USA > Kentucky > Livingston County > Chronicles of a Kentucky settlement > Part 19
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31
"Well, I '11 tell you what it is," replied Duncan. "It is n't exactly a scolding I want to give you, but I want to volunteer a little advice. The preachers give their congregations good advice on Sundays, but the laity can sometimes give them good advice on week days. I have sometimes thought that the more compe- tent a man is to advise others, the more he stands in need of advice himself. How do I make that out ? Well, you see, a good adviser must not only be clear- headed, but impartial and unselfish. Now the impar- tial and unselfish man is the broad lover of humanity, whose motto is 'even and exact justice to all' ; and he, of all men, is most likely to take an exaggerated view of the duties and obligations he owes to others, and in a corresponding ratio to overlook or neglect what he thinks exclusively concerns himself. The short of it is, such a man sees well for others, but is rather blind as regards himself ; he would heal other people's maladies, and let his own run on-neglect it until it is possibly too late."
" That," said Adair, with a broad smile," was very
282
CHRONICLES OF
well done ! It is what, I suppose, might be called a metaphysical disquisition, or something of that sort. But I will wait to see what you are driving at-the per- sonal application you intend making-before I attempt an answer."
"Now, look here, Adair," said Duncan, "I know that you now have no less than three bad 'cases' on hand, and perhaps more. Three cases of men who are in love and want to get married-and that means six afflicted people, for there are likewise three women concerned. There 's Brantley, and Benton, and your humble servant ; and you are trying, or will try to help all of us ; and, although it is high time you were attending to your own case, you are, I fear, neglecting it."
"In the first place," said Adair, " tell me why you suppose me to know anything about Brantley's or Ben- ton's love affairs."
" That 's soon told," answered Duncan, laughingly. " Billy Wilmot was in town one night last week ; and he wanted some music : and as Holman's left hand happened to be so crippled that he could not finger the strings of his fiddle, the two cronies came to see me ; and Billy on his fiddle, and I on my flute, soon went at it. Of course, to wet my whistle and to rosin Billy's bow, we had to have a 'wee drap o' whuskey,' and it was n't long before the music-not the whuskey-' sae ream'd in Billy's noddle ' that, after asking me if I knew when Brantley would return, he was gracious enough to tell me of Brantley having addressed his sister,-and that you were, at the joint request of his sister and Brantley, investigating the latter's character and ante- cedents. As for Benton, I have long known of his
-
-
233
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
hankering after Miss Ritchie ; and a few days ago he told me he thought of getting married soon after her return ; that he had talked freely with you on the subject, and that you had advised him to do so, and so on."
" That's all right then," replied Adair. "I, of course, am not at liberty to repeat anything told me in confidence, but I am glad to find that both of these ' cases' are known to you, for now I can talk with you about them. And, first, as to Brantley's case. Do you know anything to his prejudice beyond what was generally known of him when here? and have you heard any talk of his returning here ? "
"As you know," answered Duncan, " I am rather addicted to sitting on the benches over in front of the Brick Hotel, where the boys most do congregate after dark, and of listening to their gab ; and I never heard anything against Brantley beyond what every one knew. In fact, the more I knew of him the better I liked him. As to his return, I have often heard the matter talked about. Some think he was so smitten with Miss Wilmot that he is likely to come back ; others, that he was only flirting with her ; and a few that she rejected him, and consequently that he will never return. Henry Rudolph has, apparently, been anxious to know about Brantley's return, and it is even reported that he has been trying to find out through Miss Howard and Miss Wilmot. He has certainly visited Miss Howard quite frequently of late."
"Excuse me, Duncan, for questioning you so closely," said Adair. "It is not an idle curiosity that induces me to do so, but a desire for information that may serve a good purpose, and of which I may inform
284
CHRONICLES OF
you before we are through. My next question, then, is : Why is Rudolph so anxious to know about Brant- ley's return ? What is supposed to be the reason ? "
"That very question," Duncan answered, " was asked Rudolph by Jim Catron a few evenings ago. Catron is, as you know, a cool, long-headed lawyer for so young a man, and he has the reputation of asking questions for a purpose, and of noting and remembering the answers ; which makes some people rather nervous when he questions them. Rudolph was, I thought, somewhat embarrassed on the occasion I refer to. He, however, replied that he was by no means anxious about the inatter : that it was idle curiosity more than anything else which induced him to make the inquiry ; that Brantley had, when here, been the life and soul of the town so far as sports and amusements were con- cerned ; and that, really, everybody seemed to miss him. 'I do for one,' replied Catron, 'but,' he contin- ued, looking straight at Rudolph, ' I thought you were by no means an advocate of such sports and amuse- ments as Brantley did so much to foster.' At which the crowd rather chuckled, and added to Rudolph's discomfort. Rudolph, as you doubtless know, is very jealous of his reputation, and yet there is more of the born gambler in him than in Brantley ; and he is so covetous and avaricious that it is hard for him to keep in due bounds and maintain his immaculate reputa- tion."
" And, next," said Adair, " what about these visits of Rudolph's to Miss Howard ? Surely his object could not have been to obtain information from her, or, through her, from Miss Wilmot, as to Brantley's prob- able return ! "
285
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
"No, I agree with you," replied Duncan. " And my own impression is that he is wooing Miss Howard."
"The devil he is !" exclaimed Adair; but, checking himself, he added : "But, surely, she has too much sense -- too much heart, to have that man ! Besides, she is-at least, I have supposed her to be-engaged to Warren Davidson."
Duncan had long known of Adair's intimacy in boy- hood with the Howard family, for Adair had spoken of it to him. He further knew of Adair's frequent men- tion of the name of 'Laura ' when, during his illness, he was delirious from fever ; of his visit to the Squire's when convalescent ; and of his admitted great attach- ment to the family. And now, his sudden exclamation and intense earnestness convinced him that Adair, as he had long suspected, secretly loved Miss Laura How- ard, and that her rumored engagement to Warren Davidson was the secret of his reticence.
" That Warren Davidson has been a suitor for her hand," Duncan replied, after a pause of some moments, "is well known ; but, it is believed that she has steadily declined his advances, much to the surprise of many ; for Davidson is generally considered what is called a ' good catch.' It is thought, however, that he is now sitting up to a rich lady down South. And, believing David- son now out of the way, Rudolph has, I believe, ad- dressed Miss Howard or intends doing so. And I, for one, would be exceedingly sorry should he succeed in his suit. To see such a charming, unselfish, warm- hearted young lady wedded to such a cold, selfish man would be too bad ! And yet it is by no means certain that he will not succeed, for he is good-looking, rich, highly connected, a seeming model of propriety, shrewd,
286
CHRONICLES OF
scheming, and well calculated to deceive any young lady as to his true character."
If Duncan had studied and carefully prepared his words to arouse his friend, he could scarcely have been more successful, for no sooner had he spoken than with a hard-set, determined face, and a peculiar and strik- ing emphasis, both of tone and gesture, Adair said : "Duncan, this thing must NOT be. Rudolph is not only a cold and selfish man ; he is worse ! He is, I have good reason to believe, a thief ! You are startled, I see ; so was I when almost positive proof of it came to my knowledge a short time ago. The time has not yet come to make known the facts. Brantley will, I believe, soon be here, and the indictment, if such there is to be, will rest with him. Rudolph doubtless believes himself unsuspected, and certainly has not the slightest suspicion that I have proof of his guilt in my posses- sion. I have recently avoided his company as much as I well could, but, when with him, have treated him with ordinary politeness, not wishing to arouse his suspicion or put him on his guard. He is, however, conscious of his guilt ; and it is this, and nothing else, that makes him so anxious to know about Brantley's return. And now," he added, " the time and the occa- sion have come for me to tell you the secret-of-my love, and-of-my life !"
And tell it he did. Duncan was an absorbed lis- tener; for Adair spoke with an earnestness and empha- sis that not only surprised but, at times, almost awed his friend. He told, as on a former occasion he had told his friend Benton, of his strange attachment for Laura Howard, as a child ; of his long search to find her ; of his increasing admiration and love for her ; of
287
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
his silence, enforced by his poverty ; of how he had learned of her almost undoubted engagement to Warren Davidson ; of the weighty and bounden duties that had recently devolved upon him ; and that, after long and earnest consideration, he had resolved to keep silent and remain unmarried. In conclusion, he said : " I am sure Miss Laura and every member of the Squire's family have a warm regard for me. I have had too many proofs to doubt this. But I have no reason to believe that Miss Laura ever loved me ; on the con- trary, she has rather appeared to shun me. I have thought that she suspected and feared I would make some declaration of my love, and has wished to spare me the pain and humiliation of such an answer as she would be forced to give me. But," he went on with greater vehemence, and, in his excitement, rising from his seat, " while I must keep my secret from her-and while I could, with some degree of composure, see her become the wife of such a man as I suppose Warren Davidson to be, yet, I cannot stand quietly by and see one I love so well sacrificed by becoming the wife of such a man as Rudolph. But the question now is, sup- posing she is not engaged to Warren Davidson, what should be done to guard her against Rudolph ? for that she-pure-hearted as she is-would accept him, if she knew his true character, is not for a moment to be supposed."
Duncan was silent for some moments ; at last he said : " Much of what you have just told me is little more than what I have long suspected. It has seemed to me so natural-favored as you have so often been with the society of such a young lady as Miss Howard -that you should not only have admired but loved
-
288
CHRONICLES OF
her. But, that you should have loved her even in childhood-that you should have retained her image in your heart through so many years, and that now, when her image has become a part and parcel of your very life, it does surprise and pain me to know that you will thus sacrifice yourself-submit to this living death in obedience to what you conceive to be your duty to others. No law, human or divine, requires such a sacrifice at our hands. If Miss Howard is engaged to Warren Davidson, or any one else, or loves you not, it is better to know the truth at once, and then apply the remedies, if such may be found ; but don't let the case drag on in doubt and uncertainty, for every day that passes makes it more difficult to cure. That Miss Howard should not have shown her love for you does not surprise me, for she is as modest as she is beautiful ; and a true lady is ever timid and reserved in the pres- ence of the man she loves, so long as she has reason to doubt his love for her. Do away with her doubt upon that point, and her timidity will give place to an all- absorbing trustfulness and confidence. That she would turn from Rudolph with loathing, if she knew his true character, is certain ; and that she should know it, and that quickly, is but right-a duty some one should perform."
" I need not tell you, Duncan," replied Adair, " that what you have said shall have my most thought- ful consideration. But, many and many a time have I argued this case, my inclinations taking one side and my sense of duty the other, and on every occasion I have arrived at the same conclusion : to-keep-silent ! Besides. I have an abiding faith that, however much our duties may harass or even pain us, it will, in the
289
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
long run, be best for us not to waver in their perform- ance. And, now, as Rudolph's true character is best known to me-as I alone have evidence of his offence, -it would seem that I should warn Miss Laura, but, in the circumstances, this is a duty I cannot personally perform. How can this best be managed ?"
" Before leaving here to visit my brother," Duncan answered, " I wish to see Miss Wilson again, and, in order to do so, I must first visit and confer, as on former occasions, with Miss Howard. I can, and will, if you so desire, tell her all that is necessary, but as it is rather delicate work, and would appear to be coming less directly from yourself, it would perhaps be better if the information could be conveyed through some dis- creet female friend. Miss Wilson would be the very person, but I fear it would be too long before she could see Miss Howard."
"Oh, I have it !" said Adair. "Miss Wilmot is the very person ! She knows Mr. Brantley was robbed, but does not know by whom ; yet Brantley is sure to tell her as soon as he returns. She is, too, I am sure. discreet enough ; and is, moreover, I suspect, a confi- dante of Miss Howard's. Besides, as Miss Wilmot selected me to do some rather confidential work for her, I may, with the more propriety ask her to do this for mne."
" Yes : that will do exactly," replied Duncan.
" I will ride out to-morrow and see her," resumed Adair, " for the sooner it is done the better. And," he continued after a short pause, " I am just reminded that I have some official business down about Hurri- cane which I should attend to, and Mr. Wilmot's house is on my way. I will, too, on my trip, be within a few 19
290
CHRONICLES OF
miles of Wilson's house, and could easily ride over there. Besides, I wish to see him, as you know, in regard to the sale of Mingo. And, if you wish to send any message to Miss Wilson, could I not be the bearer of it ? "
" The very thing ! " exclaimed Duncan. "That is, if you don't mind venturing into the lion's den."
" No danger-none whatever," replied Adair.
"All right, then !" said Duncan. "I will be greatly obliged if you will call and see Miss Wilson. I will give you a few lines of introduction to her, and will tell her that she may speak freely to you. You can explain to her what I have said to you about my desire to visit my brother ; of my wish to get married as soon after my return as possible ; and also of my desire to see her before I leave. You will further request her to name the earliest convenient moment when I can see her, and at what place. Should she be so circumstanced that she cannot see me in a week, or fortnight at the outside, I had better not wait, and will leave on my proposed trip as soon as I can make my arrangements. And, Adair, I want you to see Miss Wilson and know her, and I want her to know you. When you know her, I am sure you will approve of the choice I have made for a wife. I should further say, if Miss Wilson is away from home, or anything should occur so that you cannot see her, you can say to Mrs. Lovell all that I have said to you, and request her to see Miss Wilson and send word to me direct or to her sister, Miss Laura."
"All right !" said Adair. "Not a word of your message will be forgotten, and if ' your Kitty ' is half as much inclined to talk with me as I am to see and
291
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
talk with her, I hope to bring you back a big bundle of good news. I am sure I will be greatly pleased with her, for not only has she received such an unqualified endorsement from you, but I could not fail to respect a young lady so much esteemed by Colonel Lovell and his wife and-Miss-Laura-Howard."
There had been something like enforced merriment in Adair's tones as he spoke until he uttered the name of Miss Laura Howard, when an expression like that produced by an acute pain flashed across his face, observing which, Duncan made no reply, but arose and going to Adair's desk wrote a few lines as follows :
" This will be handed you by my friend and partner in business, Mr. Joseph Adair. He will tell you of some plans and hopes of mine. I have spoken unre- servedly to him, and you may trust him as you would your
"G. D."
Handing the note to Adair, Duncan said : " You will see there is no address. None is required ; she knows my handwriting."
Adair folded the note and placed it in his pocket- book ; and, after a short pause, resumed the conversa- tion by referring to Benton, and said : " As you are aware of Benton's relations to Miss Ritchie, I may show you this note " (handing him the one signed "H. G."), " and, when you have read it, I will tell you of how it came into my possession."
Duncan took the note ; and, after reading it care- fully, looked up with a bewildered expression and ex- claimed : "Mercy on us ! What does this mean ?"
Whereupon Adair related the circumstances attend-
---
292
CHRONICLES OF
ing the finding of the note, and referred to the impres- sions it had made on his own mind as well as on Holman's. In conclusion he said : "Holman and I concluded it would be better not to disturb Benton by showing him the note while he was on the farm, or even to-night, but I will hand it to him in the morning."
The more Duncan heard, and the more he thought of the note, the more, apparently, he was puzzled. Finally he said : "Adair, did you ever see Miss Ritchie ? "
" I have seen her twice," Adair answered, " but was never introduced to her, nor did I ever exchange a word with her."
" Well," said Duncan, "I have been introduced to her, and on one occasion, at the Siloam Meeting- house, conversed with her for an hour or more. It then struck me that, while attractive rather than beau- tiful, and a brilliant talker, she was vain and insincere ; hence, I fear, our friend may yet be deceived by her ; and, if so, it will go hard with him, for he is very con- fident, and is deeply in love. This warning may there- fore be a timely one."
" I should be very-very sorry," said Adair, "to see Benton have any trouble of this sort ; for he, of all the young men I know, has seemed to me most to require a good wife to stimulate him in his work."
"Just so-just so !" said Duncan, rising to go, for the hour was growing late.
" One minute before you go," said Adair. "I must explain the visit I received an hour ago from Rudolph. He came to inform me that Blythe & Johnson are hard up for money-of which I was aware, -and that,
293
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
as they are both disposed to give up their business, ยท he, Rudolph, thinks that their stock of dry-goods, groceries, etc., can be bought at a great bargain : and he suggested that he and I should buy them out -I to take the active management of the business, etc. That he should have made such a proposition to me !- should have selected me as a suitable partner in such a business-about which I know very little --- has surprised me very much ; so much that I am inclined to think he has some secret designs. It was difficult for me to listen to his proposal with patience, but I did so, and, of course, declined his proposition." The two friends then parted for the night.
CHAPTER XX.
Adair and his Litttle Nieces-Viney's Message to Mingo- Benton, Adair, and the Note-Adair and Miss Wilmot- Osculatory Conductors-About Warning a Friend-Au Unexpected Meeting.
T HE next morning, at breakfast, Adair informed his sister that, as he had a long ride to take, he would not return until the following evening.
"Oh, Uncle Jo !" exclaimed the slim and pale Sada, the eldest of his nieces, " do come home and stay with us after supper, and tell us a tale. You haven't told us a tale for a whole week."
" Ah, Sada," replied the uncle, " you forget ! for it was only three nights ago that I told you all the story of the 'blind beggar and his dog.' But I'll try and think up a nice tale to tell you by the time I come back."
"Come, Sada," said the mother, " don't bother your Uncle Joseph."
""T aint no bother, is it, Uncle Jo?" interposed the impulsive, keen-eyed Jenny, who was number two on the list.
" No, darling," was the pleasant answer, " I love to hear all your little tongues go wiggle-waggle. And now, all of you give me a kiss before I go ; and take
294
- -
295
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
good care of your mama ; and don't nurse Pussey, the little cat, too much."
" Oh, Untle Do, 'ont ous take mees wif 'ou ? " asked the chubby, rosy-cheeked little Anna, the youngest of the three nieces.
"Come, Anna," interposed her mother, "don't bother your 'Untle Do.' He's got to go too far to take you with him this time."
" Yes, pet," said the uncle, taking her up in his lap, " when I come back, we'll get a big pillow, and I '11 put it before me, and you can sit on it, and you may hold the bridle, and make Ben Simon go where you want to."
And so matters were amicably settled, and the heavy- hearted man walked away-to the kitchen, for he must speak a few words to Viney, the cook, before leaving.
" Well, Viney," he said, when he stood before her. " I have a long ride to take and will not be back until to-morrow. I may, while away, be at Mr. Wilson's house, and, if so, will try and see Mingo. Have you any message to send him ? "
"Oh, Lord, bress yer soul, yes, Mahs Jo !" exclaimed Viney in a tremor of excitement at this sudden and unexpected announcement of an opportunity to send a message to her husband, whom she had not seen for many months. "Oh, yes, Mahs Jo, tell Mingo, fur me, that I'm well, and that I likes my home here mi'tly; an' tell him, Mahs Jo, that I wants ter see him mi'ty bad ; and that I hopes he's well. An' please, Mahs Jo, ax him ter send me word when he's goin' ter be sold. An', Mahs Jo, I know when you see Mingo you 'll like him, for he's a mi'ty handy man- and-"
296
CHRONICLES OF
" All right, Viney," said the master, interrupting her, for he knew what was coming next-a humble petition for him to buy her husband. "I'll not forget your message, and will bring you back all the news from Mingo that I can. And do you look out well for sister and the children while I'm away."
" Yes, Mahs Jo, I '11 do that ; yous need n't be oneasy 'bout them," replied Viney, as her master walked away.
The next thing, for Adair, was to go to the Brick Hotel, and order Nero, the tall, slim, muttering negro hostler, to bring out his horse; and then on to the Clerk's office, where he was fortunate in finding his friend Benton alone.
"Benton," said Adair, "I have a long ride before me to-day, and I must be off as soon as my horse is brought out ; and I'm glad to find you alone, for I have come to deliver a peculiar and strange message. Night before last, when Holman and I were sitting up with the body of Hinton Gowan, I picked up a book which I found in the room where hung the portrait of a young lady, which you, no doubt, noticed. From that book there fell this note" (producing it), "and Holman, seeing it fall, stepped forward just as I picked it up. It was sealed, but we felt authorized. by the superscription, to open and read it: We were both astonished by its contents ; but, after consultation, thought it best not to show it to you until this morning."
Benton saw plainly, from Adair's words and manner, that the message was no trivial matter, and, on receiv- ing the note, looked thoughtfully for some moments at the singular superscription before he ventured to open
--
297
A KENTUCKY SETTLEMENT.
and read it. When he had done so, he turned, for a moment, quite pale, and seemed to be dumfounded, but at last he said :
"In the name of Heaven, what does this mean?" Then pausing for a few moments he went on: "If ' H. G.' stands for Hinton Gowan-and it no doubt does, -and he were living and ventured to warn me, or tried to make me distrust a lady I love-for that Miss Ritchie is referred to I cannot doubt, -I would treat his words with contempt. But this note was penned by a man who was preparing to take his own life, and did take it. I cannot, therefore, help feeling that it comes somewhat as a voice from the grave. And yet-and yet," he continued, after a short pause, " Malice, and not mercy, may have dictated these lines."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.