Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-09

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 a caller in the
person of Mrs. Napoleon Clifford.
The latter had a middle-aged ar
Election for baby-blue and devouring
Ipenchant for the ages and antecedents
!of others, at times irksome to those
to whom her LET me see. You went
ito school with my first husbands SIS
ter, didn't your" or "Your daughter
Jane muht 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 "a" which lent a dulcet
softness to the speech of her hostess
was scorned by Mrs. Poly, her own
'a's' being as narrow as the needle
through which the rich man reaches
!heaven.) 1--WE came here from Rich
mond when was bride-that's TWEEN
ty-one years ago-and Damory Court
was forsaken then. And think 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 like that"
"I'm glad a Valiant is to occupy it, y
remarked Mrs. Mason in her sweet
fute-lke voice. ut would be sad to
see any one else there. For after all,
the Valiants we're gentlemen"
Mrs. Clifford shifted would you
have called Devil-John Valiant a gen.
tleman? Why, he earned the name by
the dreadful things he did. My grand
father 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 under her
windows. Then that CHASTITY story OF
the slave he pressed to death in the
hogshead Of tobacco"
81 know" acquiesced Mrs. Mason.
I
Yet Of course he was gentleman. In
he south the test Of gentleman has
never been what he does, but who he
is. Devil-John was splendid, for all
Ibis wickedness. He was the best
Iswordsman in all Virginia. 1t used to
be said there was portrait OF him al
Damory Court, and that during the
war, in the engagement on the hillside
bullet took out one Of its eyes. But
Ibis grandson, Beauty Valiant, who
lived at Damory Court thirty years ago.
wasn't his type at all. He was only
twenty-five when the duel occurred"
"He must have been brilliant" said
the visitor, 'to have founded that
great corporation It's pity the son
didn't take after him. Have you seen
the papers lately? 1t seems that
though he was to blame for the wreck
ling of the concern they can't do any
thing to him. Some technicality in the
law, I suppose. But if a man Is only
rich enough they can't convict him OF
anything. Why he should suddenly
make up his mind to come down here
+ can't see. With that old affair of
his fathers behind him. should think
he'd prefer Patagonia
~ take it. then, madam" Doctor
Southalps forbidding voice rose from
the doorway, that you are familiar
with the circumstances Of that old
affair, as you term it?"
The lady bridled. Her passages at
arms v3h the doctor did not invari:
ably tend to sweeten her disposition.
I'm sure | only know what people
!say,' she said.
"People?'" snorted the doctor
irascibly. Gust another name for a