happened after that. He knew
+that he had at first declined the offer,
+that he had been argued with, had reconsidered,
+and finally accepted a larger sum
+than he had asked for; but the details of
+the transaction were like the setting of
+bones after an accident.</p>
+
+<p>He remembered that he had sat where
+Hinton left him, staring at the floor until
+Nick came to close the office; then he
+had a vague impression of crossing the
+fields and standing with his head against
+the old sycamore-tree where the birds
+had once whispered of love. After that
+he knew that he had met Hinton and
+Guinevere coming up the river road
+hand in hand, that he had gotten home
+after supper was over, and had built a
+bridge of blocks for Miss Kippy.</p>
+
+<p>Then suddenly he had wakened to full
+consciousness, staggered out of the house
+to the woodshed, and shivered down into
+<a name="png.317" id="png.317"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">312</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>a miserable heap. There in the darkness
+he seemed to see things, for the first time
+in his life, quite as they were. His gaze,
+accustomed to the glittering promise of
+the future, peered fearfully into the
+past, and reviewed the long line of
+groundless hopes, of empty projects, of
+self-deceptions. Shorn of its petty
+shams and deceits, and stripped of its
+counterfeit armor of conceit, his life lay
+naked before him, a pitiful, starved,
+futile thing.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I&#8217;ve just been similar to Kippy,&rdquo; he
+sobbed, with his face in his hands, &ldquo;continually
+pretending what wasn&#8217;t so. I
+acted like I was young, and good-looking,
+and&mdash;and highly educated; and look
+at me! Look at me!&rdquo; he demanded
+fiercely of the kindling-wood.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp had been fighting a long duel&mdash;a
+duel with Circumstance, and Mr.
+Opp was vanquished. The acknowledgment
+of defeat, even to himself, gave it
+the final stamp of verity. He had fought
+valiantly, with what poor weapons he
+had, but the thrusts had been too many
+<a name="png.318" id="png.318"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">313</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>and too sure. He lay clothed in his
+strange new garment of humility, and
+wondered why he did not want to die.
+He did not realize that in losing everything
+else, he had won the greater stake
+of character for which he had been unconsciously
+fighting all along.</p>
+
+<p>The kitchen door opened, and he saw
+Miss Kippy&#8217;s figure silhouetted against
+the light.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Brother D.,&rdquo; she called impatiently,
+&ldquo;ain&#8217;t you coming back to play with
+me?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>He scrambled to his feet and made a
+hasty and somewhat guilty effort to compose
+himself.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">&ldquo;Yes, I&#8217;m a-coming,&rdquo; he answered
+briskly, as he smoothed his scant locks
+and straightened his tie. &ldquo;You go on
+ahead and gather up the blocks; I only
+stopped playing for a little spell.&rdquo;</p>
+
+
+
+<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.319" id="png.319"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">314</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>XVIII</h2>
+
+
+<p class="start"><img class="initial" src="images/t-initial.png"
+ alt="T" title="T" width="149" height="150" /><span>he</span> marriage of Guinevere
+Gusty and Willard Hinton
+took place in mid-winter,
+and the account
+of it, published in the
+last issue of &ldquo;The Opp
+Eagle,&rdquo; proved that the eagle, like the
+swan, has its death-song.</p>
+
+<p>Like many of the masterpieces of literature,
+the article had been written in
+anguish of spirit; but art, like nature,
+ignores the process, and reckons only the
+result, and the result, in Mr. Opp&#8217;s opinion
+at least, more than justified the effort.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;In these strenuous, history-making
+meanderings of the sands of life,&rdquo; it
+ran, &ldquo;we sometimes overlook or neglect
+particulars in events which prove of
+larger importance than appears on the
+surface. The case to which we have
+<a name="png.320" id="png.320"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">315</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>allusion to is the wedding which was solemnized
+at eventide at the residence of
+the bride&#8217;s mother. The Gustys may
+be justly considered one of the best-furnished
+families in the county, and the
+parlors were only less beautiful than the
+only daughter there presiding. The collation
+served therein was of such a liberal
+nature that every guest, we might
+venture to say, took dinner enough home
+for supper. It has seldom been our fate
+to meet a gentleman of such intelligent
+attainments as Mr. Hinton, and his entire
+future existence, be it long or short,
+cannot fail of being thrice blessed by
+the companionship of the one who has
+confided her trust to him,&mdash;her choice,
+world-wide. Although a bachelor ourself,
+we know what happiness must be
+theirs, and with all our heart we vouchsafe
+them a joyful voyage across the uncertain
+billows of Time until their nuptial
+or matrimonial bark shall have
+been safely moored in the haven of everlasting
+bliss, where the storms of this
+life spread not their violence.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.321" id="png.321"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">316</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>Some men spend their lives in the valley,
+and some are born and die on the
+heights; but it was Mr. Opp&#8217;s fate to
+climb from the valley to his own little
+mountain-top of prosperity, only to have
+to climb down on the other side. It was
+evidence of his genius that in time he
+persuaded himself and his fellow-citizens
+that it was exactly what he wanted
+to do.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;That there life of managing and promoting
+was all right in its way,&rdquo; he said
+one day to a group of men at the post-office,
+&ldquo;but a man owes something to
+himself, don&#8217;t he? Now that the town
+has got well started, and Mr. Hinton is
+going to take main charge of the paper,
+I&#8217;ll be freer than I been for years to put
+some of my ideas into practice.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;We are counting on getting you back
+in the orchestra,&rdquo; said Mr. Gallop,
+whose admiration for Mr. Opp retained
+its pristine bloom.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp shook his head regretfully.
+&ldquo;No, I&#8217;m going to give all my evenings
+over to study. This present enterprise I
+<a name="png.322" id="png.322"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">317</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>am engaged on requires a lot of personal
+application. I sometimes think that I
+have in the past scattered my forces too
+much, in a way.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>So persistently did Mr. Opp refer to
+the mysterious work that was engrossing
+him that he reduced Mr. Gallop&#8217;s curiosity
+to the saturation-point.</p>
+
+<p>When he was no longer able to stand
+it, the telegraph operator determined
+upon a tour of investigation. The projected
+presentation of a new cornet by
+the Unique Orchestra to its erstwhile
+leader proved a slender excuse for a call,
+and while he knew that, with the exception
+of Willard Hinton, no visitor had
+ever been known to cross the Opp threshold,
+yet he permitted desire to overrule
+delicacy.</p>
+
+<p>It was a blustery December night when
+he climbed the hill, and he had to pause
+several times during the ascent to gain
+sufficient breath to proceed. By the time
+he reached the house he was quite speechless,
+and he dropped on the steps to rest
+a moment before knocking. As he sat
+<a name="png.323" id="png.323"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">318</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>there trying to imagine the flying-machine
+or torpedo-boat upon which he
+felt certain Mr. Opp was engaged, he
+became aware of voices from within, and
+looking up, he saw the window above him
+was slightly raised. Overcome by his
+desire to see his friend at work upon his
+great invention, he cautiously tiptoed
+across the porch and peeped in.</p>
+
+<p>The low-ceilinged old room was bright
+with firelight, and in the center of it, with
+his knees drawn up, his toes turned in,
+and his tongue thrust out, sat Mr. Opp,
+absorbed in an object which he held between
+his knees. Miss Kippy knelt before
+him, eagerly watching proceedings.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Gallop craned his neck to see what
+it was that held their interest, and at last
+discovered that they were fitting a dress
+on a large china doll.</p>
+
+<p class="pgbrk">Miss Kippy&#8217;s voice broke the silence.
+&ldquo;You can sew nice,&rdquo; she was saying;
+&ldquo;you can sew prettier than Aunt Tish.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p class="illus pgbrk"><a name="png.324" id="png.324"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">319</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span><img src="images/illus324.jpg" width="450" height="720"
+ alt="" title="" /><br
+ />&ldquo;&lsquo;Can&#8217;t nobody beat me making skirts&rsquo;&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Can&#8217;t nobody beat me making
+skirts,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, and Mr. Gallop
+saw him push his needle through a bit of
+<a name="png.326" id="png.326"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">321</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>cloth, with the handle of the shovel; &ldquo;but
+sleeves is a more particular proposition.
+Why, I&#8217;d rather thread three needles
+than to fix in one sleeve! Why don&#8217;t you
+make like it&#8217;s summer-time and let her
+go without any?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Miss Kippy&#8217;s lips trembled. &ldquo;I want
+sleeves, D.&mdash;two of them, and a lady&#8217;s
+hat, with roses on it. We can let <em>her</em> be
+grown up, can&#8217;t we, D.?&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Gallop beat a hasty and shame-faced
+retreat. Though his idol had
+fallen from its pedestal, he determined
+to stand guard over the fragments, and
+from that night on, he constituted himself
+Mr. Opp&#8217;s loyal defender.</p>
+
+<p>And Mr. Gallop was not the only one
+who came forth boldly in expressions of
+sympathy and respect for the ex-editor.
+It was especially easy for those who had
+prospered by the oil boom to express unbounded
+admiration for the conscientious
+stand he had taken in the late
+transaction. They had done him a grave
+injustice, they acknowledged. The wells
+had been reinvestigated and proved of
+<a name="png.327" id="png.327"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">322</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>small value. The fact that the truth was
+discovered too late to affect their luck
+deepened their appreciation of Mr. Opp.</p>
+
+<p>Willard Hinton, seeing what balm
+these evidences of approval brought to
+Mr. Opp&#8217;s wounded spirit, determined
+to arrange for a banquet to the retiring
+editor, at which he planned to bring
+forth as many testimonials of friendship
+and good-will as was possible.</p>
+
+<p>The affair was to take place New
+Year&#8217;s night, in the dining-room of Fallows&#8217;s
+new Your Hotel. The entire masculine
+contingent of the Cove was
+invited, and the feminine element prepared
+the supper. There had never been
+a social event of such an ambitious
+nature attempted in the Cove before, and
+each citizen took a personal pride in its
+success.</p>
+
+<p>For a week in advance the town was
+in violent throes of speech-writing, cake-baking,
+salad-mixing, and decorating.
+Even Mrs. Fallows warmed to the occasion,
+and crocheted a candlestick, candle,
+flame, and all, to grace the table.</p>
+
+<p><a name="png.328" id="png.328"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">323</span><span class="ns">]<br
+ /></span>When the night arrived, Jimmy Fallows
+did the honors. He was resplendent
+in his dress-suit, which consisted of a
+black sateen shirt and a brown suit of
+clothes.</p>
+
+<p>When the guests were all seated, Willard
+Hinton rose, and in a few brief,
+pointed remarks, called the attention of
+the town to the changes that had been
+wrought by the indefatigable efforts of
+one citizen in particular. He spoke of
+the debt of gratitude they owed, collectively
+and individually, to the late editor
+of &ldquo;The Opp Eagle,&rdquo; and added that
+after Mr. Opp&#8217;s response, the guests desired,
+each in turn, to voice his sentiments
+upon the subject.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Opp then rose amid a thunder of
+applause, and stood for a moment in
+pleased but overwhelming embarrassment.
+Then he put forward one foot
+inflated his chest, and began:</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Valued brother fellow-beings, I come
+before you to-night to express that which
+there is no words in the English vocabulary
+to express. Whatever you may
+<a name="png.329" id="png.329"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">324</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>have to say concerning me, or my part
+in the awakening of this our native city,
+I shall listen at with a grateful heart. I
+believe in a great future for Cove City.
+We may not live to see it, but I believe
+that the day will arrive when our city
+shall be the gateway to the South, when
+the river front will be not dissimilar to
+Main Street, New York. I predict that
+it reaches a pivot of prominence of which
+we wot not of. As for Mr. Hinton, one
+and all we welcome him amid our
+mongst. &lsquo;The Opp Eagle&rsquo; strikes palms
+with &lsquo;The Weekly News,&rsquo; and wishes it
+a lasting and eternal success.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>A burst of applause interrupted the
+flow of his eloquence, and as he glanced
+around the room, he saw there was some
+commotion at the door. A turbaned
+head caught his eye, then Aunt Tish&#8217;s
+beckoning hand.</p>
+
+<p>Hastily excusing himself, he made his
+way through the crowd, and bent to hear
+her message.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Hit&#8217;s Miss Kippy,&rdquo; she whispered.
+&ldquo;I hate to &#8217;sturb you, but she done crack
+<a name="png.330" id="png.330"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">325</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>her doll&#8217;s head, an&#8217; she&#8217;s takin&#8217; on so, I
+can&#8217;t do nuffin &#8217;t all wif her.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Couldn&#8217;t you contrive to get her
+quiet no way at all?&rdquo; asked Mr. Opp,
+anxiously.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;Naw, sir. She mek like dat doll her
+shore &#8217;nough baby, and she &#8217;low she
+gwine die, too, furst chanct she gits. I
+got Val&#8217;s mother to stay wif her till I
+git back.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;All right,&rdquo; said Mr. Opp, hastily.
+&ldquo;You go right on and tell her I&#8217;m coming.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>When he reëntered the dining-room,
+he held his hat in his hand.</p>
+
+<p>&ldquo;I find a urgent matter of business
+calls me back home; for only a few moments,
+I trust,&rdquo; he said apologetically,
+with bows and smiles. &ldquo;If the banquet
+will kindly proceed, I will endeavor to
+return in ample time for the final
+speeches.&rdquo;</p>
+
+<p>With the air of a monarch taking temporary
+leave of his subjects, he turned
+his back upon the gay, protesting crowd,
+upon the feast prepared in his honor,
+<a name="png.331" id="png.331"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span
+ class="pgmark">326</span><span class="ns">]
+ </span>upon the speech-making, so dear to his
+heart. Tramping through the snow of
+the deserted street, through the lonely
+graveyard, and along the river road, he
+went to bind up the head of a china doll,
+and to wipe away the tears of a little
+half-crazed sister.</p>
+
+<p>He wears the same checked suit as
+when we saw him first, worn and frayed,
+to be sure, but carefully pressed for the
+occasion, the same brave scarf and pin,
+and watch fob, though the watch is missing.</p>
+
+<p>Passing out of sight with the sleet in
+his face, and the wind cutting through
+his finery, he whistles as he goes, such a
+plucky, sturdy, hopeful whistle as calls
+to arms the courage that lies slumbering
+in the hearts of men.</p>
+
+
+<p class="fin"><small>THE END</small></p>
+
+
+</div>
+
+<hr class="pg" />
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+<pre>
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Opp, by Alice Hegan Rice
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. OPP ***
+
+***** This file should be named 25070-h.htm or 25070-h.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/0/7/25070/
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Wilson and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+
+</pre>
+
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/25070-h/images/a-initial.png b/25070-h/images/a-initial.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fd0d2df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/a-initial.png
diff --git a/25070-h/images/b-initial.png b/25070-h/images/b-initial.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2327698
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/b-initial.png
diff --git a/25070-h/images/f-initial.png b/25070-h/images/f-initial.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f93e341
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/f-initial.png
diff --git a/25070-h/images/h-initial.png b/25070-h/images/h-initial.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8de3cd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/h-initial.png
diff --git a/25070-h/images/i-initial.png b/25070-h/images/i-initial.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6af1220
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/i-initial.png
diff --git a/25070-h/images/illus001.jpg b/25070-h/images/illus001.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..421d774
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/illus001.jpg
diff --git a/25070-h/images/illus050.jpg b/25070-h/images/illus050.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d4bb3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/illus050.jpg
diff --git a/25070-h/images/illus134.jpg b/25070-h/images/illus134.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb63a77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/illus134.jpg
diff --git a/25070-h/images/illus202.jpg b/25070-h/images/illus202.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..27c7d49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/illus202.jpg
diff --git a/25070-h/images/illus268.jpg b/25070-h/images/illus268.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c0a35c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/illus268.jpg
diff --git a/25070-h/images/illus324.jpg b/25070-h/images/illus324.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..45c35a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/illus324.jpg
diff --git a/25070-h/images/j-initial.png b/25070-h/images/j-initial.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3d638f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/j-initial.png
diff --git a/25070-h/images/l-initial.png b/25070-h/images/l-initial.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e627b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/l-initial.png
diff --git a/25070-h/images/logo-002.png b/25070-h/images/logo-002.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47b0011
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/logo-002.png
diff --git a/25070-h/images/m-initial.png b/25070-h/images/m-initial.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd922d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/m-initial.png
diff --git a/25070-h/images/t-initial.png b/25070-h/images/t-initial.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a86605
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/t-initial.png
diff --git a/25070-h/images/w-initial.png b/25070-h/images/w-initial.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..142052a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-h/images/w-initial.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/c0001.jpg b/25070-page-images/c0001.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60a50d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/c0001.jpg
diff --git a/25070-page-images/f0001-image1.jpg b/25070-page-images/f0001-image1.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1679bcc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/f0001-image1.jpg
diff --git a/25070-page-images/f0003-image1.png b/25070-page-images/f0003-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..975ba06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/f0003-image1.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/f0003.png b/25070-page-images/f0003.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8a41c75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/f0003.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/f0004.png b/25070-page-images/f0004.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3da0894
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/f0004.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/f0005.png b/25070-page-images/f0005.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..290e192
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/f0005.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/f0007.png b/25070-page-images/f0007.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4fa4dff
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/f0007.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0003-image1.png b/25070-page-images/p0003-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e86b900
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0003-image1.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0003.png b/25070-page-images/p0003.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c0c4222
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0003.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0004.png b/25070-page-images/p0004.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..99b5bc3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0004.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0005.png b/25070-page-images/p0005.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c5c022
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0005.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0006.png b/25070-page-images/p0006.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..23dbded
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0006.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0007.png b/25070-page-images/p0007.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3fd2761
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0007.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0008.png b/25070-page-images/p0008.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..28acbe9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0008.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0009.png b/25070-page-images/p0009.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f77c3ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0009.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0010.png b/25070-page-images/p0010.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7dae019
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0010.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0011.png b/25070-page-images/p0011.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..eb7fbfa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0011.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0012.png b/25070-page-images/p0012.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..945fa23
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0012.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0013.png b/25070-page-images/p0013.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b0ab9e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0013.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0014.png b/25070-page-images/p0014.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ad0c53d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0014.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0015.png b/25070-page-images/p0015.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d27b093
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0015.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0016.png b/25070-page-images/p0016.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7cba367
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0016.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0017-image1.png b/25070-page-images/p0017-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02aebad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0017-image1.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0017.png b/25070-page-images/p0017.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d582d86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0017.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0018.png b/25070-page-images/p0018.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce6d18c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0018.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0019.png b/25070-page-images/p0019.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e1642c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0019.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0020.png b/25070-page-images/p0020.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..89a884c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0020.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0021.png b/25070-page-images/p0021.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb164f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0021.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0022.png b/25070-page-images/p0022.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e3c3a4e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0022.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0023.png b/25070-page-images/p0023.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34a313a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0023.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0024-image1.png b/25070-page-images/p0024-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..71d19e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0024-image1.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0024.png b/25070-page-images/p0024.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dbbf933
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0024.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0025.png b/25070-page-images/p0025.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..feea869
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0025.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0026.png b/25070-page-images/p0026.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a821052
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0026.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0027.png b/25070-page-images/p0027.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fc46536
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0027.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0028.png b/25070-page-images/p0028.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a2940fe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0028.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0029.png b/25070-page-images/p0029.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..41b63b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0029.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0030.png b/25070-page-images/p0030.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbe5224
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0030.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0031.png b/25070-page-images/p0031.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc31dd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0031.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0032.png b/25070-page-images/p0032.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3985e26
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0032.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0033.png b/25070-page-images/p0033.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a8e4680
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0033.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0034.png b/25070-page-images/p0034.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96f0c99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0034.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0035.png b/25070-page-images/p0035.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..addeba1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0035.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0036-image1.png b/25070-page-images/p0036-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa6f3e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0036-image1.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0036.png b/25070-page-images/p0036.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7f1a926
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0036.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0037.png b/25070-page-images/p0037.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d529d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0037.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0038.png b/25070-page-images/p0038.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2147218
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0038.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0039.png b/25070-page-images/p0039.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d23ddd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0039.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0040.png b/25070-page-images/p0040.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c463089
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0040.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0041.png b/25070-page-images/p0041.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..653a64f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0041.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0042.png b/25070-page-images/p0042.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..33f6c77
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0042.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0043.png b/25070-page-images/p0043.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06922a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0043.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0044.png b/25070-page-images/p0044.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ef5251a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0044.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0045-image1.jpg b/25070-page-images/p0045-image1.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5f2b541
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0045-image1.jpg
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0047.png b/25070-page-images/p0047.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a41a7c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0047.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0048.png b/25070-page-images/p0048.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cb89f76
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0048.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0049.png b/25070-page-images/p0049.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..47d2a57
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0049.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0050.png b/25070-page-images/p0050.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7835a15
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0050.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0051.png b/25070-page-images/p0051.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6cbb9a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0051.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0052.png b/25070-page-images/p0052.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aa33b2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0052.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0053.png b/25070-page-images/p0053.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26167a4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0053.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0054.png b/25070-page-images/p0054.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c4172b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0054.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0055.png b/25070-page-images/p0055.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bb7432c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0055.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0056.png b/25070-page-images/p0056.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ab3a0fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0056.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0057.png b/25070-page-images/p0057.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60657e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0057.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0058.png b/25070-page-images/p0058.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7310202
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0058.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0059.png b/25070-page-images/p0059.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..259e112
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0059.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0060.png b/25070-page-images/p0060.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93d9cd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0060.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0061.png b/25070-page-images/p0061.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..06ae73d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0061.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0062.png b/25070-page-images/p0062.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ccbec5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0062.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0063.png b/25070-page-images/p0063.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2a2ecef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0063.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0064-image1.png b/25070-page-images/p0064-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..026b920
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0064-image1.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0064.png b/25070-page-images/p0064.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c63156b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0064.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0065.png b/25070-page-images/p0065.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4c1b88
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0065.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0066.png b/25070-page-images/p0066.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca1ab7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0066.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0067.png b/25070-page-images/p0067.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b190e3d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0067.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0068.png b/25070-page-images/p0068.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8db8c67
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0068.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0069.png b/25070-page-images/p0069.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..461bcf0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0069.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0070.png b/25070-page-images/p0070.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f060338
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0070.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0071.png b/25070-page-images/p0071.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..de04367
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0071.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0072.png b/25070-page-images/p0072.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7afd458
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0072.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0073.png b/25070-page-images/p0073.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9e652a8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0073.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0074.png b/25070-page-images/p0074.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..73cdcde
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0074.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0075.png b/25070-page-images/p0075.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb8b925
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0075.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0076.png b/25070-page-images/p0076.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b7198fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0076.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0077.png b/25070-page-images/p0077.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..595b180
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0077.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0078.png b/25070-page-images/p0078.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8dbbbf9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0078.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0079.png b/25070-page-images/p0079.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7dc4c59
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0079.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0080.png b/25070-page-images/p0080.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a89d79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0080.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0081.png b/25070-page-images/p0081.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..660583d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0081.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0082.png b/25070-page-images/p0082.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a1c48e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0082.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0083.png b/25070-page-images/p0083.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0fe426
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0083.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0084.png b/25070-page-images/p0084.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..74df4a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0084.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0085.png b/25070-page-images/p0085.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e2c4473
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0085.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0086.png b/25070-page-images/p0086.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63ba14b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0086.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0087.png b/25070-page-images/p0087.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..98c249c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0087.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0088.png b/25070-page-images/p0088.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..20aae2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0088.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0089.png b/25070-page-images/p0089.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6a8290b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0089.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0090.png b/25070-page-images/p0090.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a269364
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0090.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0091.png b/25070-page-images/p0091.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c7b9438
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0091.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0092.png b/25070-page-images/p0092.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2de692a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0092.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0093.png b/25070-page-images/p0093.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ff6392
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0093.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0094.png b/25070-page-images/p0094.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ea267e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0094.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0095.png b/25070-page-images/p0095.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7954e6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0095.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0096.png b/25070-page-images/p0096.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9d0b0e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0096.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0097.png b/25070-page-images/p0097.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..017eb75
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0097.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0098.png b/25070-page-images/p0098.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30b3460
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0098.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0099.png b/25070-page-images/p0099.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..050989d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0099.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0100.png b/25070-page-images/p0100.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ef47c6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0100.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0101.png b/25070-page-images/p0101.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5fe26f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0101.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0102-image1.png b/25070-page-images/p0102-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..14ea09e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0102-image1.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0102.png b/25070-page-images/p0102.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51d8ef1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0102.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0103.png b/25070-page-images/p0103.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..86fdb2b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0103.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0104.png b/25070-page-images/p0104.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce89e97
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0104.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0105.png b/25070-page-images/p0105.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b8534f4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0105.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0106.png b/25070-page-images/p0106.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2ac981
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0106.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0107.png b/25070-page-images/p0107.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f1ae046
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0107.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0108.png b/25070-page-images/p0108.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fe76431
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0108.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0109.png b/25070-page-images/p0109.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..65a15fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0109.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0110.png b/25070-page-images/p0110.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cea1b21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0110.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0111.png b/25070-page-images/p0111.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4d77540
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0111.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0112.png b/25070-page-images/p0112.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2903be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0112.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0113.png b/25070-page-images/p0113.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee87295
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0113.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0114.png b/25070-page-images/p0114.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..81b41a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0114.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0115.png b/25070-page-images/p0115.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..65bcfa3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0115.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0116.png b/25070-page-images/p0116.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5cf2703
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0116.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0117.png b/25070-page-images/p0117.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34611c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0117.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0118.png b/25070-page-images/p0118.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..59caa31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0118.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0119.png b/25070-page-images/p0119.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..362ea8c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0119.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0120.png b/25070-page-images/p0120.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0ef46de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0120.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0121.png b/25070-page-images/p0121.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3268879
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0121.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0122.png b/25070-page-images/p0122.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6845a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0122.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0123.png b/25070-page-images/p0123.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..27c8a9c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0123.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0124.png b/25070-page-images/p0124.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c574562
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0124.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0125.png b/25070-page-images/p0125.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec23117
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0125.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0126.png b/25070-page-images/p0126.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6f5fa7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0126.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0127.png b/25070-page-images/p0127.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..51922ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0127.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0128.png b/25070-page-images/p0128.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfbff07
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0128.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0129-image1.jpg b/25070-page-images/p0129-image1.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a04d18d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0129-image1.jpg
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0131.png b/25070-page-images/p0131.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7cd593f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0131.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0132.png b/25070-page-images/p0132.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f6ebe55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0132.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0133.png b/25070-page-images/p0133.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..78793c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0133.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0134.png b/25070-page-images/p0134.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1fc3e5a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0134.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0135.png b/25070-page-images/p0135.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49dde3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0135.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0136.png b/25070-page-images/p0136.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1aaa54d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0136.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0137.png b/25070-page-images/p0137.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5fc187
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0137.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0138.png b/25070-page-images/p0138.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9be086
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0138.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0139.png b/25070-page-images/p0139.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d2ada5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0139.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0140.png b/25070-page-images/p0140.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76d423c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0140.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0141.png b/25070-page-images/p0141.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5dfd47f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0141.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0142.png b/25070-page-images/p0142.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..13ac101
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0142.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0143.png b/25070-page-images/p0143.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69f13cb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0143.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0144.png b/25070-page-images/p0144.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c6c5af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0144.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0145.png b/25070-page-images/p0145.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..efd52f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0145.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0146.png b/25070-page-images/p0146.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fe0ff11
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0146.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0147.png b/25070-page-images/p0147.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9defc5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0147.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0148.png b/25070-page-images/p0148.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..84a0d2e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0148.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0149.png b/25070-page-images/p0149.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e8ec932
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0149.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0150.png b/25070-page-images/p0150.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..201f70a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0150.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0151.png b/25070-page-images/p0151.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5525f0e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0151.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0152.png b/25070-page-images/p0152.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7de0f43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0152.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0153.png b/25070-page-images/p0153.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..978e0f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0153.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0154.png b/25070-page-images/p0154.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..44f575e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0154.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0155.png b/25070-page-images/p0155.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6db67e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0155.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0156-image1.png b/25070-page-images/p0156-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce6d164
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0156-image1.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0156.png b/25070-page-images/p0156.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..793edd8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0156.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0157.png b/25070-page-images/p0157.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7cc7a49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0157.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0158.png b/25070-page-images/p0158.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a770b55
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0158.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0159.png b/25070-page-images/p0159.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..487a10d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0159.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0160.png b/25070-page-images/p0160.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9a2c34
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0160.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0161.png b/25070-page-images/p0161.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a177b36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0161.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0162.png b/25070-page-images/p0162.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3b64cd4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0162.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0163.png b/25070-page-images/p0163.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bcb173a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0163.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0164.png b/25070-page-images/p0164.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..acf57db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0164.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0165.png b/25070-page-images/p0165.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c595bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0165.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0166.png b/25070-page-images/p0166.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63717ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0166.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0167.png b/25070-page-images/p0167.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9aa571b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0167.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0168.png b/25070-page-images/p0168.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3b8381
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0168.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0169.png b/25070-page-images/p0169.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..543de7b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0169.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0170.png b/25070-page-images/p0170.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d3970dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0170.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0171.png b/25070-page-images/p0171.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..97bb9a0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0171.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0172.png b/25070-page-images/p0172.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..375b8b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0172.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0173.png b/25070-page-images/p0173.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3bdc3fc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0173.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0174-image1.png b/25070-page-images/p0174-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cafce0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0174-image1.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0174.png b/25070-page-images/p0174.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6cd280c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0174.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0175.png b/25070-page-images/p0175.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..05d1c6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0175.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0176.png b/25070-page-images/p0176.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..698c845
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0176.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0177.png b/25070-page-images/p0177.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0aeb141
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0177.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0178.png b/25070-page-images/p0178.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d08289
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0178.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0179.png b/25070-page-images/p0179.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d71ef29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0179.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0180.png b/25070-page-images/p0180.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8077b9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0180.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0181.png b/25070-page-images/p0181.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5a7a10
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0181.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0182.png b/25070-page-images/p0182.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69eed01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0182.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0183.png b/25070-page-images/p0183.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e4ac628
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0183.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0184.png b/25070-page-images/p0184.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..60220d4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0184.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0185.png b/25070-page-images/p0185.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6158457
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0185.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0186.png b/25070-page-images/p0186.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..21eb388
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0186.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0187.png b/25070-page-images/p0187.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d5cff78
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0187.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0188.png b/25070-page-images/p0188.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ffaf692
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0188.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0189.png b/25070-page-images/p0189.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a55f001
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0189.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0190.png b/25070-page-images/p0190.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0d77940
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0190.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0191.png b/25070-page-images/p0191.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..daf0efb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0191.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0192.png b/25070-page-images/p0192.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..87b1a22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0192.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0193.png b/25070-page-images/p0193.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a26a371
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0193.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0194.png b/25070-page-images/p0194.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9620749
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0194.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0195.png b/25070-page-images/p0195.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fefe1b8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0195.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0196.png b/25070-page-images/p0196.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a2bfb95
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0196.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0197-image1.jpg b/25070-page-images/p0197-image1.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4fe2ce1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0197-image1.jpg
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0199.png b/25070-page-images/p0199.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a5c702
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0199.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0200.png b/25070-page-images/p0200.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76b76e7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0200.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0201.png b/25070-page-images/p0201.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed4b7e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0201.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0202.png b/25070-page-images/p0202.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2e9678e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0202.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0203.png b/25070-page-images/p0203.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..22d1f36
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0203.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0204.png b/25070-page-images/p0204.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2123cb3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0204.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0205.png b/25070-page-images/p0205.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..583d90d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0205.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0206.png b/25070-page-images/p0206.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7044d81
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0206.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0207.png b/25070-page-images/p0207.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..afa6afe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0207.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0208.png b/25070-page-images/p0208.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09d9759
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0208.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0209.png b/25070-page-images/p0209.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..34a6f86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0209.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0210.png b/25070-page-images/p0210.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..503bd28
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0210.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0211.png b/25070-page-images/p0211.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..304ff2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0211.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0212.png b/25070-page-images/p0212.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c041af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0212.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0213.png b/25070-page-images/p0213.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..62a67f7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0213.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0214.png b/25070-page-images/p0214.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..880b1df
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0214.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0215.png b/25070-page-images/p0215.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..71aecec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0215.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0216.png b/25070-page-images/p0216.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa4be01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0216.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0217.png b/25070-page-images/p0217.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2407dd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0217.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0218.png b/25070-page-images/p0218.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f466424
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0218.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0219.png b/25070-page-images/p0219.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..254f51f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0219.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0220.png b/25070-page-images/p0220.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..14c2030
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0220.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0221.png b/25070-page-images/p0221.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a928b8d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0221.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0222.png b/25070-page-images/p0222.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c9552af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0222.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0223.png b/25070-page-images/p0223.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f625ee4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0223.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0224.png b/25070-page-images/p0224.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4df746c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0224.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0225.png b/25070-page-images/p0225.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..063f53f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0225.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0226.png b/25070-page-images/p0226.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..352e963
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0226.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0227.png b/25070-page-images/p0227.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca8e189
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0227.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0228.png b/25070-page-images/p0228.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ca7343
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0228.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0229.png b/25070-page-images/p0229.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee899a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0229.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0230.png b/25070-page-images/p0230.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6c7a80f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0230.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0231.png b/25070-page-images/p0231.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69d72a7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0231.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0232.png b/25070-page-images/p0232.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3b611e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0232.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0233.png b/25070-page-images/p0233.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..caaa2c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0233.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0234.png b/25070-page-images/p0234.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c6b44fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0234.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0235.png b/25070-page-images/p0235.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29a6b2d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0235.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0236.png b/25070-page-images/p0236.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..584c22f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0236.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0237.png b/25070-page-images/p0237.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29583c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0237.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0238.png b/25070-page-images/p0238.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d203ec4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0238.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0239.png b/25070-page-images/p0239.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c3c264
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0239.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0240.png b/25070-page-images/p0240.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aec881f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0240.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0241.png b/25070-page-images/p0241.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0c9df30
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0241.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0242.png b/25070-page-images/p0242.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b3e3b7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0242.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0243.png b/25070-page-images/p0243.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a3da463
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0243.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0244.png b/25070-page-images/p0244.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fa0f0f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0244.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0245.png b/25070-page-images/p0245.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c24eb4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0245.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0246.png b/25070-page-images/p0246.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..49ff387
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0246.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0247.png b/25070-page-images/p0247.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1d4bd6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0247.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0248.png b/25070-page-images/p0248.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a646d0f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0248.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0249.png b/25070-page-images/p0249.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8f08018
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0249.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0250.png b/25070-page-images/p0250.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5489a47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0250.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0251.png b/25070-page-images/p0251.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..55ab8fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0251.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0252.png b/25070-page-images/p0252.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a30cb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0252.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0253.png b/25070-page-images/p0253.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b792ac2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0253.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0254.png b/25070-page-images/p0254.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd38cab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0254.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0255.png b/25070-page-images/p0255.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f87613c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0255.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0256.png b/25070-page-images/p0256.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b14fe4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0256.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0257.png b/25070-page-images/p0257.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e6b4afe
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0257.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0258.png b/25070-page-images/p0258.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5157002
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0258.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0259.png b/25070-page-images/p0259.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..01cd09b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0259.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0260.png b/25070-page-images/p0260.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..327de72
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0260.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0261.png b/25070-page-images/p0261.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..92ff66b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0261.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0262.png b/25070-page-images/p0262.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..76b52ce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0262.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0263-image1.jpg b/25070-page-images/p0263-image1.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ed5ea24
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0263-image1.jpg
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0265.png b/25070-page-images/p0265.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f4c6f87
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0265.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0266.png b/25070-page-images/p0266.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b590d89
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0266.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0267.png b/25070-page-images/p0267.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..82b1297
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0267.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0268.png b/25070-page-images/p0268.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8ffb70d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0268.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0269.png b/25070-page-images/p0269.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..23d03e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0269.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0270.png b/25070-page-images/p0270.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9de518f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0270.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0271.png b/25070-page-images/p0271.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b4f1628
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0271.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0272.png b/25070-page-images/p0272.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..89654e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0272.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0273.png b/25070-page-images/p0273.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e2ec5cf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0273.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0274.png b/25070-page-images/p0274.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b618ddd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0274.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0275.png b/25070-page-images/p0275.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0a1737e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0275.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0276.png b/25070-page-images/p0276.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fbe630d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0276.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0277.png b/25070-page-images/p0277.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..72650e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0277.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0278.png b/25070-page-images/p0278.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f35f5c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0278.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0279.png b/25070-page-images/p0279.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1ec0d45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0279.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0280.png b/25070-page-images/p0280.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a0e2da5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0280.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0281.png b/25070-page-images/p0281.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b5d1285
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0281.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0282.png b/25070-page-images/p0282.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5373596
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0282.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0283.png b/25070-page-images/p0283.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d34cc01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0283.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0284.png b/25070-page-images/p0284.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3db897b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0284.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0285.png b/25070-page-images/p0285.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c00a3ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0285.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0286.png b/25070-page-images/p0286.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5089ce5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0286.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0287.png b/25070-page-images/p0287.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..74cc97b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0287.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0288.png b/25070-page-images/p0288.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cfb86f8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0288.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0289.png b/25070-page-images/p0289.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d0b43c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0289.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0290.png b/25070-page-images/p0290.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8b7f8e3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0290.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0291-image1.png b/25070-page-images/p0291-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b91d474
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0291-image1.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0291.png b/25070-page-images/p0291.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e9bc877
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0291.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0292.png b/25070-page-images/p0292.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5d3aca1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0292.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0293.png b/25070-page-images/p0293.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8875447
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0293.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0294.png b/25070-page-images/p0294.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..730625f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0294.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0295.png b/25070-page-images/p0295.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d298bfc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0295.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0296.png b/25070-page-images/p0296.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..63ed6d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0296.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0297.png b/25070-page-images/p0297.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0edabd7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0297.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0298.png b/25070-page-images/p0298.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a97c27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0298.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0299.png b/25070-page-images/p0299.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..59645f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0299.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0300.png b/25070-page-images/p0300.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d864e4d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0300.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0301-image1.png b/25070-page-images/p0301-image1.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e5261b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0301-image1.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0301.png b/25070-page-images/p0301.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9f5f62c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0301.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0302.png b/25070-page-images/p0302.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fdff5e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0302.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0303.png b/25070-page-images/p0303.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3c16bf8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0303.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0304.png b/25070-page-images/p0304.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2cd629f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0304.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0305.png b/25070-page-images/p0305.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ca81ded
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0305.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0306.png b/25070-page-images/p0306.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02afe2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0306.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0307.png b/25070-page-images/p0307.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2157520
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0307.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0308.png b/25070-page-images/p0308.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e94589a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0308.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0309.png b/25070-page-images/p0309.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..da8e9f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0309.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0310.png b/25070-page-images/p0310.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..91d55c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0310.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0311.png b/25070-page-images/p0311.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ec4eaca
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0311.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0312.png b/25070-page-images/p0312.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..29a61c4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0312.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0313.png b/25070-page-images/p0313.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7df1b47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0313.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0314.png b/25070-page-images/p0314.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5cffc22
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0314.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0315.png b/25070-page-images/p0315.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ba70242
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0315.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0316.png b/25070-page-images/p0316.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5db4cac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0316.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0317.png b/25070-page-images/p0317.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4ccc8ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0317.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0318.png b/25070-page-images/p0318.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..cda4746
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0318.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0319-image1.jpg b/25070-page-images/p0319-image1.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09eb1c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0319-image1.jpg
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0321.png b/25070-page-images/p0321.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..045ad1f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0321.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0322.png b/25070-page-images/p0322.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4916c2f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0322.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0323.png b/25070-page-images/p0323.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4973cc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0323.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0324.png b/25070-page-images/p0324.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..172ae47
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0324.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0325.png b/25070-page-images/p0325.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dcf0b6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0325.png
diff --git a/25070-page-images/p0326.png b/25070-page-images/p0326.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f77c8e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070-page-images/p0326.png
diff --git a/25070.txt b/25070.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f792183
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,6321 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Opp, by Alice Hegan Rice
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Mr. Opp
+
+Author: Alice Hegan Rice
+
+Release Date: April 14, 2008 [EBook #25070]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. OPP ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Wilson and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[Illustration: "He read impressively"]
+
+
+
+
+MR. OPP
+
+
+BY
+ALICE HEGAN RICE
+
+Author of "Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch,"
+"Lovey Mary," "Sandy," etc.
+
+
+With Illustrations
+by LEON GUIPON
+
+
+NEW YORK
+THE CENTURY CO.
+1909
+
+
+
+
+Copyright, 1908, 1909, by
+The Century Co.
+
+
+_Published, April, 1909_
+
+
+THE DE VINNE PRESS
+
+
+
+
+LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
+
+                                            PAGE
+  "He read impressively"           _Frontispiece_
+
+  "'Don't leave me'"                          45
+
+  "'Why, Mr. Opp, I'm not old enough'"       129
+
+  "It was Mr. Opp saying his prayers"        197
+
+  "'Oh, my God, it has come'"                263
+
+  "'Can't nobody beat me making skirts'"     319
+
+
+
+
+MR. OPP
+
+
+
+
+I
+
+
+"I hope your passenger hasn't missed his train," observed the ferryman
+to Mr. Jimmy Fallows, who sat on the river bank with the painter of his
+rickety little naphtha launch held loosely in his hand.
+
+"Mr. Opp?" said Jimmy. "I bet he did. If there is one person in the
+world that's got a talent for missing things, it's Mr. Opp. I never seen
+him that he hadn't just missed gettin' a thousand dollar job, or
+inventin' a patent, or bein' hurt when he had took out a accident
+policy. If he did ketch a train, like enough it was goin' the wrong
+way."
+
+Jimmy had been waiting since nine in the morning, and it was now well
+past noon. He was a placid gentleman of curvilinear type, short of limb
+and large of girth. His trousers, of that morose hue termed by the
+country people "plum," reached to his armpits, and his hat, large and
+felt and weather-beaten, was only prevented from eclipsing his head by
+the stubborn resistance of two small, knob-like ears.
+
+"Mr. Opp ain't been back to the Cove for a long while, has he?" asked
+the ferryman, whose intellectual life depended solely upon the crumbs of
+information scattered by chance passers-by.
+
+"Goin' on two years," said Mr. Fallows. "Reckon he's been so busy
+formin' trusts and buyin' out railways and promotin' things generally
+that he ain't had any time to come back home. It's his step-pa's funeral
+that's bringin' him now. The only time city folks seem to want to see
+their kin folks in the country is when they are dead."
+
+"Ain't that him a-comin' down the bank?" asked the ferryman, shading
+his eyes with his hands.
+
+Mr. Fallows, with some difficulty, got to his feet.
+
+"Yes, that's him all right. Hustlin' to beat the band. Wonder if he
+takes me for a street car."
+
+Coming with important stride down the wharf, and whistling as he came,
+was a small man of about thirty-five. In one hand he carried a large
+suit-case, and in the other a new and shining grip. On both were
+painted, in letters designed to be seen, "D. Webster Opp, Kentucky."
+
+In fact, everything about him was evidently designed to be seen. His new
+suit of insistent plaid, his magnificent tie sagging with the weight of
+a colossal scarf-pin, his brown hat, his new tan shoes, all demanded
+individual and instant attention.
+
+The only insignificant thing about Mr. Opp was himself. His slight,
+undeveloped body seemed to be in a chronic state of apology for failing
+properly to set off the glorious raiment wherewith it was clothed. His
+pock-marked face, wide at the temples, sloped to a small, pointed chin,
+which, in turn, sloped precipitously into a long, thin neck. It was Mr.
+Opp's eyes, however, that one saw first, for they were singularly vivid,
+with an expression that made strangers sometimes pause in the street to
+ask him if he had spoken to them. Small, pale, and red of rim, they
+nevertheless held the look of intense hunger--hunger for the hope or the
+happiness of the passing moment.
+
+As he came bustling down to the water's-edge he held out a friendly hand
+to Jimmy Fallows.
+
+"How are you, Jimmy?" he said in a voice freighted with importance.
+"Hope I haven't kept you waiting long. Several matters of business come
+up at the last and final moment, and I missed the morning train."
+
+Jimmy, who was pouring gasolene into a tank in the launch, treated the
+ferryman to a prodigious wink.
+
+"Oh, not more'n four or five hour," he said, casting side glances of
+mingled scorn and admiration at Mr. Opp's attire. "It is a good thing
+it was the funeral you was tryin' to get to instid of the death-bed."
+
+"Oh, that reminds me," said Mr. Opp, suddenly exchanging his air of
+cheerfulness for one of becoming gravity--"what time is the funeral
+obsequies going to take place?"
+
+"Whenever we git there," said Jimmy, pushing off the launch and waving
+his hand to the ferryman. "You're one of the chief mourners, and I'm the
+undertaker; there ain't much danger in us gettin' left."
+
+Mr. Opp deposited his baggage carefully on the seat, and spread his coat
+across the new grip to keep it from getting splashed.
+
+"How long was Mr. Moore sick?" he asked, fanning himself with his hat.
+
+"Well," said Jimmy, "he was in a dangerous and critical condition for
+about twenty-one years, accordin' to his own account. I been seein' him
+durin' that time on a average of four times a day, and last night when
+I seen him in his coffin it was the first time the old gentleman failed
+to ask me to give him a drink on account of his poor health."
+
+"Is Ben there?" asked Mr. Opp, studying a time-table, and making a note
+in his memorandum-book.
+
+"Your brother Ben? Yes; he come this mornin' just before I left. He was
+cussin' considerable because you wasn't there, so's they could go on and
+git through. He wants to start back to Missouri to-night."
+
+"Is he out at the house?"
+
+"No; he's at Your Hotel."
+
+Mr. Opp looked up in surprise, and Jimmy chuckled.
+
+"That there's the name of my new hotel. Started up sence you went away.
+Me and old man Tucker been running boardin'-houses side by side all
+these years. What did he do last summer but go out and git him a sign as
+big as the side of the house, and git Nick Fenny to paint 'Our Hotel' on
+it; then he put it up right across the sidewalk, from the gate clean
+out to the road. I didn't say nothin', but let the boys keep on
+a-kiddin' me till the next day; then I got me a sign jus' like his, with
+'Your Hotel' on it, and put it up crost my sidewalk. He'd give a pretty
+if they was both down now; but he won't take his down while mine is up,
+and I ain't got no notion of taking it down."
+
+"Yes," said Mr. Opp, absently, for his mind was still on the time-table;
+"I see that there's an accommodation that departs out of Coreyville in
+the neighborhood of noon to-morrow. It's a little unconvenient, I'm
+afraid, but do you think you could get me back in time to take it?"
+
+"Why, what's yer hurry?" asked Jimmy, steering for mid-stream. "I
+thought you'd come to visit a spell, with all them bags and things."
+
+Mr. Opp carelessly tossed back the sleeve of the coat, to display more
+fully the name on the suit-case. "Them's drummers' samples," he said
+almost reverently--"the finest line of shoes that have ever been put
+out by any house in the United States, bar none."
+
+"Why, I thought you was in the insurance business," said Jimmy.
+
+"Oh, no; that was last year, just previous to my reporting on a
+newspaper. This"--and Mr. Opp tried to spread out his hands, but was
+slightly deterred by the size of his cuffs--"this is the chance I been
+looking for all my life. It takes brains and a' educated nerve, and a
+knowledge of the world. I ought to create considerable capital in the
+next few years. And just as soon as I do"--and Mr. Opp leaned earnestly
+toward Jimmy, and tapped one finger upon the palm of his other
+hand--"just as soon as I do, I intend to buy up all the land lying
+between Turtle Creek and the river. There's enough oil under that there
+ground to ca'm the troubled waters of the Pacific Ocean. You remember
+old Mr. Beeker? Well, he told me, ten years ago, that he bored a well
+for brine over there, and it got so full of black petroleum he had to
+abandon it. Now, I'm calculating on forming a stock company,--you and
+Mr. Tucker, I and old man Hager, and one or two others,--and buying up
+that ground. Then we'll sink a test well, get up a derrick and a'
+engine, and have the thing running in no time. The main thing is a
+competent manager. You know I'm thinking seriously of taking it myself?
+It's too big a proposition to run any risks with."
+
+"Here, say, wait a minute; how long have you had this here shoe job?"
+Jimmy caught madly at the first fact in sight to keep him from being
+swept away by the flood of Mr. Opp's oily possibilities.
+
+"I taken it last week," said Mr. Opp; "had to go all the way to Chicago
+to get my instructions, and to get fitted out. My territory is a
+specially important one; four counties, all round Chicago."
+
+"I was in Chicago oncet," said Jimmy, his eyes brightening at the
+memory. "By golly! if the world is as big in every direction as it is in
+that, she's a whopper!"
+
+The wind, freshening as they got under way, loosened the canvas
+overhead, and Mr. Opp rose to buckle it into place. As he half knelt in
+the bow of the boat, he lifted his face to the cool breeze, and took a
+deep breath of satisfaction. The prosaic river from Coreyville to the
+Cove was the highway he knew best in the world. Under the summer
+sunshine the yellow waters lost their sullen hue, and reflected patches
+of vivid red and white from the cottages and barns that dotted the
+distant shore.
+
+"I don't consider there's any sceneries in the country that'll even
+begin to compare with these here," Mr. Opp announced, out of the depths
+of his wide experience. "Just look at the sunshine pouring forth around
+the point of the island. It spills through the trees and leaks out over
+the water just like quicksilver. Now, that's a good thought! It's
+perfectly astounding, you might say surprising, how easy thoughts come
+to me. I ought to been a writer; lots of folks have said so. Why, there
+ain't a day of my life that I don't get a poem in my head."
+
+"Shucks!" observed Jimmy Fallows. "I'd as lief read figgers on a
+tow-boat as to read poetry. Old man Gusty used to write poetry, but he
+couldn't get nobody to print it, so he decided to start a newspaper at
+the Cove and chuck it full of his own poems. He bought a whole printin'
+outfit, and set it up in Pete Aker's old carpenter shop out there at the
+edge of town, opposite his home. But 'fore he got his paper started he
+up and died. Yes, sir; and the only one of his poems that he ever did
+git in print was the one his wife had cut on his tombstone."
+
+Mr. Opp was not listening. With his head bared and his lips parted he
+was indulging in his principal weakness. For Mr. Opp, it must be
+confessed, was given to violent intoxication, not from an extraneous
+source, but from too liberal draughts of his own imagination. In
+extenuation, the claims of genius might be urged, for a genius he
+unquestionably was in that he created something out of nothing. Out of
+an abnormal childhood, a lonely boyhood, and a failure-haunted manhood,
+he had managed to achieve an absorbing career. Each successive
+enterprise had loomed upon his horizon big with possibilities, and
+before it sank to oblivion, another scheme, portentous, significant, had
+filled its place. Life was a succession of crises, and through them he
+saw himself moving, now a shrewd merchant, now a professional man, again
+an author of note, but oftenest of all a promoter of great enterprises,
+a financier, and man of affairs.
+
+While he was thus mentally engaged in drilling oil-wells, composing
+poetry, and selling shoes, Jimmy Fallows was contemplating with
+fascinated wonder an object that floated from his coat pocket. From a
+brown-paper parcel, imperfectly wrapped, depended a curl of golden hair,
+and it bobbed about in the breeze in a manner that reduced Mr. Fallows
+to a state of abject curiosity.
+
+So intent was Jimmy upon his investigation that he failed to hold his
+course, and the launch swung around the end of the island with such a
+sudden jerk that Mr. Opp took an unexpected seat.
+
+As he did so, his hand touched the paper parcel in his pocket, and
+realizing that it was untied, he hastily endeavored, by a series of
+surreptitious manoeuvers, to conceal what it contained. Feeling the
+quizzical eye of his shipmate full upon him, he assumed an air of
+studied indifference, and stoically ignored the subterranean chuckles
+and knowing winks in which Mr. Fallows indulged.
+
+Presently, when the situation had become poignant, Mr. Opp observed that
+he supposed the funeral would take place from the church.
+
+"I reckon so," said Jimmy, reluctantly answering to the call of the
+conversational rudder. "I told the boys to have a hack there for you and
+Mr. Ben and Miss Kippy."
+
+"I don't think my sister will be there," said Mr. Opp, with dignity;
+"she seldom or never leaves the house."
+
+"Reckon Mr. Ben will have to take keer of her now," said Jimmy; "she
+surely will miss her pa. He never done a lick of work since I knowed
+him, but he was a nice, quiet old fellow, and he certainly was good to
+pore Miss Kippy."
+
+"Mr. Moore was a gentleman," said Mr. Opp, and he sighed.
+
+"Ain't she got any kin on his side? No folks except you two
+half-brothers?"
+
+"That's all," said Mr. Opp; "just I and Ben."
+
+"Gee! that's kind of tough on you all, ain't it?"
+
+But the sympathy was untimely, for Mr. Opp's dignity had been touched in
+a sensitive place.
+
+"Our sister will be well provided for," he said, and the conversation
+suffered a relapse.
+
+Mr. Opp went back to his time-tables and his new note-book, and for the
+rest of the trip Jimmy devoted himself to his wheel, with occasional
+ocular excursions in the direction of Mr. Opp's coat pocket.
+
+
+
+
+II
+
+
+Lying in the crook of the river's elbow, with the nearest railroad
+eighteen miles away, Cove City, familiarly known as the Cove, rested
+serenely undisturbed by the progress of the world. Once a day, at any
+time between sundown and midnight, it was roused from its drowsiness by
+the arrival of the mail-boat, and, shaking itself into temporary
+wakefulness, sat up and rubbed its eyes. This animation was, however, of
+short duration, for before the packet had whistled for the next landing,
+the Cove had once more settled back into slumber.
+
+Main Street began with a shabby, unpainted school-house, and following
+dramatic sequence, ended abruptly in the graveyard. Two cross-streets,
+which had started out with laudable ideas of independence, lost courage
+at Main Street and sought strength in union; but the experiment was not
+successful, and a cow-path was the result. The only semblance of
+frivolity about the town was a few straggling cottages on stilts of
+varying height as they approached the river; for they seemed ever in the
+act of holding up their skirts preparatory to wading forth into the
+water.
+
+On this particular summer afternoon Cove City was less out of crimp than
+usual. The gathering of loafers that generally decorated the empty boxes
+piled along the sidewalk was missing. The old vehicles and weary-looking
+mules which ordinarily formed an irregular fringe along the hitching
+rail were conspicuously absent. A subdued excitement was in the air, and
+at the slightest noise feminine heads appeared at windows, and masculine
+figures appeared in doorways, and comments were exchanged in low tones
+from one side of the street to the other. For the loss of a citizen,
+even a poor one, disturbs the surface of affairs, and when the event
+brings two relatives from a distance, the ripples of excitement increase
+perceptibly.
+
+Mr. Moore had been a citizen-in-law, as it were, and had never been
+considered in any other light than poor Mrs. Opp's widower. Mrs. Opp's
+poor widower might have been a truer way of stating it, but even a town
+has its parental weaknesses.
+
+For two generations the Opp family had been a source of mystery and
+romance to the Cove. It stood apart, like the house that held it, poor
+and shabby, but bearing a baffling atmosphere of gentility, of
+superiority, and of reserve.
+
+Old women recalled strange tales of the time when Mrs. Opp had come to
+the Cove as a bride, and how she refused to meet any of the townspeople,
+and lived alone in the old house on the river-bank, watching from hour
+to hour for the wild young husband who clerked on one of the river
+steamers. They told how she grew thin and white with waiting, and how,
+when her two boys were small, she made them stand beside her for hours
+at a time, watching the river and listening for the whistle of his boat.
+Then the story went that the gay young husband stopped coming
+altogether, and still she watched and waited, never allowing the boys
+out of her sight, refusing to send them to school, or to let them play
+with other children. By and by word was brought that her husband had
+been killed in a quarrel over cards, and little Mrs. Opp, having nothing
+now to watch for and to wait for, suddenly became strangely changed.
+
+Old Aunt Tish, the negro servant, was the only person who ever crossed
+the threshold, and she told of a strange life that went on behind the
+closely curtained windows, where the sunlight was never allowed to
+enter, and lamps burned all day long.
+
+"Yas, 'm," she used to say in answer to curious questionings; "hit's jes
+like play-actin' all de time. The Missis dress herself up, an' 'tend
+like she's a queen or a duke or somethin', an' dat little D. he jes
+acts out all dem fool things she tells him to, an' he ain't never bein'
+hisself at all, but jes somebody big and mighty and grand-like."
+
+When the boys were half-grown, a stranger appeared in the Cove, a dapper
+little man of about fifty in a shabby frock-coat and a shabbier high
+hat, kind of face and gentle of voice, but with the dignity of conscious
+superiority. The day of his arrival he called upon Mrs. Opp; the second
+day he took a preacher with him and married her. Whatever old romance
+had led to this climax could only be dimly guessed at by the curious
+townspeople.
+
+For two years Mr. Moore fought for the mind of his old sweetheart as he
+had long ago fought for her heart. He opened the house to the sunshine,
+and coaxed the little lady back into the world she had forgotten. The
+boys were sent to school, the old games and fancies were forbidden.
+Gradually the color returned to her cheeks, and the light to her eyes.
+
+Then little Kippy was born, and happiness such as seldom comes to one
+who has tasted the dregs of life came to the frail little woman in the
+big four-poster bed. For ten days she held the baby fingers to her
+heart, and watched the little blossom of a maid unfold.
+
+But one black night, when the rain beat against the panes, and the moan
+of the river sounded in her ears, she suddenly sat up in bed: she had
+heard the whistle of _his_ boat! Full of dumb terror she crept to the
+window, and with her face pressed against the glass she waited and
+watched. The present was swallowed up in the past. She was once more
+alone, unloved, afraid. Stealthily snatching a cloak, she crept down
+into the garden, feeling her way through the sodden grass, and the
+jimpson weed which the rain had beaten down.
+
+And ever since, when children pass the house on their way to school,
+they peep through the broken fence rails, and point out to one another,
+in awed tones, the tree under which Miss Kippy's mother killed herself.
+Then they look half-fearfully at the windows in the hope of catching a
+glimpse of Miss Kippy herself.
+
+For Kippy had had a long illness in her thirteenth year which left her
+with the face and mind of a little child, and kindly, shabby Mr. Moore,
+having made the supreme effort of his life, from this time on ceased to
+struggle against the weakness that for half a lifetime had beset him,
+and sought oblivion in innocuous but perpetual libations. The one duty
+which he recognized was the care of his invalid daughter.
+
+As soon as they were old enough, the boys launched their small craft and
+set forth to seek their fortunes. Ben, with no cargo on board but his
+own desires, went west and found a snug and comfortable harbor, while D.
+Webster, the hope of his mother and the pride of the town, was at
+thirty-five still putting out to sea, with all sail set, only to find
+himself again and again aground on the sandbars of the old familiar
+Cove.
+
+
+
+
+III
+
+
+Jimmy Fallows, being the boastful possessor of the fleetest horse in
+town, was the first to return from the funeral. Extricating himself with
+some difficulty from the narrow-seated buggy, he held out his hand to
+Mrs. Fallows. But that imposing lady, evidently offended with her jovial
+lord, refused his proffered aid, and clambered out over the wheel on the
+other side.
+
+Mrs. Fallows, whose architectural effects were strictly perpendicular,
+cast a perpetual shadow of disapproval over the life partner whom it had
+pleased Providence to bestow upon her. Jimmy was a born satirist; he
+knew things are not what they seem, and he wickedly rejoiced thereat. To
+his literal, pious-minded wife he at times seemed the incarnation of
+wickedness.
+
+Sweeping with dignity beneath the arching sign of Your Hotel, she took
+her seat upon the porch, and, disposing her sable robes about her,
+folded her mitted hands, and waited to see the people return from the
+funeral.
+
+Jimmy, with the uncertain expression of one who is ready to apologize,
+but cannot remember the offense, hovered about uneasily, casting
+tempting bits of conversational bait into the silence, but failing to
+attract so much as a nibble of attention.
+
+"Miss Jemima Fenny was over to the funeral from Birdtown. Miss Jim is
+one of 'em, ain't she?"
+
+There was no response.
+
+"Had her brother Nick with her. He's just gettin' over typhoid fever;
+looks about the size and color of a slate pencil. I bet, in spite of
+Miss Jim's fine clothes, they ain't had a square meal for a month.
+That's because she kept him at school so long when he orter been at
+work. He did git a job in a newspaper office over at Coreyville not
+long 'fore he was took sick. They tell me he's as slick as a onion about
+newspaper work."
+
+Continued silence; but Jimmy boldly cast another fly:
+
+"Last funeral we had was Mrs. Tucker's, wasn't it? Old man Tucker was
+there to-day. Crape band on his hat is climbin' up; it'll be at high
+mast ag'in soon."
+
+Dense, nerve-racking silence; but Jimmy made one more effort:
+
+"The Opps are coming back here to-night to talk things over before Ben
+goes on to Missouri. He counts on ketchin' the night boat. It won't give
+him much time, will it?"
+
+But Mrs. Fallows, unrelaxed, stared fixedly before her; she had taken
+refuge in that most trying of all rejoinders, silence, and the fallible
+Jimmy, who waxed strong and prospered upon abuse, drooped and languished
+under this new and cruel form of punishment.
+
+It was not until a buggy stopped at the door, and the Opp brothers
+descended, that the tension was in any way relieved.
+
+Jimmy greeted them with the joy of an Arctic explorer welcoming a relief
+party.
+
+"Come right on in here, in the office," he cried hospitably; "your
+talkin' won't bother me a speck."
+
+But Ben abruptly expressed his desire for more private quarters, and led
+the way up-stairs.
+
+The low-ceiled room into which he ushered D. Webster was of such a
+depressing drab that even the green and red bed-quilt failed to disperse
+the gloom. The sole decoration, classic in its severity, was a large
+advertisement for a business college, whereon an elk's head grew out of
+a bow of ribbon, the horns branching and rebranching into a forest of
+curves and flourishes.
+
+The elder Opp took his seat by the window, and drummed with impatient
+fingers on the sill. He was small, like his brother, but of a compact,
+sturdy build. His chin, instead of dwindling to a point, was square and
+stubborn, and his eyes looked straight ahead at the thing he wanted,
+and neither saw nor cared for what lay outside. He had been trying ever
+since leaving the cemetery to bring the conversation down to practical
+matters, but D. Webster, seizing the first opportunity of impressing
+himself upon his next of kin, had persisted in indulging in airy and
+time-destroying flights of fancy.
+
+The truth is that our Mr. Opp was not happy. In his secret heart he felt
+a bit apologetic before the material success of his elder brother. Hence
+it was necessary to talk a great deal and to set forth in detail the
+very important business enterprises upon which he was about to embark.
+
+Presently Ben Opp looked at his watch.
+
+"See here," he interrupted, "that boat may be along at any time. We'd
+better come to some decision about the estate."
+
+D. Webster ran his fingers through his hair, which stood in valiant
+defense of the small bald spot behind it.
+
+"Yes, yes," he said; "business is business. I'll have to be off myself
+the very first thing in the morning. This funeral couldn't have come at
+a more unfortunate time for me. You see, my special territory--"
+
+But Ben saw the danger of another bolt, and checked him:
+
+"How much do you think the old house is worth?"
+
+D. Webster drew forth his shiny note-book and pencil and made elaborate
+calculations.
+
+"I should say," he said, as one financier to another, "that including of
+the house and land and contents of same, it would amount to the whole
+sum total of about two thousand dollars."
+
+"That is about what I figured," said Ben; "now, how much money is in the
+bank?"
+
+D. Webster produced a formidable packet of letters and papers from his
+inside pocket and, after some searching, succeeded in finding a
+statement, which set forth the fact that the Ripper County Bank held in
+trust one thousand dollars, to be divided between the children of Mary
+Opp Moore at the death of her husband, Curtis V. Moore.
+
+"One thousand dollars!" said Ben, looking blankly at his brother, "Why,
+for heaven's sake, what have Mr. Moore and Kippy been living on all
+these years?"
+
+D. Webster moved uneasily in his chair. "Oh, they've managed to get
+along first rate," he said evasively.
+
+His brother looked at him narrowly. "On the interest of a thousand
+dollars?" He leaned forward, and his face hardened: "See here, have you
+been putting up cash all this time for that old codger to loaf on? Is
+that why you have never gotten ahead?"
+
+D. Webster, with hands in his pockets and his feet stretched in front of
+him, was blinking in furious embarrassment at the large-eyed elk
+overhead.
+
+"To think," went on Ben, his slow wrath rising, "of your staying here in
+Kentucky all these years and handing out what you made to that old
+sponger. I cut loose and made a neat little sum, married, and settled
+down. And what have you done? Where have you gotten? Anybody that would
+let himself be imposed upon like that deserves to fail. Now what do you
+propose to do about this money?"
+
+Mr. Opp did not propose to do anything. The affront offered his business
+sagacity was of such a nature that it demanded all his attention. He
+composed various denunciatory answers with which to annihilate his
+brother. He hesitated between two courses, whether he should hurl
+himself upon him in righteous indignation and demand physical
+satisfaction, or whether he should rise in a calm and manly attitude and
+wither him with blighting sarcasm. And while the decision was pending,
+he still sat with his hands in his pockets, and his feet stretched
+forth, and blinked indignantly at the ornate elk.
+
+"The estate," continued Ben, contempt still in his face, "amounts at
+most to three thousand dollars, after the house is sold. Part of this,
+of course, will go to the maintenance of Kippy."
+
+At mention of her name, Mr. Opp's gaze dropped abruptly to his brother's
+face.
+
+"What about Kippy? She's going to live with you, ain't she?" he asked
+anxiously.
+
+Ben Opp shook his head emphatically. "She certainly is not. I haven't
+the slightest idea of burdening myself and family with that
+feeble-minded girl."
+
+"But see here," said Mr. Opp, his anger vanishing in the face of this
+new complication, "you don't know Kippy; she's just similar to a little
+child, quiet and gentle-like. Never give anybody any trouble in her
+life. Just plays with her dolls and sings to herself all day."
+
+"Exactly," said Ben; "twenty-five years old and still playing with
+dolls. I saw her yesterday, dressed up in all sorts of foolish toggery,
+talking to her hands, and laughing. Aunt Tish humors her, and her father
+humored her, but I'm not going to. I feel sorry for her all right, but
+I am not going to take her home with me."
+
+D. Webster nervously twisted the large seal ring which he wore on his
+forefinger. "Then what do you mean," he said hesitatingly--"what do you
+want to do about it?"
+
+"Why, send her to an asylum, of course. That's where she ought to have
+been all these years."
+
+Mr. Opp, sitting upon the small of his back, with one leg wrapped
+casually about the leg of the chair, stared at him for a moment in
+consternation, then, gathering himself together, rose and for the first
+time since we have met him seemed completely to fill his checked
+ready-made suit.
+
+"Send Kippy to a lunatic asylum!" he said in tones so indignant that
+they made his chin tremble. "You will do nothing whatever of the kind!
+Why, all she's ever had in the world was her pa and Aunt Tish and her
+home; now he's gone, you ain't wanting to take the others away from her
+too, are you?"
+
+"Well, who is going to take care of her?" demanded Ben angrily.
+
+"I am," announced D. Webster, striking as fine an attitude as ever his
+illustrious predecessor struck; "you take the money that's in the bank,
+and leave me the house and Kippy. That'll be her share and mine. I can
+take care of her; I don't ask favors of nobody. Suppose I do lose my
+job; I'll get me another. There's a dozen ways I can make a living.
+There ain't a man in the State that's got more resources than me. I got
+plans laid now that'll revolutionize--"
+
+"Yes," said Ben, quietly, "you always could do great things."
+
+D. Webster's egotism, inflated to the utmost, burst at this prick, and
+he suddenly collapsed. Dropping limply into the chair by the table, he
+held his hand over his mouth to hide his agitation.
+
+"There's--there's one thing," he began, swallowing violently, and
+winking after each word, "that I--I can't do--and that's to leave
+a--sister--to die--among strangers."
+
+And then, to his mortification, his head went unexpectedly down upon his
+arms, and a flood of tears bedimmed the radiance of his twenty-five-cent
+four-in-hand.
+
+From far down the river came the whistle of the boat, and, in the room
+below, Jimmy Fallows removed a reluctant ear from the stove-pipe hole.
+
+"Melindy," he said confidentially, entirely forgetting the late frost,
+"I never see anybody in the world that stood as good a show of gittin'
+the fool prize as that there D. Opp."
+
+
+
+
+IV
+
+
+The old Opp House stood high on the river-bank and gazed lonesomely out
+into the summer night. It was a shabby, down-at-heel, dejected-looking
+place, with one side showing faint lights, above and below, but the
+other side so nailed up and empty and useless that it gave the place the
+appearance of being paralyzed down one side and of having scarcely
+enough vitality left to sustain life in the other.
+
+To make matters worse, an old hound howled dismally on the door-step,
+only stopping occasionally to paw at the iron latch and to whimper for
+the master whose unsteady footsteps he had followed for thirteen years.
+
+In the front room a shaded lamp, turned low, threw a circle of light on
+the table and floor, leaving the corners full of vague, uncertain
+shadows. From the wide, black fireplace a pair of rusty and battered
+andirons held out empty arms, and on the high stone shelf above the
+opening, flanked on each side by a stuffed owl, was a tall, square-faced
+clock, with the hour-hand missing. The minute-hand still went on its
+useless round, and behind it, on the face of the clock, a tiny schooner
+with all sail set rocked with the swinging of the pendulum.
+
+The loud ticking of the clock, and the lamentations of the hound
+without, were not the only sounds that disturbed the night. Before the
+empty fireplace, in a high-backed, cane-bottomed chair, slept an old
+negress, with head bowed, moaning and muttering as she slept. She was
+bent and ashen with age, and her brown skin sagged in long wrinkles from
+her face and hands. On her forehead, reaching from brow to faded turban,
+was a hideous testimony to some ancient conflict. A large, irregular
+hole, over which the flesh had grown, pulsed as sentiently and
+imperatively as a naked, living heart.
+
+A shutter slammed sharply somewhere in the house above, and something
+stirred fearfully in the shadow of the room. It was a small figure that
+crouched against the wall, listening and watching with the furtive
+terror of a newly captured coyote--the slight figure of a woman dressed
+as a child, with short gingham dress, and heelless slippers, and a
+bright ribbon holding back the limp, flaxen hair from her strange,
+pinched face.
+
+Again and again her wide, frightened eyes sought the steps leading to
+the room above, and sometimes she would lean forward and whisper in
+agonized expectancy, "Daddy?" Then when no answer came, she would
+shudder back against the wall, cold and shaking and full of dumb
+terrors.
+
+Suddenly the hound's howling changed to a sharp bark, and the old
+negress stirred and stretched herself.
+
+"What ails dat air dog?" she mumbled, going to the window, and shading
+her eyes with her hand. "You'd 'low to hear him tell it he done heared
+old master coming up de road."
+
+That somebody was coming was evident from the continued excitement of
+the hound, and when the gate slammed and a man's voice sounded in the
+darkness, Aunt Tish opened the door, throwing a long, dim patch of light
+out across the narrow porch and over the big, round stepping-stones
+beyond.
+
+Into the light came Mr. Opp, staggering under the load of his baggage,
+his coat over his arm, his collar off, thoroughly spent with the events
+of the day.
+
+"Lord 'a' mercy!" said Aunt Tish, "if hit ain't Mr. D.! I done give you
+up long ago. I certainly is glad you come. Miss Kippy's jes carrying on
+like ever'thing. She ain't been to baid for two nights, an' I can't do
+nothin' 't all wif her."
+
+Mr. Opp deposited his things in a corner, and, tired as he was, assumed
+an air of authority. It was evident that a man was needed, a person of
+firmness, of decision.
+
+"I'll see that she goes to bed at once," he said resolutely. "Where is
+she at?"
+
+"She's behind de door," said Aunt Tish; "she's be'n so skeered ever
+sence her paw died I can't do nothin' wif her."
+
+"Kippy," said Mr. Opp, sternly, "come out here this minute."
+
+But there was no response. Going to the corner where his coat lay, he
+took from the pocket a brown-paper parcel.
+
+"Say, Kippy," he said in a greatly mollified tone, "I wish you would
+come on out here and see me. You remember brother D., don't you? You
+ought to see what I brought you all the way from the city. It's got blue
+eyes."
+
+At this the small, grotesque figure, distrustful, suspicious, ready to
+take flight at a word, ventured slowly forth. So slight she was, and so
+frail, and so softly she moved, it was almost as if the wind blew her
+toward him. Every thought that came into her brain was instantly
+reflected in her hypersensitive face, and as she stood before him
+nervously plucking her fingers, fear and joy struggled for supremacy.
+Suddenly with a low cry she snatched the doll from him and clasped it to
+her heart.
+
+Meanwhile Aunt Tish had spread a cloth on the table and set forth some
+cold corn dodger, a pitcher of foaming butter-milk, and a plate of cold
+corned beef. The milk was in a battered pewter pitcher, but the dish
+that held the corn bread was of heavy silver, with intricate chasings
+about the rim.
+
+Mr. Opp, with his head propped on his hand, ate wearily. He had been up
+since four o'clock that morning, and to-morrow he must be up at daybreak
+if he was to keep his engagements to supply the dealers with the
+greatest line of shoes ever put upon the market. Between now and then he
+must decide many things: Kippy must be planned for, the house gone over,
+and arrangements made for the future. Being behind the scenes, as it
+were, and having no spectator to impress, he allowed himself to sink
+into an attitude of extreme dejection. And Mr. Opp, shorn of the
+dignity of his heavily padded coat, and his imposing collar and tie, and
+with even his pompadour limp upon his forehead, failed entirely to give
+a good imitation of himself.
+
+As he sat thus, with one hand hanging limply over the back of the chair,
+he felt something touch it softly, dumbly, as a dog might. Looking down,
+he discovered Miss Kippy sitting on the floor, close behind him,
+watching him with furtive eyes. In one arm she cradled the new doll, and
+in the other she held his coat.
+
+Mr. Opp patted her cheek: "Whatever are you doing with my coat?" he
+asked.
+
+Miss Kippy held it behind her, and nodded her head wisely: "Keeping it
+so you can't go away," she whispered. "I'll hold it tight all night.
+To-morrow I'll hide it."
+
+"But I'm a business man," said Mr. Opp, unconsciously straightening his
+shoulders. "A great deal of responsibility depends on me. I've got to be
+off early in the morning; but I'm coming back to see you real
+often--every now and then."
+
+Miss Kippy's whole attitude changed. She caught his hand and clung to
+it, and the terror came back to her eyes.
+
+"You mustn't go," she whispered, her body quivering with excitement.
+"It'll get me if you do. Daddy kept It away, and you can keep It away;
+but Aunt Tish can't: she's afraid of It, too! She goes to sleep, and
+then It reaches at me through the window. It comes down the chimney,
+there--where you see the brick's loose. Don't leave me, D. Hush, don't
+you hear It?"
+
+Her voice had risen to hysteria, and she clung to him, cold and shaken
+by the fear that possessed her.
+
+Mr. Opp put a quieting arm about her. "Why, see here, Kippy," he said,
+"didn't you know It was afraid of me? Look how strong I am! I could kill
+It with my little finger."
+
+"Could you?" asked Miss Kippy, fearfully.
+
+"Yes, indeed," said Mr. Opp. "Don't you ever be scared of anything
+whatsoever when Brother D.'s round. I'm going to take care of you from
+now on."
+
+"This me is bad," announced Miss Kippy; "the other me is good. Her name
+is Oxety; she has one blue eye and one brown."
+
+"Well, Oxety must go to bed now," said Mr. Opp; "it must be getting
+awful late."
+
+But Miss Kippy shook her head. "You might go 'way," she said.
+
+Finding that he could not persuade her, Mr. Opp resorted to strategy:
+"I'll tell you what let's me and you do. Let's put your slippers on your
+hands."
+
+This proposition met with instant approval. It appealed to Miss Kippy as
+a brilliant suggestion. She assisted in unbuttoning the single straps
+and watched with glee as they were fastened about her wrists.
+
+[Illustration: "'Don't leave me'"]
+
+"Now," said Mr. Opp, with assumed enthusiasm, "we'll make the slippers
+walk you up-stairs, and after Aunt Tish undresses you, they shall walk
+you to bed. Won't that be fun?"
+
+Miss Kippy's fancy was so tickled by this suggestion that she put it
+into practice at once, and went gaily forth up the steps on all fours.
+At the turn she stopped, and looked at him wistfully:
+
+"You'll come up before I go to sleep?" she begged; "Daddy did."
+
+Half an hour later Aunt Tish came down the narrow stairway: "She done
+gone to baid now, laughin' an' happy ag'in," she said; "she never did
+have dem spells when her paw was round, an' sometimes dat chile jes as
+clear in her mind as you an' me is."
+
+"What is it she's afraid of?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+Aunt Tish leaned toward him across the table, and the light of the lamp
+fell full upon her black, bead-like eyes, and her sunken jaws, and on
+the great palpitating scar.
+
+"De ghosties," she whispered; "dey been worriting dat chile ever' chance
+dey git. _I_ hear 'em! Dey wait till I take a nap of sleep, den dey
+comes sneakin' in to pester her. She says dey ain't but one, but I hears
+heaps ob 'em, some ob 'em so little dey kin climb onder de crack in de
+door."
+
+"Look a-here, Aunt Tish," said Mr. Opp, sternly, "don't you ever talk a
+word of this foolishness to her again. Not one word, do you hear?"
+
+"Yas, sir; dat's what Mr. Moore allays said, an' I _don't_ talk to her
+'bout hit, I don't haf to. She done knows I know. I been livin' heah
+goin' on forty years, sence 'fore you was borned, an' you can't fool me,
+chile; no, sir, dat you can't."
+
+"Well, you must go to bed now," said Mr. Opp, looking up at the clock
+and seeing that it was half-past something though he did not know what.
+
+"I never goes to baid when I stays here," announced Aunt Tish; "I sets
+up in de kitchen an' sleeps. I's skeered dat chile run away; she 'low
+she gwine to some day. Her paw ketched her oncet gittin' in a boat down
+on de river-bank. She ain't gwine, while I's here, no sir-ee! I never
+leaves her in de daytime an' her paw never leaves her at night, dat is,
+when he's livin'."
+
+After she had gone, Mr. Opp ascended the stairway, and entered the room
+above. A candle sputtered on the table, and in its light he saw the
+wide, four-poster bed that had been his mother's, and in it the frail
+figure of little Miss Kippy. Her hair lay loose upon the pillow, and on
+her sleeping face, appealing in its helplessness, was a smile of perfect
+peace. The new doll lay on the table beside the candle, but clasped
+tightly in her arms was the coat of many checks.
+
+For a moment Mr. Opp stood watching her, then he drew his shirt-sleeve
+quickly across his eyes. As he turned to descend, his new shoes creaked
+painfully and, after he had carefully removed them, he tiptoed down,
+passed through the sitting-room and out upon the porch, where he sank
+down on the step and dropped his head on his arms.
+
+The night was very still, save for the croaking of a bullfrog, and the
+incessant scraping of a cedar-tree against the corner of the roof. From
+across the river, faint sparks of light shone out from cabin windows,
+and, below, a moving light now and then told of a passing scow. Once a
+steamboat slipped weirdly out of the darkness, sparkling with lights,
+and sending up faint sounds of music; but before the waves from the
+wheel had ceased to splash on the bank below, she was swallowed up in
+the darkness, leaving lonesomeness again.
+
+Mr. Opp sat staring out into the night, outwardly calm, but inwardly
+engaged in a mortal duel. The aggressive Mr. Opp of the gorgeous raiment
+and the seal ring, the important man of business, the ambitious
+financier, was in deadly combat with the insignificant Mr. Opp, he of
+the shirt-sleeves and the wilted pompadour, the delicate, sensitive,
+futile Mr. Opp who was incapable of everything but the laying down of
+his life for the sake of another.
+
+A dull line of light hovered on the horizon, and gradually the woods on
+the opposite shore took shape, then the big river itself, gray and
+shimmering, with streaks on the water where a snag broke the swift
+current.
+
+"Mr. D.," he heard Aunt Tish calling up the back stairs, "you better git
+out of baid; hit's sun-up."
+
+He rose stiffly and started back to the kitchen. As he passed through
+the front room, his eyes fell upon his new suit-case full of the
+treasured drummers' samples. Stooping down, he traced the large black
+letters with his finger and sighed deeply.
+
+Then he got up resolutely and marched to the kitchen door.
+
+"Aunt Tish," he said with authority, "you needn't mind about hurrying
+breakfast. I find there's very important business will keep me here in
+the Cove for the present."
+
+
+
+
+V
+
+
+There were two methods of communication in Cove City, both of which were
+equally effective. One was the telephone, which from a single, isolated
+case had developed into an epidemic, and the other, which enjoyed the
+dignity of precedence and established custom, was to tell Jimmy Fallows.
+
+Both of these currents of information soon overflowed with the news that
+Mr. D. Webster Opp had given up a good position in the city, and
+expected to establish himself in business in his native town. The nature
+of this business was agitating the community at large in only a degree
+less than it was agitating Mr. Opp himself.
+
+One afternoon Jimmy Fallows stood with his back to his front gate,
+suspended by his armpits from the pickets, and conducted business after
+his usual fashion. As a general retires to a hill-top to organize his
+forces and issue orders to his subordinates, so Jimmy hung upon his
+front fence and conducted the affairs of the town. He knew what time
+each farmer came in, where the "Helping Hands" were going to sew, where
+the doctor was, and where the services would be held next Sunday. He was
+coroner, wharf-master, undertaker, and notary, and the only thing in the
+heavens above or the earth below concerning which he did not attempt to
+give information was the arrival of the next steamboat.
+
+As he stood whittling a stick and cheerfully humming a tune of other
+days, he descried a small, alert figure coming up the road. The pace was
+so much brisker than the ordinary slow gait of the Cove that he
+recognized the person at once as Mr. Opp. Whereupon he lifted his voice
+and hailed a boy who was just vanishing down the street in the opposite
+direction:
+
+"Nick!" he called. "Aw, Nick Fenny! Tell Mat Lucas that Mr. Opp's
+uptown."
+
+Connection being thus made at one end of the line, he turned to effect
+it at the other. "Howdy, Brother Opp. Kinder dusty on the river, ain't
+it?"
+
+"Well, we _are_ experiencing considerable of warm weather at this
+juncture," said Mr. Opp, affably.
+
+"Mat Lucas has been hanging round here all day," said Jimmy. "He wants
+you to buy out a half-interest in his dry-goods store. What do you think
+about it?"
+
+"Well," said Mr. Opp, thrusting his thumbs into the armholes of his
+waistcoat, "I am considering of a great variety of different things. I
+been in the dry-goods business twice, and I can't say but what it ain't
+a pretty business. Of course," he added with a twinge, "my specialty are
+shoes."
+
+"Yes," said Jimmy; "but the folks here all gets their shoes at the drug
+store. Mr. Toddlinger's been carrying a line of shoes along with his
+pills and plasters ever sence he went into business."
+
+Mr. Opp looked up at the large sign overhead. "If you and Mr. Tucker
+wasn't both in the hotel business, I might be thinking of considering
+that."
+
+This proposition tickled Jimmy immensely. Chuckles of amusement agitated
+his rotund figure.
+
+"Why don't you buy us both out?" he asked. "We could sell out for
+nothing and make money."
+
+"Why, there's three boarders sitting over at Our Hotel now," said Mr.
+Opp, who rather fancied himself in the role of a genial host.
+
+"Yes," said Jimmy. "Old man Tucker's had 'em hanging out on the line all
+morning. I don't guess they got strength enough to walk around much
+after the meals he give 'em."
+
+"Of course," said Mr. Opp, wholly absorbed in his own affairs, "this is
+just temporarily for the time being, as it were. In a year or so, when
+my financial condition is sorter more established in a way, I intend to
+put through that oil-wells proposition. The fact that I am aiming at
+arriving to is what would you think the Cove was at present most in need
+of?"
+
+"Elbow-grease," said Jimmy, promptly. "The only two things that we ain't
+got that a city has, is elbow-grease and a newspaper."
+
+For a moment there was a silence, heavy with significance. Mr. Fallows's
+gaze penetrated the earth, while Mr. Opp's scanned the heavens; then
+they suddenly looked at each other, and the great idea was born.
+
+An editor! Mr. Opp's whole being thrilled responsive to the call. The
+thought of dwelling above the sordid bartering of commercial life, of
+being in a position to exercise those mental powers with which he felt
+himself so generously endowed, almost swept him off his feet. He had
+been a reporter once; for two golden weeks he had handed in
+police-court reports that fairly scintillated with verbal gems plucked
+at random from the dictionary. But the city editor had indicated as
+kindly as possible that his services were no longer required, vaguely
+suggesting that it was necessary to reduce the force; and Mr. Opp had
+assured him that he understood perfectly, and that he was ready to
+return at any future time. That apprenticeship, brief though it was,
+served as a foundation upon which Mr. Opp erected a tower of dazzling
+possibilities.
+
+"What's the matter with you takin' Mr. Gusty's old printin'-shop and
+startin' up business for yourself?" asked Jimmy.
+
+"Do you reckon she'd sell it?" asked Mr. Opp, anxiously.
+
+"Sell it?" said Jimmy. "Why, she's 'most ready to give it away to keep
+from having to pay Pete Aker's rent for the shop. Say--Mr. Gall--up," he
+called up the street to a man who was turning the corner, "is Mrs. Gusty
+at home?"
+
+The man, thus accosted, turned and came toward them.
+
+"Who is Mr. Gallop?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+"He's the new telephone girl," said Jimmy, with relish; "ain't been here
+but a month, and he's doing the largest and most profitable trade in
+tending to other folks's business you ever seen. Soft! Why, he must 'a'
+been raised on a pillow--He always puts me in mind of a highly educated
+pig: it sorter surprises and tickles you to see him walkin' round on his
+hind legs and talking like other people. Other day one of the boys, just
+to devil him, ast him to drive his team out home. I liked to 'a' died
+when I seen him tryin' to turn the corner, pullin' 'Gee' and hollerin'
+'Haw' with every breath. Old mules got their legs in a hard knot trying
+to do both at once, and the boys says when Gallop got out in the country
+he felt so bad about it he got down and 'pologized to the mules. How
+'bout that, Gallop--did you!" he concluded as the subject of the
+conversation arrived upon the scene.
+
+The new-comer, a plump, fair young man, who held one hand clasped
+affectionately in the other, blushed indignantly, but said nothing.
+
+"This here is Mr. Opp," went on Jimmy; "he wants to see Mrs. Gusty. Do
+you know whether he will ketch her at home or not?"
+
+Mr. Gallop was by this time paying the tribute of many an admiring
+glance to every detail of Mr. Opp's costume, and Mr. Opp, realizing
+this, assumed an air of cosmopolitan nonchalance, and toyed
+indifferently with his large watch-fob.
+
+When Mr. Gallop's admiration and attention had become focused upon Mr.
+Opp's ring, he suddenly turned on the faucet of his conversation, and
+allowed such a stream of general information to pour forth that Mr. Opp
+quite forgot to look imposing.
+
+"Mrs. Gusty telephoned early this morning to Mrs. Dorsey that she would
+come over and help her make preserves. Mrs. Dorsey got a big load of
+peaches from her father across the river. He's been down with the
+asthma, and had to call up the doctor twice in the night. And the doctor
+couldn't get the right medicine in town, and had me call up the city.
+They are going to send it down on the _Big Sandy_, but she's stuck in
+the locks, and goodness knows when she'll get here. She's--"
+
+"Excuse me," interrupted Mr. Opp, politely but firmly, "I've got to see
+Mrs. Gusty on very important business. Have you any idea whatsoever of
+when she will return back home?"
+
+"Yes," said Mr. Gallop, eager to oblige. "She's about home by this time.
+Miss Lou Diker is making her a dress, and she telephoned she'd be by to
+try it on 'bout four o'clock. I'll go up there with you, if you want me
+to."
+
+"Why don't you drive him!" suggested Jimmy. "You can borrow a pair of
+mules acrost the street."
+
+"Mr. Opp," said Mr. Gallop, feelingly, as they walked up Main Street, "I
+wouldn't treat a' insect like he treats me."
+
+"Oh, you mustn't mind Jimmy," said Mr. Opp, kindly; "he always sort of
+enjoys a little joke as he goes along. Why, I wouldn't be at all
+surprised if he even made a joke on me sometime. How long have you been
+in Cove City?"
+
+"Just a month," said Mr. Gallop. "It must look awful little to you,
+after all the big cities you been used to."
+
+Mr. Opp lengthened his stride. "Yes," he said largely; "quite small,
+quite little, in fact. No place for a business man; but for a
+professional man, a man that requires leisure to sort of cultivate his
+brain and that means to be a influence in the community, it's a good
+place, a remarkably good place."
+
+A hint, however vague, dropped into the mind of Mr. Gallop, caused
+instant fermentation. From long experience he had become an adept at
+extracting information from all who crossed his path. A preliminary
+interest, a breath or two of flattery by way of anesthetic, and his
+victim's secret was out before he knew it.
+
+"Reckon you are going up to talk insurance to Mrs. Gusty," he ventured
+tentatively.
+
+"No; oh, no," said Mr. Opp. "I formerly was in the insurance business,
+some time back. Very little prospects in it for a man of my nature. I
+have to have a chance to sorter spread out, you know--to use my own
+particular ideas about working things out."
+
+"What is your especial line?" asked Mr. Gallop, deferentially.
+
+"Shoe--" Mr. Opp began involuntarily, then checked
+himself--"journalism," he said, and the word seemed for the moment
+completely to fill space.
+
+At Mrs. Gusty's gate Mr. Gallop stopped.
+
+"I guess I ought to go back now," he said regretfully; "the telephone
+and telegraph office is right there in my room, and I never leave them
+day or night except just this one hour in the afternoon. It's awful
+trying. The farmers begin calling each other up at three o'clock in the
+morning. Say, I wish you'd step in sometime. I'd just love to have you.
+But you are so busy and got so many friends, you won't have much time
+for me, I guess."
+
+Mr. Opp thought otherwise. He said that no matter how pressed he was by
+various important duties, he was never too busy to see a friend. And he
+said it with the air of one who confers a favor, and Mr. Gallop received
+it as one who receives a favor, and they shook hands warmly and parted.
+
+
+
+
+VI
+
+
+Mr. Opp, absorbed in the great scheme which was taking definite form in
+his mind, did not discover until he reached the steps that some one was
+lying in a hammock on the porch.
+
+It was a dark-haired girl in a pink dress, with a pink bow in her hair
+and small bows on the toes of her high-heeled slippers--the very kind of
+person, in fact, that Mr. Opp was most desirous of avoiding.
+
+Fortunately she was asleep, and Mr. Opp, after listening in vain at the
+door for sounds of Mrs. Gusty within, tiptoed cautiously to the other
+end of the porch and took his seat on a straight-backed settee.
+
+Let it not for a moment be supposed that Mr. Opp was a stranger to the
+fascinations of femininity. He had been inoculated at a tender age, and
+it had taken so completely, so tragically, that he had crept back to
+life with one illusion sadly shattered, and the conviction firm within
+him that henceforth he was immune. His attitude toward the subject
+remained, however, interested, but cautious--such as a good little boy
+might entertain toward a loaded pistol.
+
+As he sat very straight and very still on the green settee, he tried to
+compose his mind for the coming interview with Mrs. Gusty. Directly
+across the road was Aker's old carpenter-shop, a small, square,
+one-story edifice, shabby, and holding out scant promise of journalistic
+possibilities. Mr. Opp, however, seldom saw things as they were; he saw
+them as they were going to be. Before five minutes had elapsed he had
+the shop painted white, with trimmings of red, new panes in the windows,
+ground glass below and clear above, an imposing sign over the door, and
+the roadway blocked with eager subscribers. He would have to have an
+assistant, of course, some one to attend to the general details; but he
+would have charge of everything himself. He would edit a paper,
+comprehensive in its scope, and liberal in its views. Science, art,
+religion, society, and politics would all be duly chronicled. Politics!
+Why, his paper would be an organ--an organ of the Democratic Party!
+
+At the thought of being an organ, Mr. Opp's bosom swelled with such
+pride that his settee creaked, and he glanced apprehensively toward the
+other end of the porch.
+
+The young lady was still asleep, with her head resting on her bare arm,
+and one foot hanging limply below her ruffled petticoat.
+
+Suddenly Mr. Opp leaned forward and viewed her slipper with interest. He
+had recognized the make! It was xxx-aa. He had carried a sample exactly
+like it, and had been wont to call enthusiastic attention to the curve
+of the instep and the set of the heel. He now realized that the effect
+depended entirely on the bow, and he seriously considered writing to the
+firm and suggesting the improvement.
+
+In the midst of his reflections the young lady stirred and then sat up.
+Her hair was tumbled, and her eyes indicated that she had been indulging
+in recent tears. Resting her chin on her palms, she gazed gloomily down
+the road.
+
+Mr. Opp, at the other end of the porch, also gazed gloomily down the
+road. The fact that he must make his presence known was annihilated by
+the yet more urgent fact that he could think of nothing to say. A
+bumblebee wheeled in narrowing circles above his head and finally
+lighted upon his coat-sleeve. But Mr. Opp remained immovable. He was
+searching his vocabulary for a word which would gently crack the silence
+without shattering it to bits.
+
+The bumblebee saved the situation. Detecting some rare viand in a crack
+of the porch midway between the settee and the hammock, and evidently
+being a bibulous bee, it set up such a buzz of excitement that Mr. Opp
+looked at it, and the young lady looked at it, and their eyes met.
+
+"Excuse me," said Mr. Opp, rather breathlessly; "you was asleep, and I
+come to see Mrs. Gusty, and--er--the fact is--I'm Mr. Opp."
+
+At this announcement the young lady put her hand to her head, and by a
+dexterous movement rearranged the brown halo of her hair, and twisted
+the pink bow into its proper, aggressive position.
+
+"Mother'll--be back soon,"--she spoke without embarrassment, yet with
+the hesitation of one who is not in the habit of speaking for
+herself,--"I--I--didn't know I was going to sleep."
+
+"No," said Mr. Opp; then added politely, "neither did I." Silence again
+looming on the horizon, he plunged on: "I think I used to be in the
+habit of seeing you when you was--er--younger, didn't I?"
+
+"Up at the store." She smiled faintly. "You bought me a bag of pop-corn
+once with a prize in it. It was a breastpin; I've got it yet."
+
+Mr. Opp scowled slightly as he tried to extract an imaginary splinter
+from his thumb. "Do you--er--attend school?" he asked, taking refuge in
+a paternal attitude.
+
+"I'm finished," she said listlessly. "I've been going to the Young
+Ladies' Seminary at Coreyville."
+
+"Didn't you taken to it?" asked Mr. Opp, wishing fervently that Mrs.
+Gusty would return.
+
+"Oh, yes," said his companion, earnestly. "I love it; I was a special. I
+took music and botany and painting. I was in four concerts last year and
+played in the double duets at the commencements." During the pause that
+followed, Mr. Opp considered various names for his newspaper. "Mother
+isn't going to let me go back," the soft, drawling voice continued; "she
+says when a girl is nineteen she ought to settle down. She wants me to
+get married."
+
+Mr. Opp laid "The Cove Chronicle" and "The Weekly Bugle" aside for
+further consideration, and inquired politely if there was any special
+person whom Mrs. Gusty desired for a son-in-law.
+
+"Oh, no," said the girl, indifferently; "she hasn't thought of anybody.
+But I don't want to get married--yet. I want to go back to the seminary
+and be a music teacher. I hate it here, every bit of it. It's so
+stupid--and lonesome, and--"
+
+A break in her voice caused Mr. Opp to postpone a decision of the day on
+which his paper was to be published, and to give her his undivided
+attention. Distress, even in beauty, was not to be withstood, and the
+fact that she was unusually pretty had been annoying Mr. Opp ever since
+she had spoken to him. As she turned her head away and wiped her eyes,
+he rose impulsively and moved toward her:
+
+"Say, look a-here now, you ain't crying, are you?" he asked.
+
+She shook her head in indignant denial.
+
+"Well--er--you don't seem exactly happy, as you might say," suggested
+Mr. Opp, boldly.
+
+"I'm not," she confessed, biting her lip. "I oughtn't to talk to you
+about it, but there isn't anybody here that would understand. They think
+I'm stuck up when I talk about books and music and--and other kind of
+people. They just keep on doing the same stupid things till they get old
+and die. Only mother won't even let me do stupid things; she says I
+bother her when I try to help around the house."
+
+"Can't you sew or make mottoes or something?" asked Mr. Opp, very vague
+as to feminine accomplishments.
+
+"What's the use?" asked the girl. "Mother does everything for me. She
+always says she'd rather do it than teach me how."
+
+"Don't you take to reading?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+"Oh, yes," she said; "I used to read all the time down at school; but
+there never is anything to read up here."
+
+The editor-elect peopled the country with similar cases, and he
+immediately saw himself as a public benefactor supplying starved
+subscribers with a bountiful repast of weekly news.
+
+"Won't you sit down?" asked the girl, interrupting his reflections. "I
+don't know what can be keeping mother."
+
+Mr. Opp looked about for a chair, but there was none. Then he glanced at
+his companion, and saw that she was holding aside her pink skirt and
+evidently offering him a seat beside her in the hammock. He advanced a
+step, retreated, then weakly capitulated. Sitting very rigid, nursing
+his hat on his knees, and inserting his forefinger between his neck and
+his collar as if to breathe better, he remarked that it was getting
+warmer all the time.
+
+"This isn't anything to what it will be later," said the girl; "it keeps
+on getting hotter and dustier all the time. I don't believe there's such
+a stupid, poky, little old place anywhere else in the world. You ought
+to be mighty glad you don't live here."
+
+Mr. Opp cleared his throat with some dignity. "I expect to remain here
+permanent now. I--well--the truth is, I have decided to operate a
+newspaper here."
+
+"No!" cried the girl, incredulously. "Not in the Cove!"
+
+"In the Cove," repeated Mr. Opp, firmly. "There's great need here for a
+live, enterprising newspaper. It's a virgin field, you might say. There
+never was a place that needed a public voice more. My paper is going to
+be a voice that hears all sides of a question; it's going to appeal to
+the aged and the young and all them that lies between."
+
+"It will be mighty grand for us!" said his companion, with interest.
+"When is it going to start?"
+
+Definite plans being decidedly nebulous, Mr. Opp wisely confined himself
+to generalities. He touched casually on his remarkable fitness for the
+work, his wide experience, his worldly knowledge. He hinted that in time
+he expected to venture into even deeper literary waters--poetry, and a
+novel, perhaps. As he talked, he realized that for the second time that
+day he was looked upon with approval. Being accepted at his own estimate
+proved a new and exhilarating sensation.
+
+It was pleasant on the wide porch, with the honeysuckle shutting out the
+sun, and the long, yellow blossoms filling the air with fragrance. It
+was pleasant to hear the contented chuckle of the hens and the sleepy
+hum of the bees, and the sound of his own voice; but most of all it was
+pleasant, albeit disconcerting, to glance sidewise occasionally and find
+a pair of credulous brown eyes raised to his in frank admiration. What
+if the swing of the hammock was making him dizzy and one foot had gone
+to sleep? These were minor considerations unworthy of mention.
+
+"And just to think," the girl was saying, "that you may be right across
+the road! I won't mind staying at home so much if you'll let me come
+over and see you make the newspaper."
+
+"You might like to assist sometime," said Mr. Opp, magnanimously, at the
+same time cautiously removing a fluttering pink ribbon from his knee. "I
+could let you try your hand on a wedding or a 'bituary, or something
+along that line."
+
+"Oh, really?" she cried, her eyes brightening. "I'd just love to. I can
+write compositions real nice, and you could help me a little."
+
+"Yes," agreed Mr. Opp; "I could learn you to do the first draft, and I
+could put on the extra touches."
+
+So engrossed did they become in these plans that they did not hear the
+click of the gate, or see the small, aggressive lady who came up the
+walk. She moved with the confident air of one who is in the habit of
+being obeyed. Her skirt gave the appearance of no more daring to hang
+wrong than her bonnet-strings would have presumed to move from the exact
+spot where she had tied them under her left ear. Her small, bright eyes,
+slightly crossed, apparently saw two ways at once, for on her brief
+journey from the gate to the porch, she decapitated two withered
+geraniums on the right, and picked up a stray paper and some dead leaves
+on the left.
+
+"Guin-never!" she called sharply, not seeing the couple on the porch,
+"who's been tracking mud in on my clean steps?"
+
+The girl rose hastily and came forward. "Mother," she said, "here's Mr.
+Opp."
+
+Mrs. Gusty glanced up from one to the other, evidently undecided how to
+meet the situation. But the hesitancy was not for long; Mr. Opp's
+watch-fob, glittering in the sunlight, symbolized such prosperity that
+she hastily extended a cordial hand of welcome.
+
+"You don't mean to tell me Guin-never has been keeping you out here on
+the porch instead of taking you in the parlor? And hasn't she given you
+a thing to drink? Well, just wait till I get my things off and I'll fix
+a pitcher of lemonade."
+
+"Let me do it, Mother," said Guinevere, eagerly; "I often do it at
+school."
+
+"I'd hate to drink what you make," said Mrs. Gusty, waving her aside.
+"You show Mr. Opp in the parlor. No; I'll open the shutters: you'd get
+your hands dirty." She bustled about with that tyrannical capability
+that reduces every one near it to a state of helpless dependence.
+
+The parlor was cool and dark, and Mr. Opp felt around for a chair while
+the refractory shutter was being opened. When at last a shaft of light
+was admitted, it fell full upon a sable frame which hung above the
+horse-hair sofa, and inclosed a glorified certificate of the births,
+marriages, and deaths in the house of Gusty. Around these written data
+was a border realistically depicting the seven ages of man and
+culminating in a legend of gold which read
+
+        From the Cradle to the Grave.
+
+While Mr. Opp was standing before this work of art, apparently deeply
+interested, he was, in reality, peeping through a crack in the shutter.
+The sunlight was still filtering through the honeysuckle vines, making
+dancing, white patches on the porch, the bees were humming about the
+blossoms, and Miss Guinevere Gusty was still sitting in the hammock, her
+chin in her palms, gazing down the road.
+
+When Mrs. Gusty returned, she bore a glass pitcher of lemonade, a plate
+of crisp gingersnaps, and a tumbler of crushed ice, all of which rested
+upon a tray which was covered with her strawberry centerpiece, a mark of
+distinction which, unfortunately, was lost upon her guest.
+
+Mr. Opp, being a man of business, plunged at once into his subject,
+presenting the matter so eloquently and using so much more persuasion
+than was necessary that he overshot the mark. Mrs. Gusty was not without
+business sagacity herself, and when Mr. Opp met a possible objection
+before it had ever occurred to her, she promptly made use of the
+suggestion.
+
+"Of course," said Mr. Opp, as a final inducement, "I'd be glad to run
+in some of Mr. Gusty's poetical pieces from time to time."
+
+This direct appeal to her sentiment so touched Mrs. Gusty that she
+suggested they go over to the shop at once and look it over.
+
+For a moment after the door of his future sanctum was thrown open Mr.
+Opp was disconcerted. The small, dark room, cluttered with all manner of
+trash, the broken window-panes, the dust, and the cobwebs, presented a
+prospect that was far from encouraging; but after an examination of the
+presses, his courage revived.
+
+After a great deal of talk on Mr. Opp's part, and some shrewd bargaining
+on Mrs. Gusty's, the stupendous transaction was brought to a close, to
+the eminent satisfaction of both parties.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+It was late that night before Mr. Opp retired. He sat in the open window
+of his bedroom and looked out upon the river. The cool night air and the
+quiet light of the stars calmed the turmoil in his brain. Gradually the
+colossal schemes and the towering ambitions gave way to an emotion to
+which the editor-elect was by no means a stranger. It was a little
+white-faced Fear that lurked always in a corner of his heart, and could
+be kept down only by brave words and aggressive deeds.
+
+He sat with his trembling knees hunched, and his arms awkwardly clasped
+about them, an absurd atom in the great cosmic order; yet the soul that
+looked out of his squinting, wistful eyes held all the potentialities of
+life, and embodied the eternal sadness and the eternal inspiration of
+human endeavor.
+
+
+
+
+VII
+
+
+It is no small undertaking to embark in an untried ship, upon unknown
+waters, in the teeth of opposing gales. But Mr. Opp sailed the sea of
+life as a valiant mariner should, self-reliant, independent, asking
+advice of nobody. He steered by the guidance of his own peculiar moral
+compass, regardless of the rough waters through which it led him.
+
+Having invested the major portion of his savings in the present venture,
+it was necessary to begin operations at once; but events conspired to
+prevent him. Miss Kippy made many demands upon his time both by day and
+night; she had transferred her affection and dependence from her father
+to him, and he found himself sorely encumbered by this new
+responsibility. Moreover, the attitude of the town toward the innovation
+of a newspaper was one of frank skepticism, and it proved a delicate and
+arduous task to create the proper public sentiment. In addition to these
+troubles, Mr. Opp had a yet graver matter to hinder him: with all his
+valor and energy he was suffering qualms of uncertainty as to the proper
+method of starting a weekly journal.
+
+To be sure, he had achieved a name for the paper--a name so eminently
+satisfactory that he had already had it emblazoned upon a ream of office
+paper. "The Opp Eagle" had sprung full-syllabled from his teeming brain,
+and had been accepted over a hundred competitors.
+
+But naming the fledgling was an easy matter compared with getting it out
+of the nest; and it was not until the instalment of his competent staff
+that Mr. Opp accomplished the task.
+
+This important transaction took place one morning as he sat in his new
+office and struggled with his first editorial. The bare room, with the
+press in the center, served as news-room, press-room, publication
+office, and editorial sanctum. Mr. Opp sat at a new deal table, with one
+pen behind his ear, and another in his hand, and gazed for inspiration
+at the brown wrapping-paper with which he had neatly covered the walls.
+His mental gymnastics were interrupted by the appearance at the door of
+Miss Jim Fenton and her brother Nick.
+
+Miss Jim was an anomaly in the community, being by theory a spinster,
+and by practice a double grass-widow. Capable and self-supporting, she
+attracted the ne'er-do-wells as a magnet attracts needles, but having
+been twice induced to forego her freedom and accept the bonds of
+wedlock, she had twice escaped and reverted to her original type and
+name. Miss Jim was evidently a victim of one of Nature's most economical
+moods; she was spare and angular, with a long, wrinkled face surmounted
+by a scant fluff of pale, frizzled hair. Her mouth slanted upward at
+one corner, giving her an expression unjustly attributed to coquetry,
+when in reality it was due to an innocent and pardonable pride in an
+all-gold eye-tooth.
+
+But it was her clothes that brought misunderstanding, misfortune, and
+even matrimony upon Miss Jim. They were sent her by the boxful by a
+cousin in the city, and the fact was unmistakable that they were clothes
+with a past. The dresses held an atmosphere of evaporated frivolity;
+flirtations lingered in every frill, and memories of old larks lurked in
+every furbelow. The hats had a jaunty list to port, and the colored
+slippers still held a dance within their soles. One old bird of paradise
+on Miss Jim's favorite bonnet had a chronic wink for the wickedness he
+had witnessed.
+
+It was this wink that attracted Mr. Opp as he looked up from his arduous
+labors. For a disconcerting moment he was uncertain whether it belonged
+to Miss Jim or to the bird.
+
+"Howdy, Mr. Opp," said the lady in brisk, businesslike tones. "I was
+taking a crayon portrait home to Mrs. Gusty, and I just stopped in to
+see if I couldn't persuade you to take my brother to help you on the
+newspaper. You remember Nick, don't you?"
+
+Mr. Opp glanced up. A skeleton of a boy, with a shaven head, was peering
+eagerly past him into the office, his keen, ferret-like eyes devouring
+every detail of the printing-presses.
+
+"He knows the business," went on Miss Jim, anxiously pulling at the
+fingers of her gloves. "He's been in it over a year at Coreyville. He
+wants to go back; but I ain't willing till he gets stronger. He ain't
+been up but two weeks."
+
+Mr. Opp turned impressively in his revolving chair, the one luxury which
+he had deemed indispensable, and doubtfully surveyed the applicant. The
+mere suggestion of his leaning upon this broken reed seemed ridiculous;
+yet the boy's thin, sallow face, and Miss Jim's imploring eyes, caused
+him to hesitate.
+
+"Well, you see," he said, with thumbs together and his lips pursed,
+after the manner of the various employers before whom he had stood in
+the past, "we are just making a preliminary start, and we haven't
+engaged our staff yet. I am a business man and a careful one. I don't
+feel justified in going to no extra expense until 'The Opp Eagle' is, in
+a way, on its feet."
+
+"Oh, that's all right," said the boy; "I'll work a month for nothing.
+Lots of fellows do that on the big papers."
+
+Miss Jim plucked warningly at his sleeve, and Mr. Opp, seeing that
+Nick's enthusiasm had led him beyond his depth, went gallantly to the
+rescue.
+
+"Not at all," he said hastily; "that ain't my policy. I think I might
+contrive to pay you a small, reasonable sum down, and increase it in
+ratio as the paper become more prosperous. Don't you think you better
+sit down?"
+
+"No, sir; I'm all right," said the boy, impatiently. "I can do 'most
+anything about a paper, setting type, printing, reporting, collecting,
+'most anything you put me at."
+
+Such timely knowledge, in whatever guise it came, seemed Heaven-sent.
+Mr. Opp gave a sigh of satisfaction.
+
+"If you feel that you can't do any better than accepting the small sum
+that just at present I'll have to offer you, why, I think we can come to
+some arrangement."
+
+"That's mighty nice in you," said Miss Jim, jerking her head forward in
+order to correct an undue backward gravitation of her bonnet. "If ever
+you want a crayon portrait, made from life or enlarged from a
+photograph, I'll make you a special price on it. I'm just taking this
+here one home to Mrs. Gusty; she had it done for Guin-never's birthday."
+
+Miss Jim removed the wrappings and disclosed a portrait of Miss
+Guinevere Gusty, very large as to eyes and very small as to mouth. She
+handed it to Mr. Opp, and called attention to its fine qualities.
+
+"Just look at the lace on that dress! Mrs. Fallows picked a whole
+pattern off on her needles from one of my portraits. And did you notice
+the eyelashes; you can actually count 'em! She had four buttons on her
+dress, but I didn't get in but three; but I ain't going to mention it to
+Mrs. Gusty. Don't you think it's pretty?"
+
+Mr. Opp, who had been smiling absently at the portrait, started
+guiltily. "Yes," he said confusedly; "yes, ma'am, I think she is." Then
+he felt a curious tingling about his ears and realized, to his
+consternation, that he was blushing.
+
+"She's too droopin' a type for me," said Miss Jim, removing an ostrich
+tip from her angle of vision; then she continued in a side whisper:
+"Say, would you mind making Nick take this bottle of milk at twelve
+o'clock, and resting a little? He ain't as strong as he lets on, and he
+has sort of sinking spells 'long about noon."
+
+Receiving the bottle thus surreptitiously offered, and assisting the
+lady to gather up her bundles, Mr. Opp bowed her out, and turned to face
+the embarrassing necessity of giving instructions to his new employee.
+He was relieved to find, however, that the young gentleman in question
+possessed initiative; for Nick had promptly removed his coat, and fallen
+to work, putting things to rights with an energy and ability that caused
+Mr. Opp to offer up a prayer of heartfelt gratitude.
+
+All the morning they worked silently, Mr. Opp toiling over his
+editorial, with constant references to a small dictionary which he
+concealed in the drawer of the table, and Nick giving the presses a
+thorough and much-needed overhauling.
+
+At the noon-hour they shared their lunch, and Mr. Opp, firm in the
+authority invested in him by Miss Jim, demanded that Nick should drink
+his milk, and recline at length upon the office bench for twenty
+minutes. It was with great difficulty that Nick was persuaded to submit
+to this transferred coddling; but he evidently realized that
+insubordination at the start of his career would be fatal, and,
+moreover, his limbs ached and his hands trembled.
+
+It was in the intimacy of this, their first, staff meal, that they
+discussed the policy of the paper.
+
+"Of course," said Mr. Opp, "we have got a vast undertaking in front of
+us. For the next few months we won't scarcely have time to draw a
+natural breath. I am going to put every faculty I own on to making 'The
+Opp Eagle' a fine paper. I expect to get here at seven o'clock A.M., and
+continue to pursue my work as far into the midnight hours as may need
+be. Nothing in the way of pleasure or anything else is going to pervert
+my attention. Of course you understand that my mind will be taken up
+with the larger issues of things, and I'll have to risk a dependence on
+you to attend to the smaller details."
+
+"All right," said Nick, gratefully; "you won't be sorry you trusted me,
+Mr. Opp. I'll do my level best. When will we get out the first issue?"
+
+"Well--er--the truth is," said Mr. Opp, "I haven't, as you might say,
+accumulated sufficient of material as yet. You see, I have a great many
+irons in the fire, and besides opening up this office, I am the
+president of a company that's just bought up twenty acres of ground
+around here. The biggest oil proposition--"
+
+"Yes, sir," interrupted Nick; "but don't you think we could get started
+in two weeks, with the ads and the contributors' letters from other
+counties, and a story or two I could run in, and your editorial page?"
+
+"I've got two advertisements," said Mr. Opp; "but I don't intend to rest
+content until every man in the Cove has got a card in. Now, about these
+contributors from other counties?"
+
+"I can manage that," said Nick. "I'll write to some girl or fellow I
+know in the different towns, and ask them to give me a weekly letter.
+They sign themselves 'Gipsy' or 'Fairy' or 'Big Injun' or something
+like that, and tell what's doing in their neighborhood. We'll have to
+fix the letters up some, but they help fill in like everything."
+
+Mr. Opp's spirits rose at this capable cooeperation.
+
+"You--er--like the name?" he asked.
+
+"'The Opp Eagle'?" said Nick. "Bully!"
+
+Such unqualified approval went to Mr. Opp's head, and he rashly broke
+through the dignity that should hedge about an editor.
+
+"I don't mind reading you some of my editorial," he said urbanely; "it's
+the result of considerable labor."
+
+He opened the drawer and took out some loosely written pages, though he
+knew each paragraph by heart. Squaring himself in his revolving-chair,
+and clearing his throat, he addressed himself ostensibly to the
+cadaverous youth stretched at length before him, but in imagination to
+all the southern counties of the grand old Commonwealth of Kentucky.
+
+His various business experiences had stored such an assorted lot of
+information in his brain that it was not unlike a country store in the
+diversity of its contents. His style, like his apparel, was more ornate
+and pretentious than what lay beneath it. There were many words which he
+knew by sight, but with which he had no speaking acquaintance. But Mr.
+Opp had ideals, and this was the first opportunity he had ever had to
+put them before his fellow-men.
+
+"The great bird of American Liberty," he read impressively, "has soared
+and flown over the country and lighted at last in your midst. 'The Opp
+Eagle' appears for the first time to-day. It is no money scheme in which
+we are indulging; we aim first and foremost to fulfil a much-needed want
+in the community. 'The Opp Eagle' will tell the people what you want to
+know better and at less expense than any other method. It will aim at
+bringing the priceless gems of knowledge within the reach of everybody.
+For what is bread to the body if you do not also clothe the mind
+spiritually and mentally?
+
+"We will boom this, our native, city. If possible, I hope to get the
+streets cleaned up and a railroad, and mayhap in time lamp-posts. This
+region has ever been known for its great and fine natural resources, but
+we have been astounded, you might say astonished, in recent visits to
+see its naked and crude immensities, which far exceeds our most sanguine
+expectations. So confident are we that a few of our most highly
+respectable citizens have, at the instigation of the Editor of 'The Opp
+Eagle,' bought up the land lying between Turtle Creek and the river, and
+as soon as a little more capital has been accumulated, intend to open up
+a oil proposition that will astonish the eyes of the natives!
+
+"In all candor, we truly believe this favored region of ours to have no
+equal in underground wealth nowhere upon this terrestrial earth, albeit
+we are not of globe-trotter stock nor tribe. We will endeavor to induce
+the home people to copy after the wise example of a few of our leading
+citizens and buy up oil rights before the kings of Bonanzas from the
+Metropolitan cities discover our treasure and wrench it from our grasp.
+'The Opp Eagle' will, moreover, stand for temperance and reform. We will
+hurl grape and cannister into the camps of the saloonatics until they
+flee the wrath to come. Will also publish a particular statement of all
+social entertainments, including weddings, parties, church socials, and
+funerals. In conclusion, would say that we catch this first opportunity
+to thank you in collective manner herein for the welcome you have
+ordained 'The Opp Eagle.'"
+
+Mr. Opp came to a close and waited for applause; nor was he
+disappointed.
+
+"Gee! I wish I could write like that!" said Nick, rising on his elbow.
+"I can do the printing all right, and hustle around for the news; but I
+never know how to put on the trimmings."
+
+Mr. Opp laid a hand upon his shoulder; he was fast developing a
+fondness for the youth.
+
+"It's a gift," he said sympathetically, "that I am afraid, my boy,
+nobody can't learn you."
+
+"Can I come in?" said a voice from outside, and Mr. Gallop peeped around
+the open door.
+
+"Walk in," cried Mr. Opp, while Nick sprang to his feet. "We are just by
+way of finishing up the work at hand, and have a few minutes of spare
+leisure."
+
+"I just wanted to know if you'd help us get up a town band," said Mr.
+Gallop. "I told the boys you'd be too busy, but they made me come. I
+asked Mr. Fallows if you was musical; but I wouldn't repeat what he
+said."
+
+"Oh, Jimmy is just naturally humoristic," said Mr. Opp. "Go along and
+tell me what he remarked."
+
+"Well," said Mr. Gallop, indignantly, "he said you was a expert on the
+wind-pipe! Mr. Tucker, I believe it was, thought you used to play the
+accordion."
+
+"No," said Mr. Opp; "it was the cornet. I was considerable of a
+performer at one time."
+
+"Well, we want you for the leader of our band," said Mr. Gallop. "We are
+going to have blue uniforms and give regular concerts up on Main
+Street."
+
+Nick Fenny began searching for a pencil.
+
+"You know," went on Mr. Gallop, rapidly, "the last show boat that was
+here had a calliope, and there's another one coming next week. All I
+have to do is to hear a tune twice, then I can play it. Miss Guin-never
+Gusty is going up to Coreyville next week, and she says she'll get us
+some new pieces. She's going to select a plush self-rocker for the
+congregation to give the new preacher. They're keeping it awful secret,
+but I heard 'em mention it over the telephone. The preacher's baby has
+been mighty sick, and so has his mother, up at the Ridge; but she's got
+well again. Well, I must go along now. Ain't it warm?"
+
+Before Mr. Opp had ceased showing Mr. Gallop out, his attention was
+arrested by the strange conduct of his staff. That indefatigable youth
+was writing furiously on the new wall-paper, covering the clean brown
+surface with large, scrawling characters.
+
+Mr. Opp's indignation was checked at its source by the radiant face
+which Nick turned upon him.
+
+"I've got another column!" he cried; "listen here:
+
+"'A new and handsome Show Boat will tie up at the Cove the early part of
+next week. A fine calliope will be on board.'
+
+"'Miss Guinevere Gusty will visit friends in Coreyville soon.'
+
+"'The new preacher will be greatly surprised soon by the gift of a fine
+plush rocking-chair from the ladies of the congregation.'
+
+"'The infant baby of the new preacher has been sick, but is better
+some.'
+
+"'Jimmy Fallows came near getting an undertaking job at the Ridge last
+week, but the lady got well.'
+
+"And that ain't all," he continued excitedly; "I'm going out now to get
+all the particulars about that band, and we'll have a long story about
+it."
+
+Mr. Opp, left alone in his office, made an unsuccessful effort to resume
+work. The fluttering of the "Eagle's" wings preparatory to taking flight
+was not the only thing that interfered with his power of concentration.
+He did not at all like the way he felt. Peculiar symptoms had developed
+in the last week, and the quinine which he had taken daily had failed to
+relieve him. He could not say that he was sick,--in fact, he had never
+been in better health,--but there was a strange feeling of restlessness,
+a vague disturbance of his innermost being, that annoyed and puzzled
+him. Even as he tried to solve the problem, an irresistible impulse
+brought him to his feet and carried him to the door. Miss Guinevere
+Gusty was coming out of her gate in a soft, white muslin, and a chip hat
+laden with pink roses.
+
+"Anything I can do for you up street?" she called across pleasantly to
+Mr. Opp.
+
+"Why, thank you--no, the fact is--well, you see, I find it necessary for
+me to go up myself." Mr. Opp heard himself saying these words with great
+surprise, and when he found himself actually walking out of the office,
+leaving a large amount of unfinished work, his indignation knew no
+bounds.
+
+"The sun is awful hot. Ain't you goin' to wear a hat?" drawled Miss
+Guinevere.
+
+Mr. Opp put his hand to his head in some embarrassment, and then assured
+her that he very often went without it.
+
+They sauntered slowly down the dusty road. On one side the trees hedged
+them in, but on the other stretched wide fields of tasseled corn over
+which shimmered waves of summer heat. White butterflies fluttered
+constantly across their path, and overhead, hidden somewhere in the
+branches, the birds kept up a constant song. The August sun, still high
+in the heavens, shone fiercely down on the open road, on the ragweed by
+the wayside, on the black-eyed Susans nodding at the light; but it fell
+most mercilessly of all upon the bald spot on the head of the
+unconscious Mr. Opp, who was moving, as in an hypnotic state, into the
+land of romance.
+
+
+
+
+VIII
+
+
+By all the laws of physics, Mr. Opp during the months that ensued,
+should have stood perfectly still. For if ever two forces pulled with
+equal strength in opposite directions, love and ambition did in the
+heart of our friend the editor. But Mr. Opp did not stand still; on the
+contrary, he seemed to be moving in every direction at once.
+
+In due time "The Opp Eagle" made its initial flight, and received the
+approbation of the community. The first page was formal, containing the
+editorial, a list of the subscribers, a notice to tax-payers, and three
+advertisements, one of which requested "the lady public to please note
+that the hats put out by Miss Duck Brown do not show the wire composing
+the frame."
+
+But the first page of the "Eagle" was like the front door of a house:
+when once you got on the other side of it, you were in the family, as it
+were, formality was dropped, and an easy atmosphere of familiarity
+prevailed. You read that Uncle Enoch Siller had Sundayed over at the
+Ridge, or that Aunt Gussy Williams was on the puny list, and frequently
+there were friendly references to "Ye Editor" or "Ye Quill Driver," for
+after soaring to dizzy heights in his editorials, Mr. Opp condescended
+to come down on the second page and move in and out of the columns, as a
+host among his guests.
+
+It is painful to reflect what would have been the fate of the infatuated
+Mr. Opp in these days had it not been for the faithful Nick. Nick's
+thirst for work was insatiable; he yearned for responsibility, and was
+never so happy as when gathering news. He chased an item as a dog might
+chase a rat, first scenting it, then hunting it down, and after
+mutilating it a bit, proudly returning it to his master.
+
+Mr. Opp was enabled, by this competent assistance, to spare many a
+half-hour in consultation with Miss Guinevere Gusty concerning the
+reportorial work she was going to do on the paper. The fact that nobody
+died or got married delayed all actual performance, but in order to be
+ready for the emergency, frequent calls were deemed expedient.
+
+It became part of the day's program to read her his editorial, or
+consult her about some social item, or to report a new subscriber, his
+self-esteem meanwhile putting forth all manner of new shoots and
+bursting into exotic bloom under the warmth of her approval.
+
+Miss Gusty, on her part, was acquiring a new interest in her
+surroundings. In addition to the subtle flattery of being consulted, she
+was the recipient of daily offerings of books, and music, and drugstore
+candy, and sometimes a handful of flowers, carefully concealed in a
+newspaper to escape the vigilant eye of Jimmy Fallows.
+
+On several occasions she returned Mr. Opp's calls, picking her way
+daintily across the road, and peeping in at the window to make sure he
+was there.
+
+It was at such times that the staff of "The Opp Eagle" misconducted
+itself. It objected to a young woman in the press-room; it disapproved
+of the said person sitting at the deal table in confidential
+conversation with the editor; it saw no humor in her dipping the pencils
+into the ink-well, and scrawling names on the new office stationery; and
+when the point was reached that she moved about the office, asking
+absurd questions and handling the type, the staff could no longer endure
+it, but hastened forth to forget its annoyance in the pursuit of
+business.
+
+Moreover, the conduct of the chief, as Nick was pleased to call Mr. Opp,
+was becoming more and more peculiar. He would arrive in the morning, his
+pockets bristling with papers, and his mind with projects. He would
+attack the work of the day with ferocious intensity, then in the midst
+of it, without warning, he would lapse into an apparent trance, his
+hands in his pockets, his eyes on the ceiling, and such a smile on his
+face as one usually reserves for a camera.
+
+Nick did not know that it was the song of the siren that was calling Mr.
+Opp, who, instead of lashing himself to the mast and steering for the
+open sea, was letting his little craft drift perilously near the rocky
+coast.
+
+No feature of the proceedings was lost upon Mrs. Gusty. She applied the
+same method to her daughter that she did to her vines, tying her firmly
+to the wall of her own ability, and prescribing the direction and length
+to which she should grow. The situation would need pruning later, but
+for the present she studied conditions and bided her time.
+
+Meanwhile the "Eagle" was circling more widely in its flight. Mr. Opp's
+persistent and eloquent articles pertaining to the great oil wealth of
+the region had been reinforced by a favorable report from the laboratory
+in the city to which he had sent a specimen from the spring on Turtle
+Creek. Thus equipped with wings of hope, and a small ballast of fact,
+the "Eagle" went soaring on its way, and in time attracted the attention
+of a party of capitalists who were traveling through the State,
+investigating oil and mineral possibilities.
+
+One epoch-making day, the editor was called up over the long-distance
+telephone, and, after answering numerous inquiries, was told that the
+party expected to spend the following night in the Cove.
+
+This important event took place the last of November, and threw the town
+into great excitement. Mr. Opp received the message early in the
+morning, and immediately set to work to call a meeting of the Turtle
+Creek Land Company.
+
+"This here is one of the most critical moments in the history of Cove
+City," he announced excitedly to Nick. "It's a most fortunate thing that
+they've got me here to make the preliminary arrangements, and to sort of
+get the thing solidified, as you might say. I'll call a meeting for
+eleven o'clock at Your Hotel. You call up old man Hager and the
+preacher, and I will undertake to notify Jimmy Fallows and Mr. Tucker."
+
+"The preacher ain't in town; he's out at Smither's Ridge, marrying a
+couple. I got the whole notice written out beforehand."
+
+"Well, tear it up," said Mr. Opp. "I've engaged a special hand to do all
+weddings and funerals."
+
+Nick looked hurt; this was the first time his kingdom had been invaded.
+He kicked the door sullenly.
+
+"I can't get the preacher if he's out at Smither's Ridge."
+
+"Nick," said Mr. Opp, equally hurt, "is that the way for a subordinate
+reporter to talk to a' editor? You don't seem to realize that this here
+is a very serious and large transaction. There may be hundreds of
+dollars involved. It's a' awful weight of responsibility for one man.
+I'm willing to finance it and conduct the main issues, but I've got to
+have the backing of all the other parties. Now it's with you whether
+the preacher gets there or not."
+
+"Shall I hunt up Mat Lucas, too?" asked Nick as he started forth.
+
+"No; that's my branch of the work: but--say--Nick, your sister will have
+to be there; she owns some shares."
+
+"All right," said Nick; "her buggy is hitched up in front of Tucker's.
+I'll tell her to wait till you come."
+
+Mr. Opp was not long in following. He walked down the road with an
+important stride, his bosom scarcely able to accommodate the feeling of
+pride and responsibility that swelled it. He was in a position of trust;
+his fellow-citizens would look to him, a man of larger experience and
+business ability, to deal with these moneyed strangers. He would be
+fair, but shrewd. He knew the clever wiles of the capitalists; he would
+meet them with calm but unyielding dignity.
+
+It was in this mood that he came upon Miss Jim, who was in the act of
+disentangling a long lace scarf from her buggy whip. Her flushed face
+and flashing eyes gave such unmistakable signs of wrath that Mr. Opp
+glanced apprehensively at the whip in her hand, and then at Jimmy
+Fallows, who was hitching her horse.
+
+"Howdy, Mr. Opp," she said. "It's a pleasure to meet a gentleman, after
+what I've seen."
+
+"I hope," said Mr. Opp, "that our friend here ain't been indulging in
+his customary--"
+
+"It ain't Mr. Fallows," she broke in sharply; "it's Mr. Tucker. He ain't
+got the feeling of a broomstick."
+
+"Now, Miss Jim," began Jimmy Fallows in a teasing tone; but the lady
+turned her back upon him and addressed Mr. Opp.
+
+"You see this portrait," she said angrily, pulling it out from under the
+seat. "It took me four weeks, including two Sunday afternoons, to make
+it. I begun it the second week after Mrs. Tucker died, when I seen him
+takin' on so hard at church. He was cryin' so when they took up the
+collection that he never even seen the plate pass him. I went right
+home and set to work on this here portrait, thinking he'd be glad and
+willing to buy it from me. Wouldn't you, if you was a widower?"
+
+Mr. Opp gazed doubtfully at the picture, which represented Mr. Tucker
+sitting disconsolately beside a grave, with a black-bordered
+handkerchief held lightly between his fingers. A weeping-willow drooped
+above him, and on the tombstone at his side were two angels supporting
+the initials of the late Mrs. Tucker.
+
+"Why, Miss Jim," insisted Fallows, "you're askin' too much of old man
+Tucker to expect him to keep on seein' a tombstone when he's got one eye
+on you and one eye on the Widow Gusty. He ain't got any hair on top of
+his head to part, but he's took to partin' it down the back, and I seen
+him Sunday trying to read the hymns without his spectacles. He started
+up on 'Let a Little Sunshine In' when they was singing 'Come, ye
+Disconsolate.' You rub out the face and the initials on that there
+picture and keep it for the nex' widower. Ketch him when he's still
+droopin'. You'll get your money back. Your mistake was in waiting too
+long."
+
+"Speaking of waiting," said Mr. Opp, impatiently, "there's a call
+meeting of the Turtle Creek Land Co. for this morning at eleven at Your
+Hotel. Hope it's convenient, Jimmy."
+
+"Oh, yes," said Jimmy; "we got more empty chairs at Your Hotel than
+anything else. What's the meeting for? Struck gold?"
+
+Mr. Opp imparted the great news.
+
+"Oh, my land!" exclaimed Miss Jim, "will they be here to-day?"
+
+"Not until to-morrow night," explained Mr. Opp. "This here meeting this
+morning is for the stock-holders only. We got to kinder outline our
+policy and arrange a sort of basis of operation."
+
+"Well," said Miss Jim, "I'll take the portrait up to Mrs. Gusty's and
+ask her to take care of it for me. I don't know as I can do the face
+over into somebody else's, but I can't afford to lose it."
+
+It was afternoon before the stock-holders could all be brought together.
+They assembled in the office of Your Hotel in varying states of mind
+ranging from frank skepticism to intense enthusiasm.
+
+Mr. Tucker represented the conservative element. He was the rich man of
+the town, with whom economy, at first a necessity, had become a luxury.
+No greater proof could have been desired of Mr. Opp's persuasive powers
+than that Mr. Tucker had invested in a hundred shares of the new stock.
+He sat on the edge of his chair, wizen, anxious, fidgety, loaded with
+objections, and ready to go off half-cocked. Old man Hager sat in his
+shadow, objecting when he objected, voting as he voted, and prepared to
+loosen or tighten his purse-strings as Mr. Tucker suggested.
+
+Mat Lucas and Miss Jim were independents. They had both had sufficient
+experience in business to know their own minds. If there was any money
+to be made in the Cove or about it, they intended to have a part in it.
+
+Mr. Opp and the preacher constituted the Liberal party. They furnished
+the enthusiasm that floated the scheme. They were able to project
+themselves into the future and prophesy dazzling probabilities.
+
+Jimmy Fallows, alone of the group, maintained an artistic attitude
+toward the situation. He was absolutely detached. He sat with his chair
+tilted against the door and his thumbs in his armholes, and treated the
+whole affair as a huge joke.
+
+"The matter up for immediate consideration," Mr. Opp was saying
+impressively, "is whether these here gentlemen should want to buy us
+out, we would sell, or whether we would remain firm in possession, and
+let them lease our ground and share the profits on the oil."
+
+"Well, I'm kinder in favor of selling out if we get the chance," urged
+Mr. Tucker in a high, querulous voice. "To sell on a rising market is
+always a pretty good plan."
+
+"After we run up ag'in' them city fellows," said Mat Lucas, "I'll be
+surprised if we git as much out as we put in."
+
+"Gentlemen," protested Mr. Opp, "this here ain't the attitude to assume
+to the affair. To my profoundest belief there is a fortune in these here
+lands. The establishment of 'The Opp Eagle' has, as you know, been a
+considerable tax on my finances, but everything else I've got has gone
+into this company. It's a great and glorious opportunity, one that I
+been predicting and prophesying for these many years. Are we going to
+sell out to this party, and let them reap the prize? No; I trust and
+hope that such is not the case. In order to have more capital to open up
+the mines, I advocate the taking of them in."
+
+"I bet they been advocating the taking of us in," chuckled Jimmy.
+
+"Well, my dear friends, suppose we vote on it," suggested the preacher.
+
+"Reach yer hand back there in the press, Mr. Opp, and git the
+lead-pencil," said Jimmy, without moving.
+
+"The motion before the house," said Mr. Opp, "is whether we will sell
+out or take 'em in. All in favor say 'Aye.'"
+
+There was a unanimous vote in the affirmative, although each member
+interpreted the motion in his own way.
+
+"Very well," said Mr. Opp, briskly; "the motion is carried. Now we got
+to arrange about entertaining the party."
+
+Mr. Tucker, whose brain was an accommodation stopping at each station,
+was still struggling with the recent motion when this new thought about
+entertainment whizzed past. The instinct of the landlord awoke at the
+call, and he promptly switched off the main line and went down the side
+track.
+
+"Gallop was here while ago," Jimmy was saying, with a satisfied glance
+at Mr. Tucker; "said they wanted me to take keer of 'em. I'll 'commodate
+all but the preachers. If there are any preachers, Mr. Tucker kin have
+'em. I have to draw the line somewheres. I can't stand 'em
+'Brother-Fallowsing' me. Last time the old woman corralled one and
+brought him home, he was as glad to find me to work on as she'd 'a' be'n
+to git some fruit to preserve. 'Brother,' he says, reaching out for my
+hand, 'do you ever think about the awful place you are going to when you
+die?' 'You bet,' says I; 'I got more friends there than anywhere.'" And
+Jimmy's laugh shook the stove-pipe.
+
+"How many gentlemen are coming to-morrow?" asked Miss Jim, who was
+sitting in a corner as far as possible from Mr. Tucker.
+
+"Ten," said Jimmy. "Now, you wouldn't think it, but this here hotel has
+got six bedrooms. I've tooken care of as many as twenty at a time, easy,
+but I'll be hanged if I ever heard of such foolishness as every one of
+these fellers wantin' a room to hisself."
+
+"I've got three rooms empty," said Mr. Tucker.
+
+"Well, that leaves one over," said Mat Lucas. "I'd take him out home,
+but we've got company, and are sleeping three in a bed now."
+
+Mr. Opp hesitated; then his hospitality overcame his discretion.
+
+"Just consider him my guest," he said. "I'll be very pleased to provide
+entertainment for the gentleman in question."
+
+Not until the business of the day was over, and Mr. Opp was starting
+home, did he realize how tired he was. It was not his duties as an
+editor, or even as a promoter, that were telling on him; it was his
+domestic affairs that preyed upon his mind. For Mr. Opp not only led a
+strenuous life by day, but by night as well. Miss Kippy's day began with
+his coming home, and ended in the morning when he went away; the rest of
+the time she waited.
+
+Just now the problem that confronted him was the entertainment of the
+expected guest. Never, since he could remember, had a stranger invaded
+that little world where Miss Kippy lived her unreal life of dreams.
+What effect would it have upon her? Would it be kinder to hide her away
+as something he was ashamed of, or to let her appear and run the risk of
+exposing her deficiency to uncaring eyes? During the months that he had
+watched her, a fierce tenderness had sprung up in his heart. He had
+become possessed of the hope that she might be rescued from her
+condition. Night after night he patiently tried to teach her to read and
+to write, stopping again and again to humor her whims and indulge her
+foolish fancies. More than once he had surprised a new look in her eyes,
+a sudden gleam of sanity, of frightened understanding; and at such times
+she would cling to him for protection against that strange thing that
+was herself.
+
+As he trudged along, deep in thought, a white chrysanthemum fell at his
+feet. Looking up, he discovered Miss Guinevere Gusty, in a red cloak and
+hat, sitting on the bank with a band-box in her lap.
+
+His troubles were promptly swallowed up in the heart-quake which
+ensued; but his speech was likewise, and he stood foolishly opening and
+shutting his mouth, unable to effect a sound.
+
+"I am waiting for the packet to go down to Coreyville," announced Miss
+Gusty, straightening her plumed hat, and smiling. "Mr. Gallop says it's
+an hour late; but I don't care, it's such a grand day."
+
+Mr. Opp removed his eyes long enough to direct an inquiring glance at
+the heavens and the earth. "Is it?" he asked, finding his voice. "I been
+so occupied with business that I haven't scarcely taken occasion to note
+the weather."
+
+"Why, it's all soft and warm, just like spring," she continued, holding
+out her arms and looking up at the sky. "I've been wishing I had time to
+walk along the river a piece."
+
+"I'll take you," said Mr. Opp, eagerly. "We can hear the whistle of the
+boat in amply sufficient time to get back. Besides, it is a hour late."
+
+She hesitated. "You're real sure you can get me back?"
+
+"Perfectly," he announced. "I might say in all my experience I never
+have yet got a lady left on a boat."
+
+Miss Guinevere, used to being guided, handed him her band-box, and
+followed him up the steep bank.
+
+The path wound in and out among the trees, now losing itself in the
+woods, now coming out upon the open river. The whole world was a riot of
+crimson and gold, and it was warm with that soft echo of summer that
+brings some of its sweetness, and all of its sadness, but none of its
+mirth.
+
+Mr. Opp walked beside his divinity oblivious to all else. The sunlight
+fell unnoticed except when it lay upon her face; the only breeze that
+blew from heaven was the one that sent a stray curl floating across her
+cheek. As Mr. Opp walked, he talked, putting forth every effort to
+please. His burning desire to be worthy of her led him into all manner
+of verbal extravagances, and the mere fact that she was taller than he
+caused him to indulge in more lofty and figurative language. He captured
+fugitive quotations, evolved strange metaphors, coined words, and poured
+all in a glittering heap of eloquence before her shrine.
+
+As he talked, his companion moved heedlessly along beside him, stopping
+now and then to gather a spray of goldenrod, or to gaze absently at the
+river through some open space in the trees. For Miss Guinevere Gusty
+lived in a world of her own--a world of vague possibilities, of
+half-defined longings, and intangible dreams. Love was still an abstract
+sentiment, something radiant and breathless that might envelop her at
+any moment and bear her away to Elysium.
+
+As she stooped to free her skirt from a detaining thorn, she pointed
+down the bank.
+
+"There's some pretty sweet-gum leaves; I wish they weren't so far down."
+
+"Where?" demanded Mr. Opp, rashly eager to prove his gallantry.
+
+"'Way down over the edge; but you mustn't go, it's too steep."
+
+"Not for me," said Mr. Opp, plunging boldly through the underbrush.
+
+The tree grew at a sharp angle over the water, and the branches were so
+far up that it was necessary to climb out a short distance in order to
+reach them. Mr. Opp's soul was undoubtedly that of a knight-errant, but
+his body, alas! was not. When he found himself astride the slender,
+swaying trunk, with the bank dropping sharply to the river flowing
+dizzily beneath him, he went suddenly and unexpectedly blind. Between
+admiration for himself for ever having gotten there, and despair of ever
+getting back, lay the present necessity of loosening his hold long
+enough to break off a branch of the crimson leaves. He tried opening one
+eye, but the effect was so terrifying that he promptly closed it. He
+pictured himself, a few moments before, strolling gracefully along the
+road conversing brilliantly upon divers subjects; then he bitterly
+considered the present moment and the effect he must be producing upon
+the young lady in the red cloak on the path above. He saw himself
+clinging abjectly to the swaying tree-trunk, only waiting for his
+strength or the tree to give away, before he should be plunged into the
+waters below.
+
+"That's a pretty spray," called the soft voice from above; "that one
+above, to the left."
+
+Mr. Opp, rallying all his courage, reached blindly out in the direction
+indicated, and as he did so, he realized that annihilation was imminent.
+Demonstrating a swift geometrical figure in the air, he felt himself
+hurling through space, coming to an abrupt and awful pause when he
+struck the earth. Perceiving with a thrill of surprise that he was still
+alive, he cautiously opened his eyes. To his further amazement he found
+that he had landed on his feet, unhurt, and that in his left hand he
+held a long branch of sweet-gum leaves.
+
+"Why, you skinned the cat, didn't you?" called an admiring voice from
+above. "I was just wondering how you was ever going to get down."
+
+Mr. Opp crawled up the slippery bank, his knees trembling so that he
+could scarcely stand.
+
+"Yes," he said, as he handed her the leaves; "those kind of athletic
+acts seem to just come natural to some people."
+
+"You must be awful strong," continued Guinevere, looking at him with
+approval.
+
+Mr. Opp sank beside her on the bank and gave himself up to the full
+enjoyment of the moment. Both hands were badly bruised, and he had a dim
+misgiving that his coat was ripped up the back; but he was happy, with
+the wild, reckless happiness of one to whom Fate has been unexpectedly
+kind. Moreover, the goal toward which all his thought had been rushing
+for the past hour was in sight. He could already catch glimpses of the
+vision beautiful. He could hear himself storming the citadel with magic
+words of eloquence. Meanwhile he nursed the band-box and smiled dumbly
+into space.
+
+From far below, the pungent odor of burning leaves floated up, and the
+air was full of a blue haze that became luminous as the sun transfused
+it. It enveloped the world in mystery, and threw a glamour over the
+dying day.
+
+"It's so pretty it hurts," said the girl, clasping her hands about her
+knees. "I love to watch it all, but it makes the shivers go over
+me--makes me feel sort of lonesome. Don't it you?"
+
+Mr. Opp shook his head emphatically. It was the one time in years that
+down in the depths of his soul he had not felt lonesome. For as Indian
+summer had come back to earth, so youth had come back to Mr. Opp. The
+flower of his being was waking to bloom, and the spring tides were at
+flood.
+
+A belated robin overhead, unable longer to contain his rapture, burst
+into song; but Mr. Opp, equally full of his subject, was unable to utter
+a syllable. The sparkling eloquence and the fine phrases had evaporated,
+and only the bare truth was left.
+
+Guinevere, having become aware of the very ardent looks that were being
+cast upon her, said she thought the boat must be about due.
+
+"Oh, no," said Mr. Opp; "that is, I was about to say--why--er--say, Miss
+Guin-never, do you think you could ever come to keer about me?"
+
+Guinevere, thus brought to bay, took refuge in subterfuge. "Why--Mr.
+Opp--I'm not old enough for you."
+
+"Yes, you are," he burst forth fervently. "You are everything for me:
+old enough, and beautiful enough, and smart enough, and sweet enough. I
+never beheld a human creature that could even begin to think about
+comparing with you."
+
+Guinevere, in the agitation of the moment, nervously plucked all the
+leaves from the branch that had been acquired with such effort. It was
+with difficulty that she finally managed to lift her eyes.
+
+"You've been mighty good to me," she faltered, "and--and made me lots
+happier; but I--I don't care in the way you mean."
+
+"Is there anybody else?" demanded Mr. Opp, ready to hurl himself to
+destruction if she answered in the affirmative.
+
+"Oh, no," she answered him; "there never has been anybody."
+
+[Illustration: "'Why, Mr. Opp, I'm not old enough'"]
+
+"Then I'll take my chance," said Mr. Opp, expanding his narrow chest.
+"Whatever I've got out of the world I've had to fight for. I don't mind
+saying to you that I was sorter started out with a handicap. You know my
+sister--she's a--well, a' invalid, you might say, and while her pa was
+living, my fortunes wasn't what you might call as favorable as they are
+at present. I never thought there would be any use in my considering
+getting married till I met you, then I didn't seem able somehow to
+consider nothing else. If you'll just let me, I'll wait. I'll learn you
+to care. I won't bother you, but just wait patient as long as you say."
+And this from Mr. Opp, whose sands of life were already half-run! "All I
+ask for," he went on wistfully, "is a little sign now and then. You
+might give me a little look or something just to keep the time from
+seeming too long."
+
+It was almost a question, and as he leaned toward her, with the sunlight
+in his eyes, something of the beauty of the day touched him, too, just
+as it touched the weed at his feet, making them both for one
+transcendent moment part of the glory of the world.
+
+Guinevere Gusty, already in love with love, and reaching blindly out for
+something deeper and finer in her own life, was suddenly engulfed in a
+wave of sympathy. She involuntarily put out her hand and touched his
+fingers.
+
+The sun went down behind the distant shore, and the light faded on the
+river. Mr. Opp was almost afraid to breathe; he sat with his eyes on the
+far horizon, and that small, slender hand in his, and for the moment the
+world was fixed in its orbit, and Time itself stood still.
+
+Suddenly out of the silence came the long, low whistle of the boat. They
+scrambled to their feet and hurried down the path, Mr. Opp having some
+trouble in keeping up with the nimbler pace of the girl.
+
+"I'll be calculatin' every minute until the arrival of the boat
+to-morrow night," he was gasping as they came within sight of the wharf.
+"I'll be envyin' every--"
+
+"Where's my band-box?" demanded Guinevere. "Why, Mr. Opp, if you haven't
+gone and left it up in the woods!"
+
+Five minutes later, just as the bell was tapping for the boat to start,
+a flying figure appeared on the wharf. He was hatless and breathless,
+his coat was ripped from collar to hem, and a large band-box flapped
+madly against his legs as he ran. He came down the home-stretch at a
+record-breaking pace, stepped on board as the gang-plank was lifted,
+deposited his band-box on the deck, then with a running jump cleared the
+rapidly widening space between the boat and the shore, and dropped upon
+the wharf.
+
+He continued waving his handkerchief even after the boat had rounded
+the curve, then, having edited a paper, promoted a large enterprise,
+effected a proposal, and performed two remarkable athletic stunts all in
+the course of a day, Mr. Opp turned his footsteps toward home.
+
+
+
+
+IX
+
+
+The next day dawned wet and chilly. A fine mist hung in the trees, and
+the leaves and grasses sagged under their burden of moisture. All the
+crimson and gold had changed to brown and gray, and the birds and
+crickets had evidently packed away their chirps and retired for the
+season.
+
+By the light of a flickering candle, Mr. D. Webster Opp partook of a
+frugal breakfast. The luxurious habits of the Moore household had made
+breakfast a movable feast depending upon the time of Aunt Tish's
+arrival, and in establishing the new regime Mr. Opp had found it
+necessary to prepare his own breakfast in order to make sure of getting
+to the office before noon.
+
+As he sipped his warmed-over coffee, with his elbows on the red
+table-cloth, and his heels hooked on the rung of the chair, he recited
+to himself in an undertone from a very large and imposing book which was
+propped in front of him, the leaves held back on one side by a
+candlestick and on the other by a salt-cellar. It was a book which Mr.
+Opp was buying on subscription, and it was called "An Encyclopedia of
+Wonder, Beauty, and Wisdom." It contained pellets of information on all
+subjects, and Mr. Opp made it a practice to take several before
+breakfast, and to repeat the dose at each meal as circumstances
+permitted. "An editor," he told Nick, "has got to keep himself
+instructed on all subjects. He has got to read wide and continuous."
+
+As a rule he followed no special line in his pursuit of knowledge, but
+with true catholicity of taste, took the items as they came, turning
+from a strenuous round with "Abbeys and Abbots," to enter with fervor
+into the wilds of "Abyssinia." The straw which served as bookmark
+pointed to-day to "Ants," and ordinarily Mr. Opp would have attacked
+the subject with all the enthusiasm of an entomologist. But even the
+best regulated minds will at times play truant, and Mr. Opp's had taken
+a flying leap and skipped six hundred and thirty-two pages, landing
+recklessly in the middle of "Young Lochinvar." For the encyclopedia, in
+its laudable endeavor not only to cover all intellectual requirements,
+but also to add the crowning grace of culture, had appended a collection
+of poems under the title "Favorites, Old and New."
+
+Mr. Opp, thus a-wing on the winds of poesy, had sipped his tepid coffee
+and nibbled his burnt toast in fine abstraction until he came upon a
+selection which his soul recognized. He had found words to the music
+that was ringing in his heart. It was then that he propped the book open
+before him, and determined not to close it until he had made the lines
+his own.
+
+Later, as he trudged along the road to town, he repeated the verses to
+himself, patiently referring again and again to the note-book in which
+he had copied the first words of each line.
+
+At the office door he regretfully dismounted from Pegasus, and
+resolutely turned his attention to the business of the day. His desire
+was to complete the week's work by noon, spend the afternoon at home in
+necessary preparation for the coming guest, and have the following day,
+which was Saturday, free to devote to the interest of the oil company.
+
+In order to accomplish this, expedition was necessary, and Mr. Opp,
+being more bountifully endowed by nature with energy than with any other
+quality, fell to work with a will. His zeal, however, interfered with
+his progress, and he found himself in the embarrassing condition of a
+machine which is geared too high.
+
+He was, moreover, a bit bruised and stiff from the unusual performances
+of the previous day, and any sudden motion caused him to wince. But the
+pain brought recollection, and recollection was instant balm.
+
+It was hardly to be expected that things would deviate from their usual
+custom of becoming involved at a critical time, so Mr. Opp was not
+surprised when Nick was late and had to be spoken to, a task which the
+editor always achieved with great difficulty. Then the printing-press
+had an acute attack of indigestion, and no sooner was that relieved than
+the appalling discovery was made that there were no more good "S's" in
+the type drawer.
+
+"Use dollar-marks for the next issue," directed Mr. Opp, "and I'll wire
+immediate to the city."
+
+"We're kinder short on 'I's' too," said Nick. "You take so many in your
+articles."
+
+Mr. Opp looked injured. "I very seldom or never begin on an 'I,'" he
+said indignantly.
+
+"You get 'em in somehow," said Nick. "Why, the editor over at Coreyville
+even said 'Our Wife.'"
+
+"Yes," said Mr. Opp, "I will, too,--that is--er--"
+
+The telephone-bell covered his retreat.
+
+"Hello!" he answered in a deep, incisive voice to counteract the effect
+of his recent embarrassment, "Office of 'The Opp Eagle.' Mr. Toddlinger?
+Yes, sir. You say you want your subscription stopped! Well, now, wait a
+minute--see here, I can explain that--" but the other party had
+evidently rung off.
+
+Mr. Opp turned with exasperation upon Nick:
+
+"Do you know what you went and did last week?" He rose and, going to the
+file, consulted the top paper. "There it is," he said, "just identical
+with what he asserted."
+
+Nick followed the accusing finger and read:
+
+"Mr. and Mrs. Toddlinger moved this week into their new horse and lot."
+
+Before explanations could be entered into, there was a knock at the
+door. When it was answered, a very small black boy was discovered
+standing on the step. He wore a red shirt and a pair of ragged trousers,
+between which strained relations existed, and on his head was the brim
+of a hat from which the crown had long since departed. Hanging on a
+twine string about his neck was a large onion.
+
+He opened negotiations at once.
+
+"Old Miss says fer you-all to stop dat frowin' papers an' sech like
+trash outen de winder; dey blows over in our-all's yard."
+
+He delivered the message in the same belligerent spirit with which it
+had evidently been conveyed to him, and rolled his eyes at Mr. Opp as if
+the offense had been personal.
+
+Mr. Opp drew him in, and closed the door. "Did--er--did Mrs. Gusty send
+you over to say that?" he asked anxiously.
+
+"Yas, sir; she done havin' a mad spell. What's dat dere machine fer?"
+
+"It's a printing-press. Do you think Mrs. Gusty is mad at me?"
+
+"_Yas, sir_," emphatically; "she's mad at ever'body. She 'lows she gwine
+lick me ef I don't tek keer. She done got de kitchen so full o'
+switches hit looks jes lak outdoors."
+
+"I don't think she would really whip you," said Mr. Opp, already feeling
+the family responsibility.
+
+"Naw, sir; she jes 'low she gwine to. What's in dem dere little
+drawers?"
+
+"Type," said Mr. Opp. "You go back and tell Mrs. Gusty that Mr. Opp says
+he's very sorry to have caused her any inconvenience, and he'll send
+over immediate and pick up them papers."
+
+"You's kinder skeered of her, too, ain't you?" grinned the ambassador,
+holding up one bare, black foot to the stove. "My mammy she sasses back,
+but I runs."
+
+"Well, you'd better run now," said Mr. Opp, who resented such insight;
+"but, see here, what's that onion for?"
+
+"To 'sorb disease," said the youth, with the air of one who is
+promulgating some advanced theory in therapeutics; "hit ketches it 'stid
+of you. My pappy weared a' onion fer put-near a whole year, an' hit
+'sorbed all de diseases whut was hangin' round, an' nary a one never
+teched him. An' one day my pappy he got hongry, an' he et dat dere
+onion, an' whut you reckon? He up an' died!"
+
+"Well, you go 'long now," said Mr. Opp, "and tell Mrs. Gusty just
+exactly verbatim what I told you. What did you say was your name?"
+
+"Val," said the boy.
+
+Mr. Opp managed to slip a nickel into the dirty little hand without
+Nick's seeing him. Nick was rather firm about these things, and
+disapproved heartily of Mr. Opp's indiscriminate charities.
+
+"Gimme nudder one an' I'll tell you de rest ob it," whispered Val on the
+door-step.
+
+Mr. Opp complied.
+
+"Valentine Day Johnson," he announced with pride; then pocketing his
+prize, he vanished around the corner of the house, forgetting his office
+of plenipotentiary in his sudden accession of wealth.
+
+Once more peace settled on the office, and Mr. Opp was engrossed in an
+article on "The Greatest Petroleum Proposition South of the Mason and
+Dixon Line," when an ominous, wheezing cough announced the arrival of
+Mr. Tucker. This was an unexpected catastrophe, for Mr. Tucker's day for
+spending the morning at the office was Saturday, when he came in to pay
+for his paper. It seemed rather an unkind trick of Fate's that he should
+have been permitted to arrive a day too soon.
+
+The old gentleman drew up a chair to the stove, then deliberately
+removed his overcoat and gloves.
+
+It was when he took off his overshoes, however, that Mr. Opp and Nick
+exchanged looks of despair. They had a signal code which they habitually
+employed when storms swept the office, but in a calm like this they were
+powerless.
+
+"Mighty sorry to hear about that uprisin' in Guatemala," said Mr.
+Tucker, who took a vivid interest in foreign affairs, but remained quite
+neutral about questions at home.
+
+Mr. Opp moved about the office restlessly, knowing from experience that
+to sit down in the presence of Mr. Tucker was fatal. The only chance of
+escape lay in motion. He sharpened his pencils, straightened his desk,
+and tied up two bundles of papers while Mr. Tucker's address on the
+probable future of the Central American republics continued. Then Mr.
+Opp was driven to extreme measures. He sent himself a telegram. This
+ruse was occasionally resorted to, to free the office from unwelcome
+visitors without offending them, and served incidentally to produce an
+effect which was not unpleasant to the editor.
+
+Scribbling a message on a telegraph-blank procured for the purpose from
+Mr. Gallop, Mr. Opp handed it secretly to Nick, who in turn vanished out
+of the back door only to reappear at the front. Then the editor, with
+much ostentation, opened the envelop, and, after reading the contents,
+declared that he had business that would require immediate action. Would
+Mr. Tucker excuse him? If so, Nick would hold his coat.
+
+"But," protested Mr. Tucker, resisting the effort to force him into his
+overcoat, "I want to talk over this oil business. We don't want to take
+any risks with those fellows. As I was a-saying to Mr. Hager--"
+
+"Yes," said Mr. Opp, taking his own hat from a nail, and apparently in
+great haste, "I know, of course. You are exactly right about it. We'll
+just talk it over as we go up-street," and linking his arm through Mr.
+Tucker's, he steered him up the muddy channel of Main Street, and safely
+into the harbor of Our Hotel, where he anchored him breathless, but
+satisfied.
+
+Having thus disposed, to the best of his ability, of his business for
+the week, Mr. Opp turned his attention to his yet more arduous domestic
+affairs. The menu for the guest's dinner had weighed rather heavily upon
+him all day, for he had never before entertained in his own home. His
+heart had been set on turkey; but as that was out of the question, he
+compromised on a goose, adhering tenaciously to the cranberry sauce.
+
+It was easier to decide on the goose than it was to procure it, and some
+time was consumed in the search. Mr. Opp brought all his mental powers
+to bear on the subject, and attacked the problem with a zeal that
+merited success.
+
+When he reached home at noon with his arm full of bundles, Aunt Tish met
+him with lamentations.
+
+"Dey ain't but one clean table-cloth, an' hit's got a hole in hit, an' I
+can't find no sheets to put on de company baid, an' dere ain't three
+cups an' saucers in de house what belongs to theyselves. I shorely doan
+know what you thinkin' 'bout, Mr. D., to go an' ast company fer. We-all
+never does hab company. An' Miss Kippy she be'n habin' a sort er spell,
+too, cryin' to herself, an' won't tell me whut's de matter."
+
+Mr. Opp shook the raindrops from his hat-brim, and laid the goose
+tenderly on the table; then he stepped inside the dining-room door, and
+stood watching the childish figure that sat on the floor before the
+fire. She was putting artificial flowers on her head, and every time
+they fell off, she dropped her head on her knees and sobbed softly to
+herself. Again and again she made the experiment, and again and again
+the faded roses came tumbling into her lap.
+
+"I'll fix 'em," said Mr. Opp, coming up behind her; "don't you cry about
+it, Kippy; I can make them stay, easy." He searched around in the
+clothes-press until he found a paper box, which he tied securely upon
+Miss Kippy's head.
+
+"Now try it," he cried; "put the flowers on your head; they'll stay."
+
+Timidly, as if afraid of another disappointment, she tried, and when the
+flowers were caught in the box, she gave a sigh of satisfaction and
+delight.
+
+"Well, sence I j'ined de church!" exclaimed Aunt Tish, who had been
+watching proceedings from the doorway; then she added, as Mr. Opp came
+into the hall: "Hit beats my time de way you handles dat pore chile.
+Sometimes she got jes good sense as you an' me has. She ast me t'other
+day if she wasn't crazy. I 'lowed no indeedy, dat crazy folks was lock
+up in a lunatic asylum. An' she says 'Where?' 'Up at Coreyville,' I say.
+She went on playin' jes as nice and happy. De chile's all right ef she
+don't git a fool notion; den dey ain't nobody kin make out what she
+wants inceptin' you. She been cryin' over dem flowers ever sence
+breakfast."
+
+"Why didn't you come after me?" demanded Mr. Opp.
+
+"Jes to tie a box on her haid?" asked Aunt Tish. "Lor', I thought you
+was busy makin' dem newspapers."
+
+"So I am," said Mr. Opp, "but whenever Miss Kippy gets to crying, I want
+you to come direct after me, do you hear? There ain't anything more
+important than in keeping her from getting worried. Now, let's have a
+look at that there table-cloth."
+
+All afternoon Mr. Opp encountered difficulties that would have
+disheartened a less courageous host. With the limited means at hand it
+seemed impossible to entertain in a manner befitting the dignity of the
+editor of "The Opp Eagle." But Mr. Opp, though sorely perplexed, was not
+depressed, for beneath the disturbed surface of his thoughts there ran
+an undercurrent of pure joy. It caused him to make strange, unnatural
+sounds in his throat which he meant for song; it made him stop every now
+and then in his work to glance tenderly and reminiscently at the palm of
+his right hand, once even going so far as to touch it softly with his
+lips. For since the last sun had set there had been no waking moment but
+had held for him the image of a golden world inhabited solely by a pair
+of luminous eyes, one small hand, and, it must be added, a band-box.
+
+Through the busy afternoon Mr. Opp referred constantly to his watch, and
+in spite of the manifold duties to be performed, longed impatiently for
+evening to arrive. At five o'clock he had moved the furniture from one
+bedroom to another, demonstrated beyond a possibility of doubt that a
+fire could not be made in the parlor grate without the chimney smoking,
+mended two chairs, hung a pair of curtains, and made three errands to
+town. So much accomplished, he turned his attention to the most
+difficult task of all.
+
+"Kippy," he said, going to the window where she was gleefully tracing
+the course of the raindrops as they chased down the pane. "Stop a
+minute, Kippy. Listen; I want to talk to you."
+
+Miss Kippy turned obediently, but her lips continued the dumb
+conversation she was having with the rain.
+
+"How would you like," said Mr. Opp, approaching the subject cautiously,
+"to play like you was a grown-up lady--just for to-night, you know?"
+
+Miss Kippy looked at him suspiciously, and her lips stopped moving.
+Heretofore she had resisted all efforts to change her manner of dress.
+
+"There's a gentleman a-coming," continued Mr. Opp, persuasively; "he's
+going to remain over till to-morrow, and Aunt Tish is cooking that
+large goose for him, and I've been fixing up the spare room. We are all
+endeavoring to give him a nice time. Don't you want to dress up for
+him?"
+
+"Will it make him glad?" asked Miss Kippy.
+
+Mr. Opp expiated on the enjoyment it would give the unknown guest to see
+Kippy in the blue merino dress which Aunt Tish had gotten out of Mrs.
+Opp's old trunk up-stairs.
+
+"And you'll let Aunt Tish arrange your hair up like a lady?" went on Mr.
+Opp, pushing the point.
+
+"Yes," said Miss Kippy, after a moment, "Oxety will. She will make him
+glad."
+
+"Good!" said Mr. Opp. "And if you will sit nice and quiet and never say
+a word all through supper, I'll get you a book with pictures in it,
+representing flowers and things."
+
+"Roses?" asked Miss Kippy, drawing a quick breath of delight; and when
+Mr. Opp nodded, she closed her eyes and smiled as if heaven were within
+sight. For Miss Kippy was like a harp across which some rough hand had
+swept, snapping all the strings but two, the high one of ecstasy and the
+low one of despair.
+
+At six o'clock Mr. Opp went up to make his toilet. The rain, which had
+been merely rehearsing all day, was now giving a regular performance,
+and it played upon the windows, and went trilling through the gutters on
+the roof, while the old cedar-tree scraped an accompaniment on the
+corner of the porch below. But, nothing daunted, Mr. Opp donned his
+bravest attire. Cyclones and tornadoes could not have deterred him from
+making the most elaborate toilet at his command. To be sure, he turned
+up the hem of his trousers and tied a piece of oilcloth securely about
+each leg, and he also spread a handkerchief tenderly over his pink
+necktie; but these could be easily removed after he heard the boat
+whistle.
+
+He dressed by the light of a sputtering candle before a small mirror the
+veracity of which was more than questionable. It presented him to
+himself as a person with a broad, flat face, the nose of which appeared
+directly between his eyes, and the mouth on a line with the top of his
+ears. But he made allowances for these idiosyncrasies on the part of the
+mirror; in fact, he made such liberal allowances that he was quite
+satisfied with the reflection.
+
+"I'll procure the hack to bring the company back in," he said to Aunt
+Tish rather nervously as he passed through the kitchen. "You assist Miss
+Kippy to get arranged, and I'll carry up the coal and set the table
+after I return back home. I can do it while the company is up in his
+room."
+
+All the way into town, as he splashed along the muddy road, he was
+alternately dreading the arrival of one passenger, and anticipating
+joyfully, the arrival of another. For as the time approached the
+impending presence of the company began to take ominous form, and Mr.
+Opp grew apprehensive.
+
+At the landing he found everything dark and quiet. Evidently the packet
+was unusually late, and the committee appointed to meet it and conduct
+the guests to their various destinations was waiting somewhere uptown,
+probably at Your Hotel. Mr. Opp paused irresolute: his soul yearned for
+solitude, but the rain-soaked dock offered no shelter except the slight
+protection afforded by a pile of empty boxes. Selecting the driest and
+largest of these, he turned it on end, and by an adroit adjustment of
+his legs, succeeded in getting inside.
+
+Below, the river rolled heavily past in the twilight, sending up tiny
+juts of water to meet the pelting rain. A cold, penetrating mist clung
+to the ground, and the wind carried complaining tales from earth to
+heaven. Everything breathed discomfort, but Mr. Opp knew it not.
+
+His soul was sailing sunlit seas of bliss, fully embarked at last upon
+the most magic and immortal of all illusions. Sitting cramped and numb
+in his narrow quarters, he peered eagerly into the darkness, watching
+for the first lights of the _Sunny South_ to twinkle through the gloom.
+And as he watched he chanted in a sing-song ecstasy:
+
+    "She is coming, my own, my sweet;
+      Were it ever so airy a tread,
+    My heart would hear her and beat,
+      Were it earth in an earthy bed;
+    My dust would hear her and beat,
+      Had I lain for a century dead;
+    Would start and tremble under her feet,
+      And blossom in purple and red."
+
+
+
+
+X
+
+
+When Miss Guinevere Gusty tripped up the gang-plank of the _Sunny South_
+late that afternoon, vainly trying to protect herself from the driving
+rain, she was met half-way by the gallant old captain.
+
+Tradition had it that the captain had once cast a favorable eye upon her
+mother; but Mrs. Gusty, being cross-eyed, had looked elsewhere.
+
+"We are a pudding without plums," he announced gaily, as he held the
+umbrella at an angle calculated to cause a waterspout in the crown of
+her hat--"not a lady on board. All we needed was a beautiful young
+person like you to liven us up. You haven't forgotten those pretty tunes
+you played for me last trip, have you?"
+
+Guinevere laughed, and shook her head. "That was just for you and the
+girls," she said.
+
+"Well, it'll be for me and the boys this time. I've got a nice lot of
+gentlemen on board, going down to your place, by the way, to buy up all
+your oil-lands. Now I know you are going to play for us if I ask you
+to."
+
+"My goodness! are they on this boat?" asked Guinevere, in a flutter. "I
+am so glad; I just love to watch city people."
+
+"Yes," said the captain; "that was Mr. Mathews talking to me as you came
+aboard--the one with the white beard. Everything that man touches turns
+to money. That glum-looking young fellow over there is his secretary.
+Hinton is his name; curious sort of chap."
+
+Guinevere followed his glance with eager interest. "The solemn one with
+the cap pulled over his eyes?" she asked.
+
+The captain nodded. "All the rest are inside playing cards and having a
+good time; but he's been moping around like that ever since they got on
+board. I've got to go below now, but when I come back, you'll play some
+for me, won't you?"
+
+Guinevere protested violently, but something within her whispered that
+if the captain was very insistent she would render the selection which
+had won her a gold medal at the last commencement.
+
+Slipping into the saloon, she dropped quietly into one of the very
+corpulent chairs which steamboats particularly affect, and, unobserved,
+proceeded to give herself up to the full enjoyment of the occasion. The
+journey from Coreyville to the Cove, in the presence of the
+distinguished strangers, had assumed the nature of an adventure. Giving
+her imagination free rein, Miss Gusty, without apology, transported the
+commonplace group of business men at the card-table into the wildest
+realms of romance. The fact that their language, appearance, and manner
+spoke of the city, was for her a sufficient peg upon which to hang
+innumerable conjectures. So deep was she in her speculations that she
+did not hear the captain come up behind her.
+
+"Where have you been hiding?" he asked in stentorian tones. "I was
+afraid you'd gotten out on deck and the wind had blown you overboard.
+Don't you think it's about time for that little tune? We are forty
+minutes late now, and we'll lose another half-hour taking on freight at
+Smither's Landing. I've been banking on hearing that little dance-piece
+you played for me before."
+
+"I can't play--before them," said Guinevere, nervously.
+
+The captain laughed. "Yes, you can; they'll like it. Mr. Mathews said
+something mighty pretty about you when you came on board."
+
+"He didn't--honest?" said Guinevere, blushing. "Oh, truly, Captain, I
+can't play!" But even as she spoke she unbuttoned her gloves. Her
+accomplishment was clamoring for an exhibition, and though her spirit
+failed her, she twirled the piano-stool and took her seat.
+
+The group of men at the table, heretofore indifferent to proceedings,
+looked up when a thundering chord broke the stillness. A demure young
+girl, with gentle, brown eyes, was making a furious and apparently
+unwarranted attack upon the piano. Her one desire evidently was to get
+inside of the instrument. With insinuating persistence she essayed an
+entrance through the treble, and, being unable to effect it, fell upon
+the bass, and exhausted a couple of rounds of ammunition there. The
+assault on both flanks being unsuccessful, she resorted to strategy,
+crossing her hands and assailing each wing of the enemy from an
+unexpected quarter. When this move failed, she evidently became
+incensed, and throwing aside diplomacy, rallied all her forces, charging
+her artillery up to the highest note, then thundering down to the
+lowest, beating down the keys as fast as they dared to rise. In the
+midst of the carnage, when the clamor was at its height and victory
+seemed imminent, she suddenly paused, with one hand in air and her head
+gently inclined, and, tapping out two silvery bugle-notes of truce,
+raised the siege.
+
+The appalling silence that ensued might have hung above a battle-field
+of slain and wounded. The captain bit his mustache.
+
+"That wasn't exactly the one I meant," he said. "I want that little
+dance-tune with the jingle to it."
+
+Miss Gusty, disappointed and surprised at the effect which her
+masterpiece had failed to produce, was insisting with flushed cheeks
+that she could play no more, when the gentleman who was called Mr.
+Mathews rose from the table and came toward her. His hair and pointed
+beard were white, but his eyes were still young, and he looked at her
+while he spoke to the captain.
+
+"I beg your pardon, Captain," he was saying in smooth, even tones,
+"can't you persuade the young lady to sing something for us?"
+
+"I never took vocal," said Guinevere, looking at him frankly. "I'm
+making a specialty of instrumental."
+
+The gentleman looked sidewise at his companions and stroked his beard
+gravely. "But you _do_ sing?" he persisted.
+
+"Just popular music," said Guinevere. "I was going to take 'The Holy
+City' and 'The Rosary' last year, but the vocal teacher got sick."
+
+In response to a very urgent invitation, she took her seat again, and
+this time sang a sentimental ditty concerning the affairs of one "Merry
+Little Milly in the Month of May."
+
+This selection met with prompt favor, and the men left their cards, and
+gathered about the piano, demanding an encore.
+
+Miss Guinevere's voice was very small, and her accompaniment very loud,
+but, in her effort to please, she unconsciously became dramatic in her
+expression, and frowned and smiled and lifted her brows in sympathy with
+the emotions of the damsel in the song. And Miss Guinevere's eyes being
+expressive and her lips very red, the result proved most satisfactory
+to the audience.
+
+One stout young man in particular expressed himself in such unrestrained
+terms of enthusiasm, that Guinevere, after singing several songs, became
+visibly embarrassed. Upon the plea of being too warm she made her
+escape, half-promising to return and sing again later on.
+
+Flushed with the compliments and the excitement, and a little uncertain
+about the propriety of it all, she hurried through the swing-door and,
+turning suddenly on the deck, stumbled over something in the darkness.
+
+It proved to be a pair of long legs that were stretched out in front of
+a silent figure, who shot a hand out to restore Miss Gusty to an upright
+position. But the deck was slippery from the rain, and before he could
+catch her, she went down on her knees.
+
+"Did it hurt you?" a voice asked anxiously.
+
+"It don't matter about me," answered Guinevere, "just so it didn't spoil
+my new dress. I'm afraid there's an awful tear in it."
+
+"I hope not," said the voice. "I'd hate to be guilty of dress slaughter
+even in the second degree. Sure you are not hurt? Sit down a minute;
+here's a chair right behind you, out of the wind."
+
+Guinevere groped about for the chair. "Mother can mend it," she went on,
+voicing her anxiety, "if it isn't too bad."
+
+"And if it is?" asked the voice.
+
+"I'll have to wear it, anyhow. It's brand splinter new, the first one I
+ever had made by a sure-enough dressmaker."
+
+"My abominable legs!" muttered the voice.
+
+Guinevere laughed, and all at once became curious concerning the person
+who belonged to the legs.
+
+He had dropped back into his former position, with feet outstretched,
+hands in pockets, and cap pulled over his eyes, and he did not seem
+inclined to continue the conversation.
+
+She drew in deep breaths of the cool air, and watched the big side-wheel
+churn the black water into foam, and throw off sprays of white into the
+darkness. She liked to be out there in the sheltered corner, watching
+the rain dash past, and to hear the wind whistling up the river. She was
+glad to be in the dark, too, away from all those gentlemen, so ready
+with their compliments. But the sudden change from the heated saloon to
+the cold deck chilled her, and she sneezed.
+
+Her companion stirred. "If you are going to stay out here, you ought to
+put something around you," he said irritably.
+
+"I'm not very cold. Besides, I don't want to go in. I don't want them to
+make me sing any more. Mother'll be awfully provoked if I take cold,
+though. Do you think it's too damp?"
+
+"There's my overcoat," said the man, indifferently; "you can put that
+around you if you want to."
+
+She struggled into the large sleeves, and he made no effort to help her.
+
+"You don't like music, do you?" she asked naively as she settled back in
+her chair.
+
+"Well, yes," he said slowly. "I should say the thing I dislike least in
+the world is music."
+
+"Then why didn't you come in to hear me play?" asked Guinevere,
+emboldened by the darkness.
+
+"Oh, I could hear it outside," he assured her; "besides, I have a pair
+of defective lamps in my head. The electric lights hurt my eyes."
+
+He struck a match as he spoke to relight his pipe, and by its flare she
+caught her first glimpse of his face, a long, slender, sensitive face,
+brooding and unhappy.
+
+"I guess you are Mr. Hinton," she said as if to herself.
+
+He turned with the lighted match in his hand. "How did you know that?"
+
+"The captain told me. He pointed out you and Mr. Mathews, but he didn't
+tell me any of the rest."
+
+"A branch of your education that can afford to remain neglected," said
+Mr. Hinton as he puffed at his pipe.
+
+The door of the saloon swung open, and the chubby gentleman appeared in
+the light, shading his eyes, and calling out that they were all waiting
+for the little canary-bird.
+
+"I don't want to go," whispered Guinevere, shrinking back into the
+shadow.
+
+The chubby gentleman peered up and down the deck, then, assailed by a
+gust of wind, beat a hasty retreat.
+
+"I don't like him," announced Guinevere, drawing a breath of relief. "It
+isn't just because he's fat and ugly; it's the silly way he looks at
+you."
+
+"What a pity you can't tell him so!" said her companion, dryly. "Such
+blasphemy might do him good. He is the scion of a distinguished family
+made wealthy by the glorious sale of pork."
+
+"Are all the gentlemen millionaires?" asked Guinevere in awe.
+
+"Present company excepted," qualified Hinton.
+
+"It'll seem awful small to them down in the Cove. Why, we haven't got
+room enough at the two hotels to put them all up."
+
+"Oh, you live there, do you?"
+
+"Yes; I've just been up at Coreyville spending the night. I used to hate
+it down at the Cove, it was so little and stupid; but I like it better
+now."
+
+There was a long silence, during which each pursued a widely different
+line of thought.
+
+"We have got a newspaper at the Cove now," announced Guinevere. "It's an
+awful nice paper, called 'The Opp Eagle.'"
+
+"Opp?" repeated Hinton. "Oh, yes, that was the man I telephoned to. What
+sort of chap is he, anyhow?"
+
+"He's awfully smart," said Guinevere, her cheeks tingling. "Not so much
+book learning, but a fine brain. The preacher says he's got a natural
+gift of language. You ought to see some of his editorials."
+
+"Hiding his light under a bushel, isn't he?"
+
+"That's just it," said Guinevere, glad to expatiate on the subject. "If
+Mr. Opp could get in a bigger place and get more chances, he'd have a
+lot more show. But he won't leave Miss Kippy. She's his sister, you
+know; there is only the two of them, and she's kind of crazy, and has to
+have somebody take care of her. Mother thinks it's just awful he don't
+send her to an asylum, but I know how he feels."
+
+"Is he a young man?" asked Mr. Hinton.
+
+"Well--no, not exactly; he's just seventeen years and two months older
+than I am."
+
+"Oh," said Hinton, comprehensively.
+
+There was another long pause, during which Guinevere turned things over
+in her mind, and Mr. Hinton knocked the ashes from his pipe.
+
+"I think girls seem a good deal older than they are, don't you?" she
+asked presently.
+
+"Some girls," Hinton agreed.
+
+"How old would you take me for?"
+
+"In the dark?"
+
+"Yes."
+
+"About twelve."
+
+"Oh, that's not fair," said Guinevere. "I'm eighteen, and lots of people
+take me for twenty."
+
+"That is when they can see you," said Hinton.
+
+Guinevere decided that she did not like him. She leaned back in her
+corner and tried not to talk. But this course had its disadvantage, for
+when she was silent he seemed to forget she was there.
+
+Once he took a turn up and down the deck, and when he came back, he
+stood for a long time leaning over the rail and gazing into the water.
+As he turned to sit down she heard him mutter to himself:
+
+    "... That no life lives forever;
+    That dead men rise up never;
+    That even the weariest river
+    Winds somewhere safe to sea."
+
+Guinevere repeated the words softly to herself, and wondered what they
+meant. She was still thinking about them when a dim red light in the
+distance told her they were approaching the Cove. She slipped off the
+heavy overcoat and began to put on her gloves.
+
+"Hello! we are getting in, are we?" asked Hinton, shaking himself into
+an upright position. "Is that Cove City where the big red light bores
+into the water like a corkscrew?"
+
+They moved to the bow of the boat and watched as it changed its course
+and made for the opposite shore.
+
+"Did you mean," said Guinevere, absently, "that you wanted it all to end
+like that? For us to just go out into nothing, like the river gets lost
+in the ocean?"
+
+Hinton glanced at her in surprise, and discovered that there was an
+unusually thoughtful face under the sweeping brim of the red hat. The
+fact that she was pretty was less evident to him than the fact that she
+was wistful. His mood was sensitive to minor chords.
+
+"I guess you _are_ eighteen," he said, and he smiled, and Guinevere
+smiled back, and the chubby gentleman, coming suddenly out upon them,
+went in again and slammed the door.
+
+The lights on the landing twinkled brighter and brighter, and presently
+figures could be seen moving here and there. The steamer, grumbling with
+every chug of the wheel, was brought around, and the roustabouts crowded
+along the rail, ready to make her fast.
+
+Guinevere and Hinton stood on the upper deck under his umbrella and
+waited.
+
+Directly below them on the dock a small, fantastic figure made frantic
+efforts to attract their attention. He stood uncovered, regardless of
+the rain, madly waving his hat.
+
+"Is that anybody you know?" asked Hinton.
+
+Guinevere, who was watching the lights on the water, started guiltily.
+
+"Where?" she asked.
+
+"Down to the right--that comical little codger in the checked suit."
+
+Guinevere looked, then turned upon Hinton eyes that were big with
+indignation. "Why, of course," she said; "that's Mr. Opp."
+
+
+
+
+XI
+
+
+As Willard Hinton stood on the porch of Your Hotel and waited for his
+host for the night to call for him, he was in that state of black
+dejection that comes to a young man when Ambition has proposed to
+Fortune, and been emphatically rejected. For six years he had worked
+persistently and ceaselessly toward a given goal, doing clerical work by
+day and creative work by night, going from shorthand into longhand, and
+from numerical figures into figures of speech. For the way that Hinton's
+soul was traveling was the Inky Way, and at its end lay Authorship.
+
+Hinton had taken himself and his work seriously, and served an
+apprenticeship of hard study and conscientious preparation. So zealous
+was he, in fact, that he had arrived at the second stage of his great
+enterprise with a teeming brain, a practised hand, and a pair of
+affected eyes over which the oculists shook their heads and offered
+little encouragement.
+
+For four months he had implicitly obeyed orders, attending only to his
+regular work, eating and sleeping with exemplary regularity, and
+spending all of his spare time in the open air. But the ravages made in
+the long nights dedicated to the Muses were not to be so easily
+repaired, and his eyes, instead of improving, were growing rapidly
+worse. The question of holding his position had slipped from a matter of
+months into weeks.
+
+As he stood on the porch, he could hear the bustle of entertainment
+going on within the limited quarters of Your Hotel. Jimmy Fallows was in
+his element. As bartender, head waiter, and jovial landlord he was
+playing a triple bill to a crowded house. Occasionally he opened the
+door and urged Hinton to come inside.
+
+"Mr. Opp'll be here 'fore long," he would say. "He's expecting you, but
+he had to stop by to take his girl home. You better step in and get a
+julep."
+
+But Hinton, wrapped in the gloom of his own thoughts, preferred to
+remain where he was. Already he seemed to belong to the dark, to be a
+thing apart from his fellow-men. He shrank from companionship and
+sympathy as he shrank from the light. He longed to crawl away like a
+sick animal into some lonely corner and die. Whichever way he turned,
+the great specter of darkness loomed before him. At first he had fought,
+then he had philosophically stood still, now he was retreating. Again
+and again he told himself that he would meet it like a man, and again
+and again he shrank back, ready to seek escape anywhere, anyhow.
+
+"O God, if I weren't so damnably young!" he cried to himself, beating
+his clenched hand against his brow. "More than half my life yet to
+live, and in the dark!"
+
+The rattle of wheels and the stopping of a light in front of the hotel
+made him pull himself together.
+
+The small gentleman in the checked suit whom he had seen on the wharf
+strode in without seeing him. He paused before he opened the door and
+smoothed his scanty locks and rearranged his pink necktie. Then he drew
+in his chin, threw out his chest, and with a carefully prepared smile of
+welcome entered.
+
+The buzz within increased, and it was some minutes before the door
+opened again and Jimmy Fallows was heard saying:
+
+"He's round here some place. Mr. Hinton! Oh, here you are! Let me make
+you acquainted with Mr. Opp; he's going to take you out to his house for
+the night."
+
+No sooner had Hinton's hand been released from Mr. Opp's cordial grasp
+than he felt that gentleman's arm thrust through his, and was aware of
+being rapidly conducted down the steps and out to the vehicle.
+
+"On no possible account," Mr. Opp was saying, with Hinton's grip in one
+hand and two umbrellas in the other, "would I have allowed myself to be
+late, except that it was what you might consider absolutely necessary.
+Now, you get right in; just take all that robe. No, the grip can go
+right here between my feet. We trust that you will not regard the
+weather in any ways synonymous with the state of our feelings of
+welcome."
+
+Mr. Hinton remarked rather shortly that the weather never mattered to
+him one way or another.
+
+"That's precisely like myself," Mr. Opp went on. "I come of very sturdy,
+enduring stock. For a man of my size I doubt if you'd find a finer
+constitution in the country. You wouldn't particularly think it to look
+at me, now would you?"
+
+Hinton looked at the small, stooping figure, and at the peaked, sallow
+face, and said rather sarcastically that he would not.
+
+"Strong as an ox," declared Mr. Opp.
+
+Just here the horse stumbled, and they were jerked violently forward.
+
+Mr. Opp apologized. "Just at present we are having a little difficulty
+with our country roads. We have taken the matter up in 'The Opp Eagle'
+last week. All these things take time to regulate, but we are getting
+there. This oil boom is going to revolutionize things. It's my firm and
+abiding conviction that we are on the eve of a great change. It wouldn't
+surprise me in the least if this town grew to be one of the principalest
+cities on the Ohio River."
+
+"To be a worthy eyrie for your 'Eagle'?" suggested Hinton.
+
+"'The Opp Eagle,'" corrected Mr. Opp. "I don't know as you know that I
+am the sole proprietor, as well as being the editor in addition."
+
+"No," said Hinton, "I did not know. How does it happen that a man with
+such responsibilities can take time to dabble in oil-wells?"
+
+"You don't know me," said Mr. Opp, with a paternal smile at his own
+ability. "Promoting and organizing comes as natural to me as breathing
+the atmosphere. I am engineering this scheme with one hand, the Town
+Improvement League with another, and 'The Opp Eagle' with another. Then,
+in a minor kind of way, I am a active Odd Fellow, first cornetist in the
+Unique Orchestra, and a director in the bank. And beside," Mr. Opp
+concluded with some coyness, "there is the natural personal social
+diversions that most young men indulge in."
+
+By this time they had reached the gray old house on the river-bank, and
+Mr. Opp hitched the horse and held the lantern, while Hinton stepped
+from one stony island to another in the sea of mud.
+
+"Just enter right into the dining-room," said Mr. Opp, throwing open the
+door. "Unfortunately we are having a temporary difficulty with the
+parlor heating apparatus. If you'll just pass right on up-stairs, I'll
+show you the guest-chamber. Be careful of your head, please!"
+
+With pomp and dignity Mr. Hinton was conducted to his apartment, and
+urged to make known any possible want that might occur to him.
+
+"I'll be obliged to leave you for a spell," said Mr. Opp, "in order to
+attend to the proper putting up of the horse. If you'll just consider
+everything you see as yours, and make yourself entirely at home, I'll
+come up for you in about twenty minutes."
+
+Left alone, Hinton went to the bureau to pin a paper around the lamp,
+and as he did so he encountered a smiling face in the mirror. The face
+was undoubtedly his, but the smile seemed almost to belong to a
+stranger, so long had it been since he had seen it.
+
+He made a hasty toilet, and sat down with his back to the light to await
+his summons to dinner. The large room, poorly and scantily furnished,
+gave unmistakable evidence of having been arranged especially for his
+coming. There was no covering on the floor, there were no pictures on
+the wall; but the wall-paper was of a sufficiently decorative character
+to warrant the absence of other adornment. It may be said to have been a
+botanical paper, for roses and lilies and sunflowers and daisies grew in
+riotous profusion. The man who hung the paper evidently was of a
+scientific turn, for in matching the strips he had gained some results
+in cross-grafting that approached the miraculous.
+
+After sufficient time had elapsed to have stabled half a dozen horses,
+Hinton, whose appetite was becoming ravenous, went into the hall and
+started down the steps. When half-way down he heard a crash of china,
+and saw his host, in his shirt-sleeves, staggering under a large tray
+overcrowded with dishes.
+
+Beating a hasty retreat, he went quietly up the steps again, but not
+before he heard a querulous voice remonstrate:
+
+"Now, Mr. D., if you ain't done busted two plates and a tea-cup!"
+
+Retiring to his room until the trouble should be adjusted, Hinton once
+more contemplated the floral paper. As he sat there, the door creaked
+slightly, and looking up, he thought he saw some one peeping at him
+through the crack. Later he distinctly heard the rustle of garments, a
+stealthy step, and the closing of the door across the hall.
+
+At last Mr. Opp came somewhat noisily up the steps and, flinging wide
+the door, invited him to descend. In the dining-room below the scene was
+nothing short of festal. All the candlesticks were filled with lighted
+candles, an American flag was draped across the top of the clock, and
+the little schooner that rocked behind the pendulum seemed fired with
+the determination to get somewhere to-night if it never did again. Even
+the owls on each end of the mantel wore a benignant look, and seemed to
+beam a welcome on the honored guest.
+
+But it was the dining-table that held the center of the stage, and that
+held everything else as well. The dinner, through its sequence of soup,
+meat, salad, and desert, was displayed in lavish hospitality. Cove
+etiquette evidently demanded that no square inch of the table-cloth
+should remain unoccupied.
+
+Seated at the table, with hands demurely folded, was the most grotesque
+figure that Hinton had ever seen. Clad in a queer, old-fashioned garment
+of faded blue cloth, with very full skirt and flowing sleeves, with her
+hair gathered into a tight knot at the back of her head, and a necklace
+of nutshells about her neck, a strange little lady sat and watched him
+with parted lips and wide, excited eyes.
+
+"If you'll just sit here opposite my sister," said Mr. Opp, not
+attempting an introduction, "I'll as usual take my customary place at
+the head of the board."
+
+It was all done with great eclat, but from the first there were
+unmistakable signs of nervousness on the part of the host. He left the
+table twice before the soup was removed, once to get the napkins which
+had been overlooked, and once to persuade his sister not to put the
+baked potatoes in her lap.
+
+When the critical moment for the trial of strength between him and the
+goose arrived, he was not in good condition. It was his first wrestling
+match with a goose, and his technical knowledge of the art consisted in
+the meager fact that the strategic point was to become master of the
+opponent's legs. The fowl had, moreover, by nature of its being, the
+advantage of extreme slipperiness, an expedient recognized and made use
+of by the gladiators of old.
+
+Mr. Opp, limited as to space, and aware of a critical audience, rose to
+the occasion, and with jaw set and the light of conquest in his eye
+entered the fray. He pushed forward, and pulled back, he throttled, he
+went through facial and bodily contortions. The match was conducted in
+"the catch hold, first down to lose style," and the honors seemed
+equally divided. At last, by the adroit administration of a left-leg
+stroke, Mr. Opp succeeded in throwing his adversary, but unfortunately
+he threw it too far.
+
+The victory, though brilliant, was not without its casualties. The
+goose, in its post-mortem flight, took its revenge, and the overturned
+cranberries sent a crimson stain across the white cloth, giving a
+sanguinary aspect to the scene.
+
+When order was restored and Mr. Opp had once more taken his seat, the
+little lady in the blue dress, who had remained quiet during the recent
+conflict, suddenly raised her voice in joyous song.
+
+"Now, Kippy," warned Mr. Opp, putting a restraining hand on her arm, and
+looking at her appealingly. The little lady shrank back in her chair and
+her eyes filled as she clasped his hand tightly in both of hers.
+
+"As I was remarking," Mr. Opp went steadily on, trying to behave as if
+it were quite natural for him to eat with his left hand, "the real
+value of the underground product in this country has been but fairly
+made apparent, and now that you capitalists are coming in to take a
+hold, there's no way of forming a idea of the ultimate result."
+
+Hinton, upon whom no phase of the situation had been lost, came
+valiantly to Mr. Opp's rescue. He roused himself to follow his host's
+lead in the conversation; he was apparently oblivious to the many
+irregularities of the dinner. In fact, it was one of the rare occasions
+upon which Hinton took the trouble to exert himself. Something in the
+dreary old room, with its brave attempt at cheer, in the half-witted
+little lady who was making such superhuman efforts to be good, and above
+all in the bombastic, egotistical, ignorant editor who was trying to
+keep up appearances against such heavy odds, touched the best and
+deepest that was in Hinton, and lifted him out of himself. Gradually he
+began to take the lead in the conversation. With great tact he relieved
+Mr. Opp of the necessity of entertaining, and gave him a chance to eat
+his dinner. He told stories so simple that even Miss Kippy loosened her
+hold on her brother's hand to listen.
+
+When the sunset of the dinner in the form of a pumpkin pie had
+disappeared, the gentlemen retired to the fire.
+
+"Don't you smoke?" asked Hinton, holding a match to his pipe.
+
+"Why, yes," said Mr. Opp, "I have smoked occasional. It's amazing how it
+assists you in creating newspaper articles. One of the greatest
+editorials I ever turned out was when I had a cigar in my mouth."
+
+"Then why don't you smoke?"
+
+Mr. Opp glanced over his shoulders at Aunt Tish, who, with Miss Kippy's
+doubtful assistance, was clearing the table.
+
+"I don't mind telling you," he said confidentially, "that up to the
+present time I've experienced a good many business reverses and
+considerable family responsibility. I hope now in a year or two to be
+able to indulge them little extra items. The lack of money," he added
+somewhat proudly, "is no disgrace; but I can't deny it's what you might
+call limiting."
+
+Hinton smiled. "I think I've got a cigar somewhere about me. Here it is.
+Will you try it?"
+
+Mr. Opp didn't care if he did, and from the manner in which he lighted
+it, and from the way in which he stood, with one elbow on the high
+mantel-shelf and his feet gracefully crossed, while he blew curling
+wreaths toward the ceiling, it was not difficult to reckon the extent of
+his self-denial.
+
+"Do you indulge much in the pleasure of reading?" he asked, looking at
+Hinton through the cloud of smoke.
+
+"I did," said Hinton, drawing a deep breath.
+
+"It's a great pastime," said Mr. Opp. "I wonder if you are familiar with
+this here volume." He took from the shelf "The Encyclopedia of Wonder,
+Beauty, and Wisdom."
+
+"Hardly a thumb-nail edition," said Hinton, receiving it with both
+hands.
+
+"Say, it's a remarkable work," said Mr. Opp, earnestly; "you ought to
+get yourself one. Facts in the first part, and the prettiest poetry you
+ever read in the back: a dollar down and fifty cents a month until paid
+for. Here, let me show you; read that one."
+
+"I can't see it," said Hinton.
+
+"I'll get the lamp."
+
+"Never mind, Opp; it isn't that. You read it to me."
+
+Mr. Opp complied with great pleasure, and having once started, he found
+it difficult to stop. From "Lord Ullin's Daughter" he passed to
+"Curfew," hence to "Barbara Frietchie" and "Young Lochinvar," and as he
+read Hinton sat with closed eyes and traveled into the past.
+
+He saw a country school-house, and himself a youngster of eight
+competing for a prize. He was standing on a platform, and the children
+were below him, and behind him was a row of visitors. He was paralyzed
+with fear, but bursting with ambition. With one supreme effort he began
+his speech:
+
+    Oh, the young Lochinvar has came out of the west!
+
+He got no further; a shout from the big boys and a word from the
+teacher, and he burst into tears and fled for refuge to his mother. How
+the lines brought it all back! He could feel her arms about him now, and
+her cheek against his, and hear again her words of comfort. In all the
+years since she had been taken from him he had never wanted her so
+insistently as during those few moments that Mr. Opp's high voice was
+doing its worst for the long-suffering Lochinvar.
+
+"Mr. D.," said a complaining voice from the doorway, "Miss Kippy won't
+lemme tek her dress off to go to baid. She 'low she gwine sleep in hit."
+
+Mr. Opp abruptly descended from his elocutionary flight, and asked to be
+excused for a few moments.
+
+"Just a little domestic friction," he assured Hinton; "you can glance
+over the rest of the poems, and I'll be back soon."
+
+Hinton, left alone, paced restlessly up and down the room. The temporary
+diversion was over, and he was once more face to face with his problem.
+He went to the table, and, taking a note from his pocket, bent over the
+lamp to read it. The lines blurred and ran together, but a word here and
+there recalled the contents. It was from Mr. Mathews, who preferred
+writing disagreeable things to saying them. Mr. Mathews, the note said,
+had been greatly annoyed recently by repeated errors in the reports of
+his secretary; he was neither as rapid nor as accurate as formerly, and
+an improvement would have to be made, or a change would be deemed
+advisable.
+
+"Delicate tact!" sneered Hinton, crushing the paper in his hand.
+"Courtesy sometimes begets a request, and the shark shrinks from
+conferring favors. And I've got to stick it out, to go on accepting
+condescending disapproval until a 'change is deemed advisable.'"
+
+He dropped his head on his arms, and so deep was he in his bitter
+thoughts that he did not hear Mr. Opp come into the room. That gentleman
+stood for a moment in great embarrassment; then he stepped noiselessly
+out, and heralded his second coming by rattling the door-knob.
+
+The wind had risen to a gale, and it shrieked about the old house and
+tugged at the shutters and rattled the panes incessantly.
+
+"You take the big chair," urged Mr. Opp, who had just put on a fresh log
+and sent the flames dancing up the chimney; "and here's a pitcher of
+hard cider whenever you feel the need of a little refreshment. You ain't
+a married man I would judge, Mr. Hinton."
+
+"Thank the Lord, no!" exclaimed Hinton.
+
+"Well," said Mr. Opp, pursing his lips and smiling, "you know that's
+just where I think us young men are making a mistake."
+
+"Matrimony," said Hinton, "is about the only catastrophe that hasn't
+befallen me during my short and rocky career."
+
+"See here," said Mr. Opp, "I used to feel that way, too."
+
+"Before you met her?" suggested Hinton.
+
+Mr. Opp looked pleased but embarrassed. "I can't deny there is a young
+lady," he said; "but she is quite young as yet. In fact, I don't mind
+telling you she's just about half my age."
+
+Hinton, instead of putting two and two together, added eighteen to
+eighteen. "And you are about thirty-six?" he asked.
+
+"Exactly," said Mr. Opp, surprised. "I am most generally considered a
+long sight younger."
+
+From matrimony the conversation drifted to oil-wells, then to
+journalism, and finally to a philosophical discussion of life itself.
+Mr. Opp got beyond his depth again and again, and at times he became so
+absorbed that he gave a very poor imitation of himself, and showed
+signs of humility that were rarely if ever visible.
+
+Hinton meantime was taking soundings, and sometimes his plummet stopped
+where it started, and sometimes it dropped to an unexpected depth.
+
+"Well," he said at last, rising, "we must go to bed. You'll go on
+climbing a ladder in the air, and I'll go on burrowing like a mole in
+the ground, and what is the good of it all? What chance have either of
+us for coming out anywhere? You can fool yourself; I can't: that's the
+difference."
+
+Mr. Opp's unusual mental exertions had apparently affected his entire
+body, his legs were tightly wrapped about each other, his arms were
+locked, and his features were drawn into an amazing pucker of protest.
+
+"That ain't it," he said emphatically, struggling valiantly to express
+his conviction: "this here life business ain't run on any such small
+scale as that. According to my notion, or understanding,
+it's--well--what you might call, in military figures, a fight." He
+paused a moment and tied himself if possible even into a tighter knot,
+then proceeded slowly, groping his way: "Of course there's some that
+just remains around in camp, afraid to fight and afraid to desert, just
+sort of indulging in conversation, you might say, about the rest of the
+army. Then there is the cowards and deserters. But a decent sort of a
+individual, or rather soldier, carries his orders around with him, and
+the chief and principal thing he's got to do is to follow them. What the
+fight is concerning, or in what manner the general is a-aiming to bring
+it all correct in the end, ain't, according to my conclusion, a particle
+of our business."
+
+Having arrived at this point of the discussion in a somewhat heated and
+indignant state, Mr. Opp suddenly remembered his duties as host. With a
+lordly wave of the hand he dismissed the subject, and conducted Hinton
+in state to his bed-chamber, where he insisted upon lighting the fire
+and arranging the bed.
+
+[Illustration: "It was Mr. Opp saying his prayers"]
+
+Hinton sat for a long time before undressing, listening to the wind in
+the chimney, to the scrape, scrape of the cedar on the roof, and to the
+yet more dismal sounds that were echoing in his heart. Everything about
+the old house spoke of degeneration, decay; yet in the midst of it lived
+a man who asked no odds of life, who took what came, and who lived with
+a zest, an abandon, a courage that were baffling. Self-deception,
+egotism, cheap optimism--could they bring a man to this state of mind?
+Hinton wondered bitterly what Opp would do in his position; suppose his
+sight was threatened, how far would his foolish self-delusion serve him
+then?
+
+But he could not imagine Mr. Opp, lame, halt, or blind, giving up the
+fight. There was that in the man--egotism, courage, whatever it
+was--that would never recognize defeat, that quality that wins out of a
+life of losing the final victory.
+
+Before he retired, Hinton found there was no drinking water in his room,
+and, remembering a pitcher full in the dining-room, he took the candle
+and softly opened his door. The sudden cold draft from the hall made the
+candle flare, but as it steadied, Hinton saw that an old cot had been
+placed across the door opposite his, as if on guard, and that beside it
+knelt an ungainly figure in white, with his head clasped in his hands.
+It was Mr. Opp saying his prayers.
+
+
+
+
+XII
+
+
+The visit of the capitalists marked the beginning of a long and
+profitable spell of insomnia for the Cove. The little town had gotten a
+gnat in its eye when Mr. Opp arrived, and now that it had become
+involved in a speculation that threatened to develop into a boom, it
+found sleep and tranquillity a thing of the past.
+
+The party of investigators had found such remarkable conditions that
+they were eager to buy up the ground at once; but they met with
+unexpected opposition.
+
+At a meeting which will go down to posterity in the annals of Cove City,
+the Turtle Creek Land Company, piloted by the intrepid Mr. Opp, had held
+its course against persuasion, threats, and bribes. There was but one
+plank in the company's platform, and that was a determination not to
+sell. To this plank they clung through the storm of opposition, through
+the trying calm of indifference that followed, until a truce was
+declared.
+
+Finally an agreement was reached by which the Turtle Creek Land Company
+was to lease its ground to the capitalists, receive a given per cent. of
+the oil produced, and maintain the right to buy stock up to a large and
+impossible amount at any time during the ensuing year.
+
+Close upon this contract came men and machinery to open up a test well.
+For weeks hauling was done up the creek bottom, there being no road
+leading to the oil spring where the first drilling was to be done.
+
+The town watched the operations with alternate scorn and interest. It
+was facetious when water and quicksands were encountered, and inclined
+to be sarcastic when work was suspended on account of the weather. But
+one day, after the pipe had been driven to a considerable depth and the
+rock below had been drilled for six inches, the drill suddenly fell into
+a crevice, and upon investigation the hole was found to be nearly full
+of petroleum.
+
+The Cove promptly went into a state of acute hysteria. Speculation
+spread like the measles, breaking out in all manner of queer and
+unexpected places. Everybody who could command a dollar promptly
+converted it into oil stock. Miss Jim Fenton borrowed money from her
+cousin in the city, and plunged recklessly; the Missionary Band raffled
+off three quilts and bought a share with the proceeds; Mr. Tucker
+foreclosed two mortgages on life-long friends in order to raise more
+money; while the amount of stock purchased by Mr. D. Webster Opp was
+limited only by his credit at the bank.
+
+The one note of warning that was sounded came from Mrs. Fallows, who sat
+on the porch of Your Hotel, and, like the Greek Chorus, foretold the
+disasters that would befall, and prophesied nothing but evil for the
+entire enterprise. Even the urbane Jimmy became ruffled by her insistent
+iteration, and declared that she "put him in mind of a darned old
+whip-o'-will."
+
+But Mrs. Fallows's piping note was lost in the gale of enthusiasm.
+Farmers coming into town on Saturday became infected and carried the
+fever into the country. The entire community suspended business to
+discuss the exciting situation.
+
+These were champagne days for Mr. Opp. Life seemed one long, sparkling,
+tingling draft and he was drinking it to Guinevere. If her eyes drooped
+and she met his smile with a sigh, he saw it not, for the elixir had
+gone to his head.
+
+Compelled to find some outlet for his energy, he took advantage of the
+Cove's unwonted animation and plunged into municipal reform. "The Opp
+Eagle" demanded streets, it demanded lamp-posts, it demanded temperance.
+The right of pigs to take their daily siesta in the middle of Main
+Street was questioned and fiercely denied. Dry-goods boxes, which for
+years had been the only visible means of support for divers youths of
+indolent nature, were held up to such scathing ridicule that the owners
+were forced to remove them.
+
+The policies suggested by Mr. Opp, the editor, were promptly acted upon
+by Mr. Opp, the citizen. So indignant did he become when he read his own
+editorials that nothing short of immediate action was to be considered.
+He arranged a reform party and appointed himself leader. Mat Lucas, he
+made Superintendent of Streets; Mr. Gallop, chairman of the Committee on
+City Lights. In fact, he formed enough committees to manage a
+Presidential campaign.
+
+The attitude of the town toward him was that of a large lump of dough to
+a small cake of yeast. It was willing to be raised, but doubtful of the
+motive power.
+
+"I'd feel surer," said Jimmy Fallows, "if his intellect was the
+standard size. It appears so big to him he can't get his language
+ready-made; he has to have it made to order."
+
+But since the successful management of the oil-wells, Mr. Opp's opinion
+was more and more considered. In the course of a short time the office
+of "The Opp Eagle" became the hub about which the township revolved.
+
+One afternoon in March the editor was sitting before his deal table,
+apparently in the most violent throes of editorial composition.
+
+Nick, who was impatiently waiting for copy, had not dared to speak for
+an hour, for fear of slipping a cog in the intricate machinery of
+creation. The constant struggle to supply "The Opp Eagle" with
+sufficient material to enable it to fly every Thursday was telling upon
+the staff; he was becoming irritable.
+
+"Well?" he said impatiently, as Mr. Opp finished the tenth page and
+gathered the large sheets into his hand.
+
+"Yes, yes, to be sure," said Mr. Opp, guiltily; "I am at your disposal.
+Just finishing a little private correspondence of a personal nature
+that couldn't wait over."
+
+"Ain't that copy?" demanded Nick, fixing him with an indignant eye.
+
+"Well, no," said Mr. Opp, uneasily. "The fact is, I haven't been able to
+accomplish any regular editorial this week. Unusual pressure of outside
+business and--er--"
+
+"How long is she going to stay down in Coreyville?" Nick asked, with a
+contemptuous curl of his lip.
+
+Mr. Opp paused in the act of addressing the envelop, and gave Nick a
+look that was designed to scorch.
+
+"May I inquire to who you refer?" he asked with dignity.
+
+Nick's eyes dropped, and he shuffled his feet. "I just wanted to put it
+in the paper. We got to fill up with something."
+
+"Well," said Mr. Opp, slightly conciliated, "you can mention that she
+has gone back to attend the spring term at the Young Ladies' Seminary."
+
+"Gone back to school again?" exclaimed Nick, unable to control his
+curiosity. "What for?"
+
+"To attend the spring term," repeated Mr. Opp, guardedly. Then he added
+in a burst of confidence: "Nick, has it ever occurred to you that Mrs.
+Gusty was what you might term a peculiar woman?"
+
+But Nick was not interested in the psychological idiosyncrasies of the
+Gusty family. "The Opp Eagle" was crying for food, and Nick would have
+sacrificed himself and his chief to fill the vacancy.
+
+"See here, Mr. Opp, do you know what day it is? It's Monday, and we've
+got two columns to fill. New subscriptions are coming in all the time.
+We've got to live up to our reputation."
+
+"Extremely well put," agreed Mr. Opp; "the reputation of the paper must
+be guarded above all things. I like to consider that after my mortal
+remains has returned to dust, my name will be perpetuated in this paper.
+That no monument in marble will be necessary, so long as 'The Opp
+Eagle' continues to circulate from home to home, and to promulgate
+those--"
+
+"Can't you write some of it down?" suggested Nick; "it would fill up a
+couple of paragraphs. Part of it you used before, but we might change it
+around some."
+
+"Never," said Mr. Opp. "On no consideration would I repeat myself in
+print. I'll just run through my box here, and see what new material I
+have. Here's something; take it down as I dictate.
+
+"'Pastor Joe Tyler is holding divine service every second Sunday in Cove
+City. He has had thirty conversions, and on Saturday was presented with
+a $20.00 suit of clothing from and by this community, and a barrel of
+flour, which fully attests what a general church awakening will
+accomplish in the direction of good. No one should think of endeavoring
+to rear their children or redeem society without the application of the
+gospel twice per month.'"
+
+"Now, if you can keep that up," said Nick, hopefully, "we'll get through
+in no time."
+
+But Mr. Opp had gone back to his letter, and was trying to decide
+whether it would take one stamp or two. When he felt Nick's reproachful
+eye upon him, he put the envelop resolutely in his pocket.
+
+"You've already said that work would be resumed at the oil-wells as
+early as the inclemency of the weather would permit, haven't you?"
+
+"We've had it in every issue since last fall," said Nick.
+
+"Well, now, let's see," said Mr. Opp, diving once more into his reserve
+box. "Here, take this down: 'Mr. Jet Connor had his house burnt last
+month, it being the second fire he has had in ten years. Misfortunes
+never come single.'"
+
+"All right," encouraged Nick. "Now can't you work up that idea about the
+paper offering a prize?"
+
+Mr. Opp seized his brow firmly between his palms and made an heroic
+effort to concentrate his mind upon the business at hand.
+
+"Just wait a minute till I get it arranged. Now write this: '"The Opp
+Eagle" has organized a club called the B.B.B. Club, meaning the Busy
+Bottle-Breakers Club. A handsome prize of a valued nature will be
+awarded the boy or girl which breaks the largest number of whisky and
+beer bottles before the first of May.' The boats to Coreyville run
+different on Sunday, don't they, Nick?"
+
+Nick, who had unquestioningly taken the dictation until he reached his
+own name, glanced up quickly, then threw down his pen and sighed.
+
+"I'm going up to Mr. Gallop's," he said in desperation; "he's got his
+mind on things here in town. I'll see what he can do for me."
+
+Mr. Opp remorsefully allowed him to depart, and gazed somewhat guiltily
+at the unaccomplished work before him. But instead of making reparation
+for recent delinquency, he proceeded to make even further inroads into
+the time that belonged to "The Opp Eagle."
+
+Moving stealthily to the door, he locked it, then pulled down the shade
+until only a strip of light fell across his table. These precautions
+having been observed, he took from his pocket a number of letters, and,
+separating a large typewritten one from several small blue ones,
+arranged the latter in a row before him according to their dates, and
+proceeded, with evident satisfaction, to read them through twice. Then
+glancing around to make quite sure that no one had crawled through the
+key-hole, he unlocked a drawer, and took out a key which in turn
+unlocked a box from which he carefully took a small object, and
+contemplated it with undisguised admiration.
+
+It was an amethyst ring, and in the center of the stone was set a pearl.
+He held it in the narrow strip of light, and read the inscription
+engraved within: "Guinevere forever."
+
+For Miss Guinevere Gusty, ever plastic to a stronger will, had
+succumbed to the potent combination of absence and ardor, and given her
+half-hearted consent for Mr. Opp to speak to her mother. Upon that
+lady's unqualified approval everything would depend.
+
+Mr. Opp had received the letter a week ago, and he had immediately
+written to the city for a jeweler's circular, made his selection, and
+received the ring. He had written eight voluminous and eloquent epistles
+to Guinevere, but he had not yet found the propitious moment in which to
+call upon Mrs. Gusty. Every time he started, imperative business called
+him elsewhere.
+
+As he sat turning the stone in the sunlight and admiring every detail,
+the conviction oppressed him that he could no longer find any excuse for
+delay. But even as he made the decision to face the ordeal, his eye
+involuntarily swept the desk for even a momentary reprieve. The large
+typewritten letter arrested his attention; he took it up and reread it.
+
+    Dear Opp: Do you know any nice, comfortable place in your
+    neighborhood for a man to go blind in? I'll be in the hospital for
+    another month, and after that I am to spend the summer out of doors,
+    in joyful anticipation of an operation which I am assured beforehand
+    will probably be unsuccessful. Under the peculiar circumstances I am
+    not particular about the scenery, human or natural; the whole affair
+    resolves itself into a matter of flies and feather-beds. If you know
+    of any place where I can be reasonably comfortable, I wish you'd
+    drop me a line. The ideal place for me would be a neat pine box
+    underground, with a dainty bunch of daisies overhead.
+
+        Yours gratefully,
+
+            Willard Hinton.
+
+    P.S. I sent you a box of my books last week. Chuck out what you
+    don't want. The candy was for your sister.
+
+Mr. Opp, with the letter still in his hand, suddenly saw a way out of
+his difficulty: he would make Hinton's request an excuse for a call upon
+Mrs. Gusty. No surer road to her good graces could he travel than by
+seeking her advice.
+
+Replacing the ring in the drawer and the letters in his pocket, he
+buttoned up his coat, and with a stern look of determination went out of
+the office. At the Gusty gate he encountered Val, who was on all fours
+by the fence, searching for something.
+
+"What's the matter, Val?" asked Mr. Opp. "Lost something?"
+
+Val raised a pair of mournful eyes. "Yas, sir; you bet I is. Done lost a
+penny Mr. Jimmy Fallows gimme for puttin' my fisty in my mouf."
+
+"Putting your fist in your mouth!" repeated Mr. Opp, surprised. "Can you
+perform that act?"
+
+Val promptly demonstrated; but just as he was midway, a peremptory voice
+called from a rear window:
+
+"Val! You Val! You better answer me this minute!"
+
+Val cowered lower behind the fence, and violently motioned Mr. Opp to go
+on.
+
+"Is--er--is Mrs. Gusty feeling well to-day?" asked Mr. Opp, still
+lingering at the gate.
+
+"Jes tolerable," said Val, lying flat on his back and speaking in
+guarded tones. "Whenever she gits to beatin' de carpets, an' spankin' de
+beds, and shakin' de curtains, I keeps outen de way."
+
+"Do you think--er--that--er--I better go in?" asked Mr. Opp, sorely in
+need of moral support.
+
+"Yas, sir; she's 'spectin' yer."
+
+This surprising announcement nerved Mr. Opp to open the gate.
+
+It is said that the best-drilled soldiers dodge when they first face the
+firing-line, and if Mr. Opp's knees smote together and his body became
+bathed in profuse perspiration, it should not be attributed to lack of
+manly courage.
+
+In response to his knock, Mrs. Gusty herself opened the door. The signs
+that she had been interrupted in the midst of her toilet were so
+unmistakable that Mr. Opp promptly averted his eyes. A shawl had been
+hastily drawn about her shoulders, on one cheek a streak of chalk
+awaited distribution, and a single bristling curl-paper, rising fiercely
+from the top of her forehead, gave her the appearance of a startled
+unicorn.
+
+"You'll have to excuse me, Mr. Opp," she said firmly, putting the door
+between them. "I can't come out, and you can't come in. Did you want
+anything?"
+
+"Well, yes," said Mr. Opp, looking helplessly at the blank door. "You
+see, there is a matter I have been considering discussing with you for a
+number of weeks. It's a--"
+
+"If it's waited this long, I should think it could wait till to-morrow,"
+announced the lady with decision.
+
+Mr. Opp felt that his courage could never again stand the strain of the
+last few moments. He must speak now or never.
+
+"It's immediate," he managed to gasp out. "If you could arrange to give
+me five or ten minutes, I won't occupy more than that."
+
+Mrs. Gusty considered. "I am looking for company myself at five
+o'clock. That wouldn't give you much time."
+
+"Ample," urged Mr. Opp; "it's just a little necessary transaction, as it
+were."
+
+Mrs. Gusty reluctantly consented.
+
+"You go on in the parlor, then," she said. "I'll be in as quick as I
+can. You won't more than have time to get started, though."
+
+Mr. Opp passed into the parlor and hung his hat on the corner of a
+large, unframed canvas that stood on the floor with its face to the
+wall. The room had evidently been prepared for a visitor, for a fire was
+newly kindled and a vase of flowers adorned the table. But Mr. Opp was
+not making observations. He alternately warmed his cold hands at the
+fire, and fanned his flushed face with his handkerchief. He was too
+nervous to sit still, yet his knees trembled when he moved about. It was
+only when he touched the little packet of letters in his breast pocket
+that his courage revived.
+
+At last Mrs. Gusty came in with a rustle of garments suggestive of
+Sunday. Even in his confusion Mr. Opp was aware that there was something
+unusual in her appearance. Her hair, ordinarily drawn taut to a prim
+knot at the rear, had burst forth into curls and puffs of an amazing
+complexity. Moreover, her change of coiffure had apparently affected her
+spirits, for she, too, was flurried and self-conscious and glanced
+continually at the clock on the mantel.
+
+"I'll endeavor not to intrude long on your time," began Mr. Opp,
+politely, when they were seated side by side on the horse-hair sofa.
+"You--er--can't be in total ignorance of the subject that--er--I mean to
+bring forward." He moistened his lips, and glanced at her for succor,
+but she was adamant. "I want to speak with you," he plunged on
+desperately--"that is, I thought I had better talk with you about Mr.
+Hinton."
+
+"Who?" blazed forth Mrs. Gusty in indignant surprise.
+
+"Mr. Hinton," said Mr. Opp, breathlessly, "a young friendly
+acquaintance of mine. Wants to get board for the summer, you know; would
+like a nice, quiet place and all that, Mrs. Gusty. I thought I'd consult
+you about it, Mrs. Gusty, if you don't mind."
+
+She calmly fixed one eye upon him and one upon the clock while he went
+into particulars concerning Mr. Hinton. When he paused for breath, she
+folded her arms and said:
+
+"Mr. Opp, if you want to say what you come to say, you haven't got but
+four minutes to do it in."
+
+"Oh, yes," said Mr. Opp, gratefully, but helplessly; "I was just coming
+to that point. It's a matter--that--er--well you might say it is in a
+way pertaining--to--"
+
+"Guin-never!" snapped Mrs. Gusty, unable longer to stand his hesitation.
+"I'd have been a deaf-mute and a fool to boot not to have known it long
+ago. Not that I've been consulted in the matter." She lifted a stiffened
+chin, and turned her gaze upward.
+
+"You have," declared Mr. Opp, earnestly; "that is, you will be.
+Everything is pending on you. There has been no steps whatever taken by
+Miss Guin-never or I--rather I might say by her. I can't say but what I
+have made some slight preliminary arrangements." He paused, then went on
+anxiously: "I trust there ain't any personal objections to the case."
+
+Mrs. Gusty made folds in her black-silk skirt and creased them down with
+her thumb-nail. "No," she said shortly; "far as I can see, Guin-never
+would be doing mighty well to get you. You'd be a long sight safer than
+a good-looking young fellow. Of course a man being so much older than a
+girl is apt to leave her a widow. But, for my part, I believe in second
+marriages."
+
+Mr. Opp felt as if he had received a hot and cold douche at the same
+time; but the result was a glow.
+
+"Then you don't oppose it, Mrs. Gusty," he cried eagerly. "You'll write
+her you are willing?"
+
+"Not yet," said Mrs. Gusty; "there's a condition."
+
+"There ain't any condition in the world I won't meet to get her," he
+exclaimed recklessly, his fervor bursting its bounds. "You don't know
+how I feel about that young lady. Why, I'd live on bread and water all
+the rest of my life if it would make her happy. There hasn't been a hour
+since I met her that she hasn't held my soul--as you might say--in the
+pa'm of her hand."
+
+"People don't often get it so bad at our age," remarked Mrs. Gusty,
+sarcastically, and Mr. Opp winced.
+
+"The condition," went on Mrs. Gusty, "that I spoke about, was your
+sister. Of course I never would consent to Guin-never living under the
+same roof with a crazy person."
+
+The hope which was carrying Mr. Opp to the dizziest heights dropped to
+earth at this unexpected shaft, and for a moment he was too stunned to
+speak.
+
+"Kippy?" he began at last, and his voice softened at the name. "Why,
+you don't understand about her. She's just similar to a little child. I
+told Miss Guin-never all about her; she never made any objections.
+You--you--wouldn't ask me to make any promises along that line?" Abject
+entreaty shone from Mr. Opp's eyes; it was a plea for a change of
+sentence. She had asked of him the only sacrifice in the world at which
+he would have faltered. "Don't--don't put it like that!" he pleaded,
+laying his hand on her arm in his earnestness. "I'm all she's got in the
+world; I've kind of become familiar with her ways, you know, and can
+manage her. She'll love Miss Guin-never if I tell her to. She shan't be
+a bit of care or trouble; I and Aunt Tish will continue on doing
+everything for her. You won't refuse your consent on that account, will
+you? You'll promise to say yes, now won't you, Mrs. Gusty?"
+
+A slight and ominous cough in the doorway caused them both to start. Mr.
+Tucker, in widower's weeds, but with a jonquil jauntily thrust through
+his buttonhole, stood with his hand still on the knob, evidently
+transfixed by the scene he had witnessed.
+
+For a moment the company was enveloped in a fog of such dense
+embarrassment that all conversation was suspended. Mrs. Gusty was the
+first to emerge.
+
+"Howdy, Mr. Tucker," she said, rustling forward in welcome. "I didn't
+think you'd get here before five. Mr. Opp just dropped in to consult me
+about--about boarding a friend of his. Won't you draw up to the fire?"
+
+Mr. Tucker edged forward with a suspicious eye turned upon Mr. Opp, who
+was nervously searching about for his hat.
+
+"There it is, by the door," said Mrs. Gusty, eager to speed his
+departure; and as they both reached for it, the picture upon which it
+hung toppled forward and fell, face upward, on the floor. It was the
+portrait of Mr. Tucker mourning under the willow-tree which Miss Jim had
+left with Mrs. Gusty for safe-keeping.
+
+Mr. Opp went home across the fields that evening instead of through the
+town. He was not quite up to any of his roles--editor, promoter, or
+reformer. In fact, he felt a desperate need of a brief respite from all
+histrionic duties. A reaction had set in from the excitement of the past
+week, and the complication involved in Mrs. Gusty's condition puzzled
+and distressed him. Of course, he assured himself repeatedly, there was
+a way out of the difficulty; but he was not able to find it just yet. He
+had observed that Mrs. Gusty's opinions became fixed convictions under
+the slightest opposition, whereas Guinevere's firmest decision trembled
+at a breath of disapproval. He sighed deeply as he meditated upon the
+vagaries of the feminine mind.
+
+Overhead the bare trees lifted a network of twigs against a dull sky, a
+cold wind stirred the sedge grass, and fluttered the dry leaves that had
+lain all winter in the fence corners. Everything looked old and worn and
+gray, even Mr. Opp, as he leaned against a gaunt, white sycamore, his
+head bent, and his brows drawn, wrestling with his problem.
+
+Suddenly he lifted his head and listened, then he smiled. In the tree
+above him a soft but animated conversation was in progress. A few daring
+birds had braved the cold and the wind, and had ventured back to their
+old trysting-place to wait for the coming of the spring. No hint of
+green had tinged the earth, but a few, tiny, pink maple-buds had given
+the secret away, and the birds were cuddled snugly together, planning,
+in an ecstasy of subdued enthusiasm, for the joyous days to come.
+
+Mr. Opp listened and understood. They were all whispering about one
+thing, and he wanted to whisper about it, too. It was the simple theme
+of love without variations--love, minus problems, minus complications,
+minus consequences. He took out his little packet of letters and read
+them through; then, unmindful of the chill, he stretched himself under
+the tree and listened to the birds until the twilight silenced them.
+
+When he reached home at last, Miss Kippy met him at the door with a
+happy cry of welcome.
+
+"D.," she said, with her arm through his, and her cheek rubbing his
+sleeve, "I've been good. I've let my hair stay up all day, and Aunt Tish
+is making me a long dress like a lady." She looked at him shyly and
+smiled, then she pulled his head down and whispered, "If I'm very good,
+when I grow up, can I marry Mr. Hinton?"
+
+Miss Kippy, too, had been listening to the bird-song.
+
+
+
+
+XIII
+
+
+It was May when Willard Hinton arrived at the Cove and took up his abode
+at Mrs. Gusty's. For the first week he kept to his bed, but at the end
+of that time he was able to crawl down to the porch and, under the
+protection of dark glasses and a heavy shade, sit for hours at a time in
+the sunshine. The loss of his accustomed environment, the ennui that
+ensues from absolute idleness, the consciousness that the light was
+growing dimmer day by day, combined to plunge him into abysmal gloom.
+
+He shrank from speaking to any one, he scowled at a suggestion of
+sympathy, he treated Mr. Opp's friendly overtures with open discourtesy.
+Conceiving himself on the rack of torture, he set his teeth and
+determined to submit in silence, but without witnesses.
+
+One endless day dragged in the wake of another, and between them lay the
+black strips of night that were heavy with the suggestion of another
+darkness pending. When sleep refused to come, he would go out into the
+woods and walk for hours, moody, wretched, and sick to his innermost
+soul with loneliness.
+
+The one thing in the whole dreary round of existence that roused in him
+a spark of interest was his hostess. She bestowed upon him the same
+impersonal attention that she gave her fowls. She fed him and cared for
+him and doctored him as she saw fit, and after these duties were
+performed, she left him to himself, pursuing her own vigorous routine in
+her own vigorous way.
+
+Hinton soon discovered that Mrs. Gusty was temperamental. Her intensely
+energetic nature demanded an emotional as well as a physical outlet.
+Sometime during the course of each day she indulged in emotional
+fireworks, bombs of anger, rockets of indignation, or set pieces of
+sulks and pouts.
+
+These periodic spells of anger acted upon her like wine: they warmed her
+vitals and exhilarated her; they made her talk fluently and eloquently.
+As a toper will accept any beverage that intoxicates, so Mrs. Gusty
+accepted any cause that would rouse her. At stated intervals her
+feelings demanded a stimulant, and obeying the call of nature, she went
+forth and got angry.
+
+Hinton came to consider these outbursts as the one diversion in a
+succession of monotonous hours. He tabulated the causes, and made bets
+with himself as to the strength and duration of each.
+
+Meanwhile the sun and the wind and the silence were working their
+miracle. Hinton was introduced to nature by a warlike old rooster whose
+Hellenic cast of countenance had suggested the name of Menelaus. A
+fierce combat with a brother-fowl had inevitably recalled the great
+fight with Paris, and upon investigation Hinton found that the speckled
+hen was Helen of Troy! This was but the beginning of a series of
+discoveries, and the result was an animated and piquant version of Greek
+history, which boldly set aside tradition, and suggested many
+possibilities heretofore undreamed of.
+
+Early one morning as Hinton was wandering listlessly about the yard he
+heard the gate click, and, looking up, saw Mr. Opp hurrying up the walk
+with a large bunch of lilacs in one hand and a cornet in the other.
+
+"Good morning," said that gentleman, cheerily. "Mighty glad to see you
+out enjoying the beauties of nature. I haven't got but a moment in which
+to stop; appointment at eight-fifteen. We are arranging for a concert
+soon up in Main Street, going to practise this afternoon. I'll be glad
+to call by for you if you feel able to enjoy some remarkable fine
+selections."
+
+Hinton accepted the proffered bouquet, but made a wry face at the
+invitation.
+
+"None of your concerts for me," he said brusquely. "It would interfere
+too seriously with my own musical job of getting in tune with the
+infinite."
+
+"Mornin', Mr. Opp," said Mrs. Gusty from the dining-room window. "There
+ain't many editors has time to stand around and talk this time of day."
+
+"Just paused a moment in passing," said Mr. Opp. "Wanted to see if I
+couldn't induce our young friend here to give us a' article for 'The Opp
+Eagle.' Any nature, you know; we are always metropolitan in our taste.
+Thought maybe he'd tell us some of his first impressions of our city."
+
+Hinton smiled and shook his head. "You'd better not stir up my
+impressions about anything these days; I am apt to splash mud."
+
+"We can stand it," said Mr. Opp, affably. "If Cove City needs criticism
+and rebuke, 'The Opp Eagle' is the vehicle to administer it. You dictate
+a few remarks to my reporter, and I'll feature it on the front editorial
+column."
+
+Hinton's eyes twinkled wickedly behind his blue glasses. "I'll give you
+an article," he said, "but no name is to be signed."
+
+Mr. Opp, regretting the stipulation, but pleased with the promise, was
+turning to depart when Mrs. Gusty appeared once more at the window.
+
+"What's the matter with the oil-wells?" she demanded, as she dusted off
+the sill. "Why don't they open up? You can't use bad weather for an
+excuse any longer."
+
+"It wasn't the weather," said Mr. Opp, with the confident and superior
+manner of one who is conversant with the entire situation. "This here
+delay has been arranged with a purpose. I and Mr. Mathews has a plan
+that will eventually yield every stock-holder in the Cove six to one for
+what he put into it."
+
+"Intend selling out to a syndicate?" asked Hinton.
+
+Mr. Opp looked at him in surprise.
+
+"Well, yes; I don't mind telling you two, but it mustn't go any farther.
+The oil prospects in this region are of such a great magnitude that we
+can't command sufficient capital to do 'em justice. I and Mr. Mathews
+are at present negotiating with several large concerns with a view to
+selling out the entire business at a large profit. You can't have any
+conception of the tac' and patience it takes to manage one of these
+large deals."
+
+"Who was that man Clark that was down here last week?" asked Mrs. Gusty,
+impressed, in spite of herself, at being taken into the confidence of
+such a man of affairs.
+
+Mr. Opp's face clouded. "Now that was a very unfortunate thing about
+Clark. He was sent down by the Union Syndicate of New York city to make
+a report on the region, and he didn't get the correct ideas in the case
+at all. If they hadn't sent such a poor man, the whole affair might have
+been settled by now."
+
+"Wasn't his report favorable?" asked Hinton.
+
+"He hasn't made it yet," said Mr. Opp; "but he let drop sundry casual
+remarks to me that showed he wasn't a man of fine judgment at all. I
+went over the ground with him, and pointed out some of the places where
+we calculated on drilling; but he was so busy making measurements and
+taking notes that he didn't half hear what I was saying."
+
+"He stayed at Our Hotel," said Mrs. Gusty. "Mr. Tucker said he had as
+mean a face as ever he looked into."
+
+"Who said so?" asked Hinton.
+
+She tossed her head and flipped her duster at him, but it was evident
+that she was not displeased.
+
+"By the way, Mr. Opp," she said, "I'm thinking about letting Guin-never
+come home week after next. Guess you ain't sorry to hear that."
+
+On the contrary, Mr. Opp was overcome with joy. Letters were becoming
+less and less satisfying, and the problem suggested by Mrs. Gusty was
+still waiting solution.
+
+"If you'll just mention the date," he said, trying to keep his
+countenance from expressing an undue amount of rapture, "I'll make a
+business trip down to Coreyville on purpose to accompany her back home."
+
+But Mrs. Gusty declined to be explicit. She deemed it unwise to allow a
+mere man to know as much as she did upon any given subject.
+
+Hinton's editorial appeared in the next issue of "The Opp Eagle." It was
+a clever and cutting satire on the impressions of a foreigner visiting
+America for the first time. Hinton interviewed himself concerning his
+impressions of the Cove. He approached the subject with great
+seriousness, handling village trifles as if they were municipal
+cannon-balls. He juggled with sense and nonsense, with form and
+substance. The result shot far over the heads of the country
+subscribers, and hit the bull's-eye of a big city daily.
+
+Mr. Opp's excitement was intense when he found that an editorial from
+"The Opp Eagle" had been copied in a New York paper. The fact that it
+was not his own never for a moment dimmed the glory of the compliment.
+
+"We are getting notorious," he said exultingly to Hinton. "There are
+few, if any, papers that in less than a year has extended its influence
+as far as the Atlantic Ocean. Now I am considering if it wouldn't be a
+wise and judicious thing to get you on the staff permanent--while you
+are here, that is. Of course you understand I am invested up pretty
+close; but I'd be willing to let you have a little of my oil stock in
+payment for services."
+
+Hinton laughingly shook his head. "Whenever you run short of material,
+you can call on me. The honor of seeing my humble efforts borne aloft on
+the wings of 'The Opp Eagle' will be sufficient reward."
+
+Having once conceived it as a favor that was in his power to bestow, Mr.
+Opp lost no opportunity for inviting contributions from the aspiring
+author.
+
+As Hinton's strength returned, Mr. Opp adopted him as a protege, at
+first patronizing him, then consulting him, and finally frankly
+appealing to him. For during the long afternoon walks which they got
+into the habit of taking together, Mr. Opp, in spite of bluster and brag
+and evasion, found that he was constantly being embarrassed by a
+question, a reference, a statement from his young friend. It was the
+first time he had ever experienced any difficulty in keeping his head
+above the waves of his own ignorance.
+
+"You see," he said one day by way of explanation, "my genius was never
+properly tutored in early youth. It's what some might regard as a
+remarkable brain that could cope with all the different varieties of
+enterprises that I have engaged in, with no instruction or guidance but
+just the natural elements that God give it in the beginning."
+
+But in spite of Mr. Opp's lenient attitude toward his intellectual
+short-comings, it was evident that upon the serene horizon of his
+egotism small clouds of humility were threatening to gather.
+
+Hinton, restlessly seeking for something to fill the vacuum of his days,
+found Mr. Opp and his paper a growing source of diversion. "The Opp
+Eagle," at first an object of ridicule, gradually became a point of
+interest in his limited range of vision. Under his suggestions it was
+enlarged and improved, and induced to publish news not strictly local.
+
+Mr. Opp, meanwhile, was buzzing as persistently and ineffectually as a
+fly on a window-pane. The night before Guinevere's return, he found
+that, in order to accomplish all that he was committed to, it would be
+necessary to spend the night at the office.
+
+The concert for which the Unique Orchestra had been making night hideous
+for two weeks had just come to a successful close, and the editor found
+himself at a late hour tramping out the lonely road that led to the
+office with the prospect of a couple of hours' work to do before he
+could seek a well-earned rest upon the office bench.
+
+He was flushed with his double triumph as director and cornet soloist,
+and still thrilled by the mighty notes he had breathed into his beloved
+instrument.
+
+The violin sobs, the flute complains, the drum insists, but the cornet
+brags, and Mr. Opp found it the instrument through which he could best
+express himself.
+
+It was midnight, and the moon, one moment shining brightly and the next
+lost behind a flying cloud, sent all sorts of queer shadows scurrying
+among the trees. Mr. Opp thought once that he saw the figure of a man
+appear and disappear in the road before him, but he was so engrossed in
+joyful anticipation of the morrow that he gave the incident no
+attention. As he was passing the Gusty house, he was rudely plunged from
+sentiment into suspicion by the sight of a figure stealthily moving
+along the wall beneath the front windows.
+
+Mr. Opp crouched behind the fence to watch him, but the moon took that
+inopportune moment to sink into a bank of clouds, and the yard was left
+in darkness. No sound broke the stillness save the far-off bark of a dog
+or an occasional croak from a bullfrog. Mr. Opp waited and listened in a
+state of intense suspense. Presently he heard the unmistakable sound of
+a window being cautiously raised, and then just as cautiously lowered.
+Summoning all his courage, he skirted the yard and hid in the bushes
+near the house. Nothing was to be seen or heard. He watched for a light
+at any of the windows, but none came.
+
+The rash desire to capture the burglar single-handed, and thus
+distinguish himself in the eyes of Guinevere's mother, caused Mr. Opp to
+stiffen his knees and assume a fierce and determined expression. But he
+was armed only with his cornet, which, though often deadly as an
+instrument of attack, has never been recognized as a weapon of defense.
+There seemed no alternative but to waken Hinton and effect a
+simultaneous attack from within and without.
+
+After throwing a few unsuccessful pebbles at Hinton's window, Mr. Opp
+remembered a ladder he had seen at the back of the barnyard. Shaking as
+if with the ague, but breathing dauntless courage, he departed in great
+excitement to procure it.
+
+Unfortunately another party was in possession. A dozen guinea-fowls were
+roosting on the rungs, and when he gave them to understand they were to
+vacate they raised an outcry that would have quelled the ardor of a less
+valiant knight.
+
+But the romantic nature of the adventure had fired Mr. Opp's
+imagination. He already saw himself lightly dusting his hands after
+throttling the intruder, and smiling away Mrs. Gusty's solicitude for
+his safety. Meanwhile he staggered back to the house with his burden,
+dodging fearfully at every shadow, and painfully aware that his heart
+was beating a tattoo on his ear-drums.
+
+Placing the ladder as quietly as possible under Hinton's window, he
+cautiously began the ascent. The sudden outburst of the guineas had set
+his nerves a-quiver, and what with his breathless condition, and a
+predisposition to giddiness, he found some difficulty in reaching the
+sill. When at last he succeeded, he saw, by the light of the now
+refulgent moon, the figure of Hinton lying across the foot of the bed,
+dressed, but asleep. The opening not being sufficiently large to admit
+him, he thrust in his head and whispered hoarsely through his chattering
+teeth:
+
+"Hinton! I say, Hinton, there's a burglar in the house!"
+
+Hinton started up, and stared dully at the excited apparition.
+
+"Hush!" whispered Mr. Opp, dramatically, lifting a warning hand. "I've
+been tracking the scoundrel for half an hour. He's in the house now.
+We'll surround him. We'll bind him hand and foot. You get the front door
+open, and I'll meet you on the outside. It's all planned; just do as I
+say."
+
+Hinton, who was springing for the door, paused with his hand on the
+knob. "What's that?"
+
+It was Mrs. Gusty's commanding tones from a front window: "He's round at
+the side of the house. He's been after my guineas! I saw him a minute
+ago going across the yard with a ladder. Shoot him if you can. Shoot him
+in the leg, so he can't get away. Quick! Quick!"
+
+Mr. Opp had only time to turn from the window when he felt the ladder
+seized from below and jerked violently forward. With a terrific crash he
+came down with it, and found himself locked in a close struggle with the
+supposed burglar. To his excited imagination his adversary seemed a
+Titan, with sinews of steel and breath of fire. The combatants rolled
+upon the ground and fought for possession of each other's throats. The
+conflict, while fierce, was brief. As Hinton and Mrs. Gusty rushed
+around the corner of the house, the fighters shouted in unison, "I've
+got him!" and Mr. Opp, opening one swollen eye, gazed down into the
+mild but bloody features of little Mr. Tucker!
+
+With the instinct that always prompted him to apologize when any one
+bumped into him, he withdrew his hands immediately from Mr. Tucker's
+throat and began vehement explanations. But Mr. Tucker still clung to
+his collar, sputtering wrathful ejaculations. Mrs. Gusty, wrapped in a
+bed-quilt, and with her unicorn horn at its most ferocious angle, held
+the lamp on high while Hinton rushed between the belligerents.
+
+Excited and incoherent explanations followed, and it was not until Mr.
+Opp, who was leaning limply against a tree, regained his breath that the
+mystery was cleared up.
+
+"If you will just listen here at me a moment," he implored, holding a
+handkerchief to his bruised face. "We are one and all laboring under a
+grave error. It's my belief that there ain't any burglar whatsoever here
+at present. Mr. Hinton forgot his key and had to climb in the window. I
+mistaken him for the burglar, and Mrs. Gusty, here, from what she
+relates, mistaken me for him, and not knowing Mr. Hinton had come in,
+telephoned our friend Mr. Tucker, and me and Mr. Tucker might be said,
+in a general way, to have mistaken each other for him."
+
+"A pretty mess to get us all into!" exclaimed Mrs. Gusty. "A man made
+his fortune once 'tending to his own business."
+
+"But, Mrs. Gusty--" began Mr. Opp, indignantly.
+
+Hinton interrupted. "You would better put something on that eye of
+yours. It will probably resemble a Whistler 'Nocturne' by morning. What
+are you looking for?"
+
+The object lost proved to be Mr. Opp's cherished cornet, and the party
+became united in a common cause and joined in the search. Some time
+elapsed before the horn was found under the fallen ladder, having
+sustained internal injuries which subsequently proved fatal.
+
+When dawn crept into the dingy office of "The Opp Eagle," the editor was
+watching for it. He was waiting to welcome the day that would bring back
+Guinevere. As Hope with blindfold eyes bends over her harp and listens
+to the faint music of her one unbroken string, so Mr. Opp, with bandaged
+head, bent over his damaged horn and plaintively evoked the only note
+that was left therein.
+
+
+
+
+XIV
+
+
+Those who have pursued the coy goddess of happiness through the mazes of
+the labyrinth of life, know well how she invites her victim on from
+point to point, only to evade capture at the end. Mr. Opp rose with each
+summer dawn, radiant, confident, and expectant, and each night he sat in
+his window with his knees hunched, and his brows drawn, and wrestled
+with that old white-faced fear.
+
+Two marauders were harassing the editor these days, dogging his
+footsteps, and snapping at him from ambush. One was the wolf that howls
+at the door, and the other was the monster whose eyes are green.
+
+Since the halcyon days that had wafted Miss Guinevere Gusty back to the
+shore of the Cove, Mr. Opp had not passed a serene hour out of her
+presence. His disposition, though impervious to the repeated shafts of
+unkind fortune, was not proof against the corrosive effect of jealousy.
+
+If he could have regarded Willard Hinton in the light of a hated rival,
+and met him in fair and open fight, the situation would have been
+simplified. But Hinton was the friend of his bosom, the man who, he had
+declared to the town, "possessed the grandest intelligence he had ever
+encountered in a human mind." He admired him, he respected him, and, in
+direct contradiction to the emotion that was consuming him, he trusted
+him.
+
+Concerning Miss Guinevere Gusty's state of mind, Mr. Opp permitted
+himself only one opinion. He fiercely denied that she was absent-minded
+and listless when alone with him; he refused to believe his own eyes
+when he saw a light in her face when she looked at Hinton that was
+never there for him. He preferred to exaggerate to himself her
+sweetness, her gentleness, her loyalty, demanding nothing, and
+continuing to give all.
+
+His entire future happiness, he assured himself, hung upon the one
+question of little Miss Kippy. For four months the problem had been a
+matter for daily, prayerful consideration, but he was still in the dark.
+
+When he was with Guinevere the solution seemed easy. In explaining away
+the difficulties to her, he explained them away to himself, also. It was
+only a matter of time, he declared, before the oil-well would yield rich
+profit. When that time arrived, he would maintain two establishments,
+the old one for Miss Kippy, and a new and elegant one for themselves.
+Mr. Opp used the hole in the ground as a telescope through which he
+viewed the stars of the future.
+
+But when he was alone with Kippy, struggling with her whims, while he
+tried to puzzle out the oldest and most universal of conundrums,--that
+of making ends meet,--the future seemed entirely blotted out by the
+great blank wall of the present.
+
+The matter was in a way complicated by the change that had come over
+Miss Kippy herself. Two ideas alternately depressed and elated her. The
+first was a fixed antipathy to the photograph of Miss Guinevere Gusty
+which Mr. Opp had incased in a large hand-painted frame and installed
+upon his dresser. At first she sat before it and cried, and later she
+hid it and refused for days to tell where it was. The sight of it made
+her so unhappy that Mr. Opp was obliged to keep it under lock and key.
+The other idea produced a different effect. It had to do with Hinton.
+Ever since his visit she had talked of little else. She pretended that
+he came to see her every day, and she spread her doll dishes, and
+repeated scraps of his conversation, and acted over the events of the
+dinner at which he had been present. The short gingham dresses no longer
+pleased her; she wanted long ones, with flowing sleeves like the blue
+merino. She tied her hair up in all manner of fantastic shapes, and
+stood before the glass smiling and talking to herself for hours. But
+there were times when her mind paused for a moment at the normal, and
+then she would ask frightened, bewildered questions, and only Mr. Opp
+could soothe and reassure her.
+
+"D.," she said one night suddenly, "how old am I?"
+
+Mr. Opp, whose entire mental and physical powers were concentrated upon
+an effort to put a new band on his old hat, was taken off his guard.
+"Twenty-six," he answered absently.
+
+A little cry brought him to her side.
+
+"No," she whispered, shivering away from him, yet clinging to his
+sleeve, "that's a lady that's grown up! Ladies don't play with dolls.
+But I want to be grown up, too. D., why am I different? I want to be a
+lady; show me how to be a lady!"
+
+Mr. Opp gathered her into his arms, along with his hat, a pair of
+scissors, and a spool of thread.
+
+"Don't, Kippy!" he begged. "Now, don't cry like that! You are getting on
+elegant. Hasn't brother D. learned you to read a lot of pieces in your
+first reader? And ain't we going to begin on handwriting next? Wouldn't
+you like to have a slate, and a sponge to rub out with?"
+
+In an instant her mood veered.
+
+"And a basket?" she cried eagerly. "The children carry a basket, too. I
+see them when I peep through the shutters. Can I have a basket, too?"
+
+The network of complexities that was closing in upon Mr. Opp apparently
+affected his body more than his spirits. He seemed to shrivel and
+dwindle as the pressure increased; but the fire in his eyes shone
+brighter than before.
+
+"None of his folks live long over forty," said Mrs. Fallows,
+lugubriously; "they sorter burn themselves out."
+
+Hinton, meanwhile, utterly unaware of being the partial cause of the
+seismic disturbance in the editorial bosom, pursued the monotonous
+routine of his days. It had taken him only a short time to adapt himself
+to the changes that the return of the daughter of the house had brought
+about. He had anticipated her arrival with the dread a nervous invalid
+always feels toward anything that may jolt him out of his habitual rut.
+He held a shuddering remembrance of her musical accomplishments, and
+foresaw with dread the noisy crowd of young people she might bring about
+the house.
+
+But Guinevere had slipped into her place, an absent-minded, dreamy,
+detached damsel, asserting nothing, claiming nothing, bending like a
+flower in the high winds of her mother's wrath.
+
+Hinton watched the dominating influence nip every bud of individuality
+that the girl ventured to put forth, and he determined to interfere.
+During the long months he had spent with Mrs. Gusty he had discovered a
+way to manage her. The weak spot in her armor was pride of intellect;
+she acknowledged no man her superior. By the use of figurative
+language, and references to esoteric matters, he was always able to
+baffle and silence her. His joy in handling her in one of her tempers
+was similar to that of controlling a cat-boat in squally weather. Both
+experiences redounded to his masculine supremacy.
+
+One hot August day, he and Mrs. Gusty had just had an unusually sharp
+round, but he had succeeded, by alternate compliment and sarcasm, in
+reducing her to a very frustrated and baffled condition.
+
+It was Sunday, the day the Cove elected for a spiritual wash-day. In the
+morning the morals of the community were scrubbed and rinsed in the
+meeting-house, and in the afternoon they were hung out on the line to
+dry. The heads of the families sat in their front yards and dutifully
+tended the children, while their wives flitted from house to house,
+visiting the sick and the afflicted, and administering warnings to the
+delinquent. It was a day in which Mrs. Gusty's soul reveled, and she
+demanded that Guinevere's soul should revel likewise.
+
+It was with the determination that Guinevere should occasionally be
+allowed the privilege of following her own inclinations that Hinton
+hurled himself into the breach.
+
+"I'll go, Mother," said Guinevere; "but it's so hot. We went to see
+everybody last Sunday. I thought I'd rather stay home and read, if you
+didn't mind."
+
+Mrs. Gusty tossed her head in disgust, and turned to Hinton.
+
+"Now, ain't that a Gusty for you! I never saw one that didn't want to
+set down to the job of living. Always moping around with their nose in a
+book. I never was a reader, never remember wasting a' hour on a book in
+my life, and yet I never saw the time that I wasn't able to hold my own
+with any Gusty living."
+
+"In short," said Hinton, sympathetically, "to quote a noted novelist,
+you have never considered it necessary to add the incident of learning
+to the accident of brains."
+
+Mrs. Gusty tied her bonnet-strings in a firmer knot as she looked at him
+uncertainly, then, not deigning to cast another glance in the direction
+of her daughter, who was disappearing up the stairs, swept out of the
+house.
+
+Hinton looked at his watch; it was not yet two o'clock. The afternoon
+threatened to be a foretaste of eternity. He went out on the porch and
+lay in the hammock, with his hands clasped across his eyes. He could no
+longer see to read or to write. The doctor said the darkness might close
+in now at any time, after that the experiment of an operation would be
+made, and there was one chance in a hundred for the partial restoration
+of the sight.
+
+Having beaten and bruised himself against the bars of Fate, he now lay
+exhausted and passive in the power of his jailer. He had tried to run
+his own life in his own way, and the matter had been taken out of his
+hands. He must lie still now and wait for orders from headquarters. The
+words of Mr. Opp, spoken in the low-ceiled, weird old dining-room, came
+vividly back to him: "What the fight is concerning, or in what manner
+the general is a-aiming to bring it all correct in the end, ain't,
+according to my conclusion, a particle of our business."
+
+And Hinton, after a year of rebellion and struggle and despair, had at
+last acknowledged a superior officer and declared himself ready to take
+whatever orders came.
+
+As he lay in the hammock he turned his head at every noise within the
+house, and listened. He had become amazingly dependent upon a soft,
+drawling voice which day after day read to him for hours at a time. At
+first he had met Guinevere's offers of help with moody irritability.
+
+"Pray, don't bother about me," he had said. "I am quite able to look
+after myself; besides, I like to be alone."
+
+But her unobtrusive sympathy and childish frankness soon conquered his
+pride. She read to him from books she did not understand, played games
+with him, and showed him new walks in the woods. And incidentally, she
+revealed to him her struggling, starving, wistful soul that no one else
+had ever discovered.
+
+She never talked to him of her love affair, but she dwelt vaguely on the
+virtues of duty and loyalty and self-sacrifice. The facts in the case
+were supplied by Mrs. Gusty.
+
+Hinton looked at his watch again, and groaned when he found it was only
+a quarter past two. Feeling his way cautiously along the porch and down
+the steps, he moved idly about the yard. He could not distinguish
+Menelaus from Paris now, and Helen of Troy was no longer to be
+recognized.
+
+At long intervals a vehicle rattled past, leaving a cloud of dust
+behind. The air shimmered with the heat, and the low, insistent buzzing
+of bees beat on his ears mercilessly. He wondered impatiently why
+Guinevere did not come down, then checked himself as he remembered the
+constant demands he made upon her time.
+
+At three o'clock he could stand it no longer. He felt a queer, dull
+sensation about his head, and he constantly drew his hand across his
+eyes to dispel the impression of a mist before them.
+
+"Oh, Miss Guinevere!" he called up to her window. "Would you mind coming
+down just for a little while!"
+
+Guinevere's head appeared so promptly that it was evident it had been
+lying on the window-sill.
+
+"Is it time for your medicine?" she asked guiltily. "Mother said it
+didn't come till four."
+
+"Oh, no," said Hinton, with forced cheerfulness; "it isn't that. You
+remember the old song, don't you, 'When a man's afraid, a beautiful maid
+is a cheering sight to see'?"
+
+She disappeared from the window, and in a moment joined him behind the
+screen of honeysuckles on the porch. The hammock hung, inviting ease,
+but neither of them took it. She sat primly on the straight-backed,
+green settee, and he sat on the step at her feet with his hat pulled
+over his eyes.
+
+"What an infernal nuisance I have been to you!" he said ruefully; "but
+no more than I have been to myself. The only difference was that I had
+to stand it, and you stood it out of the goodness of that kind little
+heart of yours. Well, it's nearly over now; I'm expecting to go to the
+city any day. I guess you'll not be sorry to get rid of me, will you,
+Miss Guinevere?"
+
+Instead of answering, she drew a quick breath and turned her head away.
+When she did speak, it was after a long pause.
+
+"I like the way you say my name. Nobody says it like that down here."
+
+"Guinevere?" he repeated.
+
+She nodded. "When you say it like that, I feel like I was another
+person. It makes me think of flowers, and poetry, and the wind in the
+trees, and all those things I've been reading you out of your books.
+Guin-never and Guinevere _don't_ seem the same at all, do they?"
+
+"They aren't the same," he said, "and you aren't the same girl I met on
+the boat last March. I guess we've both grown a bit since then. You know
+I was rather keen on dying about that time,--'in love with easeful
+death,'--well, now I am not keen about anything, but I am willing to
+play the game out."
+
+They sat in silence for a while, then he said slowly, without raising
+his eyes: "I am not much good at telling what I feel, but before I go
+away I want you to know how much you've helped me. You have been the one
+light that was left to show me the way down into the darkness."
+
+A soft touch on his shoulder made him lift his head. Guinevere was
+bending toward him, all restraint banished from her face by the
+compassion and love that suffused it.
+
+[Illustration: "'Oh, my God, it has come'"]
+
+Instinctively he swayed toward her, all the need of her crying out
+suddenly within him, then he pulled himself sharply together, and,
+resolutely thrusting his hands in his pockets, rose and took a turn up
+and down the porch.
+
+"Do you mind reading to me a little?" he asked at length. "There are
+forty devils in my head to-day, all hammering on the back of my
+eyeballs. I'll get my Tennyson; you like him better than you do the
+others. Wait; I'm going."
+
+But she was up the steps before him, eager to serve, and determined to
+spare him every effort.
+
+Through the long afternoon Guinevere read, stumbling over the strange
+words and faltering through the difficult passages, but vibrant to the
+beauty and the pathos of it all. On and on she read, and the sun went
+down, and the fragrance of dying locust bloom came faintly from the
+hill, and overhead in the tree-tops the evening breeze murmured its
+world-old plaint of loneliness and longing.
+
+Suddenly Guinevere's voice faltered, then steadied, then faltered again,
+then without warning she flung her arms across the back of the bench,
+and, dropping her head upon them, burst into passionate sobs.
+
+Hinton, who had been sitting for a long time with his hands pressed over
+his eyes, sprang up to go to her.
+
+"Guinevere," he said, "what's the matter? Don't cry, dear!" Then, as he
+stumbled, a look of terror crossed his face and he caught at the railing
+for support. "Where are you?" he asked sharply. "Speak to me! Give me
+your hand! I can't see--I can't--oh, my God, it has come!"
+
+
+
+
+XV
+
+
+The warning note sounded by Mrs. Fallows at the beginning of the oil
+boom was echoed by many before the summer was over. The coldest thing in
+the world is an exhausted enthusiasm, and when weeks slipped into
+months, and notes fell due, and the bank became cautious about lending
+money, a spirit of distrust got abroad, and a financial frost settled
+upon the community.
+
+Notwithstanding these conditions, "The Opp Eagle" persistently screamed
+prosperity. It attributed the local depression to the financial
+disturbance that had agitated the country at large, and assured the
+readers that the Cove was on the eve of the greatest period in its
+history.
+
+"The ascending, soaring bubble of inflated prices cannot last much
+longer," one editorial said; "the financial flurry in the Wall Streets
+of the North were pretty well over before we become aware of it, in a
+major sense. 'The Opp Eagle' has in the past, present, and future waged
+noble warfare against the calamity jays. Panic or no panic, Cove City
+refuses to remain in the backgrounds. There has been a large order for
+job-work in this office within the past ten days, also several new and
+important subscribers, all of which does not make much of a showing for
+hard times, at least not from our point of looking at it."
+
+But in the same issue, in an inconspicuous corner, were a couple of
+lines to the effect that "the editor would be glad to take a load of
+wood on subscription."
+
+The truth was that it required all of Mr. Opp's diplomacy to rise to the
+occasion. The effort to meet his own obligations was becoming daily
+more embarrassing, and he was reduced to economies entirely beneath the
+dignity of the editor of "The Opp Eagle." But while he cheerfully
+restricted his diet to two meals a day, and wore shirt-fronts in lieu of
+the genuine article, he was, according to Nick's ideas, rashly
+extravagant in other ways.
+
+"What did you go and buy Widow Green's oil-shares back for?" Nick
+demanded upon one of these occasions.
+
+"Well, you see," explained Mr. Opp, "it was purely a business
+proposition. Any day, now, things may open up in a way that will
+surprise you. I have good reason to believe that those shares are bound
+to go up; and besides," he added lamely in an undertone, "I happen to
+know that that there lady was in immediate need of a little ready
+money."
+
+"So are we," protested Nick; "we need every cent we can get for the
+paper. If we don't get ahead some by the first of the year, we are going
+under, sure as you live."
+
+Mr. Opp laid a hand upon his shoulder and smiled tolerantly.
+"Financiers get used to these fluctuations in money circles. Don't you
+worry, Nick; you leave that to the larger brains in the concern."
+
+But in spite of his superior attitude of confidence, Nick's words
+rankled in his mind, and the first of the year became a time which he
+preferred not to consider.
+
+One day in September the mail-packet brought two letters of great
+importance to Mr. Opp. One was from Willard Hinton, the first since his
+operation, and the other was from Mr. Mathews, stating that he would
+arrive at the Cove that day to lay an important matter of business
+before the stock-holders of the Turtle Creek Land Company.
+
+Mr. Opp rushed across the road, a letter in each hand, to share the news
+with Guinevere.
+
+"It's as good as settled," he cried, bursting in upon her, where she sat
+at the side door wrestling with a bit of needlework. "Mr. Mathews will
+be here to-day. He is either going to open up work or sell out to a
+syndicate. I'm going to use all my influence for the latter; it's the
+surest and safest plan. Miss Guin-never,"--his voice softened,--"this is
+all I been waiting for to make my last and final arrangement with your
+mother. It was just yesterday she was asking me what I'd decided to do,
+and I don't mind telling you, now it's all over, I never went to bed all
+last night--just sat up trying to figure it out. But this will settle
+it. I'll be in a position to have a little home of my own and take care
+of Kippy, too. I don't know as I ever was so happy in all my life put
+together before." He laughed nervously, but his eyes anxiously studied
+her averted face.
+
+"Then there's more news," he plunged on, when she did not speak--"a
+letter from Mr. Hinton. I thought maybe you'd like to hear what he had
+to say."
+
+Guinevere's scissors dropped with a sharp ring on the stepping-stone
+below, and as they both stooped to get them, their fingers touched. Mr.
+Opp ardently seized her hand in both of his, but unfortunately he
+seized her needle as well.
+
+"Oh, I am so sorry!" she said. "Wait, let me do it," and with a
+compassion which he considered nothing short of divine she extricated
+the needle, and comforted the wounded member. Mr. Opp would have gladly
+suffered the fate of a St. Sebastian to have elicited such sympathy.
+
+"Is--is Mr. Hinton better?" she asked, still bending over his hand.
+
+"Hinton?" asked Mr. Opp. "Oh, I forgot; yes. I'll read you what he says.
+He got his nurse to write this for him.
+
+    Dear Opp: The die is cast; I am a has-been. I did not expect
+    anything, so I am not disappointed. The operation was what they
+    called successful. The surgeon, I am told, did a very brilliant
+    stunt; something like taking my eyes out, playing marbles with them,
+    and getting them sewed back again all in three minutes and a half.
+    The result to the patient is of course purely a minor consideration,
+    but it may interest you to know that I can tell a biped from a
+    quadruped, and may in time, by the aid of powerful glasses, be able
+    to distinguish faces.
+
+    With these useful and varied accomplishments I have decided to
+    return to the Cove. My modest ambition now is to get out of the way,
+    and the safest plan is to keep out of the current.
+
+    You will probably be a Benedick by the time I return. My heartiest
+    congratulations to you and Miss Guinevere. Words cannot thank either
+    of you for what you have done for me. All I can say is that I have
+    tried to be worthy of your friendship.
+
+    What's left of me is
+
+        Yours,
+
+            Willard Hinton."
+
+Mr. Opp avoided looking at her as he folded the sheets and put them back
+in the envelop. The goal was bright before his eyes, but quicksands
+dragged at his feet.
+
+"And he _will_ find us married, won't he, Miss Guin-never? You'll be
+ready just as soon as I and your mother come to a understanding, won't
+you? Why, it seems more like eleven years than eleven months since you
+and me saw that sunset on the river! There hasn't been a day since, you
+might say, that hasn't been occupied with you. All I ask for in the
+world is just the chance for the rest of my life of trying to make you
+happy. You believe that, don't you, Miss Guin-never?"
+
+"Yes," she said miserably, gazing out at the little arbor Hinton had
+made for her beneath the trees.
+
+"Well, I'll stop by this evening after the meeting, if it ain't too
+late," said Mr. Opp. "You'll--you'll be--glad if everything culminates
+satisfactory, won't you?"
+
+"I'm glad of everything good that comes to you," said Guinevere so
+earnestly that Mr. Opp, who had lived on a diet of crumbs all his life,
+looked at her gratefully, and went back to the office assuring himself
+that all would be well.
+
+The visit of Mr. Mathews, while eagerly anticipated, could not have
+fallen on a less auspicious day. Aunt Tish, the arbiter of the Opp
+household, had been planning for weeks to make a visit to Coreyville,
+and the occasion of an opportune funeral furnished an immediate excuse.
+
+"No, _sir_, Mr. D., I can't put hit off till to-morrow," she declared in
+answer to Mr. Opp's request that she stay with Miss Kippy until after
+the stock-holders' meeting. "I's 'bleeged to go on dat night boat. De
+funeral teks place at ten o'clock in de mawnin', an' I's gwine be dar ef
+I has to swim de ribber."
+
+"Was he a particular friend, the one that died?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+"Friend? Bunk Bivens? Dat onery, good-fer-nothin' ole half-strainer?
+Naw, sir; he ain't no friend ob mine."
+
+"Well, what makes you so pressing and particular about attending his
+funeral?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+"'Ca'se I 'spise him so. I been hating dat nigger fer pretty nigh forty
+year, an' I ain't gwine lose dis chanst ob seein' him buried."
+
+"But, Aunt Tish," persisted Mr. Opp, impatiently, "I've got a very
+important and critical meeting this afternoon. The business under
+consideration may be wound up in the matter of a few minutes, and then,
+again, it may prolong itself into several consecutive hours. You'll have
+to stay with Kippy till I get home."
+
+The old woman looked at him strangely. "See dis heah hole in my haid,
+honey? 'Member how you and Ben uster ast Aunt Tish what mek hit? Dat
+nigger Bunk Bivens mek hit. He was a roustabout on de ribber, an' him
+an' yer paw fell out, an' one night when you was a baby he follow yer
+paw up here, an' me an' him had hit out."
+
+"But where was my father?" asked Mr. Opp.
+
+"Dey was 'sputin' right heah in dis heah kitchen where we's standin' at,
+an' dat mean, bow-laigged nigger didn't have no better manners den to
+'spute wif a gentleman dat was full. An' pore Miss she run in so skeered
+an' white an' she say, 'Aunt Tish, don't let him hurt him; he don't know
+what he's sayin',' she baig, an' I tell her to keep yer paw outen de
+way an' I tek keer ob Bunk."
+
+"And did he fight you?" asked Mr. Opp, indignantly.
+
+"Naw, sir; I fit him. We put nigh tore up de floor ob de kitchen. Den he
+bust my haid open wif de poker, an' looks lak I been losing my knowledge
+ever sence. From dat day I 'low I's gwine to git even if it took me till
+I died, an' now dat spiteful old devil done died fust. But I's gwine see
+him buried. I want to see 'em nail him up in a box and th'ow dirt on
+him."
+
+Aunt Tish ended the recital in a sing-song chant, worked up to a state
+of hysteria by the recital of her ancient wrong.
+
+Mr. Opp sighed both for the past and the present. He saw the futility of
+arguing the case.
+
+"Well, you'll stay until the boat whistles?" he asked. "Sometimes it is
+two hours late."
+
+"Yas, sir; but when dat whistle toots I's gwine. Ef you is heah, all
+right; ef you ain't, all right: I's _gwine_!"
+
+As Mr. Opp passed through the hall he saw Miss Kippy slip ahead of him
+and conceal herself behind the door. She carried something hidden in her
+apron.
+
+"Have you learned your reading lesson to say to brother D. to-night?" he
+asked, ignoring her behavior. "You are getting so smart, learning to
+read handwriting just as good as I can!"
+
+But Miss Kippy only peeped at him through the crack in the door and
+refused to be friendly. For several days she had been furtive and
+depressed, and had not spoken to either Aunt Tish or himself.
+
+On the way to his office Mr. Opp was surprised to see Mr. Gallop leaning
+out of the window of his little room beckoning frantically. It was
+evident that Mr. Gallop had a secret to divulge, and Mr. Gallop with a
+secret was as excited as a small bird with a large worm.
+
+"Just come in a minute and sit down," he fluttered; "you'll have to
+excuse the looks of things. Having just this one room for telegraph
+office and bedroom and everything crowds me up awful. I've been trying
+to fix my lunch for half an hour, but the telephone just keeps me busy.
+Then, besides, Mr. Mathews was here; he came down on the launch at
+twelve o'clock. Now, of course I know it ain't right to repeat anything
+I hear over the long-distance wire, but being such a good friend of
+yours, and you being such a friend of mine--why, Mr. Opp there ain't
+anybody in the world I owe more to than I do to you, not only the money
+you've lent me from time to time, but your standing up for me when
+everybody was down on me--and--"
+
+"Yes; but you was remarking about Mr. Mathews?" Mr. Opp interrupted.
+
+"Yes; and I was saying I never make a practice of repeating what I hear,
+but he was talking right here in the room, and I was mixing up a little
+salad dressing I promised Mrs. Fallows for the social,--it's to be over
+at Your Hotel this evening--there's the telephone!"
+
+Mr. Opp sat on the edge of the sofa, the rest of it being occupied with
+gaily embroidered sofa pillows, specimens, the town declared, of Mr.
+Gallop's own handiwork. In fact, the only unoccupied space in the room
+was on the ceiling, for between his duties as operator and housekeeper
+Mr. Gallop still found time to cultivate the arts, and the result of his
+efforts was manifest in every nook and corner.
+
+"It was Mrs. Gusty getting after Mr. Toddlinger for sending vanilla
+extract instead of lemon," explained Mr. Gallop, who had stopped to hear
+the discussion.
+
+"Well, as I was saying, Mr. Mathews called up somebody in the city
+almost as soon as he got here--Now you've got to promise me you won't
+tell a living soul about this."
+
+Mr. Opp promised.
+
+"He said to telegraph New York party that terms were agreed on, and to
+mail check at once to Clark, and tell him to keep his mouth shut. Then
+the other end said something, and Mr. Mathews said: 'We can't afford to
+wait. You telegraph at once; I'll manipulate the crowd down here.' They
+talked a lot more, then he said awful low, but I heard him: 'Well, damn
+it! they've got to. There's too much at stake.'"
+
+The editor sat with his hat in his hand, and blinked at the operator:
+"Manipulate," he said in a puzzled tone, "did he use that particular
+word?"
+
+Mr. Gallop nodded.
+
+"He may have been referring to something else," said Mr. Opp, waiving
+aside any disagreeable suspicion. "Mr. Mathews is a business gentleman.
+He's involved in a great many ventures, something like myself. You
+wouldn't think from what you heard that--er--that he was contemplating
+not acting exactly--fair with us, would you?"
+
+Mr. Gallop, having delivered himself of his information, did not feel
+called upon to express a personal opinion.
+
+"If you ever say I told you a word of this, I'll swear I didn't," he
+said. "It was just because you were such a good friend, and--there's
+that 'phone again!"
+
+During the early hours of the afternoon, Mr. Opp was oppressed with a
+vague uneasiness. He made several attempts to see Mr. Mathews, but that
+gentleman was closeted with his stenographer until five o'clock, the
+hour named for the meeting.
+
+All feeling of distrust was banished, however, when Mr. Mathews made his
+way through the crowd of stock-holders that filled the office of Your
+Hotel, and took his stand by the desk. He was so bland and confident, so
+satisfied with himself and the world and the situation, that, as Jimmy
+Fallows remarked, "You kinder looked for him to purr when he wasn't
+talking."
+
+He set forth at great length the undoubted oil wealth of the region, he
+complimented them on their sagacity and foresight in buying up the
+Turtle Creek ground, he praised the Cove in general and that
+distinguished citizen, the editor of "The Opp Eagle," in particular.
+The enterprise upon which they had embarked, he said, had grown to such
+proportions that large capital was required to carry it on. Owing to the
+recent depression in the money market, the Kentucky company did not feel
+able properly to back the concern, so it had been agreed that if a good
+offer was made to buy it, it should be accepted. It was with such an
+offer, Mr. Mathews said, that he had come to them to-day.
+
+A stir of excitement met this announcement, and Miss Jim Fenton waved
+her lace scarf in her enthusiasm.
+
+"Some time ago," went on Mr. Mathews, graciously acknowledging the
+applause, "the Union Syndicate of New York sent an expert, Mr. Clark,
+down here to report on the oil conditions in this region." Mr. Opp's
+eyes became fixed on Mr. Mathews's face, and his lips parted. "The
+report was so entirely satisfactory," continued Mr. Mathews, "that the
+following offer has been made."
+
+Mr. Opp rose immediately. "Excuse me, sir, there is--er--rather, there
+must be some little mistake just at this juncture."
+
+All eyes were turned upon him, and a murmur of dissent arose at an
+interruption at such a critical point.
+
+Mr. Mathews gave him permission to proceed.
+
+"You see--I--Mr. Clark, that is,"--Mr. Opp's fingers were working
+nervously on the back of the chair before him,--"him and myself went
+over the ground together, and--I--well, I must say I don't consider him
+a competent judge."
+
+Mr. Mathews smiled. "I am afraid, Mr. Opp, that your opinion is
+overruled. Mr. Clark is a recognized authority, although," he added
+significantly, "of course the most expert make mistakes at times."
+
+"That ain't the point," persisted Mr. Opp; "it's the conflicting
+difference in what he said to me, and what he's reported to them. He
+told me that he didn't consider our prospects was worth a picayune, and
+if the wells were drilled, they probably wouldn't run a year. I didn't
+believe him then; but you say now that he is a expert and that he
+knows."
+
+Mr. Mathews's tolerance seemed limitless. He waited patiently for Mr.
+Opp to finish, then he said smoothly:
+
+"Yes, yes; I understand your point perfectly, Mr. Opp. Mr. Clark's
+remarks were injudicious, but he was looking at all sides of the
+question. He saw me after he saw you, you know, and I was able to direct
+his attention to the more favorable aspects of the case. His report was
+entirely favorable, and I guess that is all that concerns us, isn't it?"
+He embraced the room with his smile.
+
+During the next quarter of an hour Mr. Opp sat with his arms folded and
+his eyes bent on the floor and bit his lips furiously. Something was
+wrong. Again and again he fought his way back to this conclusion through
+the enveloping mazes of Mr. Mathews's plausibility. Why had they waited
+so long after drilling that first well? Why, after making elaborate
+plans and buying machinery, had they suddenly decided to sell? Why had
+Mr. Clark given such contradictory opinions? What did Mr. Mathews mean
+by that message from Mr. Gallop's office? Mr. Opp's private affairs,
+trembling in the balance, were entirely lost sight of in his
+determination for fair play.
+
+Covering his eyes with his hand, and trying not to hear the flood of
+argument which Mr. Mathews was bringing to bear upon his already
+convinced audience, Mr. Opp attempted to recall all that Mr. Gallop had
+told him.
+
+"He said 'manipulate,'" repeated Mr. Opp to himself. "I remember that,
+and he said 'telegraph New York party that terms were agreed on.' Then
+he said 'mail check to Clark; tell him to keep his mouth shut.' What's
+_he_ paying Clark for? Why--"
+
+"The motion before the house," Mr. Tucker's piping voice broke in upon
+his agitated reasoning, "is whether the stock-holders of the Turtle
+Creek Land Company is willing to sell out at a rate of seven to one to
+the Union Syndicate."
+
+In the buzz of delight that ensued, Mr. Opp found himself standing on a
+chair and demanding attention.
+
+"Listen here," he cried, pounding on the wall with his hand, "I've got
+important information that's got to be told: that man Clark is a rascal.
+He's--he's deceiving his company. He's been paid to make a good report
+of our ground. I can't prove it, but I know it. We're taking part in a
+fraud; we're--we're being manipulated."
+
+Mr. Opp almost shrieked the last word in his agony of earnestness; but
+before the crowd could fully apprehend his meaning, Mr. Mathews rose and
+said somewhat sharply:
+
+"What the representative of the Union Syndicate is, or is not, doesn't
+concern us in the least. I come to you with a gilt-edged proposition;
+all I ask you is to sit tight, and take my advice, and I guarantee you
+an immediate return of seven dollars to every one you put into this
+concern. Mr. Chairman, will you put it to the vote?"
+
+But Mr. Opp again stopped proceedings. "As a director in this company I
+won't stand for what's going on. I'll telegraph the syndicate. I'll
+advertise the whole matter!"
+
+Mat Lucas pulled at his sleeve, and the preacher put a restraining arm
+about his shoulder. The amazing rumor had become current that the Cove's
+stanchest advocate for temperance had been indulging in drink, and there
+was nothing in the editor's flushed face and excited manner to
+contradict the impression.
+
+"If by any chance," Mr. Mathews went on in a steady voice, "there should
+be a stock-holder who is unwilling to take advantage of this magnificent
+offer, we need hardly say that we are prepared to buy his stock back at
+the amount he gave for it." He smiled, as if inviting ridicule at the
+absurdity of the proposition.
+
+"I am unwilling," cried Mr. Opp, tugging at the restraining hands. "I
+have never yet in all the length and breadth of my experience been
+associated with a dishonest act."
+
+"Don't! Mr. Opp, don't!" whispered Mat Lucas. "You're acting like a
+crazy man. Don't you see you are losing the chance to make three
+thousand dollars?"
+
+"That hasn't nothing to do with it," cried Mr. Opp, almost beside
+himself. "I'll not be a party to the sale. I'll--"
+
+Mr. Mathews turned to his secretary. "Just fix up those papers for Mr.
+Opp, and give him a check for what is coming to him. Now, Mr. Chairman,
+will you put the matter to the vote?"
+
+Amid the hilarious confusion that succeeded the unanimous vote, and the
+subsequent adjournment of the meeting, Mr. Opp pushed his way through
+the crowd that surrounded Mr. Mathews.
+
+"You know what I was alluding at," he shouted through his chattering
+teeth. "You've carried this through, but I'll blockade you. I am going
+to tell the truth to the whole community. I am going to telegraph to
+the syndicate and stop the sale."
+
+Mr. Mathews lifted his brows and smiled deprecatingly.
+
+"I am sorry you have worked yourself up to such a pitch, my friend," he
+said. "Telegraph, by all means if it will ease your mind; but the fact
+is, the deal was closed at noon to-day."
+
+The long, low whistle of the packet sounded, but Mr. Opp heeded it not.
+He was flinging his way across to the telegraph office in a frenzy of
+Quixotic impatience to right the wrong of which he had refused to be a
+part.
+
+
+
+
+XVI
+
+
+Half an hour later, Mr. Opp dragged himself up the hill to his home. All
+the unfairness and injustice of the universe seemed pressing upon his
+heart. Every muscle in his body quivered in remembrance of what he had
+been through, and an iron band seemed tightening about his throat. His
+town had refused to believe his story! It had laughed in his face!
+
+With a sudden mad desire for sympathy and for love, he began calling
+Kippy. He stumbled across the porch, and, opening the door with his
+latch-key, stood peering into the gloom of the room.
+
+The draft from an open window blew a curtain toward him, a white
+spectral, beckoning thing, but no sound broke the stillness.
+
+"Kippy!" he called again, his voice sharp with anxiety.
+
+From one room to another he ran, searching in nooks and corners, peering
+under the beds and behind the doors, calling in a voice that was
+sometimes a command, but oftener a plea: "Kippy! Kippy!"
+
+At last he came back to the dining-room and lighted the lamp with
+shaking hands. On the hearth were the remains of a small bonfire, with
+papers scattered about. He dropped on his knees and seized a bit of
+charred cardboard. It was a corner of the hand-painted frame that had
+incased the picture of Guinevere Gusty! Near it lay loose sheets of
+paper, parts of that treasured package of letters she had written him
+from Coreyville.
+
+As Mr. Opp gazed helplessly about the room, his eyes fell upon something
+white pinned to the red table-cloth. He held it to the light. It was a
+portion of one of Guinevere's letters, written in the girl's clear,
+round hand:
+
+    Mother says I can never marry you until Miss Kippy goes to the
+    asylum.
+
+Mr. Opp got to his feet. "She's read the letter," he cried wildly;
+"she's learned out about herself! Maybe she's in the woods now, or down
+on the bank!" He rushed to the porch. "Kippy!" he shouted. "Don't be
+afraid! Brother D.'s coming to get you! Don't run away, Kippy! Wait for
+me! Wait!" and leaving the old house open to the night, he plunged into
+the darkness, beating through the woods and up and down the road,
+calling in vain for Kippy, who lay cowering in the bottom of a leaking
+skiff that was drifting down the river at the mercy of the current.
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Two days later, Mr. Opp sat in the office of the Coreyville Asylum for
+the Insane and heard the story of his sister's wanderings. Her boat had
+evidently been washed ashore at a point fifteen miles above the town,
+for people living along the river had reported a strange little woman,
+without hat or coat, who came to their doors crying and saying her name
+was "Oxety," and that she was crazy, and begging them to show her the
+way to the asylum. On the second day she had been found unconscious on
+the steps of the institution, and since then, the doctor said, she had
+been wild and unmanageable.
+
+"Considering all things," he concluded, "it is much wiser for you not to
+see her. She came of her own accord, evidently felt the attack coming
+on, and wanted to be taken care of."
+
+He was a large, smooth-faced man, with the conciliatory manner of one
+who regards all his fellow-men as patients in varying degrees of
+insanity.
+
+"But I'm in the regular habit of taking care of her," protested Mr. Opp.
+"This is just a temporary excitement for the time being that won't ever,
+probably, occur again. Why, she's been improving all winter; I've
+learnt her to read and write a little, and to pick out a number of
+cities on the geographical atlas."
+
+"All wrong," exclaimed the doctor; "mistaken kindness. She can never be
+any better, but she may be a great deal worse. Her mind should never be
+stimulated or excited in any way. Here, of course, we understand all
+these things and treat the patient accordingly."
+
+"Then I must just go back to treating her like a child again?" asked Mr.
+Opp, "not endeavoring to improve her intellect, or help her grow up in
+any way?"
+
+The doctor laid a kindly hand on his shoulder.
+
+"You leave her to us," he said. "The State provides this excellent
+institution for just such cases as hers. You do yourself and your
+family, if you have one, an injustice by keeping her at home. Let her
+stay here for six months or so, and you will see what a relief it will
+be."
+
+Mr. Opp sat with his elbow on the desk and his head propped in his
+hand, and stared miserably at the floor. He had not had his clothes off
+for two nights, and he had scarcely taken time from his search to eat
+anything. His face looked old and wizened and haunted from the strain.
+Yet here and now he was called upon to make his great decision. On the
+one hand lay the old, helpless life with Kippy, and on the other a
+future of dazzling possibility with Guinevere. All of his submerged self
+suddenly rose and demanded happiness. He was ready to snatch it, at any
+cost, regardless of everything and everybody--of Kippy; of Guinevere,
+who, he knew, did not love him, but would keep her promise; of Hinton,
+whose secret he had long ago guessed. And, as a running accompaniment to
+his thoughts, was the quiet, professional voice of the doctor urging him
+to the course that his heart prompted. For a moment the personal forces
+involved trembled in equilibrium.
+
+After a long time he unknotted his fingers, and drew his handkerchief
+across his brow.
+
+"I guess I'll go up and see her now," he said, with the gasping breath
+of a man who has been under water.
+
+In vain the doctor protested. Mr. Opp was determined.
+
+As the door to the long ward was being unlocked, he leaned for a moment
+dizzily against the wall.
+
+"You'd better let me give you a swallow of whisky," suggested the
+doctor, who had noted his exhaustion.
+
+Mr. Opp raised his hand deprecatingly, with a touch of his old
+professional pride. "I don't know as I've had occasion to mention," he
+said, "that I am the editor and sole proprietor of 'The Opp Eagle'; and
+that bird," he added, with a forced smile, "is, as everybody knows, a
+complete teetotaler."
+
+At the end of the crowded ward, with her face to the wall, was a slight,
+familiar figure. Mr. Opp started forward; then he turned fiercely upon
+the attendant.
+
+"Her hands are tied! Who dared to tie her up like that?"
+
+"It's just a soft handkerchief," replied the matronly woman,
+reassuringly. "We were afraid she would pull her hair out. She wants its
+fixed a certain way; but she's afraid for any of us to touch her. She
+has been crying about it ever since she came."
+
+In an instant Mr. Opp was on his knees beside her. "Kippy, Kippy
+darling, here's brother D.; he'll fix it for you! You want it parted on
+the side, don't you, tied with a bow, and all the rest hanging down?
+Don't cry so, Kippy. I'm here now; brother D.'ll take care of you."
+
+She flung her loosened arms around him and clung to him in a passion of
+relief. Her sobs shook them both, and his face and neck were wet with
+her tears.
+
+As soon as they could get her sufficiently quiet, they took her into her
+little bedroom.
+
+"You let the lady get you ready," urged Mr. Opp, still holding her hand,
+"and I'll take you back home, and Aunt Tish will have a nice, hot supper
+all waiting for us."
+
+But she would let nobody else touch her, and even then she broke forth
+into piteous sobs and protests. Once she pushed him from her and looked
+about wildly. "No, no," she cried, "I mustn't go; I am crazy!" But he
+told her about the three little kittens that had been born under the
+kitchen steps, and in an instant she was all a-tremble with eagerness to
+go home to see them.
+
+An hour later, Mr. Opp and his charge sat on the river-bank and waited
+for the little launch that was to take them back to the Cove. A curious
+crowd had gathered at a short distance, for their story had gone the
+rounds.
+
+Mr. Opp sat under the fire of curious glances, gazing straight in front
+of him, and only his flushed face showed what he was suffering. Miss
+Kippy, in her strange clothes and with her pale hair flying about her
+shoulders, sat close by him, her hand in his.
+
+"D.," she said once in a high, insistent voice, "when will I be grown up
+enough to marry Mr. Hinton?"
+
+Mr. Opp for a moment forgot the crowd. "Kippy," he said with all the
+gentle earnestness that was in him, "you ain't never going to grow up at
+all. You are just always going to be brother D.'s little girl. You see,
+Mr. Hinton's too old for you, just like--" he paused, then finished it
+bravely--"just like I am too old for Miss Guin-never. I wouldn't be
+surprised if they got married with each other some day. You and me will
+just have to take care of each other."
+
+She looked at him with the quick suspicion of the insane, but he was
+ready for her with a smile.
+
+"Oh, D.," she cried, in a sudden rapture, "we are glad, ain't we?"
+
+
+
+
+XVII
+
+
+For the next four weeks there was no issue of "The Opp Eagle." When it
+did make its appearance, it contained the following editorial:
+
+    Ye editor has for several weeks been the victim of the La Grip which
+    eventuated into a rising in our left ear. Although we are still in
+    severe and continuous pain, we know that behind the clouds of
+    suffering the blue sky of health is still shining, and that a
+    brighter day is coming, as it were.
+
+The night of Mr. Opp's return from Coreyville, he had written a long
+letter to Guinevere Gusty telling her of his final decision in regard to
+Kippy, and releasing her from her promise. This having been
+accomplished, he ceased to fight against the cold and exhaustion, and
+went to bed with a hard chill.
+
+Aunt Tish, all contrition for the disasters she thought she had brought
+upon the household, served him night and day, and even Miss Kippy, moved
+by the unusual sight of her brother in bed, made futile efforts to
+assist in the nursing.
+
+When at last he was able to crawl back to the office, he found startling
+changes had taken place in the Cove. The prompt payment of the oil
+stock-holders by the Union Syndicate had brought about such a condition
+of prosperity and general satisfaction as had never before been known.
+The civic spirit planted and carefully nourished by "The Opp Eagle"
+burst into bloom under this sudden and unexpected warmth. Committees,
+formed the year before, were called upon for reports, and gratifying
+results were obtained. The Cove awoke to the fact that it had
+lamp-posts, and side-walks and a post-office, with a possibility,
+looming large, of a court house.
+
+Nor did this ambition for improvement stop short with the town: it
+extended to individuals. Jimmy Fallows was going to build a new hotel;
+Mr. Tucker was going to convert his hotel into a handsome private
+residence, for which Mrs. Gusty had been asked to select the wall-paper;
+Mat Lucas was already planning to build a large store on Main Street,
+and had engaged Mr. Gallop to take charge of the dry-goods department.
+The one person upon whom prosperity had apparently had a blighting
+effect was Miss Jim Fenton. Soon after the receipt of her check, she had
+appeared in the Cove in a plain, black tailor suit, and a small, severe
+felt hat innocent of adornment. The French-heeled slippers had been
+replaced by heavy walking shoes, and the lace scarf was discarded for a
+stiff linen collar.
+
+But the state of Miss Jim's mind was not to be judged by the somberness
+of her raiment. The novelty of selecting her own clothes, of consulting
+her own taste, of being rid of the entangling dangers of lace ruffles
+and flying furbelows, to say nothing of unwelcome suitors, gave her a
+sense of exhilaration and independence which she had not enjoyed for
+years.
+
+In the midst of all these tangible evidences of success, Mr. Opp found
+himself indulging in a hand-to-hand struggle with failure. As a hunter
+aims at a point well in advance of the flying bird, so he had aimed at
+possibilities ahead of the facts, and when events took an unexpected
+turn, he was left stranded, his ammunition gone, his judgment
+questioned, and his hands empty. He had been conducting his affairs not
+on the basis of his present income, but in reference to the large sums
+which he confidently believed would accrue from the oil-wells.
+
+The circulation of "The Opp Eagle" was increasing steadily, but the
+growing bird must be fed, and the editor, struggling to meet daily
+pressing obligations, was in no condition to furnish the steady demand
+for copy.
+
+All unnecessary diversions were ruthlessly foregone. He resigned with a
+pang the leadership of the Union Orchestra, he gave up his membership
+with the Odd Fellows. Even his more important duties, as president of
+the Town Improvement League, and director in the bank, were
+relinquished. For, in addition to his editorials, he had undertaken to
+augment his slender income by selling on subscription the "Encyclopedia
+of Wonder, Beauty, and Wisdom."
+
+It was at this low ebb of Mr. Opp's fortunes that Willard Hinton
+returned to the Cove. He was still pale from his long confinement, but
+there was an unusual touch of animation about him, the half-surprised
+interest of one who has struck bottom, and found it not so bad as he had
+expected.
+
+One dark afternoon in November he made his way over to the office of
+"The Opp Eagle," and stood irresolute in the door.
+
+"That you, Mr. Opp? Or is it Nick?" He blinked uncertainly.
+
+"Why, it is me," said Mr. Opp. "Come right in. I've been so occupied
+with engagements that I haven't scarcely had occasion to see anything of
+you since you come back. You are getting improved all the time, ain't
+you? I thought I saw you writing on a type-writer when I passed this
+morning."
+
+"Yes," said Hinton; "it's a little machine I got before I came down,
+with raised letters on the keyboard. If I progress at the rapid pace I
+have started, I'll be an expert before long. Mrs. Gusty was able to read
+five words out of ten this morning!"
+
+"Hope you'll do us an article or two," said Mr. Opp. "I don't mind
+telling you that things has been what you might name as pressing ever
+since that trouble about the oil-wells. I'm not regretting any step that
+I taken, and I am endeavoring not to harbor any feelings against those
+that went on after I give my word it wasn't a fair transaction. But if
+what that man Clark said is true, Mr. Hinton, the Union Syndicate will
+never open up another well in this community."
+
+"Your conscience proved rather an expensive luxury that time, didn't it,
+Mr. Opp?" asked Hinton, who had heard as many versions of the affair as
+there were citizens in the Cove.
+
+Mr. Opp shrugged his shoulders, and pursed his lips. "It's a matter that
+I cannot yet bring myself to talk about. After a whole year and more of
+associating with me in business and social ways, to think they wouldn't
+be willing to take my word for what I said."
+
+"But it wasn't to their advantage," said Hinton, smiling. "You forget
+the amount of money involved."
+
+"No," declared Mr. Opp with some heat, "you do those gentlemen a
+injustice. There ain't a individual of them that is capable of a
+dishonest act, any more than you or me. They just lacked the experience
+in dealing with a man like Mr. Mathews."
+
+Hinton's smile broadened; he reached over and grasped Mr. Opp's hand.
+
+"Do you know you are a rattling good fellow? I am sorry things have
+gotten so balled up with you."
+
+"I'll pay out," said the editor. "It'll take some time, but I've got a
+remarkable ability for work in me. I don't mind telling you, though I'll
+have to ask you not to mention the fact to no one at present, that I am
+considering inventing a patent. It's a sort of improved type-setter, one
+of the most remarkable things you ever witnessed. I never knew till
+about six months ago what a scientific turn my mind could take. I've
+worked this whole thing out in my brain without the aid of a model of
+any sort."
+
+"In the meanwhile," said Hinton, "I hear you will have to sell your
+paper."
+
+Mr. Opp winced, and the lines in his face deepened. "Well, yes," he
+said, "I have about decided to sell, provided I keep the editorship, of
+course. After my patent gets on the market I will soon be in a position
+to buy it back."
+
+"Mr. Opp," said Hinton, "I've got a proposition to make to you. I have
+a moderate sum of money in bank which I want to invest in business. How
+would you like to sell out the paper to me, lock, stock, and barrel?"
+
+Mr. Opp, whose eyes had been resting on the bills that strewed his
+table, looked up eagerly.
+
+"You to own it, and me to run it?" he asked hopefully.
+
+"No," said Hinton; "you would help me to run it, I hope, but I would be
+the editor. I have thought the matter over seriously, and I believe,
+with competent help, I can make the paper an up-to-date, self-supporting
+newspaper, in spite of my handicap."
+
+Mr. Opp sat as if stunned by a blow. He had known for some time that he
+must sell the paper in order to meet his obligations, but the thought of
+relinquishing his control of it never dawned upon him. It was the pride
+of his heart, the one tangible achievement in a wilderness of dreams.
+Life without Guinevere had seemed a desert; life without "The Opp
+Eagle" seemed chaos. He looked up bewildered.
+
+"We'd continue on doing business here in the regular way?" he asked.
+
+"No," said Hinton; "I would build a larger office uptown, and put in new
+presses; we could experiment with your new patent type-setter as soon as
+you got it ready."
+
+But Mr. Opp was beyond pleasantries. "You'd keep Nick?" he asked. "I
+wouldn't consider anything that would cut Nick out."
+
+"By all means," said Hinton. "I'm counting on you and Nick to initiate
+me into the mysteries of the profession. You could be city editor, and
+Nick--well, we could make him foreman."
+
+One last hope was left to Mr. Opp, and he clung to it desperately, not
+daring to voice it until the end.
+
+"The name," he said faintly, "would of course remain 'The Opp Eagle'?"
+
+Hinton dropped his eyes; he could not stand the wistful appeal in the
+drawn face opposite.
+
+"No," he said shortly; "that's a--little too personal. I think I should
+call my paper 'The Weekly News.'"
+
+Mr. Opp could never distinctly remember what happened after that. He
+knew that he had at first declined the offer, that he had been argued
+with, had reconsidered, and finally accepted a larger sum than he had
+asked for; but the details of the transaction were like the setting of
+bones after an accident.
+
+He remembered that he had sat where Hinton left him, staring at the
+floor until Nick came to close the office; then he had a vague
+impression of crossing the fields and standing with his head against the
+old sycamore-tree where the birds had once whispered of love. After that
+he knew that he had met Hinton and Guinevere coming up the river road
+hand in hand, that he had gotten home after supper was over, and had
+built a bridge of blocks for Miss Kippy.
+
+Then suddenly he had wakened to full consciousness, staggered out of the
+house to the woodshed, and shivered down into a miserable heap. There
+in the darkness he seemed to see things, for the first time in his life,
+quite as they were. His gaze, accustomed to the glittering promise of
+the future, peered fearfully into the past, and reviewed the long line
+of groundless hopes, of empty projects, of self-deceptions. Shorn of its
+petty shams and deceits, and stripped of its counterfeit armor of
+conceit, his life lay naked before him, a pitiful, starved, futile
+thing.
+
+"I've just been similar to Kippy," he sobbed, with his face in his
+hands, "continually pretending what wasn't so. I acted like I was young,
+and good-looking, and--and highly educated; and look at me! Look at me!"
+he demanded fiercely of the kindling-wood.
+
+Mr. Opp had been fighting a long duel--a duel with Circumstance, and Mr.
+Opp was vanquished. The acknowledgment of defeat, even to himself, gave
+it the final stamp of verity. He had fought valiantly, with what poor
+weapons he had, but the thrusts had been too many and too sure. He lay
+clothed in his strange new garment of humility, and wondered why he did
+not want to die. He did not realize that in losing everything else, he
+had won the greater stake of character for which he had been
+unconsciously fighting all along.
+
+The kitchen door opened, and he saw Miss Kippy's figure silhouetted
+against the light.
+
+"Brother D.," she called impatiently, "ain't you coming back to play
+with me?"
+
+He scrambled to his feet and made a hasty and somewhat guilty effort to
+compose himself.
+
+"Yes, I'm a-coming," he answered briskly, as he smoothed his scant locks
+and straightened his tie. "You go on ahead and gather up the blocks; I
+only stopped playing for a little spell."
+
+
+
+
+XVIII
+
+
+The marriage of Guinevere Gusty and Willard Hinton took place in
+mid-winter, and the account of it, published in the last issue of "The
+Opp Eagle," proved that the eagle, like the swan, has its death-song.
+
+Like many of the masterpieces of literature, the article had been
+written in anguish of spirit; but art, like nature, ignores the process,
+and reckons only the result, and the result, in Mr. Opp's opinion at
+least, more than justified the effort.
+
+"In these strenuous, history-making meanderings of the sands of life,"
+it ran, "we sometimes overlook or neglect particulars in events which
+prove of larger importance than appears on the surface. The case to
+which we have allusion to is the wedding which was solemnized at
+eventide at the residence of the bride's mother. The Gustys may be
+justly considered one of the best-furnished families in the county, and
+the parlors were only less beautiful than the only daughter there
+presiding. The collation served therein was of such a liberal nature
+that every guest, we might venture to say, took dinner enough home for
+supper. It has seldom been our fate to meet a gentleman of such
+intelligent attainments as Mr. Hinton, and his entire future existence,
+be it long or short, cannot fail of being thrice blessed by the
+companionship of the one who has confided her trust to him,--her choice,
+world-wide. Although a bachelor ourself, we know what happiness must be
+theirs, and with all our heart we vouchsafe them a joyful voyage across
+the uncertain billows of Time until their nuptial or matrimonial bark
+shall have been safely moored in the haven of everlasting bliss, where
+the storms of this life spread not their violence."
+
+Some men spend their lives in the valley, and some are born and die on
+the heights; but it was Mr. Opp's fate to climb from the valley to his
+own little mountain-top of prosperity, only to have to climb down on the
+other side. It was evidence of his genius that in time he persuaded
+himself and his fellow-citizens that it was exactly what he wanted to
+do.
+
+"That there life of managing and promoting was all right in its way," he
+said one day to a group of men at the post-office, "but a man owes
+something to himself, don't he? Now that the town has got well started,
+and Mr. Hinton is going to take main charge of the paper, I'll be freer
+than I been for years to put some of my ideas into practice."
+
+"We are counting on getting you back in the orchestra," said Mr. Gallop,
+whose admiration for Mr. Opp retained its pristine bloom.
+
+Mr. Opp shook his head regretfully. "No, I'm going to give all my
+evenings over to study. This present enterprise I am engaged on
+requires a lot of personal application. I sometimes think that I have in
+the past scattered my forces too much, in a way."
+
+So persistently did Mr. Opp refer to the mysterious work that was
+engrossing him that he reduced Mr. Gallop's curiosity to the
+saturation-point.
+
+When he was no longer able to stand it, the telegraph operator
+determined upon a tour of investigation. The projected presentation of a
+new cornet by the Unique Orchestra to its erstwhile leader proved a
+slender excuse for a call, and while he knew that, with the exception of
+Willard Hinton, no visitor had ever been known to cross the Opp
+threshold, yet he permitted desire to overrule delicacy.
+
+It was a blustery December night when he climbed the hill, and he had to
+pause several times during the ascent to gain sufficient breath to
+proceed. By the time he reached the house he was quite speechless, and
+he dropped on the steps to rest a moment before knocking. As he sat
+there trying to imagine the flying-machine or torpedo-boat upon which he
+felt certain Mr. Opp was engaged, he became aware of voices from within,
+and looking up, he saw the window above him was slightly raised.
+Overcome by his desire to see his friend at work upon his great
+invention, he cautiously tiptoed across the porch and peeped in.
+
+The low-ceilinged old room was bright with firelight, and in the center
+of it, with his knees drawn up, his toes turned in, and his tongue
+thrust out, sat Mr. Opp, absorbed in an object which he held between his
+knees. Miss Kippy knelt before him, eagerly watching proceedings.
+
+Mr. Gallop craned his neck to see what it was that held their interest,
+and at last discovered that they were fitting a dress on a large china
+doll.
+
+Miss Kippy's voice broke the silence. "You can sew nice," she was
+saying; "you can sew prettier than Aunt Tish."
+
+[Illustration: "'Can't nobody beat me making skirts'"]
+
+"Can't nobody beat me making skirts," said Mr. Opp, and Mr. Gallop saw
+him push his needle through a bit of cloth, with the handle of the
+shovel; "but sleeves is a more particular proposition. Why, I'd rather
+thread three needles than to fix in one sleeve! Why don't you make like
+it's summer-time and let her go without any?"
+
+Miss Kippy's lips trembled. "I want sleeves, D.--two of them, and a
+lady's hat, with roses on it. We can let _her_ be grown up, can't we,
+D.?"
+
+Mr. Gallop beat a hasty and shame-faced retreat. Though his idol had
+fallen from its pedestal, he determined to stand guard over the
+fragments, and from that night on, he constituted himself Mr. Opp's
+loyal defender.
+
+And Mr. Gallop was not the only one who came forth boldly in expressions
+of sympathy and respect for the ex-editor. It was especially easy for
+those who had prospered by the oil boom to express unbounded admiration
+for the conscientious stand he had taken in the late transaction. They
+had done him a grave injustice, they acknowledged. The wells had been
+reinvestigated and proved of small value. The fact that the truth was
+discovered too late to affect their luck deepened their appreciation of
+Mr. Opp.
+
+Willard Hinton, seeing what balm these evidences of approval brought to
+Mr. Opp's wounded spirit, determined to arrange for a banquet to the
+retiring editor, at which he planned to bring forth as many testimonials
+of friendship and good-will as was possible.
+
+The affair was to take place New Year's night, in the dining-room of
+Fallows's new Your Hotel. The entire masculine contingent of the Cove
+was invited, and the feminine element prepared the supper. There had
+never been a social event of such an ambitious nature attempted in the
+Cove before, and each citizen took a personal pride in its success.
+
+For a week in advance the town was in violent throes of speech-writing,
+cake-baking, salad-mixing, and decorating. Even Mrs. Fallows warmed to
+the occasion, and crocheted a candlestick, candle, flame, and all, to
+grace the table.
+
+When the night arrived, Jimmy Fallows did the honors. He was resplendent
+in his dress-suit, which consisted of a black sateen shirt and a brown
+suit of clothes.
+
+When the guests were all seated, Willard Hinton rose, and in a few
+brief, pointed remarks, called the attention of the town to the changes
+that had been wrought by the indefatigable efforts of one citizen in
+particular. He spoke of the debt of gratitude they owed, collectively
+and individually, to the late editor of "The Opp Eagle," and added that
+after Mr. Opp's response, the guests desired, each in turn, to voice his
+sentiments upon the subject.
+
+Mr. Opp then rose amid a thunder of applause, and stood for a moment in
+pleased but overwhelming embarrassment. Then he put forward one foot
+inflated his chest, and began:
+
+"Valued brother fellow-beings, I come before you to-night to express
+that which there is no words in the English vocabulary to express.
+Whatever you may have to say concerning me, or my part in the awakening
+of this our native city, I shall listen at with a grateful heart. I
+believe in a great future for Cove City. We may not live to see it, but
+I believe that the day will arrive when our city shall be the gateway to
+the South, when the river front will be not dissimilar to Main Street,
+New York. I predict that it reaches a pivot of prominence of which we
+wot not of. As for Mr. Hinton, one and all we welcome him amid our
+mongst. 'The Opp Eagle' strikes palms with 'The Weekly News,' and wishes
+it a lasting and eternal success."
+
+A burst of applause interrupted the flow of his eloquence, and as he
+glanced around the room, he saw there was some commotion at the door. A
+turbaned head caught his eye, then Aunt Tish's beckoning hand.
+
+Hastily excusing himself, he made his way through the crowd, and bent to
+hear her message.
+
+"Hit's Miss Kippy," she whispered. "I hate to 'sturb you, but she done
+crack her doll's head, an' she's takin' on so, I can't do nuffin 't all
+wif her."
+
+"Couldn't you contrive to get her quiet no way at all?" asked Mr. Opp,
+anxiously.
+
+"Naw, sir. She mek like dat doll her shore 'nough baby, and she 'low she
+gwine die, too, furst chanct she gits. I got Val's mother to stay wif
+her till I git back."
+
+"All right," said Mr. Opp, hastily. "You go right on and tell her I'm
+coming."
+
+When he reentered the dining-room, he held his hat in his hand.
+
+"I find a urgent matter of business calls me back home; for only a few
+moments, I trust," he said apologetically, with bows and smiles. "If the
+banquet will kindly proceed, I will endeavor to return in ample time for
+the final speeches."
+
+With the air of a monarch taking temporary leave of his subjects, he
+turned his back upon the gay, protesting crowd, upon the feast prepared
+in his honor, upon the speech-making, so dear to his heart. Tramping
+through the snow of the deserted street, through the lonely graveyard,
+and along the river road, he went to bind up the head of a china doll,
+and to wipe away the tears of a little half-crazed sister.
+
+He wears the same checked suit as when we saw him first, worn and
+frayed, to be sure, but carefully pressed for the occasion, the same
+brave scarf and pin, and watch fob, though the watch is missing.
+
+Passing out of sight with the sleet in his face, and the wind cutting
+through his finery, he whistles as he goes, such a plucky, sturdy,
+hopeful whistle as calls to arms the courage that lies slumbering in the
+hearts of men.
+
+
+THE END
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Mr. Opp, by Alice Hegan Rice
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MR. OPP ***
+
+***** This file should be named 25070.txt or 25070.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/2/5/0/7/25070/
+
+Produced by Juliet Sutherland, David Wilson and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties.  Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.  Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission.  If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy.  You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research.  They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.  Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1.  General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A.  By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement.  If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B.  "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark.  It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement.  There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement.  See
+paragraph 1.C below.  There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.  See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C.  The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works.  Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States.  If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed.  Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work.  You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D.  The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work.  Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change.  If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work.  The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E.  Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1.  The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges.  If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3.  If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder.  Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4.  Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5.  Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6.  You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form.  However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form.  Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7.  Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8.  You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+     the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+     you already use to calculate your applicable taxes.  The fee is
+     owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+     has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+     Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.  Royalty payments
+     must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+     prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+     returns.  Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+     sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+     address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+     the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+     you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+     does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+     License.  You must require such a user to return or
+     destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+     and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+     Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+     money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+     electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+     of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+     distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9.  If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.  Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1.  Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection.  Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2.  LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees.  YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3.  YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3.  LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from.  If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation.  The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund.  If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund.  If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4.  Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5.  Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law.  The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6.  INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section  2.  Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers.  It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come.  In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3.  Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service.  The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541.  Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising.  Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations.  Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org.  Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+     Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+     Chief Executive and Director
+     gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+
+Section 4.  Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment.  Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States.  Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements.  We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance.  To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States.  U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses.  Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations.
+To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5.  General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone.  For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included.  Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+     http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
diff --git a/25070.zip b/25070.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02bf6ec
--- /dev/null
+++ b/25070.zip
diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6312041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fb6d1bd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #25070 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25070)