Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-16
(CHAPTER XXI.-Conti

Honey" called Emaline, Use been
fearin' TO yo' wild all that lightnin'
r'arin' eroun'. Do yo' remembah when
yo' useter run up en- jump plumb down
in tn middle Of yore feddah-baid en-
covah up dat little gol' haid, en- l
ulster tell yo' tn noise was tn Good
Man rollin eroun his rain-barrl?'
She laughed noiselessly, holding both
hands to her thin sides. "Yo' crowd
up now so yo' ain skeered O. nothin'
this side tn Bad Place! Yo' got tn
jess mine? Give 'em to Em'line.
She'll fix 'em all nice, jes' how Mis-
Judith like"
Cali right, Emmaline," replied Shir-
ley. "And I'll go and dress. Has
mother missed me?"
Nm. She ain lef' huh room this
whole blessed day. Now yo' barth's
all ready-all 'cep'n tn hot watah, en-
Il SEN Ranston with that tn fus' thing.
Yo' hurry en- peel them wet close of
Iyo'se'f, or yo' have one O them d.
gested chills."
Her young mistress flown and the
hot water despatched, the negro wom-
an spread a cloth on the floor and be-
gan to cut and dress the long stalks
of the flowers. This done she fetched
bowls and vases, and set the pearly-
white clumps here and thereon the
dining-room sideboard, the hall mantel
and the desk of the living-room-till
the delicate fragrance filled the house,
quite vanquishing the rose-scent from
the arbOrs.
When all was done, she stood in the
doorway with arms akimbo, turning
about to survey her handiwork. mis-
Judith be pleas with that" she said,
nodding her woolly head with vi or.
"Wondah why she want them sparing-
ly things! All tn res O. tn time
roses, but bout onct a yeah seems
like she jes' got to have them jess
mine en- nothin' else"
She swept up the scattered twigs
and leaves, and going into tn dining
room, began to lay the table for din
ner. This room was square and low,
with a carved console and straight
backed chairs thinly cushioned in
faded blue to match the china. The
olive-gray walls were frightened with
soft dull gold of an old mirror and pic
ture frames from which dim faces
looked placidlv down. The crumb-
ling splendor of the storm-racked sun.
set fell through old-fashioned loaded
window.panes. tinging the white Cap
odimonte figures on the mantlepiece.
AS the trim colored woman moved
lightly about in the growing dusk
with the low click of glass and muir
fed clash Of silver, the light tat-tat of
a cane sounded, and she ran to the
hail. where Mrs. cambridge was de-
scending the stairway, one slim white
hand holding the banister, under the
edge of a white silk shawl which
dropped its heavy fringes to her
daintily-shod feet. On the lower step
she halted, looking smilingly about
at the blossoming bowls.
sDon' they smell up tn whole
house," said Emmaline. 81 know'd
yo' be pleas, Mis- Judith. Now put
yo' han on NAH shouldah en- I'll take
yo' to yo' big cha'h."
7 They crossed the hall, the dusky
form bending to the fragile pressure
IT the fingers. NOW heah's yo' cha'h.
Ranston he made up little fab jes'
to take tn damp out en- tn big lamps
lit. en- Miss Sharley'll be down right
quick H..
A moment later in fact, Shirley de-
scended the stair, in a f1lmy gown OF
India-muslin, with a narrow betting or
gold against whose flowing sleeves
her bare arms showed with a flushed
pinkness the hue of the pale coral
beads about her neck. The damp
newspaper was in her hand.
At her step her mother turned her
head; she was listening intently to
voices that came from the garden-a
childs shrill treble opposing Ranston's
stentorian grumble.
"Listen Shirley. What's that Rick
ey is telling Ranston?"
"Don' yo' come heah wild yo' no.
count play-actin'. Cyan fool Ranston
wild no SIGH snek-story, neidah. Aim
no moc'sin at Danny Co'ot, en- nebbah
was!"
There was. too" insisted Hickey.
zone bit him and Miss Shirley found
him and sent Uncle Jefferson for Doc
tor Southall and 1t saved his life! So
there! Doctor Southall told Mrs.
Mason. And he isn't man who's just
come to fix it up, either: he's the
really truly man that owns it,"
"Who on earth is that child talking
about?" .....<
Shirley put her arm around her
mother and kissed her. Her heart
was beating quickly. "The owner
has come to Damory Court. He
The small book Mrs. cambridge held
fell to the floor. 'sThe owner! What
cwner?"
"Mr. Valiant-Mr. John Valiant. The
son Of the man who abandoned it so
long ago" AS she picked up the fallen
volume and put it into her mothers
hands, Shirley was startled by the
whiteness of her face.
DEAREST she cried. "You are ill.
You shouldn't have come down.
"No. It's nothing. I've been shut
up all day. Go and open the other
window"
Shirley threw it wide. "Can I get
your salts?" she asked anxiously.
Her mother shook her head mo"
she said almost sharply. There's
nothing whatever the matter with me.
Only my nerves aren't what they used
to be, I suppose-and snakes always
did get on them. Now, give me the
gist of it first. l can wait for the
mt