Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-20

he rode cursing at both. There's an
old black-gum tree mile from mere
| that they still call Devil John's tree.
! They we're lust passing under it when
the lightning struck 1t. Lightning
| has no effect on the black-gum, you
know. The bolt glanced from the tree
and struck him between the Two
slaves without harming either OF
them. 1t killed his horse, too. That s
the story. To be sure at this dat
nobody can separate fact from fiction.
Possibly he wasn't SO much worse
than the rest of his neighbors-no OF
excepting even the parsons. 'otner
times, other manners.
"They weren't any worse than the
present generation" said the doctor
inadvertently. "Your four bottle men
then knew only claret: now they
punish whislSey-straight They stu
trice up their equity legs to take ar
| ter harmless foxes. And dare say
! the women will be wearing red-heeled
slippers again next year"
The major buried his nose in his
/ iulep for o long moment before ne
| looked at the doctor blandly.
a gree with you. Southall," he said;
''but it's the first time l ever heard
you admit that much good OF your
ancestors
Good" said the doctor belligerent-
ly. me? I don't! | said people
now were no better. As FOR the men
! of that time. they were cheap sWas-
gering lot of DULLES and swash-
! buckiers When | read history I'm
ashamed to be descended from them.
az desire to inform you. sah," said
! the major. stung, that too am d
descendant d,ss of tlSse DULLES and
.swa sh- bucklers, as you call them.
| And I wish from my heart ! thought
| we. nowadays. could hold talloW-
dip to them Whatever their haolts;
| they had their ideals, and they llVed
up to them" a.
TOR with sarcasm, ITO our friend
Devil John and his ideal treatment
of his wife!"
| mo. sah." replied the major Wanlg.
"Im not referring to Devil ohll.
There were exceptions, no DOUBT, Dut
| for the most part they treated tnelf
! women folk as | believe their Mshel
made them to be treated! The nlau
who failed in his courtesy there san
was called to account for it. lie was
mighty apt to find himself standing
| in the cool dawn at the butt-eho OF
"a"
He broke off and coughed. There
was an awkward pause In when nc
set down his glass noisily and rose
and stood before the open BOOKCASE
81 envy you this. sah,' he SAID WIN
somewhat of haste. N fine old col
lection. Bless my soul, what curl
GUS volume!"
AS he spoke his hand jerked out q
heavy looking leather-back. Valiant
who had risen and stood beside him
saw instantly that what he hao
drawn from the shelf was the morocco
case that held the rusted duellng-
pistol! In the majors hands IN.
| broken box opened. A sudden star
tied look darted across his leonlne
face. With smothered exclamation he
thrust 1t back between the books ano
closed the glass door.
| Valiant had paled. His previous
finding of the weapon had escaped his
] mind. Now he read, as clearly as II
il had been printed in black-lettel
across the sunny wall, the significance
| of the majors confusion. That wea-
| non had been in his fathers hanc
when he had faced his opponent il
that fatal duel! 1t flashed across hi;
mind as the doctor lunged for his hal
and stick and got to his feet.
Come, Bristow." said the latter ir
ritably. Your feet will grow fast t.
| the floor presently. We mustn't tall
a new neighbor to death. I've got t.
/ see a patient at six