“Inthisstyle，eh？Afterherlifehasbeenmadeahellbyherassociationwithamanofyourreputation，youproposetowhitewashitbyaquarrelwithacoupleofdrunkenscallawagslikeBeeswingerandWynyard，inthepresenceofthreepaintedtrollopsandad——dscamplikemyself！Doyousupposethiswon’tbeblownalloverCaliforniabeforeshecanbesentbacktoschool？Doyousupposethosecacklinghussiesinthenextroomwon’tgivethewholestoryawaytothenextmanwhostandstreat？“AfinecontemptforthesexingeneralwasoneofMr。Hamlin’smostsubtleattractionsforthem。
“Nevertheless，sir，“stammeredthecolonel，“thepromptpunishmentofthemanwhohasdared“——
“Punishment！“interruptedHamlin，“who’stopunishthemanwhohasdaredmost？Theonemanwhoisresponsibleforthewholething？
Who’stopunishYOU？“
“Mr。Hamlin——sir！“gaspedthecolonel，fallingback，ashishandinvoluntarilyrosetothelevelofhiswaistcoatpocketandhisderringer。
ButMr。Hamlinonlyputdownthewineglasshehadliftedfromthetableandwasdelicatelytwirlingbetweenhisfingers，andlookedfixedlyatthecolonel。
“Lookhere，“hesaidslowly。“WhentheboyssaidthatyouacceptedtheguardianshipofthatchildNOTonaccountofDickStannard，butonlyasabluffagainstthejokethey’dsetupatyou，Ididn’tbelievethem！Whenthesemenandwomento-nighttumbledtothatstoryofthechildbeingYOURS，Ididn’tbelievethat！Whenitwassaidbyothersthatyouwereseriousaboutmakingheryourward，andgivingheryourproperty，becauseyoudotedonherlikeafather，Ididn’tbelievethat。“
“And——whynotTHAT？“saidthecolonelquickly，yetwithanoddtremorinhisvoice。
“Because，“saidHamlin，becomingsuddenlyasgraveasthecolonel，“Icouldnotbelievethatanyonewhocaredapicayuneforthechildcouldundertakeatrustthatmightbringherintocontactwithalifeandcompanyasrottenasours。IcouldnotbelievethateventhemostGod-forsaken，conceitedfoolwould，forthesakeofalittlesentimentalparadeandsplurgeamongpeopleoutsidehisregularwalk，allowtheprospectsofthatchildtobeblasted。I
couldn’tbelieveit，evenifhethoughthewasactinglikeafather。Ididn’tbelieveit——butI’mbeginningtobelieveitnow！“
Therewaslittletochoosebetweentheattitudesandexpressionsofthetwosetsternfacesnowregardingeachother，silently，afootapart。Butthecolonelwasthefirsttospeak:——
“Mr。Hamlin——sir！YousaidamomentagothatIwas——er——ahem——
responsibleforthisevening’saffair——butyouexpressedadoubtastowhocould——er——punishmeforit。Iaccepttheresponsibilityyouhaveindicated，sir，andofferyouthatchance。Butasthismatterbetweenusmusthaveprecedenceover——myengagementswiththatcanaille，IshallexpectyouwithyoursecondsatsunriseonBurntRidge。Good-evening，sir。“
Withheaderectthecolonellefttheroom。Mr。Hamlinslightlyshruggedhisshoulders，turnedtothedooroftheroomwhitherhehadjustbanishedtheladies，andinafewminuteshisvoicewasheardmelodiouslyamongthegayest。
Forallthathemanagedtogetthemawayearly。Whenhehadbundledthemintoalargecarryall，andwatchedthemdriveawaythroughthestorm，hereturnedforaminutetothewaitingroomforhisovercoat。Hewassurprisedtohearthesoundofthechild’svoiceinthesupperroom，andthedoorbeingajar，hecouldseequitedistinctlythatshewasseatedatthetable，withaplatefullofsweetsbeforeher，whileColonelStarbottle，withhisbacktothedoor，wassittingoppositetoher，hisshouldersslightlybowedasheeagerlywatchedher。ItseemedtoMr。Hamlinthatitwasthecloseofanemotionalinterview，forPansy’svoicewasbroken，partlybysobs，andpartly，Igrievetosay，bythehurriedswallowingofthedelicaciesbeforeher。Yet，abovethebeatingofthestormoutside，hecouldhearhersaying，——
“Yes！Ipromisetobegood——sob——andtogowithMrs。Pyecroft——
sob——andtotrytolikeanotherguardian——sob——andnottocryanymore——sob——and——oh，please，DON’TYOUDOITEITHER！“
ButhereMr。Hamlinslippedoutoftheroomandoutofthehouse，witharathergraveface。Anhourlater，whenthecoloneldroveuptothePyecrofts’doorwithPansy，hefoundthatMr。Pyecroftwasslightlyembarrassed，andafigure，which，inthedarkness，seemedtoresembleMr。Hamlin’s，hadjustemergedfromthedoorasheentered。
YetthesunwasnotuponBurntRidgeearlierthanMr。Hamlin。Thestormofthenightbeforehadblownitselfout；afewshredsofmisthunginthevalleysfromtheRidge，thatlayabovecoldlyreddening。Thenabreezesweptoverit，andoutofthedissipatingmistfringeMr。Hamlinsawtwoblackfigures，closelybuttoneduplikehimself，emerge，whichherecognizedasBeeswingerandWynyard，followedbytheirseconds。Butthecolonelcamenot，Hamlinjoinedtheothersinananimatedconfidentialconversation，attendedbyawatchfuloutlookforthemissingadversary。Five，tenminuteselapsed，andyettheusuallypromptcolonelwasnotthere。Mr。Hamlinlookedgrave；WynyardandBeeswingerexchangedinterrogatoryglances。Thenabuggywasseendrivingfuriouslyupthegrade，andfromitleapedColonelStarbottle，accompaniedbyDickMacKinstry，hissecond，carryinghispistolcase。Andthen——
strangelyenoughformenwhowerewaitingthecomingofanantagonistwhowasadeadshot——theydrewabreathofrelief！
MacKinstryslightlyprecededhisprincipal，andtheotherscouldseethatStarbottle，thougherect，waswalkingslowly。Theyweresurprisedalsotoobservethathewashaggardandholloweyed，andseemed，inthefewhoursthathadelapsedsincetheylastsawhim，tohaveagedtenyears。MacKinstry，atallKentuckian，saluted，andwasthefirstonetospeak。
“ColonelStarbottle，“hesaidformally，“desirestoexpresshisregretsatthisdelay，whichwasunavoidable，ashewasobligedtoattendhisward，whowasleavingbythedowncoachforSacramentowithMrs。Pyecroft，thismorning。“Hamlin，Wynyard，andBeeswingerexchangedglances。“ColonelStarbottle，“continuedMacKinstry，turningtohisprincipal，“desirestosayawordtoMr。Hamlin。“
AsMr。Hamlinwouldhaveadvancedfromthegroup，ColonelStarbottleliftedhishanddeprecatingly。“WhatIhavetosaymustbesaidbeforethesegentlemen，“hebeganslowly。“Mr。Hamlin——
sir！whenIsolicitedthehonorofthismeetingIwasunderagrievousmisapprehensionoftheintentandpurposeofyourcommentsonmyactionlastevening。Ithink，“headded，slightlyinflatinghisbuttoned-upfigure，“thatthereputationIhavealwaysbornein——er——meetingsofthiskindwillpreventany——er——misunderstandingofmypresentaction——whichisto——er——askpermissiontowithdrawmychallenge——andtohumblybegyourpardon。“
Theastonishmentproducedbythisunexpectedapology，andMr。
Hamlin’spromptgraspofthecolonel’shand，hadscarcelypassedbeforethecoloneldrewhimselfupagain，andturningtohissecondsaid，“AndnowIamattheserviceofJudgeBeeswingerandMr。
Wynyard——whichevermayelecttohonormefirst。“
Butthetwomenthusaddressedlookedforamomentstrangelyfoolishandembarrassed。YettheawkwardnesswasatlastbrokenbyJudgeBeeswingerfranklyadvancingtowardsthecolonelwithanoutstretchedhand。“Wecamehereonlytoapologize，ColonelStarbottle。Withoutpossessingyourreputationandexperienceinthesematters，westillthinkwecanclaim，asyouhave，anequalexemptionfromanymisunderstandingwhenwesaythatwedeeplyregretourfoolishanddiscourteousconductlastevening。“
Aquickflushmountedtothecolonel’shaggardcheekashedrewbackwithasuspiciousglanceatHamlin。
“Mr。Hamlin！——gentlemen！——ifthisis——er——！“
ButbeforehecouldfinishhissentenceHamlinhadclappedhishandonthecolonel’sshoulder。“You’lltakemyword，colonel，thatthesegentlemenhonestlyintendedtoapologize，andcamehereforthatpurpose；——and——SODIDI——onlyyouanticipatedme！“
InthelaughterthatfollowedMr。Hamlin’sfranknessthecolonel’sfeaturesrelaxedgrimly，andheshookthehandsofhislatepossibleantagonists。
“Andnow，“saidMr。Hamlingayly，“you’llalladjourntobreakfastwithme——andtrytomakeupforthesupperweleftunfinishedlastnight。“
Itwastheonlyallusiontothatinterruptionanditsconsequences，forduringthebreakfastthecolonelsaidnothinginregardtohisward，andtheotherguestswerediscreetlyreticent。ButMr。
Hamlinwasnotsatisfied。Hemanagedtogetthecolonel’sservant，Jim，aside，andextractedfromthenegrothatColonelStarbottlehadtakenthechildthatnighttoPyecroft’s；thathehadhadalonginterviewwithPyecroft；hadwrittenlettersand’walkeddeflo’“allnight；thatheJimwasgladthechildwasgone！
“Why？“askedHamlin，withaffectedcarelessness。
“Shewasjustmakin’dekernellikeanyo’delow-downNo’th’nfolks——keerful，andstingy，andmighty’fraido’deopinionso’debiggetypeople。Andfo’what？Jesstostrutroundwiddatchildlikehewasher’spectablegotomeetingfader！“
“Andwasthechildsorrytoleavehim？“askedHamlin。
“Wull——no，sah。Demightycurosthing，MarseJack，aboutthegals——
bigandlittle——isdeyjustUSEdekernel——dat’sall！Deyjustusedeolemanlikeapoletobringdowndeirpersimmons——see？“
ButMr。Hamlindidnotsmile。
LateritwasknownthatColonelStarbottlehadresignedhisguardianshipwiththeconsentofthecourt。Whetherheeveragainsawhislatewardwasnotknown，norifheremainedloyaltohismemoriesofher。
Readersofthesechroniclesmay，however，rememberthatyearsafter，whenthecolonelmarriedthewidowofacertainMr。
Tretherick，bothinhiscourtshipandhisshortmarriedlifehewassingularlyindifferenttothechildishgracesofCarrieTretherick，herbelovedlittledaughter，andthathisobtusenessinthatrespectprovokedthewidow’sire。
PROSPER’S“OLDMOTHER“