Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-18

mo, smiled JOnn valiant. Sne
sent it afterward by Miss Hickey
|Snyder.'
The major stroked his imperial.
"Rickey's an institution" he said. Il
hope she gave us all good characters.
I'd hate to have Hickey Snyder down
on me! Have you heard her his
tory?"
Eyes, Uncle Jefferson told me-"
"I'm glad of that" shot out the doc
tor. Nov, We needn't have it from
Bristow. He's as fond of oratory as
a maltese cat is Of milk
HE gave me hint of the majors
powers in that direction, in his &C
count of Greet Kings trial.
"Humph!" retorted the doctor
gloomily, that was in his palmy days.
He's fallen off since then. Plenty of
Others been here to bore you, I reckon,
though of course you don't remember
all the names yet"
Valiant summoned Uncle Jefferson.
'Yas, suh," grinned the old darby
pridefully, "de folkses mos lam de
face off'n dat-ar OF knockah. Day TO
yistiddy dab wuz Mars Quarles en-
ledge en- Mis- Chalmahs.D De jedge done
SEN err streng O. silvah perch"
His place is GLADDEN. Hail." the
major said, zone Of the finest man.
sions round here. A sportsman, sab,
and one OF the best pokah hands in
the county,"
EN- yistiddy dahs Mars Chilly
Lusk en- de Pen'letons en- de Byloes
en- Mars Livy Stowe f'om Seven Oaks,
en- de Woodrows- en-"
"That'n do" said the major. "I'll
just run over the tax-list; it'll be
quicker. There are kindly people
here. sah,' he went on, but after all,
it's a narrow circle We have our lit
tie pleasures and courtships and
scandals and we are satisfied with
them. We're not gadabouts. Our
girls haven't all flirted around Europe
and they don't talk of the Pincio and
the Champs Elysees as if they were
Capitol Hill and Madison Street in
Richmond. But if may say so. sab.
| think in Virginia we get a little
closer to life as God Almighty intend
ed it than people in some of your big
cities"
Come, Bristow,' interrupted the
doctor. ''tell the truth. This dog-gone
sticking with tadpoles. There isn't
a man in it with a soul above horse
flesh" ..nis .r.a s...-.,,tss..
The doctors shafts today, however,
glanced off the majors buckler of
geniality like the Lilliputian arrows
from Gullivers eye-glass. 81 hope
you ride, Mr.. Valiant?" the latter
asked genially.
"rm fond of it, said Valiant, "but I
have no horse as yet"
81 was thinking" pursued the
major, "of the coming tournament"
Tournament"
j, The doctor cut in. "a ridiculous
cock-a-doodIe-do which gives the young
bucks chance to rig out in silly toy
gerry and prance their colts before a
lot of petticoats!"
"Its an annual affair."" explained
the major; ga kind of spectacle. For
many years, by the way, it has been
held on a part of this estate-perhaps
you will have no objection to it's use
this season ?-and at night there is a
dance at the Country club. BY the
way, you must let me introduce you
there tomorrow. I've taken the lib
erty already of putting your name
up"
Good lord!" growled the. doctor,
aside. "He counts himself young! If
I'd reached your age, Bristow-
"You have" said the major, nettled.
'Four years ago!-As I was saying,
Mr.. Valiant, they ride for prize. It's
a very ancient thing-Ive seen refer
ences to it in a colonial manuscript in
the Byrd Library at Westover. No
doubt it's come down directly from
the old pousts."
"You don't mean to say" cried his
nearer in genuine astonishment, "that
Virginia has lineal descendent of the
tourney"
The major nodded. Eyes. Certain
sections of Kentucky used to have it,
too, but it has died out there. 1t ex-
lists now only in this state. It's a Gu
rious thing that the old knightly
meetings Of the middle ages should
survive today only on American soil
and in a corner of Virginia"
Doctor Southall, meanwhile, had
set his gaze on the litter Of pamph-
let's. He turned with an appreciative
eye. You're beginning in earnest.
Inc Agricultural .DcpdI IAeuI. AAo
the Congressional frank"
1--WE gone to the fountainhead,' said
Valiant. I'm trying to find out posi-
bilities. I've sent samples of the soil.
It's lain fallow so long it has occurred
to me it may need special treatment"
The major pulled his mustache
meditatively. mot a bad idea," he
said. He's starting right-eh, South
all? You're bringing the viewpoint
of practical science to bear on the
problem, Mr.. Valiant"
'I'm afraid I'm sad sketch as a
scientist" laughed the other. my
point of view has to be a somewhat
practical one. l must be self-support-
ing Damory Court is big estate. 1t
has grain lands and forest as we'll.
If my ancestors lived from it, can.
It's not only that" he went on more
slowly, 81 want to make the most of
the place for its own sake, too. Not
only of it's possibilities for earning,
but of it's natural beauties. lack the
resources I once had, but I can give
it thought and work, and if they can
bring Damory Court back to anything
even remotely resembling what it once
was. I'll not spare either