The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-11-07
CHAPTER XVI.
The Echo.


CHAPTER XVI.
The Echo.
When the major entered his room
Joreboam his ancient body-servant
vas dawdling about putting things 10
rights, his scanned visage under his
white wool suggesting a charred
stump beneath q crisp pOwdering Of
snow. ledge Chalmahs done tellfoem
ter ak 20 ovah ter GLADDEN. Hall ter
suppah ternight. subj" he said. DE
jetge low he gwine git chen wild 20
To- DAT las game OBJ pokah when 70
done lam him.
Tell him not tonight. Jerry" said
the other YEARLY. Some other time.
The old dsrky ruminated as no plod-
ded down to the doctors telephone,
Whit de mattah now? He got dat
ar way-off-yondah look ergen." Hs
shook his head forebodingly. "Ah,
heahed he hummin dat tune when he
drcsa hisse'f dis mawnin'. Sing befo
70 eat, cry befo yo sleep!"
The major had. indeed. a far-away
look as he sat there, heavy lonely
f0GNre that bright morning. II had ship
ped to his face with the news OF the
arrival at Damory Court. He told
himself that he felt queer. A mock
ing-bird was singing in tulip-tree
outside and the gray cat sat on the
window-sill. watching the foliage with
blinking lust. There was no breeze
and the leaves OF the Virginia creeper
that curled about the sash were trem-
bling with the sensuous delight OF the
sunshine. Suddenly he seemed to
hear elfin voices close to his ear:
Which was it she lovedi Valiant
or SEASON."
1t was so distinct that he started
vexed and disturbed. Really, It was
absurd. He would be seeing things
next, "Southall may be right about
that exercise" he muttered; I'll wall
more He began the projected re
form without delay, striding up and
down the room. But the little voices
presently sounded again, shouting like
gromes inside hill:
Which was It? Valiant or Sas
soon?"
IL wish to God l knew" said the
major roughly, standing still. 1t ST.
fenced them. but the sound OF his own
voice. ns though 1t had been a pre-
concerted signal, drew together a hun
dred inchoate images of other days,
There was the wellordered garden
Of Damory Court--it rose up gloomy
with night shadows, across his great
clothes-press against the wall--with
himself sitting on a rustic bench smck
Ing and behind him the candlelighted
library window with Beauty Valiant
pacing up and down, waiting for day
i1nh xUn n ItsvxHt <<H a. t<n6
between two hemlocks, with Southall
and he measuring the ground-the
grass all dewy sparkles and an early
robin lettering on thornbush. Eight
I--nine-ten-he caught himself count
Ing the PAGES.
He wiped his forehead Between
the heml0cks now we're two figures
facing each other. one twitching un-
certainly. the other palely rigid: and
at one side. held screen-wise q rails
ed umbrella. In some ghostly way he
could see right through the latter
see the doctors hand gripping the
handle. his own outstretched beyond
It's edge. holding handkerchief ready
to nutter down. A silly subterfuge
those umbrellas, but there must be
no actual witnesses to the final act OF
a "gentlemen's meetin." A SILLY code,
the whole Of It. now happily outgrown!
He thought thus with kind OF dumb
irrftant wonder, while the green pic
ture hung a moment--as q stone
thrown In air hangs poised 1t heigh.
before II falls-then dissolved itsolf
In two sharp crackles, with q gaping
interval between. The scene blurred
into c single Squire budding down
budding down
which did she love-" The major
shook his head holplessly. It was, AZ
ter all. only the echo, become all at
once audible on q shallow woman's
hips, Of q question that had always
haunted him. II had 1rst como to him
on the heels Of that duel, when he bad
stood. somewhat lator that hateful
morning, holding q saddled horse be-
fore the big pallard porch. II had whis-
pered itself then from every moving
leaf. "6assoon or Valiant" II she
had loved Sassoon. Of what use the let
tor Valiant was % long penning In
tho library? Buff It were Valiant
she loved? The man who, having
sworn not to lift his hand against the
other, had broken his sacred word to
her! Who had stained the unwritten
code by facing an opponent maddened
with hquor! Yet, what was there q
woman might not condone In the one
man? Would she read. forgive and
send for him?
Tho major laughed out suddenly.
harshly, In the quiet room, and looked
down as II he expected to SEQ that
letter still lying in his hand. But
tho laugh could not still q regular