A Tar-Heel Baron
_SECOND EDITION_
[Illustration: "OAKWOOD"]
A Tar-Heel Baron
_by_
Mabell Shippie Clarke Pelton
With Illustrations by
Edward Stratton Holloway
Philadelphia & London J. B. Lippincott Company 1903
COPYRIGHT, 1903 BY J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY
Published February, 1903
_Electrotyped and Printed by_ _J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, U.S.A._
TO
F. A. P.
"_One who never turned his back but marched breast forward, Never doubted clouds would break, Never dreamed, though right were worsted, wrong would triumph, Held we fall to rise, are baffled to fight better, Sleep to wake._"
Contents
Chapter Page
I FRIEDRICH VON RITTENHEIM 7 II THE SNARE OF THE FOWLER 22 III A WEAK MAN'S STRENGTH 38 IV "THOU SHALT NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR'S WIFE" 47 V A STRONG MAN'S WEAKNESS 61 VI "I WARRANT THERE'S VINEGAR AND PEPPER IN'T!" 74 VII IN THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS 85 VIII SYDNEY RIDES AGAINST TIME 105 IX "IT NEEDED ONLY THIS!" 118 X THROUGH THE MIST 132 XI IN THE CORN 146 XII ILLUMINATION 156 XIII RECONCILIATION 171 XIV THE FOURTH OF JULY 179 XV THE GANDER-PULLING 193 XVI ON THE BRIDGE 202 XVII OUT OF A CLEAR SKY 216 XVIII BUSINESS PLANS 230 XIX HILDA 242 XX SACRIFICE 255 XXI A POKE PARTY 267 XXII VON RITTENHEIM COLLECTS HIS RENT 285 XXIII THE 'POSSUM-HUNT 299 XXIV "FOUGHT THE FIGHT" 312 XXV CARL VON STERNBURG 322 XXVI SURRENDER 335 XXVII DIXIE 348
List of Illustrations
Table of contents (by pages)
- 1: A Tar-Heel Baron by Mabell S. C. Smith
- 2: Guiding the plough with his own hand
- 3: That outside one popped just yesterday
- 4: And von Rittenheim set about making it
- 5: And while they class whisky as a luxury Cor rn whisky
- 6: You did not reach Asheville last night
- 7: Deputy marshal Wilder chuckled complacently
- 8: He was puzzled about von Rittenheim
- 9: Von Rittenheim's farm served to secure Gudger against loss
- 10: If only he had not pledged his farm to that bondsman
- 11: Morgan had pretended to be his friend
- 12: I think she looks like Melissa
- 13: And that Bob must have been bad
- 14: With tear laden eyes Sydney walked to the gate
- 15: Carroll more than Sydney herself
- 16: I'll go to Melissa Yarebrough's
- 17: Ah'll make you sorry you ever married Bud Yarebrough
- 18: Melissa ended with a shuddering cry
- 19: He beamed upon Melissa and shook hands with her cordially
- 20: A mud spattered buggy before the door drew his attention
- 21: Von Rittenheim now had himself under control
- 22: He turned and walked to his buggy
- 23: Bud unwound the scarf that protected his ears
- 24: 'n to in sist on mah comin' here
- 25: It did wilt mah linen a trifle
- 26: 'n Bud reckoned that wasn' no message
- 27: Katrina made no answer to her brother's accusation
- 28: And that looks like Patton McRae's black mare
- 29: Patton is riding the black mare to day
- 30: Objected Sydney to the crestfallen young man
- 31: Carroll took up the explanation
- 32: It was Patton who broke the quiet
- 33: She could not understand herself
- 34: Von Rittenheim puzzled over the English of this document
- 35: Never before had Sydney been so careless of him
- 36: Sydney held out her watch for Bob to see
- 37: Johnny glanced up it with regretful eye
- 38: Just below the crest on the other side
- 39: Von Rittenheim mutely took the pleading hands in his
- 40: But bent anxiously over Sydney
- 41: The Doctor glanced quickly at Sydney
- 42: Are you hinting any slur against Baron von Rittenheim
- 43: Von Rittenheim had taken his gun
- 44: He easily singled out von Rittenheim
- 45: Accused of fraudulently obtaining a pension
- 46: Of violating the law I am guilty
- 47: And then to spit on his hands before resuming his hoe
- 48: While Bob struggled to his feet to greet Melissa
- 49: The girl gave scant greeting to Pressley
- 50: Will you all give mah love to her
- 51: Two negro grooms were setting up a low hurdle with wings
- 52: It was unbearable to stay at the Schloss
- 53: He has seen life come and go at Oakwood
- 54: Carroll had thought of this conversation with von Rittenheim
- 55: Von Rittenheim looked appealingly at Mrs
- 56: Sydney turned blushing to the Baron
- 57: I like to think of you as Schatz
- 58: Unless it were a ring for Katrina
- 59: Von Rittenheim raised his hat as Mrs
- 60: Here come Patton McRae and Susy
- 61: If Miss Sydney will trust me with the horse
- 62: Now fo' a great ole gander pullin'
- 63: The bunch of horsemen fell to one side
- 64: Pink Pressley rushed his animal towards the prize
- 65: 'n hit's clear what yo' after with Miss Sydney
- 66: Aided by von Rittenheim and Bob
- 67: Sydney looked at him and turned away her head
- 68: Von Rittenheim did not turn to her
- 69: She was a most lovely pr rincess
- 70: And von Rittenheim stood unrecognizing
- 71: Her linked fingers twisting nervously together
- 72: Friedrich and the whole Yarebrough family
- 73: Friedrich fancied himself in Germany
- 74: And Friedrich had ordered a horse
- 75: Bud stared at the hole sullenly
- 76: Pink roused him roughly from his reverie
- 77: Pink Pressley payin' the gover'men' tax
- 78: 'n that'd mean ye gotter buy hit
- 79: Ah believe mahself it's Sydney
- 80: Baron von Rittenheim's sister in law
- 81: Sydney always does everything all right
- 82: And Sydney liked her at once because she liked Friedrich
- 83: Von Rittenheim stared persistently out of the window
- 84: Von Rittenheim made a gesture of polite dissent
- 85: Sydney grew distant in manner to von Rittenheim
- 86: For it carries a burden which is no burden
- 87: Friedrich kissed her hand in gratitude
- 88: Melissa came to him and proposed a seat beside Mrs
- 89: Melissa came timidly to von Rittenheim
- 90: Friedrich dropped his partly filled poke into the ready
- 91: You know as well as I do the penalty of br reaking the law
- 92: And Pressley noted the gesture shrewdly
- 93: And then glanced sheepishly at Friedrich
- 94: You will br reak Melissa's heart if she finds it out
- 95: Yarebrough picked up the jug and the coin
- 96: Friedrich smiled to conceal his irritation
- 97: In which Friedrich and Sydney heard themselves taking part
- 98: Once 'Gene Frady tripped on a root and fell headlong
- 99: Don' look like hit's holler up fur
- 100: If it should prove to be a raid
- 101: He fired three times full at von Rittenheim's face
- 102: Administered the chloroform with a steady hand
- 103: Von Rittenheim looked questioningly at Sydney
- 104: Von Rittenheim was sitting before the fire
- 105: Walked Bud Yarebrough and Friedrich von Rittenheim
- 106: Friedrich sat up with a jerk and stared at von Sternburg
- 107: Von Sternburg slapped his knee
- 108: She made herself conspicuous with Moller Colonel Moller
- 109: She overreached herself with von Hillern
- 110: Friedrich preserved a silence that disturbed von Sternburg
- 111: Carroll laid down her book and sighed in disgust
- 112: Von Sternburg gave a cry of amazement
- 113: Von Sternburg following slowly after
- 114: In Deexie Land I take my stand
- 115: And Sydney surrendered her silence with dignified haste
- 116: And Friedrich drew her gently into his arms
- 117: With frontispiece in colors by John Wolcott Adams