Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-12-08


hot and dusty miles. Duke looked
/ from Mrs. Ashton's uncompromising
figure TO the road again, and his cour-
age dwindled.
Wouldn't it tickle Joe II shouldn't
have the nerve to go there after alp
, he unused.
Alice ran back and spoke TO her
mother; Mrs. Ashton stopped her
rocking and looked up, straight at
Duke-straight through him. as he
| thought. Some way Il did not seem
so very amusing for him 10 60 and
beard his ancient enemy in her den.
When he and Joe had concocted the
clever excuse which now rested in
his pocket they thought it very fun
ny; they laughed and laughed. Both
OF them were anxious to be present
and see what Mrs. Ashton would do
But he stood now alone with his toe
to the scratch. and hadn't the slight
est curiosity to go on.
He felt in his pocket The letter
was safe. He gritted his teeth. turned
down. the slope OF the levee. and en-
tered the lane that led TO Ivanhoe.
Mrs Ashton and Alice could not be
lieve e: the man was actually com
ing TO their house.
When Duke leaned over and un-
latched the pasture gate. Alice disap-
peared through the back hall door
Then he saw her on the gallery. wills
pering TO the other one. when he
halted his horse and opened the inner
gate. both the girls vanished around
corner Of the gallery.
He clenehed his lips and plodded
on; the row would be fun OF stumps.
but he meant to pillow IT 70 the bitter
end.
Mrs. Ashton rose like a figure from
Noah's ark and moved stidly TO the
gallery He saw that peculiar toss OF
the head with which she always
passed him. It was not amusing. She
stood at the top OF the steps and
waited.
He dismounted at the inner gate.
hitched his horse. and tried to walk
in very stately style mp the path: but
he stumbled on root. and thought
he heard laughter behind the curtains.
His face grew very red. and for a
moment he could not find the letter
which was 20 be his open sesame"
When he did dig it up he dropped It
awkwardly.
Good morning. Mrs. Ashton" The
visitor took of his hat: his brow was
cold and damp
Good morning. sir"
MIR. Balfour has asked me TO de-
liver some valuable papers: he was
afraid TO risk them i'm the mail" He
said it like "A schoolboy who has
learned his lesson. And. like a school
boy. he felt that the teacher knew
better
Thank you. sir; am very much
Obliged" Mrs. Ashton held ont her
! hand and took the packet as she
would have taken # from hired mes
senger.
The man glanced at that stern
visaged woman. and felt the hot blood
rush into his cheek
Good day. Mrs. Ashton" he said.
and turned.
Won't YOU have a glass Of water.
sir? Jimmy, Oh. jimmy"
No. J thank You. madam"
The war was on.
He STROBE down the path again.
dung himself on his horse and gal
loped on A cloud OF dust. like the
trail OF rocket. rose along the crest
OF the leyee and followed him toward
Devil-May-Care. Not until then did
Mrs. Ashton smile.
She had hated his father She mated
the son, of course; and had watched
his career with a stern satisfaction
that her predictions were SO album
| dainty justified
AS a child he had been the sole
rebel beneath his fathers rule. He
ran away from school. was dismissed
| from the University OF Virginia.
served six years in the navy. resigned.
helped 10 build very poor railroad
IN Brazil and two excellent revolu-
tons In Argentina. Then Maj. Duke
died. The son came back TO planta-
ton that had grown up in cockleburs
while his father had played with
politics.
Immediately there was another revO-
| lution-ou DevilMay-Care The new
owDer went 20 work. the managers
vent TO work. even the negroes went
10 work-or left The store had long
been noted as pest-hole of crap
shooters ana loaiers: it became
model OF method. There had never
been law of any kind on Devil-Alay-
Care; now there was a law-the viii
OF Noel Duke.
True. he used rough measures with
gang OF timber thieves who depre-
, dated on his cypress. True. he shot
two men whom he caught cutting the
levees. band OF lumbermen had
their headquarters in the swamp back
OF him. and had long terrorized the
delta. One day they met a negro
tenant Of his IN the road, and beat
him. Duke routed them out, and was
none too gentle about IT.
And it was as certainly true that
he raised game-cOcks and race horses
SO he could have a little fun when
he went to town"
IL very soon came about that there
was not vacant cabin on his planta-
ton. Negroes Hooked TO a place
where they found a firm hand and a
just one, a man who made them work