The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-11-06
CHAPTER XIV.

The brown ivied house I'm the VIII
lage was big and square and faced
| the sleepy street. It's front was gay
with pink oleanders In green tubs
and the yard spotted with annual en-
campments of geraniums and mari
Colds. A one-storied wing contained
small door with doctor brass
plate on the clapboarding beside it.
Doctor Southall was one OF Mrs. Mer-
lIsweather Mason's paying guests-for
she would have deemed the word
bOarder n gratuitOus insult, no less
to them than to her. Another was
the major, who for decade had &C.
cupied the big, old-fashoned corner
room on the second floor, compan-
Toned by a monstrous gray eat ard
waited on by an ancient Negro nam
ed Jereboam, who had been a slave
CT his fathers.
| The doctor was "A sallow, taciturn
man with "a saturnine face, eyebrows
| like frosted thistles, mouth as il
made with one quick knife-slash, and
head nearly bald, set on a neck
that would not have disqualified a
yearling OK His broad shoulders
were slightly stopped and his mouth
resentful, half sardonic. conveying a
cynical opinion OF the motives OF the
race In general and OF the special de-
pravity OF that particular countryside
| Altogether he eXhaled IN air In con-
trast to which the majors old-school
blend of charm and courtesy seemed
an almost ribald frivolity.
On this particular morning neither
| the major nor the doctor was In EVIL
dence, the former having gone out
early, and the latter being at the mo-
ment in his Office, as the brassy buzz
of telephone from time to time an
nounced Two OF the green wicker
rocking-chairs on the porch, however
were in agitant cOmmotion. Mrs
Mason was receiving caller in the
person of Mrs Napoleon Clifford.
The latter had middle-aged affec-
ton for baby-blue and devouring
penchant for the ages and antecedents
OF others, at times irksome to those
to whom her Let me see. You went
to school with my first husbands Sis
ter. didn't you?" or your daughter
Jane must have been married the
year the old Israel Stamper place was
burned" were unwelcome reminders
OF the pace of time Today, OF course
the topic was the new arrival at
Damory Court.
After all these years." the visitor
was saying In her customary italics.
(The broad IA" which lent dulcet
scftness to the speech of her hostess
was scorned by Mrs. Poly, her own
as being as narrow as the needle
through which the rich man reaches
!, heaven.) I'VE came here from Rich
mond when | was br1de-that
twenty-one years ago-and Damory
Court was forsaken then. And tnink
what a condition the house must be
in now Cared for by an agent who
comes every other season from New
York. Trust man to do work ike
that"
I'm glad Valiant is to occupy it,
remarked Mrs Mason in her sweet.
see any one else there. For, after
ALL the valiants were gentlemen"
Mrs. Clifford shifted Would YOU
have called Devil John Valiant gen
tleman? Why, he earned the name
by the dreadful things he did. My
grandfather used to say that when
his wife lay sick-he hated her, you
know--he would gallop his horse with
all his hounds full-cry after him UNI
der her windows. Then that CHASTITY
story of the slave he pressed to death
in the hogshead of tobacco"
Il know" acduiesced Mrs. Mason.
"He was a cruel man, and wicked,
too. Yet OF course he was a gentle
man. IN the South the test of a gen
tleman has never been what he does,
but who he is. DevilJohn was splen-
did for all his wickedness. He wal
the best swordsman In all Virginia.
1t used to be said there was por-
trait of him at Bnmory Court, and
that during the war. in the engage
ment on the hillside, bullet took
out one OF its eyes. But his grand.
son, Beauty Valiant. who lived at
Damory Court thirty years ago, wash
his type at all. He was only twenty
five when the duel occurred.
He must have been brilliant" said
the visitor, ITO have founded that
great corporation. It's pity the son
didn't take after him. Have you seen
the papers lately? Ii seems that
though he was to blame for the
wrecking of the concern, they can't
do anything to him. Some technical
ity in the law, suppose. But II
man Is only rich enough they cant
convict him of anything. Why he
should suddenly make up his mind TO
come down here l can't see with
that old affair OF his fathers behind
him, should think he's prefer Pata-
gonia"
Il take 1t then. madam. Doctor
Southalrs forbidding voice rose from
the doorway, that you are familiar
with the circumstances of that old al
fair, as you term it,"
The lady bridled. Her passages at
arms with the doctor did not invaria-
Dly tend to sweeten her disposition.
I'm sure ! only know what people
cay" she said.
"People?" snorted the doctor iras-
chilly. "Just another name for a com
munity that's a perfect sink Of mean
;,ess and malice. II one believed a'I
he heard here he'd quit speaking 70
his own grandmother"
you will admit, I suppose" said
Mrs. Clifford with some spirit, that
the name Valiant isn't what II used
to be in this neighborhood?"
II will, madam" responded the doc
tor When Valiant left this place
Ca mark of good taste. I've always
considered ~ he left II the worse, n
possible. for his departure. Your re-
mark. however, would seem to imply