The Detroit times., 1913-11-20
CHAPTER xxxil.
4 (ContlnuOd.)

(contInusd.)
But fer this distraction. he migh'
have seen, entering the stand with tnt
Chalmers just as the band struck ~
delirious whirl OF Dixie, the twt
strangers whom the doctor had Oh
served an hour before as the,
whirlsd by the Merryweather Mason
house behind the judges grays. Silai
Fargo might have passed In any gath
erinS for the unobtrusive city man
Katharine was noticeable anywhere
and today her tall willowy figure In
It's champagne-color lingerie gown and
ha, garnished with bronze and gold
thstles. setting In relief her ivory
sRtuesQue face drew wave OF WINS
lered comment which left sibiian'
yake behind them. The party maue
! picturesque group as they now dis
posed themselves. Katharines coior
less loneliness contrasting with the
eager sparkle Of pretty Nancy Chal
aiers and the gipsy-like beauty oil
Betty Page.
"You call It tournament. don't
you" asked Katharine OF the Judge
eyes," he replied. ITS kind oi
contest I'm which twelve riders com
pete for the privilege OF naming a
Queen OF Beauty. There's a ball to-
night, at which the lucky lady Is
! crowned. Those little tents are
where the noble knights don their
| shining armor. See, there go their
taparisoued chargers"
A file OF negroes was Approaching
| The tents. each leading horse whose
kaddle and bride were decorated with
lringes OF various hues In the Cen
Ter OF the roped lists, directly In front
bf the stand, others were planting up
Fight In the ground tall pole from
whose tor projected horizontal arm
ike a slender gallows. From this
WAS suspended cord at whose end
swung tiny object that whirled and
FILTERED In the sun.
The jadge explained. ION the end
Of the cord is silver ring. at which
the KNIGHTS tilt with lances. Twelve
rings are used The pike-points are
made b At them. and the knight who
carries of the greatest number OF the
twelve Is the victor The whole thing
Is a custom as ancient as Virginia
IA rslic. Of course. OF the old 1oust-
ing d the feudal ages. The rins Is
supposed to represent the device on
the 5oss OF the shield at which the
lanG-thrust was aimed"
"Jow tnteresting," exclaimed Kath-
ariie, and turning, swept the stand
wild her lorgnette II suppose all
thu county's r. VS. are here" she
san laughingly To Nancy Chalmers
"Ike often wondered, by the way.
Wat became OF the second families
of Virginia"
rob. they've mostly emigratcd
hnt are left are all ancient. There
Ire families here that don't admit
hey ever began at ALL"
Silas Fargo shook his stopped
houlders with laughter up north,
e said. genially. we've got regular
hctories that turn out ready made
amily.trees for anybody who wants
o roost in one"
Betty Page turned her piqunnt
brown face toward him rehectiycly.
Ah, do think you no'therners are
wonderful" she said In her lansnor-
bus Carolinian, "at being just what
you want to be, All met no'thern
Eyrl once at White Sulphur Springs
who said such clever things. and All
hsked her, How did you ever learn
10 talk like you, dor What do you
Fcckon the cyril said? She said she
had to be clever because her nose
WAS 90 big. She tried wearing tricky
little hats and follow-me-in-the-
Twilight expression. but II made her
seem ridiculous. SO she finally thought
|of brains and epigrams, and took to
freading Bernard Shaw and Walter
Pater, and 1t worked fine. She said
)trouble suited her profile, and she'd
discovered people looked twice at sal
eyes, SO she'd cultivated q pensive
look for yeahs. All think that was
mighty bright, Down south we're
too lazy to work over ourselves that
way
And now over the futtering stand
and the crowd about the barriers, a
stir was discernible Katharine
looked again at the field. who Is
THAT splendid big old man giving d.
rections? The one who looks iiKo
lion. He's coming this way now"
That Major Montague Bristow."
eaid the Judge. Hes been mastei CT
the heralds for years. The tourna-
ment could hardly happen without the
major."
'l'm sure I'd like him." she an
swered. What a lovely girl he Ia
talking to-"
II was Shirley who had beckonei
the major from the lists. She was
leaning over the railing. "Why has
Ridgeley Pendleton left?" she asked
In q low voice. Isn't he one of the
twelve?"
"He was. But he's III. He wasn't
feeling up to 1t when he came. but
he didn't give up till half an hour
ago. Well have to get along with
eleven knights"
She made an exclamation Of dis
may. poor Ridge! And what q
pityi There have never been less
than the full number. II will spoil
the royal Quadrille tonight. too. Why
doesn't the committee choose some
one In his placer"
"Too late Besides, he would have
no costume"
"Surely that's not so important as
filling the Round Table?"
"It's too bad. But I'm afraid It
cant be helped"
She bent still closer. Listen.
why not ask Mr.. Valiant? He is
our host tonight. I'm sure he'd be
glad to help out, even without the
COSTUME"
"Dgad!" he said, pulling his I'M
nerial. "None of us had thought of
lxSsn coV1A rfda DaoIlaS IN