The southerners Author:Cyrus Townsend Brady Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II A HARD SITUATION FOR A MODEST MAN WILL, I will!" he murmured, staring down at the road through the live- oaks. As he spoke there was a step o... more »n the porch behind him, and a deep voice broke his reverie. It was as if a hand had touched a bubble. The mouth relaxed, the brows widened, the hands let go the rail, the former expression came back again. The youth, his old self once more, turned to meet his father. "Dreaming again, Boyd!" said the elder reprovingly. In appearance he was nearly the counterpart of his son, but with resolution added, decision acquired, and dreams long lost in tempering experience. His bushy hair was snow- white, although not from age, for he was just turned fifty. His thick drooping mustache and tufted imperial were also white. As he looked at his son he presented a stern, weather-beaten, war-worn face. Colonel Peyton had been a soldier. He had fought with distinction in the Mexican War fourteen yearsbefore, and it was evident that his services would be valuable to whichever side he elected to give his sword in the coming strife, which he, at least, realized was inevitable. Old soldiers usually develop into the fat and red, or the thin and lean, kind of men. Colonel Peyton was of the latter class, although his temper was as quick and fierce as that of the most choleric and gouty old veteran. His voice was full and rich, and in pronunciation and accent betrayed his Southern characteristics beyond question. Boyd's voice was different. It was still Southern, but not markedly so. He had lived so long in the North and on the sea, and he had tried so hard to mould it in stereotyped form, that it had lost most of its distinguishing characteristics, and except when he was excited it was cosmopolitan and therefore monotonous. "Dreaming agai...« less