The Detroit times., 1913-10-31
CHAPTER VI.
\ VALIANT NJ NifSicls.

1oflonless, the oIeneu ietter Ia IN
ond. staring at nothing he hau th'
Rnnation, spiritually. of traVeiel
xtrnkened with rude shock annie
wholIy unfamiliar surroundings. H'
ma paseed through so many connic'
7ne states of emotion that AFTERNOON
md evening that he lert numb.
Ho was trying to remember--to pu'
Two and two together. HIS rather
3fnd been Southern born; yes, he nae
tnovn that. But he had known noun
&lnr whatever of his fathers early
.6ays. or OF his forebears; since ne
thnd been old enough 10 wonder abod'
nuch things. he had had no one 10 ass
uuestions of. There had been no pr
ISate papers or letters left tor Ms
finduk perusal II had been porne
.npon him very early that his father
Me- had not been happy one. lie
had seldom laughed, and his hair had
6oen streaked with gray. yet when lie
4 hied he had been but ten years older
Ghan the son was now.
Phrases of the letter ran through
k.Ais mind: Sometime, perhaps, you
WIN know why you are John Valiant
81f New York instead OF John Valiant
H0f Damory Court. J can not teii
Sou myself" There was some trag'
Nv, then, that had bhghted the place,
Some melancholy story" as the clip
1ng put It.
he bent over the deed spread OUT
nDon the table, following with MS
n99er the long line Of transfers. ITO
S&hn vslyante,' he muttered; what
I'd spelling. Robert valyant'-with-
ut the e. Here, In 1880, the " be-
>nn to be ~ There was some
Afng strenuous and appealing in the
cne line of dates. Valiant AL
Znyu Z Valiant. How they held on
r. Il! There's never a break"
a curious pride. newborn and self.
6cnscious. was dawning In him. He
ia descended from ancestors who
Ia been no weaklings. A Valiant
I'D settled on. those acres under a
nyal governor, before the old from
- hehting was over and the Indians
I'd ShIlenly retired to the westward.
yke Cons OF those who had braved
3<a md savages had bowed their
rung bodies and their stronger
0nrt6 TO- raxe the forests and turn
~ pr1meval jungles into golden plan
nkiono. Except as regarded his faith
valiant had never known ances-
I'll pride before. He had been proud
rf his strong and healthy frame. Of
n ebility to ride dragon. uncon-
gtously, perhaps, little proud of his
nalth. But pride in the larger
nse, reverence for the past based
Don = respect for ancient lineage, he
~ never known until this moment
Where was his facetious concept OF
lxg1nia now? He remembered his
knr4Cterization OF II with wincing
af-humorous notification slen.
~ heedle-prick Of shame. The
pty xpretensions. subsisting on the
1niahed glories of the past, had sur
onH acquired character and mean
&G. He himself was a virginian.
There below him stretched the
EUat eanoned city, It's avenues roar
~ with nightly gaiety, It's roadways
01Eht with the beams OF shutting
oGoro, It's theaters and cafes bril-
mt with women in throbbing hues
"a men In black and white, and its
3roat White Way" blazing with In
16eocents, fnterminable and allur-
on ap0theoeis OF fevered move
INT and hectic color. He knew
0denly that he was sick of Il all I:
IL jo9kle and glitter. its mad race af.
II bubbles. its hideous underestimate
ntr1cts Of wealth and squalor. its
kowarm friendships and false
Gnnddfds which he had been so bit.
oeiy unlesrning. He knew that, for
his self-pity, he was at heart full
= tired longing for wide uncrowd-
n&ture, for green breezy inter-
Mes and sky Of untainted sunlight
~ peaceful stars.
There stole into his mood an eery
nGgestion Of intention. Why should
- date assigned for that deeds de-
4oFy have been the very day on
Afch he had elected poverty! Here
- REORGANIZATION as pointed as the
4ex-hnger Of guide-post Every
nnm carries his fate" he repeated,
IN = riband about his neck Chum,
- you believe in fate?"
&of answer the bulldog. cooking an
!ogt oye on his master, discontinued
- occupatfon--a conscientious IL un-
4ccessful mastication OF the flattish
ncket that had fallen from the folded
oed-end with much SOLICITORS tail.
Agg1ng, brought the sodden thing in
- mouth and put II into the out
totched hand.
AtD master unrolled the pulpy wad
'extracAted the object II had en-.
edr-an old-fashioned iron door
After time Valiant thrust the kew
80 hi pocket. and rising, went to a
<Epnk that lay against the wall
zcnng In a portfolio, he took out
emaIl old-fashioned photograph
Qch battered and soiled II had been
4 from a larger group and the name
tie photographer had been erased
Um the back. He set II upright on
~ deek. and bending forward. looked
~ ~ the face II disclosed n was
~ Only rfcture he had ever pos
p1od Of his father.
1Ie turned and looked into the glass
80 The dresser The features were
~ oome. eyes, brow. lips. and stronr
MING hair. But for It's time-sta,ns
poCtograph might have been one
ASneelf, taken yesterday.
yof on hour he sat in the brivh,
1T teirkipg the pictured face prop
l "a the desk before him. the do,
n9E1ed against his knee
CHAPTER VII.
On the Red Road.
me green. mid-Mav virrinian after
~ wss arched With a skv as blu