Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-01
THE VALIANTS OF VIRGINIA
BY HALLE ERMINIE RIvES
Copyright by Bobbs- Merrill Co.


life To step into it from New York
is like coming out of a dollhouse into
the spring out-of- doorsi 1t makes
our city existence seem so sordidly
artificial You have chosen right"
II know it, And yet two months
ago a life hundred miles from the
avenue would have seemed a sad ana
sandy Sahara. know better now"
II have been listening to paens all
the evening"" she said. And you de-
serve them. It's fine big thing you
are attempting-the restoring of this
old estate. And l know you nave
even bigger plans. too"
He nodded. suddenly serious and
thoughtful. There's a lot I'd like to
do. It's not only the house and
grounds. There are j. . other things.
For instance, back on the mountain
ON my own land--is a settlement
they call Hell's Half Acre PROBABLY
it he's well earned the name It's d
wretched collection of novels and
surly men and drabs of women ana
unkempt children, the poorest OF poor
whites Not one of them can read OF
write, and they live like animals. II
I'm ever able, l mean to put
manual lTd1nlHB SShooi Up 'hSAN'
then"
He ended with a half laugh, sud
denly conscious that he was talking
in a language she would scarcely
understandable fact, in a tongue new
to himself. But there was no smile
on her lips and her extraordinary
eyes-cool gray, shot through with
emerald-were looking into his With
frankness and sympathy he would
not have guessed lay beneath her
glacial plac.dity.
To Katharine, indeed. it made little
difference what philanthropic fads the
man she had chosen might anect as
regarded his tenantry. Amoitions
like these had a manorlal flaVor tnat
did not displease her. And the Fargo
millions would bear much harmless
hammering. A change, subtle ana
incommunicab passed over her.
II shall think of you, she signed,
"as working on in this splendid pro
gram. For it is splendid. But New
York will miss you, john.
"Ah. no. I've no decisions on that
score | dare say I'm almost forgot
ten there already. Here l have a
place"
Her head, leaned back against the
cushion. turned toward him, the pale
orchids trembling on her bosom-she
was so near that he could feel her
breath on his cheek. A new waltz
had begun to sigh its dangerous
measures.
place %, she queried. DO you think
YOU had no place there? Is 1t possible
that you do not understand that your
going has left--a void?'
He looked at her suddenly and her
ewes fell. No sophisticated blusning
this. though it was by Such enectiVe
employment of her charms that her
wonderful body and plant mind had
been drilled and fashioned from her
babyhood. Katharine at the moment
was as near the luxury of real en-
barra ssment as she had ever been in
her life
Before he answered, however, the
big form of Major BristoW appeared,
looking about him.
1T has-left void" she said, her
ewes still downcast, her voice just
low enough-'for me-"
The MOTOR bounced upon them at
this juncture. feelingly accusing Jonn
of the nefarious design OF ropplng
the assemblage of it's bright and par
ticular star. When Katharine put her
hand in her cavaliers arm her eyes
were deWy under their long, shading
lashes and her fine lips ever so little
tremulsus. 1t had been her best
available moment, and she had used
it. -
AS she moved away. her faint color
slightly heightened, she was glad of
the interruption. 1t was better as
it was. When John Valiant came to
her again
But to him.. as he stood watching
her move lightly from him. there was
youchsafed illumination. 1t came to
him suddenly that that placidity and
hauteur which he had admired in the
old days were no mask for fires with
in. The exquisite husk was the real
Katharine. Hers was the loneliness
of some tall white lily cut in marble,
splendid. but chill. And with the
thought. between him and her there
swept through the shimmering, can
dle-lighted air a breath of wet ro'
fragrance like an impalpable cloud,
and set in the midst of it a misty.
star-tinted gown sprayed with lilies
of the valley, and above it a girls
face clear and vivid, her deep, shad-
ow-blue eyes fixed on his.
The music of a two-step was Ian
gushing when, a little later, john
Valiant and Shirley strolled down
between the garden box hedges, cy-
press-shaped and lifting spire-like
toward a sky which bent silent
canopy of mauve and purplish blue
The moon drowsed between the trees
like a great yellow moth, and the
shadows of the branches lay on the
ground like sharp blush etchings
on light green paper. Behind them
Damory Court lay a nest of woven
music and laughter. The long, white
muslined porch shimmered goldenly
and beside it under the lanterns dali
lied f1irtatious couple or two, ghost
like in the shadows
Peace brooded over all. vast sweet
silence creeping through the trees
only here and there the twitter oil
waking bird-and around them was
the glimmer of tall flowers standing
like pensive moon-w orshippers in ar
ecstacy of prayerless bloom.
Come" he said, 'let me take you
to see the sun dial now"
The tangle had been cut away and
narrow gravel path led through the
pruned creepers. She made an excla-
nation of delight. The onyx pillar
stood in an oasis of white-moon-
flowers, white dahlias, mignonette
and narcissus; bars of late lilies OF
the valley beyond these. bordered
with Arum lilies, white clematis, iris