Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-28
THE VALIANTS OF VIRGINIA

pack with their pixies thus braceleted
had spent long hours in practise, and
each rode as naturally as he breathed
YET more than once a horse SHE'D In
Intercourse and at the too eager
thrust OF the spur bolted through the
ropes. valiant made his first essay
-and missed-with the blood singing
IN MS ears. The ring flew from his
PIKE. catching him swinging blow
On lhe temple in its rebound, but he
e.cely Ielt It, As he cantered back
ne neard the majors bass hitting him
against the field, and for a moment
again the spot of blue seemed TO
spread over all the watching stand
ana then, suddenly stand and field
an vanished. He saw only, the long
ieVei rope-lined lane with its twink
ing mid-air point An exhilaration
Gdusht MN at the feel of the splendid
nurse nesh beneath him-that sense
u u oneness with the creature he
. Desti9 , Whlch the instructive horse
hefted it, seeking it's. absolute hal
ance, feeling its point as a fencer with
MS rapler. When again the blood
red sash streamed away the hera1d's
cry, knight of the Crimson RoseE
One! set the field hand-clanning.
from the next joust, also, Valiant
returned with the gage upon his lance.
Two mad gone to the champion of
Castlewood and two to SCATTERING rid
ers. When Valiant won his fourth
the grand stand Numbered with an
plause. ~P
Katherine Fargo was watching with
gaze that held a curious puzzIe
After that recognition of the White
Knight, Judge Chalmers had told in
few words the story of Damorv
Court. its ancient history, the nm
happy duel that had sent its owner
into Northern exile, and the sons
surprised her. Her fathers anpre-
ciative chuckle that 1.-The Young
vagabond seemed after all to have
fallen on his feet had left her
strangely silent. She was undergoing
curious mental bouleversement,
Valiant's passionate defense of his
father in that fierce burst of anger
In the court room had at first start
led her with its sense of unsupported
force. Later, however, she had come
to think it theatric and overdrawn,
| and she had heard of his quixotic
surrender of his fortune with a WON
der not unmixed with an almost pity
Ing scorn. She despised eccentricity
as much as she respected wealth, and
the act had seemed a ridiculous i'm
pulse or silly affectation destined
to be repented long and bitterly in
cold blood. So she had thought of
him since his evanishment with
regret less sharp for being glozed
with certain contempt.
The discovery of him today had
dissipated this. She had an unerring
sense of social values and she made
no error in her estimate of the peo-
pie by whom she was now surround
ed The recital of the Valiant gen.
erations, the size of the estate, the
position into which it's heir had step
ped by very reason of being who he
was, appealed to her instinct and
imagination and respect for blood.
She had a sudden conception of new
values, beside which money counted
little. The last of a line more an
cient than the state itself, master of
a homestead famous throughout its
borders, John Valiant doomed larger
in her eyes at the moment than ever
before.
The trumpet again pealed its silvery
proclamation. Judge Chalmers was
on his feet. Fifty to ten on the
Crimson Rose" he cried. This time,
called again, but none heard him; the
last tits were too absorbing.
Where had John Valiant learned
that trick of the loose wrist and in
flexible thrust, but at the fencing
club? Where that subconsciotIs
management of the rein, that
nice gage of speed and dis
tance, but on the polo field?
The old sports stood him now
in good stead. why, he has seat
like a centaur!" exclaimed thesjudge-
fnd -, MI ~ trha
riding was a passion and horse-
flesh a fetish
"Oh, dearl" mourned Nancy Chal-
mers. 1--WE bet six pairs of gloves on
Quint Carter. Never mind; If 1t has
to be anybody else, I'd rather it were
Mr. Valiant. It's about time Damory
Court got something after Rip-Van-
Winkling it for thirty years. Besides.
he's giving us the dance. and ] love
him for that! Qunt still has a
chance. though: If he takes the
Katharine looked at her with lit.
tie smile. He won't miss" she said.
She had seen that look on his face
before and read 1t Alright. John
Valiant had striven in many contests,
not only of skill but of strength and
daring, before crowded grand stands.
But never in all his life had he so
desired to pluck the prize. His grip
was tense on the lance as the yellow
doublet and olive plume of Castle
wood shot away for a last time-and
failed. An instant later the Knight
of the Crimson Rose flashed down the
lists with the last ring on his pike.
And the tourney was won.
In the shouting and hand clapping
Valiant took the rose from his hat
band and bound it with shred OF
his sash to his lance-point. AS he
rode slowly toward the massed stand,
the whole field was so still that he
could hear the hoofs of the file of
knights behind him. The people were
on their feet.
The mounted herald blew his blast.
by the Majesties of st. Michael and
st. George he proclaimed. II de-
clare the Knight of the Crimson Rose
the victor of this our tourney, and
do charge him now to choose his
Queen of Beauty, that all may do her
homage!"
(To Be. Continued Tomorrow