Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1908-09-10

s ing COB ossa pipe pe HD
went inside and
hrouyb+o orr some A country store, post
,.ttS,,,,' ~ ,,o,v-s office and inn com
papers. which he
delivered to him in silence.
This is Lamar postoffice.' announc-
ed Oscar
There must be some mail here for
me- said Armitage.
Oscar handed him several long en-
velopes-they bore the name of the
Bronx Loan and Trust company, whose
office in New York was his permanent
address. and he opened and read 4
number of letters and ca5legrams that
had been forwarded Their contents
evidently gave him satisfaction. for he
whistled cheerfully as he thrust them
into his pocket.
You keep in touch with the world
do you, Oscar? 1t is commendable.
81 take a Washington paper. 1t re
lieves the monotony. and can see
where the regiments are moving and
whether my old captain is yet out of
the hospital and what happened to my
lieutenant in his court martial about
the pay accounts. One must observe
the world-yes. At the postotfice back
there''-he ierked his head to indicate
lit is against the law to sell whisky in
a postoffice. SO that storekeeper with
the red nose and small yellow eyes
keeps it in a brown jug in the back
room"
ITO be sure" laughed Armitage. Il
hope it is a good article"
sit is vile" replied Oscar. His
brother makes it up in the hills. and
it is as strong as wood I've"
"Moonshine. have heard of it. We
must have some for rainy days"
1t was new world to John Armi
tage. and his heart was as light as the
morning air as he followed Oscar along
the ruddy mountain road. He was in
Virginia. and somewhere on this sol!
perhaps in some valley like the one
through which he rode. Shirley Clai
borne had gazed upon blue distances.
with ridge rising against ridge. and
dark pine covered slopes like these he
saw for the first time. He had left his
affairs in Washington in Il sorry mud
die, but he faced the new day with a
buoyant spirit and did not trouble him
self to look very far ahead. He had Ii
definite business before him. His ca
Diagrams were reassuring on that
point. The fact that he was in a sense
a fugitive did not trouble him in th@
least He had no intention of allowing
Jules Chauyenets assassins to kill him
or of being locked up in a Washingsoa
jail as the false Baron Won kissel If
he admitted that he was not John Ar
mitage it would be difficult to prove
that he was anybody elsa fact touch
ing human testimony which .Iule..
Ghauvenet probably knew perfectly
well
in the whole. he was satisfied tnar
he had followed the wisest course thus
far The broad panorama of the morn
ing hills communicated to his spirit
growing elation He began singing in
German ballad that. recited the sor-
rows of a pale maiden prisoner in
dark tower on the Rhine. whence her
true knight rescued her after many
and fearsome adventures. On the last
stave he ceased abruptly, and an ex-
clamation of wonder broke from him.
They had been riding along a narrow
trail that afforded, as Oscar said. a
short cut across long timbered ridge
Ia~- "a no A I cgfats
property. The path was rough and
steep, and the low hanging pine boughs
and heavy underbrush increased the
difficulties of ascent. Straining to the
top, new valley: hidden until now,
was disclosed in long and beautiful
vistas.
Armitage dropped the reins upon the
neck of his painting horse.
"It is fine valley-yes?" asked Os-
car
.It is a possession worthy of the mo-
blest gods.'' replied Armitage. There
is a white building with colonnades
away over there. Is it the house of
the reigning deity?"
ut is not, SIR answered Oscar. who
spoke English with kind of logged
precision. giving equal value to all
words. 1T is vast hotel where the
rich spend much money. That place at
the foot of the hillside you see Pit is
there they play foolish game with
sticks and little balls'
Golf? Is it possibler'
There is no doubt of 1t. sir. ! have
seen the fools myself men and wom-
en-. The place is called Storm valley
Armitage slapped his thigh sharply.
SO that his horse started.
YES: you are probably right. Oscar.
have heard Of the place. And those
houses that lie beyond there In the val
ley belong to gentlemen of taste and
leisure who drink the waters and ride
horses and ,s- the foolish game you