The Law of the Land

The Law of the Land

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Title: The Law of the Land
Author: Emerson Hough
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[Illustration: MISS LADY]

THE LAW OF THE LAND
_Of Miss Lady, whom it involved in mystery, and of John Eddring,
gentleman of the South, who read 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 LAND XVIII 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, a
strange and wondrous thing! She was so sweet, so strong, so full of

grace, so like a bird in all her motions! Now here, now there, and back
again, her feet scarce touching the floor, her loose skirt, held out
between her dainty fingers, resembling wings, she swam through the air,
up and down the room of the old plantation house, as though she were
indeed the creature of an element wherein all was imponderable, light
and free of hampering influences. Darting, nodding, beckoning,
courtesying to something that she saw--it must have moved you to
applause, had you seen Miss Lady dance! You might have been
restrained by the feeling that this was almost too unreal, too unusual,
this dance of the young girl, all alone, in front of the great mirror which
faithfully gave back the passing, flying figure line for line, flush for
flush, one bosom-heave for that of the other. Yet the tall white lilies in
the corner saw; and the tall white 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 be tall 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 on her
bosom, looking--looking into the mirror, asking of it some question,
getting, indeed, from it some answer--an answer embodying, perhaps,
all that youth may mean, all that the morning may bring.
For now the sun of the South came creeping up apace, and saw Miss
Lady as it peered in through the rose lattice whereon hung scores of
fragrant blossoms. A gentle wind of morning stirred the lace curtains at