Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-05
THE Val IANTS OF VIRGINIA

| the thing had not been intended as
a disgrace after ALI AS the careful
hand drew the misused blossom ten
derby from its tether, he parked joy.
/ ously with recovered spirits.
With the first sight of the decora.
| ton Valiant had had a sudden men,
DRY of a splotch of vivid red against
the belted gray-b1ue of a gown. He
grinned appreciatively. And
warned her, he chuckled. Told her
not to be afraid" He busted the
blossom painstakingly with his hand
kerchief and held it to his face-a
live, brilliant thing, breathing musk
odors of the midmoon of paradise.
A long time he sat, while the dog
dozed and yawned on the tiny cushion
| beside him. Gradually the clover
breeze tainted and the lengthening
shadows dipped their fingers into in
| digo. On the far amethystine peaks
of the Blue Ridge leaned milky
breasted clouds through which the
sun sifted in wide bars. blackbird
| began to flute from some nearby tree
and across the low stone wall he
heard a feathery whirr OF sudden
Chum sat up and barked in earnest
Turning his head, his master saw
approaching a dilapidated hack with
side-lanterns like great goggles and
decrepit and palsied curtains. 1t was
drawn by lean mustard-tinted mule,
and on it's front seat sat a colored
| man of uncertain age, whose hunched
vertebrae and outward-crooked arms
gave him a curious expression of re-
| plete and dubious inquiry. Abreast
| of the car he removed a moth-eaten
| cap.
'Evenin', suh," he said-"evenin',
evenin'."
"Howdy do" returned the other
amiably.
"Ah reck'n you'-all done had er
breakdown wild dat machine thing
dar. Spec er graveyard rabbit done
| cross yo' pahf Yo' been hyuh bout
er hour, ain yo'?"
Nearer three" said Valiant cheer
fully, but the views worth it."
A hoarse litter came from the con-
veyance, which gave forth sundry
OATS so, sub. OATS so! Hmm.
Reck'n Ahll be gittin' erlong back"
He clucked to the mule and proceed
ed to turn the vehicle round.
Hold on" cried John Valiant. 81
thought you were bound in the other
direction"
mo, sub. Ahm gwine back whah
l come f'om. All JUS druy out hyuh
case Miss Shirley done met me, ell
she says, 'Unc' Jeffe'son, yo' go
'treckly out de Red road, ease er
gemman done got stalled-ed.'"
"Oh-Miss Shirley. She told you,
did she? What did you say her first
name was?"
Oats huh fust name, Miss Shirley.
Vas, sub! Miss Shirley done said ter
me ter come en- git de gemman whut
-whut kinder dawg is yo' got dar?"
Its bulldog. Can you give me a
lift? I've got that small trunk and"
Oats right fine dawg. Miss
Shirley she moghty fond OBJ dawgs,
too"
Fond of dogs, is she?" said Va
liant. Il might have known it. 1t
was nice of her to send you here,
and my traps, | suppose"
"'Pens on whah yo' gwineter," an.
swered Uncle Jefferson sapiently.
I'm going to Damory Court.
A kind of shocked surprise that was
almost stupefaction spread over the
others face, like oil over a pool,
Danny Co'ot! OATS de old Valiant
place. Ain nobody lives dar. All
rack'n ain nobody live dar fer mos
er hun'erd yeahs!"
"The old house has great surprise
coming to it," said Valiant gravely.
'.Henceforth some one is going to oc-
cupy it. How far is it away?'
"Measurin' by de coon s,a .s en-
mile. Ain gwineter live dar yoset'
..I am for the present" was the
crisp answer.
moment with his mouth OPEN Then
calculating under his breath, 70 DE
Lawd! Whut folks gwineter say ter
dati" he shambled to the rear of the
steamer trunk.
"By the way,"John Valiant paused,
with the portmanteau in his hands
what do you ask for the job?'
The owner of the hack scratched
his grizzled head. "Ah, gently
changes er quahtah err trunk FUN de
deepo' lesn cts one OBJ dem ar rich
folks fom up Norf.'
st don't happen to be rich, so We'll
make it dollar. What makes you
think I'm from the North?"
Again the aguish mirth agitated
the other, as he put aboard hamper
and one of the motor lamps. which
Valiant added as an afterthoueht
"Ah knows et," he said ingenuously.
but All dom know why. Anil tes'
twis' er rope eroun' yo' trunk. Whut
yo' gwineter do wild dat-ar?" he
asked, pointing to the car. "Ah kin
come wild old Sukey-dat's nah mule
/ -en fotch 1t In in de mawnin'. Ain
gwineter rain ternight nohow.'-
This matter having been arranged,
they started Jogging down the green
| bordered road, the bulldog prospect
| ing alongside. A meadow-lark scared
somewhere in the overarching blue,
dropping golden notes; dusty bum
BILE bees doomed hither and thither;
| genial crickets turned their fiddles in
the tickle grass" and a hawking
dragon-fiy paused for an impudent
siesta between the mules gyrating
ears.
"S'pose'n de Co'ot done ben sold
| en- yo' gwineter fix 1t up TO de new
| ownah," hazarded Uncle Jefferson
presently.
| Valiant did not answer directly.
you say the place hasn't been occu-
| pied for many years." he observed
Did you ever hear why, Uncle JEFF
| ferson"