Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1911-11-10
CHAPTER XII.
The Green kniuht.


The Green Knight.
The Duchess Of Breakwater had
made Dan promise at 0sdene the day
he went back to London that, he
would take her over to her own place,
Stainer Court. and with her see the
beauty, ruins and traditions Of thek
place.
When Dan got up well on In the
morning, Ruggles had gone to the
bank. Dams thoughts turned from
everything to Lefty Lane. With irri-I
tation he put her out Of his mind.
There had come up between himself
and the girl he had known slightly In
his own town two years ago wall OF
partition. Every time he saw her POM
otowsky was there, condescendiRg, ar
rogant, rude and proud. The primes
the night before had given the tips
of his fingers to Dan, nodded to Rug
giles as II the Westerner had been his
tailor, and had appropriated Lefty
Lane. and she had gone away under
his shadow. The simplicity Of. Dams
life. his decent bringing up. his inn
maculate youth, for such II was. his
aloofness from the world. made him
naive, but he was not dull He waited
not like a skeptic who would 1T
every one into his pigeonholes-on
the contrary, he waited to find every
one as perfect as he knew They must
be, and every time he tried to think OF
Lefty Lane, Poniotowsky troubled him
horribly and seemed to rise. before
him, and sardonically look at him
through his eye-glass, making the
boys belief in good things ridiculous.
He wrote note to Ruggles, saying
that he would be back late and not 70
wait for him, and set out In his own
car for Blankshire, where the duch-
ess was to meet him at Stainer Court
at neon. On his way out he decided
that he had been q fool to discuss Let.
ty Lane with the Duchess Of Breakwa.
ter and that 1t had been none OF hia
business to put her duty before her
and that he had judged her quickly
and unfairly. He f&l in love with the
lovely English country over which his
motor took him, and 1t made him
more affectionate toward the English
woman. He sat back In his car, look
ing over the fine shooting land. The
misty golden forests, as through the
misty country his motor took It's wayl
The breath Of England was on hi4
cheeks, he breathed In Its 0dors fresh
and sweet, the wildness air was cool
and fragrant. His cheeks grew red
his eyes shone like stars. and he wa4
content with his youth and his lot
When they stopped at Casteien, the
property belonging to. Stainer Court
he felt something Of proprietorship|
stir In him. and at Stainer Arms orr
dered a drink, bought petroleum, and
then pushed up the avenue under the
leahess giant trees, whose roots were
older than his fathers name or than
any state of the Union. And he felt
admiration and something IKE emo
ton as he saw the first towers on
Stainer Court finally appear. -.
The duchess waited for him in the
room known as the Green knights
Room" because Of a figure In tapes
try en- tie walls. The legend In WOO.
had been woven in Spain. somewhere
about the time when Isabelle waq
kind, and when in turn continent
loomej Up for the world In general
out Of the mist. The subject Of The
Green knights tapestry was simple
and convincing. On sheer-cut VII
lage Of low ferns, where daisies stood
up like trees. slender lady poised
her dark sandaled feet on the pin-llke|
turf. Her figure was all swatheo|
round with spotless dress Of wooliy|
white, softened by age into a. golden
misty tone, and a pair Of friendly ano
confidential rabbits sat close TO hei|
golden slippers. The lady's face wa
candid and mild; her eyes were sott
and around her head was wound e
fillet of woven threads mellow ~
tone, a red, no douS:, originally, bun
softened to a coral pink by time. This
lady in all her grace and virginia
sweetness was only half of the voven
story. To her right stood a. youth ~
forest green, his sword drawn, an,
his intention evidently to kill crea'
ture which, near to the gentle rabbits
out of the daisied grass lifted its cruo'
snakelike head. For nearly five hun
dred years the serpent's venom ha.
been poised, and if the serpent shon|.
start the Green Knight. would striE1
too. at the same magic moment
Close to the tapestry fire had bee
laid in the broad fireplace, and ~