The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-04
Life and Love I'm virginia.

Redields property to Mrs. Taylor, his step
sons widow, but before he had signed the
will whereby this would have been accom-
plished he was killed in railroad accident
and Redfelds went to his nephew, a news
paper reporter in New York, whom he
hardly knew
Trueman Gault, the reporter lived in a
hall bedroom at the time when his good
fortune befell him. He was a large man
and fitted his room too snugly for perfect
comfort. Counting his pecuniary resources
in the second chapter, he found that they
amounted to 1885; he felt himself con-
strained, accordingly to entertain no
more than rather tenuous hope Of ever
being able to marry the beautiful young
heiress, Virginia Sanford. He determined.
indeed, in the second chapter, that it was
his duty to forget her; but he went riding
in the Park and there met Virginia, who
was herself learning to ride. This is only
my third ride on the road" she said to
Trueman. Am L not doing grandy?'
Bully" replied the young man, with much
enthusiasm. She was very cordial and
provocative, and thus was renewed his
desire, stronger than reason. to possess
this gifted and accomplished girl.
A few days later he went to Virginia,
and there, at the hospitable house OF Mr..
Hugh Darlington, where, owing to freshet
in the stream called Little Bird Branch,
he had sought and found accommodation
for the night, was so unfortunate as to
burn a hole in his trousers. The painful
incident is recorded on page As. We read;
"The room into which he had been brought
lo,- t1,akn IL. l. u.
piano in one corner was almost lost in it.
A fire was roaring in the fireplace, and fresh
logs were continually being added with
the greatest prodigality. Yet, in spite Of
this. the big room, away from the fire,
seemed cold to Trueman, accustomed to
the even temperature of furnace and steam
heated houses, He stood in front Of the
fire, warming himself, and presently smelled
the odor Of burning cloth.
I expect you're standing too near the
| fire., Darlington said politely. Trueman
Jumped away and found that it was, indeed,
his trousers that had been burning. One
leg had hole scorched through, just above
the ankle.
"'Oh, Mr. Gault, how too badV Mrs.
Darlington laughed, Coming down South
and burning to death
"Trueman laughed, too, with the COM
forting feeling The was now owner OF Red
| fields] that one pair of trousers more or
less was matter of small moment to him.
These will do for farming, even if they
have hole or two he said
The story pictures many other interest,"
ing scenes Of Virginia life, fox hunt
| among them. Two love stories are devel-
oped, and there is plenty Of character ex-
position. 1t can hardly be said that Vir-
ginia Sanford behaved herself quite prop
erly in the South She firted with young
st. Clair, whose duty and destiny it was to
marry Mrs. Taylor, the fair widow who
would have inherited Redfelds if only old
Gen. Gault had signed his will. 1t was Vir-
ginia' g flirting with st. Clair that filed the
heart of Trueman Gault with bitter hatred
of that graceful young man. He was as
graceful and as good looking as that
celebrated beauty, his sister, the Countess
of Chiswick. Said the jealous Trueman
to st. Clair on one high-pressure OCCASION:
| you take any amount OF trouble in your
love-making; you're an list. If moral
tone il required you assume that as well
as any other. OF course, you know that
her money is all right. 1t may be trouble
some for you TO keep up the part until it
Is safely yours but no doubt 1t il worth it..
This in Virginia to a Virginian! But
St. Clair, who had lately reformed his habit
Of whiskey and drank nothing. remained
calm. We read: st. Clair laid down the
guitar The was always playing Believe
me, II all those endearing young charms V
and arose to his feet, in feature and
dress composed and ruffled For the
moment Gault hated him from his SOUL
hated the distinction Of his presence, the
unconscious grace OF carriage, the clear
cut features. Gault had never seen the
sister, the present Countess Of Chiswick,
but he knew that she was a great beauty
and that st. Clair was like her.
just then the venerable negro, Uncle
Billy, put his head in at the door, where
upon "Gault unstrung by his anger,
slammed the glass he held in his hand at
the yellow eyeballs and kinky hair, with
fierce command to get out. Billy ducked,
and the door shut with crash"
Gault went on with his provocative and
mad remarks You know the game so
WELL he sneered. "An honest man, awk-
ward because Of his love, would stand no
| chance against professional charmer
like you. What girl can resist the brother
of the Countess of Chiswick2"
-Stopl" cried ST. Clair. Stop, or we
shall be killing each other. For heaven
sake let me go while I cam" With that
4he ierked a revolver out Of his pocket
and flung it out of the window. Gault
himself shuddered as he realized how close
they had been to flying at each others
throats. He walked over to the window
and looked out" The trouble was over.
His and St. Glars threats were no
longer in jeopardy. But it was only by
a miracle that the whole collection OF their
threats had escaped
st. Clair was ready enough for rnction
before he had stopped drinking. On page
l1s we read: "St. Clair and Gault again
withdrew to the refreshing seclusion of the
saloon. Both we're by this time sufficiently
affected by what they had taken TO be tread
ing on air. although they could yet safely
have trodden chalk line. In the room
was a new ccmer, husky tramp, whose
speech as he inquired the WY toward
| the west betrayed his nationality Look
ing upon all me as his friends just then,
St. Clair raised his glass to the stranger.
The Queen" he proposed.
| 1The Enplishman set down ms glass.