The Purple Heights

solation but of solitude, and usually he fled to it as to a welcome refuge. But to-day his step lagged. The divine discontent of youth, the rebellion aginst the brute force of circumstan

when one passed the little houses of the negroes every yard was gay with pink crape-myrtle and white and lilac Rose of Sharon trees. All along the worm-fences the vetches and the butterfly-pea trailed their purple; everywhere the horse-nettle showed it

ning; it confirmed his own opinion that he was an unlucky fellow, a chap doomed to remain a nonentity, one f

was unkind, nature cruel, fate a trickster. One was caught, as a rat in a trap, "in

n he should have been in evidence, it was ominously significant that he

one, something good is going to happen. If I meet two, I'll get my little chance to climb out of this hole. If I meet three, it's

and decided that if it struck the tree he'd get to heaven, and if it missed he'd go to hell-but so placed hi

s; it was childish; Peter was as well aware of that as

owering elder, and clumps of fennel, and thickets of blackberry bramble. In clear spaces the tall candle of the mullein

his heavy heart turned a cart-wheel, and danced a jig, and began to sing as a young heart should. On the farthest thistle, as

d right side up, his eyes golden in his dark face. Two of them presently flew away. The third

luck! You're still m

sitely jeweled and enameled, the lower like a miniature design for an oriental prayer-rug. He sent Peter a message with his delicate, sen

auty that flowed into one like light. Never had the trees been so c

nd listened to a redbird's whistle, and to a mocking-bird echoing it; and to the fiddling of grasshoppers, the whispers of trees, the quiet, soft movement of the swamp water. The long thoughts that came to him in the open crossed his mind as clouds cross the sky, idly, moving slowly, breaking up and drifting with the wind. A bee buzzed about a spike of blue lobelia; ants moved up and down the trunk of the oak-tree; birds and butterflies came and went. With his hands under his head, Peter lay so motionless that a great brown water-snake glided upon a branch not ten feet distant, overhanging a brown pool whose depths a spear of sunlight pierced. The young man had a curious sense of personal det

as an evening of many stars. The wind carried with it the

for books had accumulated in it, lending it that note books alone can give. He had added a reading-lamp and a comfortable a

The Seventh Commandment had no meaning for Emma, she was hazy as to mine and thine, but she clung

and had just touched a match to the spirit ke

tranger to have gotten so far off the beaten track as to come down this short street which was nothing

imself, in a linen duster that came to his heels, and with an automobile cap and goggles concealing most

ant voice, "by good for

an't say anything about the good for

a changed tone: "I have come three thousand

foundly astonished, "and d

very distinguished-looking old man, with a narrow face, a drooping white mustache, bushy eyebrows, a big nose, and a p

m. Have you the remotest idea who I am? what my name is?" Peter shook his head apologetically. He hadn't the remotest ide

to make your acquaintance. I'll take it for granted you're as pleased to make mine. Now that I see you clearly, let me add that if I met your skin on a bush in the middle of the S

thought-Well, sir, you se

ad, serenely. "In the meantime, may I a

cellent meal, and Mr. Chadwick Champneys plied an excellent knife and fork, remarking that when all was said and done one

in Spain but in South Carolina, not clothed in absurd armor but in a linen suit, and who rode, not on Rosinante but i

time happy. He who was so alone of a sudden found that he possessed this relative, and it seemed to him almost too good to be true. Tha

pened-had been dead some twelve years now. They had had no children. He had wandered from south to west, from Mexico and California and Yucatan to Alaska, always going to strike it lucky and always missing it. To the day

oil and mining-claims. He couldn't stay put. He really didn't care what happen

e separated from the man who, he said, had saved his life, and the two struck up a partnership of mutual misfortune. They tramped and starved and worked together, until Feilding died, leaving to his partner his sole posses

great deal; and the patent medicine did at least some of the things claimed for it. He took it to a certain firm, offering them two thirds of the first and half of the

ossessed of the Midas touch. He couldn't go into anything that didn't double in value. He wasn't able to fail. Let him buy a barren bit of land in Texas, say, and oil would presently be discovered in it; or a God-forsaken tract in the

is brother's orphaned son was still in the South Carolina town. And there was a girl, Milly's niece.

ought as to the possible bearing it might have upon his own fortunes. When, therefore, his uncle wound up with, "I'll tell you, Nephew, it's a mighty comforting thing for a man to have some one of his own blood and name clos

ain me into any young Napoleon of Finance. It's not in me." And he added, gently, "I'm sorry I'm a dub

him up and down

truth, Nephew? If you don't feel equal to learning how to run a millio

artist, if I have to starve to death for it!" said Peter. He spread ou

it's all right, if you like it, Nephew. There's no earthly reason why an artist shouldn't be a gentleman, tho

y now; powerful sketches of country life, with its humor and pathos; heads of

lose and looked, and still I couldn't see anything but the same green mess. But-will you believe it, Nephew?-that thing was The Woods in Spring! Thinks I, They evidently boil their Woods in Spring up here, before painting 'em! Th

re I mean myself to be

don't you? But that costs money

But that costs money, and I haven

nts to do, every man has some horse sense, even if he happens to be a

wings, and of the few oils backed up

o try to make you different. You say you have one thing to do. All right, Peter Champneys, you shall have your chance to do i

der a real teacher?" Peter's voice all but failed him. His face went white, and h

ou, you shall have-time, teachers, money, t

and stare. He was afraid he wa

ou never knew Milly-my wife Milly. You're not in love, So

other, sir," sa

ooner, the luck. But it didn't, and I can't do anything for Milly,

. Only I can't bear to think Milly shouldn't have her share in

ht to come in for all you can do for her, even before

n never removed his eyes from his nephew's face, but watched him hawk-like. "You will understand there is a great deal of money-enough money to found a great American family. Why shouldn't that family

r, and looked as bewildered as he felt. He wasn'

u to marry Milly's niece," said Ch

n know the girl, nor she me! I've never so much

re married anyhow," said his uncle, sententiously. "Peter, do you really wish to go ab

d God! why?" Pet

tically under sentence of death myself. I have got to put my affairs in order. I'd hardly learned I was a very rich man before I also lea

ressed at this that his uncle smiled to

xchange you accept the wife I provide for you. When I meet Milly again, I want to tell her there's somebody of her own blood bearing our name, taking the place of the child we never had, enjoying all the good things we missed, and enjoying them with a Champneys, as a Champneys. If there are to be Champneys children, I want Milly's niece to bear them. I won't divide my money between

t the astonished boy took his head in his

dy if I'm plagued with a wife?" he

e twenty now, are you not? When you marry my girl, you shall go abroad immediately. She'll stay with me until her education is completed. Your wife shall be trained to take her proper place in the world. On

hink a bi

ow me where I turn in for the night." Being in some things a very considerate old man,

matrimony rather a small price to pay for it? Or was it? And-hadn't he promised his mother to take it when it came, for the sak

er slept beside his father. He sat beside her last bed, and remembered the cold hand that had crept

freedom, no glorious opportunities, no work of brain and hand together, no beauty wrought of thought and experience; the purple peaks fading into farther and

m table talking to astonished Emma Campbell, and str

een glance at hi

d Peter, d

ous portended. Not for nothing had this shrewd, imperious old man whom she had known in his youth as wild Chad Champneys, led Emma on to tell him all she knew abou

voice. "You're a good lad. You won't r

to Emma

d acquaintance, Emma and I, while you were out, Nephew. She hasn't changed much: she's

n' ole Emma Campbell? Lawd 'a' mussy, ain't I wiped 'is nose en dusted 'is britches sens

Peter was to hold himself in readiness to proceed whither his uncle would d

red, "Uncle Chad, now that I have agreed to do what you wish

r name's Anne Simms. Called Nancy. Soon be Nancy Champneys, tha

rstand-I'm a little interested-excuse me for ask

ampneys blinked

to know what Milly'

-er-that is, the thought occurred to

end of his nose, pulled his

lly's niece looks like any other girl-nose and mouth and hair

?" Peter

ver laid eyes on h

looked thu

d his uncle. "I gave you first

er, still more

to dust-coat, cap, and goggles. A few minutes later, before the little t