VAUXNTr
2LSTKAT D y'
SYNOPSIS.
CHAPTER I-John Valiant, a rich so
ciety favorite, suddenly discovers that the
Valiant corporation, which his father
founded and which was the principal
source of his wealth, has failed.
CHAPTER II-l-He voluntarily turns
over his private fortune to the receiver
for the corporation.
CHAPTER III-His entire remaining
possessions consist of an old motor car,
a white bull dog and Damory court, a
neglected estate in Virginia.
CHAPTER IV-He learns that this es
tate camo into the family by royal grant
ad has been in the possession of the
\ aliants ever since.
CHAPTER V-On the way to Damory
court he meets Shirley Dandridge, an au
*rn-haired beauty, and decbts that ha
+a going to like Virginia immensely.
CIIAPTER VI-An old negro tells Shir
Y's fortune and predicts great troublo
for her on account of a man.
CHAPTER VII--Uncle Jefferson, an old
Negro, takes Valiant to Darnory court.
CHAPTER VIII-Rhtrloy's mother, Mrs.
Iandridge, anti 'Major Brist'w exeltango
"mlniscences during whleh it is revealedl
tat the major. Valiant's father, and a
-tan named Sassoon, wore rivals for the
and of Mrs. Dandridge in her youth.
-assoon and Valiant fought a duel on her
account in which the former was killed.
CHAPTER TX-Valiant finds Damory
'curt overgrown with weeds and creep
're and the huildings in a very much
.eglected cond n. Unclo Jefferson and
Is wife. Aunt Daphne, are engaged as
eorvants.
CHAPTER X-Valiant explores hle an
"stral home. He is surprised by a fox
minting party which invades his estate.
-le recognizes Shirley at the tead of the
Marty.
CHAPTIER XI-Ife gives sanctuary to
the cornered fox. Gossips <liscuss the ad
-ent of the new owner and recall the
Sragedy in which the eltier Valiant took
piart.
QHAPTIER XIT-Valiant decides to re
habilitato Damory court anl make the
rLnd produce a living for him.
CTAPTER XTI-IIe meets Shirley, who
as leen gatthering flowers on the Valiant
sti.to, ant reveals his identity to her.
C(RAPTER XIV--Valiant saves Shirley
^m tle hite of a snake, which hites N:n.
mnowing the dendliness of tie bite, Sotir
'y sicks tho poIson front the wound and
caves his life.
CHAPTER XV.
The Annivcrbp. y,
The story was not a ItrLg d,
though it omitted nothing. the am a
ing -fox-hunt and the identification of
the new arrival at Damnory Court as
the owner of yesterday's stalled mo
tor; the afternoon laid on the jessa.
mine, the conversation with John Va.
liant in the woods.
Mrs. Dandridge, gazing into tlh: fire,
listened without comment, but more
;han once Shirley saw her hands clasp
themselves together and thought, toQ
that she seemed strangely pale. 'Ik.
:.wift and tragic sequel to that meet
mug was the hardest to tell, and as she
ended she put up her hand to her
ashoulder, holding it hard. "It was
horrible!" she said. Yet now she did
rot shudder. Strangely enough, the
sense of loathing which had been
surging over her at recurrent inter
vals ever since that hour In the wood,
had vanished utterly!
She read the newspaper article
nloud and her mother listened withl an
expression that puzzled her. When
ahe finishled, both 'were silent for a
maomient, thlen silo asked, "You must
have known his father, dearest; didn't
you?"
"Yes," said Mrs. Dandl'idge after a
p)ause. "1--knew his father."
Shirley said no more, and facing
each othler In the candle-glow, across
he spo0tless damlask, they talked, as
wvith common conlsent, of othter thlings.
She thouight site had never seen hei'
mother more briliant. An odd excite
mnent was Iloodimng her cecek witht red
and she chatted and laughed as shle
had nlot done for years.
B~ut after dlinnter tile gaiety andl ef
fervescence faded quickly andi Mrs.
D~andridge went early to her room.
:3he mounted the stair with her arm
ihrown about Shirley's ptliant waist.
At her door sihe kissed hecr, looking at
lIer with a strange smile. "How cu-.
aloue," she said, as if to herself, "thtat
it should have happenled today!"
The reading-lamp, hlad been lighted
on her table. She dlrewV a slim gold
chain from the bosom of her diress
and held to thto light a little locket
brooch it carrIed. It was of hlack en
amel, with a tinty laurel-wreath of
pearls on one ide encircling a single
dtiamondl. 'Te othear side was of cry.
tal and1 covered a baby's russet-col
ored curl. lit hera fingers it opened
and disclosed a miniatulre at which
she looked closely for a moment,
11cr eyes turned( restlessly about thle
room. It had been horus ats a girl, for
[Rosewood had been tile old Garlapd
homestead, It seemed now all at onio
to be full of calling larmorica of her
youth.
* * * * * * *
"How strange that it should have
bleen today!" It htad been on Shirley's
lips,- to cluestin, bumt the door hlad
closed, andl site went slowly dlown
stairs. She sat a whIle thinking, but
at lengthl grew restless and began to
wvalk to anld fro across the floor, hler
hands claspedl behind hecr hlead so that
ihe cool ala' filled her flowing sleeves.
in the htall she couldl he~ar the leisure-.
ly k(on-kon--kon-kon of the tall clock.
Tihe evening outsidle wan exquisitely
still and tile metallic monotone wag
threaded wvithl the airy fiddtle-fltddle of
nrickets in the gmass atnd punictuiated
withl the rain-glad cloap of a farog.
Shirley stepped lightly diown to the
wet graB$, 'Lookig hnek she autA
LAUREN 5TOUT
see her mother's fighted blind. All
around the ground was splotched 4tth
rose-petals, looking in the square, of
light like bloody rain. She skimmed
the lawn and ran a little way down
the lane. A shuffling sound presently
fell on her ear.
"Is that you, Unc' Jefferson?" she
called softly.
"Yasm!." The footsteps fnme near
.r. "iet's me, Aliss Shirley.' lie tite
teredl no-Jlessly, and the could see
his bent form vibrating in the gloom.
"Yo' reck'n Ahl done forgit?"
"Nu, indeed. I knew you wouldn't
do that. How is ho?"
"lie right much bottah," he replied
!n the, same guarded tone. "Doctah
lie say he be all right in or few days,
on y he gotter lay up or while. Dat
Aias er ugly nip he got f'om dat 'spis
able reptyle."
'Do you think there can be any
others about the grounds?"
"No'mu. lley mos'ly keeps ter do
na'sh-inn' en on'y runs whah de un
dah-bresh or thick. I gwineter fix dat
ter-morrow. Mars' Valiant he tell me
ter grub et all out en make or bon
tlh ob it."
"That's right, Unc' Jefferson. Good
night, and thank you for coming."
She started back to the house, when
his voice stopped her.
"Mis' Shirley, ye' don' keer ef de
ole man geddahs two er three ob dem
roses? Seems lak young mars'
moughty foi' ob dem. ie got one In
er glass but et's mos' (laid now."
"Wait a minute," she said, and dis
appeared in the darkness, returning
III
"I'm Tempted to Stay Sick and Do:
Nothing but Eat."
quickly with a handful which she put
in his grasp.
"There!" she whispered, and slipped
back through the perfumed dark.
An hour later she stood in the
cozy stillness of her bedroom.
She threw off her gown, slipped into
a soft loose robe of maize-colored silk
and stood before the small glass. She
pulled out the amber pins and drew
her wondlerful hair on either side of
her face, looking out at her reflection
like a mlermalid from between the rip
pling wvaves of a moon-golden sea.
At last she tuirnedl, and seating her
self at the (lesk, took from it a diary.
She scanned the pages at random, her
eyes catching lines hero and there.
"A good run todlay. Bletty and Judge
Chalmers andi the Pendieton boys. My
fourth brush this season." A frown
drlew itself across her brows, and she
turned tie page. "One of the hounds
broke his leg, andi I gaveo him to
Rlickey." * * * "Chilly Lusk to
dinner today, after swimming the Lor'
ing Rapid.''
She bit her lip, turned abruptly to
the newv page and took up her pen.
"This morning a twvelve-mnile run to
Damory Court," she wrote. "This
after'noon wvent for cape jessamines."
There she paused. The happenings
andl sensations of that (lay would not
be recorded. They we're unwritable.
She laidl down her pen and put her
foreheadl on her ciaspedl hands. How
empty andl inane these entries seemed
beside this rich and eventful twenty
four hours just passedl! What had
she been (doing a year ago today? she
wondered. The lower' drawer of the
des5k held a numtiber' of slIm diarIesI
like the one before her. She pulled itI
out, took up the last-year's volume
and opened it.
"Why," she said in surprise, "I got1
Jessamino for mother this very same
(lay last year!" she ponderedl frown. I
ing, then reached for a third and a<
fourth, From these she looked up,
startled. Trhat (late in her mother's I
calendar called for cape jessaminos, i
What was the fourteenth of May toI
her?
She bent a slow troubled gaze about
her. The room had been hers as a
child. She seemed suddenly back in
that childhood, with her mother beiid.
ing over her pillo0w and fondling her
rebellious hair, When the wind eried
for loneliness out in the dark she had
sung old songs to her. Sad songs! I
Even in those pinafore years Shirley I
had vaguely realized that pain lay be. I
hind the brave gay mask. Was there
something - seine ov'ent -- that had I
caused that dull-colored life and uin
fulfilment? And was todlay, perhaps,
its anniversa~ry?
. John Valiant sat nropned lipon tile
library couch, an olens -haga'lne un
heeded on his knee. The reading.
stand beside him was a litter of let
ters a"d papers. The - bow-window
was open and the honeysuckle breeze
blew about him, lifting his hair and
ruffling the leaves of the papers. In
the garden three darkies were labor
ing, under the supervision of Uncle
Jefferson. The unsightly weeds and
lichen were gone from the graveled
paths, and from the fountain pool,
whose shaft now spouted a slender
spray shivered by the breeze into a
million diamonds, which fell back into
the pool with a tintinabulant trickle
and drip.
The master of Damory Court closed
the magazine with a sigh. "If I could
only do it all at once!" he muttered.
"It takes such a confounded time.
Four days they've been working now,
and they haven't (lone much more
than cl.':.n up." -lu laughed, and
' .' " . m' A il dog who
--' -la rity. "After
"i's beon
thirty years getting in this cwdition.
I guess we're doing pretty roll."
He stretched luxuriously. "I'll take
a hand at it myself tomorrow. I'm
as right as rain again now, thanks to
Aunt Daph and the doctor. Some,
thing of a crusty citizen, the doctor,
but he's all to the good."
A heavy step caime along the porch
and Uncle Jefferson appeared with a
.ray holding a covered diah with a
plato of biscuit and a round jam-pot.
"Look here," said John Valiant, "I
had my luncheon three hours ago, I'm
being stuffed like a milk-fed turkey."
The old man smiled widely. "Et's
les' or 11'1 snack or broth," he said.
"Reck'n et'll kinder float eroun' do
yuddah things. Dis' yeah pot's (at
apple-buttab whut Miss Mattio Sue
men' yo' by Rickey Snyder."
Valiant sniffed with satisfaction.
"I'm getting so confoundedly spoiled,"
he said, "that I'm tempted to stay sick
znd do nothing but eat. By the way,
Uncle Jefferson, where (lid Rickey
come from? Does she belong hero?"
"No, suht. She come f'om Hell's
i-alf-Acre."
"What's that?"
"Dlat's dat ornery passlo o' folks
yondah on do Dome," explained Un
elo Jefferson. "Dey's been dah long's
Ah kin recommembah-jes' or rain
shackle lot o' shif'less po'-white trash
whut git erlong anyways 't all."
"That's interesting," said Valiant.
"So Rickey belonged there?"
"Yas, suh; nobbah 'd a-come down
beah 'cep'in' fo' Mis' Shirley. She do
one whut fotch de li'l gal outen dat
place, en put huh wid Mis' Matjio Sue,
three yeah erg.
A pni'd'1 color came into John Va
' t's cheeks. "Toll w) about it."
His voice vibued eagerly.
"Wel, suh," continued Uncle Jeffer
son, "cey was one o' dem low-down
Hell's-Hlalf-Acrers, name' Greet King,
whut call hese'f do mayah ob do
Dome, en he wont on de rampage one
day, en took ahtah his wife. She was
or po' sickly 'ooman, wid er li'l gal
five yeah ol' by er fust husban'. He
done beat huh heap o' times befo', but
li8 time he boun' ter finish huh. Ah
reck'n he was too drunk fo' dat, en
she got erway on run (hown heah. Et
was wintah time en dah's snow on de
groun'. Dlah's or road f'om de Dome
lat hits do Red Road clost' ter Rose
wood--dat ar's (e Dandridge place
on she come dah. Rock'n she wuz or
pitiful-lookin' obstacle. 'Peaha Ink
she done put do li'1 gal up in do
dabin lot' en hid do laddah, en she
moes' crazy fo' foalh Greet git huh. She
let' he huntin' fo' do young 'un when
she run erway. Doy was on'y Mis'
Judith on Mis' Shirley en do gal Em'.
line at Rosewood. Well, suh, (dcy
wa'nt no time ter son' fo' men. WVhut
yo' reck'n Mis' Shirley do? She ain'
safeahd e' nuffin on dis yert, en she
:m'y sebenteen yeah ol' den, too. She
:lon' toll Mis' Judith--no, suh! She
run out tor do stable en saddle huh
bloss, e~n she gallop up dat road ter
Flell's-Half-Acre Ink or shot outen or
shovel."
Valiant brought his hands together
sharply. "Yes,- yea," he said. "Anid
thsen?"
"When she conme ter Greet King's
3abin, lie done foun' do laddah, en one
er he toots wvas on (10 rung. Hie had
3r ax in he han'. Do 1po' li'l gal was
)eepin' down thee' do cracks 0' (10
lo', on pray'in' do bestes' she knowv
iow. She say arterwuhda dat she
-ck'n de Good Lawd son' or angel,
'0' Mis' Shirley were all in white
uhe didn' stop ter' change huh close,
The didn' say nsulln, Mis' Shirley
idn'. She on'y lay huh han' on Greet
Gang's ahim, en lie look at huh face,
m lie dIrop he ax en go. Decn she
:lumb do laddah ems fotch (de chle
lewns in hsuh ahsms on take huh on (Ie
loss en come back. Dat do way ot
lappenO, suhl."
"And Rtickey wvas that little child!"
"Yas, suh, she she' was. Ini do
nawnin' or posse (lone ride up ter
lell's-Hlalf-Acre en take Greet King
n. Deo majah he argyty do case to'
Ie State, en when lie done git thee',
buy mos' put do tow eroun' King's
'ek in do co'ot r'oom. Hie done got
ix yeah, en ot mos' broke (10 majah's
i*'at (dat dey cou)dn' give him no
no'. H~e wuz cort'n'y or bad aig, dat
breet wuz. Dey say he (lone sw'ah
ec gwinoter (10 up do majah when he
it out."
Such was the story which Uncle
eofferson told, standing In the door
vay. WVhen his ishuffling stop had ro
rentedl, Valiant went to the table and
icked usp a slim tooled volume that
ny there. It was "L~uciio," which ho
ad found in the hall the night of his
.rrival. Hie opened it to a page whore,
ressed and wrinkled but still retain
ug its bright red pigment, lay what
ad been a rose.
Hie stood1 looking at it abstractedly,
is nostrils widening ito its crushoo,
plcy scent, then closed it and slipped
into Ihis pnnket
CHAPTER XVI.
In Devi-John's Day.
He was still sitting motionless when
there came a knock at the door and it
opened to admit the gruff voice of
Doctor Southall. A big form was close
behind him.
"Hell. Up, I see. I took the liberty
of bringing Major Bristow."
The master cf Damory Court came
forward-limping the least trifle-and
shook hands.
"Glad to know you, sah," said the
major. "Allow me to congratulate
you; it's not every one who gets bit
ten by one of those infernal mocca
sins that lives to talk about it. You
must be a pet of Providence, or else
you have a cast-iron ' constitution,
sah."
Valiant waved his hand toward the
man of medicine, who said, "I reckon
Miss Shirley was the Providence in
the case. She had sense enough to
send for me quick and speed did it."
"Well, sah," the major said, "I
reckon under the circumstances, your
inrst impressions of the section aren't
anything for us to brag about."
1 "I'm delighted; it's hard for me to
tell how much."
"Wait till you know the fool place,"
growled the doctor testily. "You'll
change your tune."
The major smilled genially. "Don't
be taken in by the doctor's pessimism.
You'd have to get a yoke of three
year oxen to drag him out of this
state."
"It would take as many for me."
Valiant laughed a little. "You who
have always lived here, can scarcely
understand what ' am feeling, I imag
ine. You see, I never knew till quite
recently--ny childhood was largely
spent abroad, and I Jiave no near rela
tives--that my father was a Virginian
and that my ancestors always lived
here. Why, there's a room upstairs
with the very toys they played with
when they were children! To learn
that I belong to it all; that I myself
an the last link in such a chain!"
"The ancestral instinct," said ,the
'doctor. "I'm glad to see that it means
something still, in these rotten days."
"Of course," John Valiant continued,
"every one knows that he has ances.
tors. But I'm beginning to see that
what you call the ancestral instinct
needs a locality and a place. In a
way it seems to me that an old estate
like this has a soul too-a sort of
clan or family soul that reacts on the
descendant."
"Rather a Japanesy idea,. isua't it"
observed tehoe miaj. '"But I know
what you mean. Maybe that's why old
Virginian families hang on to their
,land in spite of hell and high-water.
They count their forebears real live
people, quite capable of turning over
in their graves."
"Mine are beginning to seem very
real to me, Though I don't even
'know their Christian names yet, I can
judge them by their handiwork. The
men who built Damory Court had a
.sense of beauty and of art."
"And their share of deviltry, too,"
put in the doctor.
"I suppose so," admitted his host.
"At this distance I can bear even that.
But good or bad, I'm deeply thankful
that they chose Virginia. Since I've
been laid up, I've been browsing In the
library here-"
"A bit out of date now, I reckon,"
said the major, "but it used to pass
muster., Your grandfather was some
thing of a book-worm. Ho wrote a
history of the family, didn't he?"
"Yes. I've found it. 'The Valiants
of Virginia.' I'm reading the Revolu
tionary chapters now. It never seemed
real before-it's been only a slice of
impersonal and rather (lull history.
But the book has made it come alive.
I'm having the thrill of the glob.
trotter the first time lhe sees the Tow
eor of London or the field of Waterloo.
I see more than that stubble-fld out
'yonder; I see a big woodlen stockade
'with soldiers in ragged buff and blue
guarding it."
The major nodded, "Ah, yes," he
said. "The Continental prison-camp."
"And just over this rise there I can
see an old court-house, and the Vir
ginia Assembly boiling under the
golden tongue-lashing of lean raw
boned Patrick Henry. I see a messen
ger gallop up and see the members
scramble to their saddles-and then,
Tarleton and his red-coats streaming
up, too late."
"Well," commented the doctor delib
erately, "all I have to say Is, don't
materialize too much to Mrs. Poly
Gifford wvhr ' you meet her. She'll
have you lecturing to the Ladies'
Church Guild before you know it."
"I hope you ride, Mr. Valiant?" the
latter asked genially.
"I'm fond of it," said Valiant, "but
I have no horse as yet,"
"I was thinking," pursued the ma
jor, "of the coming tournament."
"Tournament ?"
The doctor cut in, "A ridiculous
cock-a-doodle-do which gives the young
bucks a chance to rig out in silly tog
gory andi pr-ance their colts before a lot
of petticoats!".
"It's an annual affair," explained the
major; "a kind of spectacle. For
many years, by the way, it has been
beld on a part of this estate--perhaps
you will have no objection to its use
this season?--and at night there is a
dance at the Country Club. By the
way, you must lot me introduce you
there-tomorrow. I've taken the liberty
already of putting your name up."
"Good lordi" growled the doctor,
aside. "Hie counts himself young! It
I'd reached your alga, Bristow-"
"You have," said the major, nettled.
"Four years ago!--As I was saying,
Mr. Vrallant, they3 ide for- a p~riso. It's
at ver-y ancient thing-i've soeon refer
ences to it in a colonial .manuscript
in thme Byrd Libray at Westover, No
doubt it's comec downi dlIre'. y fro~n
tho old jousts."
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