Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-11
THE Val JANTS OF VIRGINIA
BY HALLE ERMlNlE KlVEo
tby

telllnS you this In commence, just as
it was told to me- She didn't write a
Simply to thy cross l cling She
wears the stones yet in a bracelet"
For time the conversation i'm
guished. Then Mrs. Clifford asked
suddenly: who do you suppose she
could have been?-the girl behind
that old Valiant AFFAIR.""
Mrs. Mason shook her head. mo
one knows for certain-unless, Of
course, the major or the doctor. and
wouldn't question either of them for
worlds. You see. people had stopped
gossiping about it before | was out
of school,
But surely your husband
1.-The only quarrel we had while we
were engaged was over that | tried
to make him tell me. | imagined
from something he said then that the
young men who did know had pledged
one another not to speak of it,
81 wonder Why?" said the other
thoughtfully.
ooh, undoubtedly out of regard for
the girl. I've always thought it so
decent of them! If there was a girl
in the case, her position must haN
been unpleasant enough, if she was
not actually heartbroken, Imagine
the poor thing, knowing that wher-
ever she went, people would be say
ing: She's the one they fought the
duel over! Look at her! If she
grieved, they'd say she'd been crazy
in love with Sassoon, and point out
the dark circles under her eyes, and
wonder If she'd ever get over 1t. If
she didn't NOPE, they'd say she was
in love with Valiant and was glad II
was Sassoon who was shot If she
shut herself up. they'd say she had no
pride; if she didn't, they'd say she
had no heart 1t was far better to
cover the story up and let 1t die"
But the subject was too fascinating
for her morning visitor to abandon.
"She probably loved one of them" she
said II wonder which 1t was? I'll
ask the major when | see him. TN
not afraid. He can't eat me!
Wouldn't 1t be curious" she contin-
ued, IF it should be somebody who
lives here now-whom we've always
known! l can't think who it could
have been, though. There's Jenny
Quarles-she's eight years older than
we are, If she's day-she was nice
little thing, but you couldn't dream Of
anybody ever fighting a duel over her.
There's Polly Pendleton, and Berenice
Garland-they must have been about
the right age, and they never married
but no, it couldn't have been either
of them. The only other spinster |
can think of is Miss Matte Sue, and
she was as poor as Jobs turkey and
teaching school. Besides, she must
have been years and years too old.
Hush! There's Major Bristow at the
gate now. And the doctors just COM
ing out again"
The major wore a suit of white
linen, with a broad brimmed straw
hat and pink was in his buttonhole,
but to the observing, his step might
have seemed to lack an accustomed
jauntiness. AS he came up the path
the doctor opened his office door.
Standing on the threshold, his legs
wide apart and his hands under his
coat-tails, he nodded grimly across
the marigolds. How do you feel
this morning, major"
"Feel?" rumbled the major: "the
way any gentleman ought to feel this
time of the morning, sab. Like hell.
sah."
The doctor bent his gaze on the
hilarious blossom in the others lapel.
EFF / were you, Bristow," he said
scathingly, 81 reckon I'd quit gall
wanting around to bridge-f1ghts with
perfumery on my handkerchief every
evening. It's devil of an example
to the young.
The roclxing-chairs behind the
screening vines became motionless.
and the ladies exchanged surrepti-
tious smiles. IF the two gentlemen
were aware of each others sterling
qualities, their mutual appreciation
was in inverse ratio to it's expression.
and as the Elucnian mysteries,
cloalIed before the world. In public
the doctor was wont to remark that
the major talked like a Caesar, looked
like a piano-tuner and was the only
man he had ever seen who could
strut sitting down, Never were his
gibes so barbed as when launched
against the majors white waistcoated
and patrician calm, and conversely,
never did the majors bland suavity
so nearly approach an undignified
irritation as when receiving the en-
venomed darts of that accomplished
cynic.
The major settled his black tie. "A
little wholesome exercise wouldn't be
a bad thing for you, DOCTOR" he sad
succinctly. you are looking a shade
pasty today"
"Exercise!" snapped the other
viciousy. as he pounded down the
steps. "Ha. hal / suppose you eXer-
cise-lazying out to the Dandridses
once week TOT Julep. ana inc rest
of the time wearing out good cane
bottoms and palm-leaf fans and
cussing at the heat. You'll go OFF
with apoplexy one of these days"
81 shall if they're scared enough
to call Won" the major shot after
him. nettled. But the doctor did not
pause. He went on down the street
without turning his head.
The mapor lifted his hat CALAMITY
to the ladies'. whose presence he had
just observed 81 reckon he said,
as he found the string of his glasses
and adjusted them to gaze after the
retreating form; 'I reckon If ] did
have apopleXy, I'd want Southall to
handle the case, but the temptation
to get one in on him is sometimes a
little too much for me-"
do sit down, major" said Mrs.
Clifford There's a question I'm just
dying to ask you. We've had such an
interesting conversation. You've
heard the news, of course, that young
Mr.. Valiant is coming to Damory
Ccurt?"
ITO Be Continued Tomorrow.)