Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-08-14

eral, and MISS Mdllle '2NS
particular have adopted her.
He hardly heard her words for the
nainf11 wonder that was holding MN
He had convassed many theories TO
explain his fathers letter but such
a thing as a duel he had never re-
moteIv imagined. His father nau
taken a mans life. Was 1t TINS
thoupht-whateve the proVocatloh:
however justified by the customs o.
the time and sectlon-thal hao
driven him to self-exlleY he re-
called himself with an ettorl lor sii'
was speaking again
you've found Lovers Leap ~
doubt?" 1,,o
been so far from the house, Is Is
near here?"
"I'll show it to you" She held out
her hand for the bunch of Jessamlne
and laid it on the board roots OF
tree that were mottled with hcnen'
isn't that a beauty"
She was pointing to a jimson-weed
on which had settled, with CLASSY
wings vibrating, a long, ungainly,
needlelike insect with an odd sword
like beak what is that?" he asked.
"A snake doctor. If Unc' Jefferson
were here he's say, 'Bettah watch
~out Dah's er snek roun' eroout
heah, shot, He'll fill you full of
darby superstitions
He shrugged his shoulders. m
being introduced to them hourly I've
met the graveyard rabbit-one of
them had hoodooed my motor yes
terday. I'm to carry a buckeye in
my pocket-by the way, is a buck
eye a horse-chestnut?-if l want to
escape rheumatism. I've learned that
it's bad luck to make a bargain on
Friday and the weepy conse-
quenees of singing before breakfast"
A bluejay darted by them, to perch
on Limb and eye them saueily
And the jay-bird! He goes to hell
every Friday noon to carry brim-
stone and tell the devil what folks
have been up to-"
certainly learning fast. When l was
little l used to be delighted to see
a blue-jay in the cedars on Friday
afternoon. 1t was a sign we'd been
so good there was nothing to tell
Follow me now and I'll show you
the view from Lovers Leap. But
look down. Don't lift your eyes till
I tell you"
He dropped his gaze to the small
brown boots and followed, his eyes
catching low side glimpses of woodsy
eAN PPehh6iCd NdICe OIL the
lear shadows, chameleon lizard
whisking through roots of the brack-
en- the creamy wavering wings of a
Whlte moth resting on a dead stump.
suddenly the slim path between the
trees look turn, and fell away at
their feet. There" she said. "This
is the finest view at Damorv Court "
They stood on the edge of stony
raVine which widened at one end to
swallow marshy valley. The rocks
were covered with gray green feath-
cry creepers, enwound with curly vel
low tendrils of love-vine. Across the
raVlne, on lower level, began
grove of splendid trees that marched
up into the long stretch of neglected
Forest he had seen from the house
Looking down the valley fields of
young tobacco lay tier on tier, AMI
beyond, in the very middle of the
mellow vaporous distance, lifted the
tapeflng tower of far-off church.
hazlly outlined against the azure.
You love it?' he asked. without
Withdrawing his eyes.
I've loved it all my life. | love
everything about Damory Court
Ruined as it is, it is still one of the
most beautiful estates in all Virginia
There's nothing finer even in Italv.
Just behind us, where those hemlocks
stand. is where the duel the children
spoke of was ought"
He turned his head. "TeIl me about
it" he said.
She glanced at him curiously.
Didn't you know? That was the
reason the place was abandoned. VAL
liant, who lived here, and the owner
of another plantation, who was
named Sassoon, quarreled. They
fought, the story is, under those big
hemlock trees. Sassoon was killed"
He looked out across the distance:
he could not trust his face. And
Valiant?"
He went away the same day and
never came back; he lived in New
York till he died. He was the father
OF the courts present owner. You
never heard the story?'
NO" he admitted. It'll ouite
Court"
"As a little girl" she went on. 81
had very vivid imagination, and
when l came here to play 1 used 10
imagine l could see them, Valiant SO
handsome-his nickname was Beauty
Valiant-and Sassoon. How awful r.
come to such lovely spot, just be-
cause OF a young mans quarrel and
toto kill ones friend / used to
wonder If the sky was blue that day
and whether poor Sassoon looked up
at 1t when he took his place, and
whom else he thought Nof that last
moment"
Had he parents?"
No, neither of them had, believe;
but there might have been some ona
else-some one he cared for and who
cared for him. That was the last
duel ever fought in Virginia Duel
ing was a dreadful custom. I'm glad
it's gone. Aren't you p"
Yes" he said slowly, sit was a
thing that cut two ways. Perhaps
Valiant. If he could have had his
choice afterward, would rather have
been lying there that morning than
Sassoon."
He must have suffered, too" she
agreed, "or he wouldn't have exiled
himself as he did. used to wonder
II IL was lo"@-c arre1 -rrn.
they could have been in love with
the same woman"