Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-30


capable generals running somewhat
ahead of the moment.
The slowing Of the car brought her
back to the present, and she looked
up to see before them the great gate
Of GLADDEN. Han. She did not speak
till thay had quite stopped.
farewell, "You are right in your de-
place. You are Valiant of Virginia.
I didn't realize it before, but l am be-
ginning to see all 1t means to YOU"
Her voice held a lingering indef1-
nable quality that was almost sadness,
and for that one slender instant, she
opened on him the unmasked batteries
Of her glorious gray eyes.
CHAPTER xXxv
"When knIghthood Was In Flower"
The Tournament Ball at Damory
Court that night was more than an
event The old mansion was an irres-
istible magnet. The floor Of it's yell
low parlor was known to be Of deli
table hugeness. It's gardens were a
legend The whole place, moreover,
was stepped in the very odor Of old
mystery and new romance. Small
wonder that to this particular affair
the elect-the major was the high
custodian of the rolls, his decisions
being as the laws of the Modes and
Persians-came gaily from the farth-
est county line, and the big houses OF
the neighborhood were crammed with
overnight guests.
BY half past nine O'Clock the phal-
anx of chaperons decreed by old GUS
tom had begun to arrive, and the
great iron gate at the foot of the drive
erect and rustless now-saw an i'm.
posing professional of carriages.
These passed up a slope as radiant
with the fairy light of paper lanterns
as q Japanese throughfare In festival
season. The colored bulbs swung
moon-like from tree and shrub, paint
ing their rainbow lusters on grass and
driveway. Under the high gray col
umns Of the porch and into the wide
door. framed in it's small loaded panes
that glowed with the merry light with
in, poured a stream Of loveliness: in
carriage-wraps Of lighe tints, collared
and edged with fur or elder. or wide
sleeved mandarin coats falling back
from dazzling Threats and arms. hair
swathed with chiffon against the
night dews, and CALAMITY cavaliered
by masculine black and white.
These from their tiring-rooms over
flowed presently, CARRIED like dreams.
to make obeisance to the dowagers and
then to drift through flower-lined cor
rdors, the foam on recurrent waves
Of discovery. Behind the rose-bower
In the hall. which shielded dozen
{<,so vi Tvs ~
tars and mandolins-came Fremont
tory chirps and shivers. which present
ly wove into the low and dreamy
melody of Carry me back to old Virs
ginia. Around the walls of the yellow
parlor, chairs stood two deep. occupied
or preempted by fan Or gloves or lacy
handkerchiefs. The floor. newly waxed
cleaned In the candle-light like beaten
moonbeafs. At It's farther end was a
low dais covered by a thin Persian
prayer-rug, where single great tap
estried chair of dull gold waited
throne-like, f1anked on either side by
the chaperons, ladies Of honor to the
queen to come.
Promptly as the clock in the hall
chimed ten, the music merged into a
march. Doors on opposite sides of the
upper hall swung wide and down the
broad staircase came, with slow step,
a stately procession: two heralds in
fawn-colored doublets with scroll and
trumpets wound with flowers, behind
them the Queen of Beauty, her finger
tips resting lightly in the hand Of the
knight Of the Crimson Rose. and these
followed by as brave concOurse Of
lords and ladies as ever graced castle
hall in the gallant days when knight
hood was In flower"
Shirley's gown was Of pure white:
her arms were swathed in tulle, cross
ed with straps of seed-pearl, over
which hung long semi-fowing sleeves
Of satin, and from her shoulders rose
stiff pointed medieval collar of Ven
etian lace, against whose pale tracer
its her bronze hair glowed with rosy
lights. The edge of the square-cut
corsage was powdered with the pearls
and against their sheen her breast and
neck had the soft creamy ivory of
magnolia buds. Her straight plain
train Of satin, knotted with fresh
white rose-buds Nancy Chalmers had
labored for a frantic half-hour in the
dressing-room for this effect) was held
ny Juc ScVeH-yedI-Olu BylCS tWlHS, Ill
beribboned knickerbockers duly i'm
pressed with the grandeur of their
privilege and grimly intent on acquit-
ting themselves with glory.
Shirley's face was still touched with
the surprise that had swept it as Vail
ant had stepped to her side. She had
looked to see him In the Conventional
panoply sober-sided masculine mode
DEGREES. What she had beheld was a
figure that might have stepped out of
an Elizabethan picture-frame. He was
in deep purple slashed with gold. A
cloak Of thin crimson velvet narrowly
edged with ermine hung from his
lined with tissue-like cloth
of-gold. From the rolling brim of his
hat swept a curling purple plume. He
wore a slender dress-sword, and an
order set with brilliants sparkled on
his breast
The costume had been one he had
worn at a fancy ball Of the winter be-
fore. It had been made from paint
ing at Windsor Of one Of the Dukes of
and it made perfect
foil for Shirley's white.
The eleven knights Of the tourney,