Produced by Duncan Harrod, Juliet Sutherland, Charles Franks
and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team.
[Illustration: MISS LADY]
THE LAW OF THE LAND
Of Miss Lady, whom it involved in mystery, and ofJohn Eddring, gentleman of the South, whoread its deeper meaning
A NOVEL
By
EMERSON HOUGH
Author of
The Mississippi Bubble
The Way to the West
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY
ARTHUR I. KELLER
COPYRIGHT 1904
EMERSON HOUGH
TO R.E.B.TO T.A.D.
CONTENTS
BOOK I
CHAPTER
I Miss LADY
II MULEY
III THE VISITOR
IV A QUESTION OF VALUATION
V CERTAIN PROBLEMS
VI THE DRUM
VII THE BELL
VIII THE VOLCANO
IX ON ITS MAJESTY'S SERVICE
X MISS LADY OF THE STAIR
XI COLONEL CALVIN BLOUNT'S PROPOSAL
XII A WOMAN SCORNED
XIII JOHN DOE vs. Y.V.R.R.
XIV NUMBER 4
XV THE PURSUIT
XVI THE TRAVELING BAG
XVII MISS LADY AND HENRY DECHERD
XVIII MISFORTUNE
BOOK II
I THE MAKING OF THE WILDERNESS
BOOK III
I EDDRING, AGENT OF CLAIMS II THE OPINIONS OF CALVIN BLOUNT III REGARDING LOUISE LOISSON IV THE RELIGION OF JULES V DISCOVERY VI THE DANCER VII THE SUMMONS VIII THE STOLEN STEAMBOAT IX THE ACCUSER X THE VOYAGE XI THE WILDERNESS XII THE HOUSE OF HORROR XIII THE NIGHT IN THE FOREST XIV AT THE BIG HOUSE XV CERTAIN MOTIVES XVI THE NEW SHERIFF XVII THE LAW OF THE LANDXVIII MISS LADY AT THE BIG HOUSE XIX THREE LADIES LOUISE XX THE LID OF THE GRAVE XXI THE RED RIOT OF YOUTH XXII AMENDE HONORABLE
THE LAW OF THE LAND
CHAPTER I
MISS LADY
Ah, but it was a sweet and wonderful thing to see Miss Lady dance, astrange and wondrous thing! She was so sweet, so strong, so full ofgrace, so like a bird in all her motions! Now here, now there, andback again, her feet scarce touching the floor, her loose skirt, heldout between her dainty fingers, resembling wings, she swam throughthe air, up and down the room of the old plantation house, as thoughshe were indeed the creature of an element wherein all wasimponderable, light and free of hampering influences. Darting,nodding, beckoning, courtesying to something that she saw—it musthave moved you to applause, had you seen Miss Lady dance! You mighthave been restrained by the feeling that this was almost too unreal,too unusual, this dance of the young girl, all alone, in front of thegreat mirror which faithfully gave back the passing, flying figureline for line, flush for flush, one bosom-heave for that of theother. Yet the tall white lilies in the corner saw; and the tallwhite birds, one on each side of the great cheval glass, saw also,but fluttered not; since a lily and a stork and a maiden may each betall and white, and each may understand the other subtly.
Miss Lady stood at length, tall and white, her cheeks rosy withal,her blown brown hair pushed back a bit, one hand lightly resting