Page:Randall Parrish--My Lady of the South.djvu/343

OUR PLANS MISCARRY The only thing he can appreciate is hard blows. But I shall not follow him. or seek to perpetuate this quarrel. The war is giving me sufficient ﬁghting without pursuing this poor devil any longer. I'll defend myself, Jean girl, and surely you would wish me to do that?"

She was looking up at him, clinging to his hand.

"Yes, I expect that. All I ask is that you let him go, and that you make no effort to do further injury. As he says, you have won; there is hardly a Daniels left to continue the feud. Now we can afford to forgive and forget. And you will: I know you will!"

There was a moment's silence, his hands clasping her ﬁngers, his grave eyes upon her face.

"Will it make you glad to have my promise, little girl?"

"It surely will."

"Then I give it to you: no act of mine shall ever perpetuate the feud."

"You truly know nothing of Daniels's wife and children, or the burning of his cabin?"

"Nothing; but I am going now to find out."

"What brought you back so soon? You were not to return until night."

"My plans were disarranged by the news of a foraging party at work east of Lost Mountain. I sent Theilen that way to intercept their return, and rode back here myself, because, for the time, I had nothing better to do." He turned toward me. "Naturally I had supposed Lieutenant King gone before this." [ 323 ]