Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-23

had sat for moment In the Valiant
pew, fancying her standing there some.
time beside him, with her trim gloved
hand by his on the prayer.book.
At length he rose and climbed on,
presently turning at right-angle to
bisect the strip to its boundary before
he paused to rest. "Im no timber
cruiser" he said to himself as he
wiped his brow, "but calculate there
are all of three hundred trees big
enough to cut. why, suppose they
are worth on an average only hun.
dred apiece. That would make-Good
lord!" he muttered, land I've been
incoming about poverty"
The growth was smaller and sparser
now and before long he came, on the
hills very crest, to the edge Of rag.
ment, perhaps a score OF dirt-daubed
cabins little better than novels, some
Of them mere mud-walled lean.tos, with
sod roofs and window-panes Of -four
sacking. Fences and outhouses there
was none. Uttered paths rambled aim
lessly hither and thither from chip
strewn yards to starved patches Of corn
iunder-cultivated and blighted. Over the
whole place hung an indescribable at.
mosphere of disconsolate filth, Of I'M
redeemed squalor and vileness.
Razor-backed hogs rooted everywhere,
snapped at by handful of lean spirit.
less hounds. A slatternly woman
lolled under a burlap awning beside
one Of the cabins from whose interior
came the sound Of mems voices raised
in fierce quarrel. Undisturbed by
the hideous din, a little girl Of about
three years was dragging by a string
an old c1gar-box in which was propped
rag doll. She was barelegged and
barearmed her tiny limbs burned
dark red by the sun, and she wore a
single garment made from the leg OF
a patched pair Of overalls. Her hair,
bleached the color Of corn-silk. fell
over her face in elfin wildness.
With one hand on the dogs collar,
hushing him to silence. Valiant, I'M
seen, looked at the wretched place
with a SILVER. He had glimpsed many
wretched purlieus in the slums Of
great cities, but this, In the open sun
light, with the clean woods about it
and the sweet clear blue above. stood
out with an unrelieved holiness and
contrast that was doubly sinister and
forbidding. He knew instantly that
the tawdry corner was the community
known as Hell's-Half-Acre, the place to
which Shirley had made her night
ride to rescue Hickey Snyder. ..' .,a
A quick glad realization Of her cour-
age rushed through him. q On its heels
came feeling Of shame that spot
like this could exist, a foul blot on
"o
land. It's deniZens held place by
squatter sovereignty, but he was.
nevertheless. their landlord. The
thought bred new sence Of RESPONSE
bility. Something should be done for
them, too--for that baby, dragging it's
rag-dolI in the cigar-box, poor little
soul, abandoned to a life of besotted-
ness, ignorance and evil!
| AS he gazed, the uproar in the cabin
reached climax. A red-bearded fig
ure in nondescript garments shot from
the door and collapsed in heap in
the dirt. He got up with a dreadful
oath-a jug thrown at him grazed his
temple as he. did so-and shaking his
fist behind him, staggered into a near
by lean-to. -. ii &
Valiant turned away with feeling
almost Of nausea, and plunged back
down the forest hillside. the shfill
laughter Of the woman under the strip
LOT burlap echoing in his ears.
CHAPTER XXX
4..-. The Gardeners.
He saw them coming through the
gate on the Red Road--the major and
Shirley in a~lilac muslin by his side
and strobe to meet them. Behind them
Ranston propelled a handcart filled
with paper bundles from each Of which
protruded a bunch OF Towering stems.
There was a flush in Shirley's cheek
as her hand lay In Valiant's AS for
him, his eyes. like wilful drunkards.
returned again and again, between the
majors compliments. to her face.
"You have accomplished wonders.
sahi I had no idea so much could be
done in such limited time. We are
leisurely down here, and seldom do to-
day what can be put off till tomorrow.
Real Northern hustle, eh, Shirley?
You have certainly primped the old
place up. I could almost think I was
looking at Damory Court in the sixties,
|sah."
uuI 4ulto IAo IiSCSi thliS !cp
could have said, Major" responded
Valiant. But it needs the flowers"
He looked at Shirley with sparkling
eyes How splendid Of you to bring
them! l feel like robber'
with our bushels of them? We
shall never miss them at all Have
you set out the others ?".,..... ~, .
II have, indeed. Every one has
rooted, too. You shall see them He
led the way up the drive till they
stood before the porch.
"Gad!" chuckled the major. "Who
would think It had been unoccupied for
three decades? At this rate, you'll
soon be giving dances, sah."
"Ah." said Valiant. That's the
very thing I want to suggest. The
tournament comes off next week, ! I'M
derstand, and it's been the custom to
have ball that night. The. tourney
ground is on this estate. and Damory
Court Is handler than the Country
club. Why wouldn't 1t be appropriate
to hold the dance here? The ground
floor rooms are in order, and If the
young people would put up with it, it
would be great pleasure to me.