Hapsburg Liebe

“ I reckon you've kept my daddy's pistol good?"
Old Bliss laughed, closed the book on his knees, and put his feet on the veranda railing.
"There's a chair; sit down," he nodded. "Yes, I've taken good care of the revolver. I'm glad you came, son, of course; but it's a nine-days wonder the Tannehills would let you."
David's heart beat faster as he accepted the chair. Now was his golden chance!
"They said it was all right with them," replied David. "Old Mr. Tannehill he told me you was the best man in this end o' the State. ”

“ Then he took the old pistol from the hay, looked for the twentieth time since he had left Laurel Gap to see that it was loaded, and slipped it inside his shirt. If there was a king, he was ready and anxious to fight that monarch's enemies.
Fight? David Faley? His middle name should have been fight. The men of his people had fought themselves to death. Literally, fought themselves to death. Ironhead Bill had been the chief of the clan. When Bill Faley and his little son were the only Faleys left in the Laurel Gap country, they had fled to North Carolina. ”

“ For just that afternoon he and Cordelia Bliss had said what they believed was good-by for all time.
"Why don't they git up a feud," frowned David, "and use guns and pistols, and have it out? That's the way the Wansleys and Faleys—I mean the Faleys and Wansleys—done when they got mad."
"And you see how it ended, don't you?"
David's gaze fell.
"You're right. Yes, I see. Makin' friends o' yore pap and her'n would take off all o' the trouble, wouldn't it? Ain't the' no way to make 'em friends?"
"No way on earth," and Tannehill shook his head. "You'd as well try to stop the sun." ”

“ They're always giving me pretty things and costly things. Only yesterday father gave me a milk-white saddler that came from Kentucky—oh, such a beautiful horse!"
Let me say here parenthetically that this fine saddle-horse had been known by its Blue Grass keeper as "The White Satan," and that its latest buyer was "entirely unacquainted with its record; that Judge Walter Bliss knew of his daughter's secret meetings with Lew Tannehill, and that he was trying to win his daughter back by means of overpowering kindliness in massed formation. Hence the pretty things, and the costly things ”

“ Then he turned his serious brown eyes upon the eyes of Tannehill, he was disappointed, hurt.
"So you're a liar," he muttered, "and I shore did like you."
"Most all men are liars," laughed Tannehill, "at one time or another."
"The Faleys wasn't," said David. "I ain't."
"We'll pass it. Why did you ask Larkin where the king lived? Where did you get that king idea?"
Out came the old second reader. David had not mentioned it during his trial; if they took his "gun," mightn't they also take his story-book? The two sat down, and David read to Tannehill the story of the tailor and the king. ”

“ Tannehill stood with the girl's hands in his, and the girl's eyes were turned downward, and both of them were bareheaded.
Since TannehilPs back was turned upon David, and the girl was looking toward her feet, neither knew of the boy's presence near by. Miss Cordelia began to speak in a low voice:
"It's useless, Lew," she said sadly. "And it's so very painful. For four years it's been like this. There is utterly no hope that we'll ever be able to marry. Lew, we mustn't love ourselves more than we love our—our fathers and mothers. ”

“ I'll leave it to you. But I hate the thought of it! It makes the whole world look blue."
All at once David Faley realized that he was doing a most ungentlemanly thing in eavesdropping like that. He stole back down the creek a hundred yards, took off his shoes and stockings, and plunged into the shallow water to wade.
Half an hour, and Lew Tannehill came down the creek. He carried his hat in his hand, and he seemed very gloomy. At a point opposite David, he halted, and the lad waded out.
"Mr. Lew," began the boy, "I heerd part o' what you and Miss Cordelie said back thar. ”

“ Now he was an attorney, a real-estate dealer, and a magistrate; he was big and bald, and very near-sighted. As the crowd began to file into his office, he adjusted his glasses and wheeled in his desk chair.
"Well, Sayler, what's this?" ”