His dreaming was interrupted as the supper bell rang, and, with
the familiar sound, a multitude of other thoughts came crowding
in; the father and mother--they were growing old. Would it do to
leave them alone with the graves on the hill yonder, and the
mystery of the Hollow? And there was the place to care for, and
the mill. Who but Young Matt could get work from the old engine?
It was like the strong man that the fight did not last long. Young
Matt's fights never lasted very long. By the time he had unhitched
old Kate from the cultivator, it was finished. The lad went down
the hill, his bright castles in ruin--even as we all have gone, or
must sometime go down the hill with our brightest castles in ruin.
CHAPTER XXXII.
PREPARATION.
That same night, Mr. Lane told his daughter that he would leave
home early the next morning to be gone two days. Jim was cleaning
his big forty-five when he made the announcement.
Sammy paused with one hand on the cupboard door to ask, "With Wash
Gibbs, Daddy?"
"No, I ain't goin' with Wash; but I'll likely meet up with him
before I get back." There was a hint of that metallic ring in the
man's voice.
The girl placed her armful of dishes carefully on the cupboard
shelf; "You're--you're not going to forget your promise, are you,
Daddy Jim?"
The mountaineer was carefully dropping a bit of oil into the lock
of his big revolver.
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