Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-13

Court"
LAS little girl she went on, 81
had very vivid imagination, and
when l came here to play | used to
imagine | could see them, Valiant so
handsom-his nickname was Beauty
Valiant-and Sassoon. How awful to
come to such lovely spot, just be-
cause of a young mans quarrel, and to
to kill ones friend! | used to Won
der if the sky was blue that day and
whether poor Sassoon looked up at
it when he took his place: and whom
Had he parents?'
mo, neither Of them had, | believe.
But there might have been some one
else,-some one he cared for and who
cared for him. That was the last
duel ever fought in Virginia. Dueling
was a dreadful custom. I'm glad it's
gone. Aren't you?"
Yes" he said slowly, ut was
thing that cut two ways. Perhaps
Valiant, if he could have had his choice
afterward, would rather have been
lying there that morning than Sas-
soon"
He must have suffered, too" she
agreed, cor he wouldn't have exiled
himself as he did. l used to wonder
If it was love-quarrel-whet they
could have been in love with the same
woman
But why should he-go away"
81 can't imagine, unless she had
really loved the other man. If so,
she couldn't have borne seeing Valiant
afterward." She paused with little
laugh. But them" she said, at may
have been nothing so romatic. Perhaps
they quarreled over cards or differed
as to whose horse was the better
jumper. Valiant's grandfather, who
have called a man out because he
rode past him on the wrong side Our
ancestors in Virginia, I'm afraid,
didn't stand on ceremony when they
felt uppish."
He did not smile. He was looking
out once more over the luminous
stretch of fields, his sideface toward
her. Curious and painful questions
were running through his brain. With
an effort, he thrust these back and re-
called his attention to what she was
saying.
you wonder, suppose, that we feel
as we do toward these old estates, and
set store by them, and-yes, and brag
of them insufferably as we do But
it's in our blood We love them as
the English do their ancient manors.
They have made our legends and our
history. And the history of Vir-
ginia-"
She broke off with a shrug and,
more himself now, he finished for her:
isn't exactly trifling part Of the
history of these United States. You
are right
"You Northerners think we're des-
perately conceited," she smiled, 'but
it's true. We're still as proud Of our
land, and its old, old places, and love
them as well as our ancestors ever
did We wouldn't change a line of
their stately old pillars or a pebble
of their darling horny gardens. Do
you wonder we resent their passing to
people who don't care for them in the
Southern way?'
But suppose the newcomers do care
for them?"
Her lips curled. "a young mil
lionaire who has lived all his life in
New York, to care for Damory Court!
A youth idiotically rich, brought up in
a superheated atmosphere of noise and
He started uncontrollably So that
was what she thought! He felt him
self flushing. He had wondered what
would be his impression Of the neigh
borhood and it's people; their possible
opinion of himself and had never &C.
Cured to him.
why" she went on, hes never
cared enough about the place even to
come and see it. For reasons of his
own-good enough ones, perhaps, &C
cording to the papers,-he finds him
self tired of the city. I can imagine
him rejecting" With hooking
of a brown-study, she put
her hand to her brow. pushing i'm
patiently back the hayward luster:
" Let me see. Don't I own an estate
somewhere in the south? Ah-ha! yes.
If I remember, it's in Virginia. I'll
send down and fix up the old howell
Then he telephones for his architect
to run down and see what improve
ments' it needs. And--her you are."
He laughed shortly-a tribute to
her mimicry-- but it was a difficult,
laugh. The desperately ennuyee pose,
the lax drawl, the unaccustomed men,
tai effort and the sudden self-con-
gratulatory "ah-ha!"-hitting off to a
hair the lackadaisical boredom Of the
haplessly rich young boulevardier-
this was the countrysides pen-picture
of him.
Don't you consider longing for
nature wholesome sign?"
"Perhaps. The vagaries of the rich
are always suggestive.'
"You think there's no chance of his
choosing to stay here because he
actually likes it,"
Not the slightest" she said indif-
ferently.
'YOu are so certain Of this without
ever having seen him."
She glanced at him covertly, annoy
eddy sensible Of the improperly Of the
discussion. since the man discussed
was certainly his patron, maybe his
friend. But his insistence had aroused
a certain bally wilfulness that would
have it's way IT'S true I've never
Il; ,,,S cl Il