Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-05
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VAI,IhNTSdVIRdlzVIA
Of HALLn TRruNl[ RlVIS oe ss9s s,<a1.
ILLUSTRATED 81 LAUREN STOUT
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/ After them trooped tho otnefs, noEees
walking YEARLY, riders talking In low
voices, the girls turning often to send
swift bird-like glances behind them
to where the straight masculine figure
s,ill stood with the yellow sunshine on
his face. They did not leap the wall
this time, but fled decorously through
the swinging gate to the Red Road.
Then, - they passed from view be-
hind tho hedges, John Valiant heard
the younger voices break out together
like the sound Of Q bomb thrown into
poultry-yard.
John Valiant stood watching till the
last rider was out Of sight. There
was . warm flush Of color in his face.
At length he turned with = ghost
Of q sigh, opened the hall door wide
and stalking . hundred yards away.
sat down on the shady grass and be-
gan to whistle, with his eyes on the
door.
Presently he was rewarded. On a
sudden, around the edge Of the sill
peered q sharp. suspicious little muz-
zle. Then, like fash Of tawny light,
the fox broke sanctuary and shot for
the thicket.
. . .
The brown ivied house in the VII
lage was big and square and faced the
sleepy street. A one-storied wing con.
tanned a small door with q doctors
brass plate on the clapboarding be-
side 1t. Doctor Southall was one of
Mrs. Aerryweather Masons paying
Euests-for she would have deemed
the word boarder . gratuitous inault,
no less to them than to her. Another
was the major, who for decade had
occupied the big old-fashioned cor
uer.room on the second floor, com
panioned by monstrous gray cat and
waited on by an ancient negro named
Jereboam. who had been slave OF
his fathers.
The doctor was . sallow taciturn
man with a saturnine face. eyebrows
like frosted thistles, q mouth az II
made with one quick knifeslash and
a head nearly bald, set on neck that
would not have disqualified . year.
ling OK
On this particular morning neither
the major nor the doctor was in evt
dence. the former having gone out
early, and the latter being at the mo-
ment in his once, as the brassy buzz
Of a telephone from time to time an
nounced Two Of the green wicker
rocking-chairs on the porch, however.
were in agitant commotion. Mrs.. Ma
son was receiving caller in the per
son Of Mrs.. Napoleon Clifford.
AMER an these years" the visitor
was saying in her customary, italics.
(The broad n" which lent q dulcet
softness 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
heavenly I'VE came here from Rich
mond when ! was . bride-that' 9
twenty-one years ago-and Damor3
Court was forsaken then. And think
what 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 Valiant IL to occupy 1t. I"
remarked Mrs. Mason in her sweet
dute-hke voice. 1T would be sad "a
SEQ any one else there. For after all
the valiants we're gentlemen"
Mrs. Clifford shifted. Would you
have called Devil-John Valiant gen
tleman? Why. he earned the name
by the dreadful things he did. Ny
grandfather used to say that when hi
wife lay sick-he hated her. you know
Tho would gallop his horse with al
his hounds full-cry after him under
her windows. Then that CHASTITY story
Of the slave he pressed to death In TIL
hogshead OF tobacco"
Il know" acquiesced Mrs. Mason
He was a cruel man and wicked, too
Yet Of course he was q gentleman. II
the South the test Of gentleman ha:
| never been what he does, but who hi
ia. But his grandson, Beauty Valiant
who lived at Damory Court thirt!
| years ago, wasn't his type at all. HI
was only twenty-five when the due
occurred
He must have been brilliant. sale
the visitor, ito have founded tina
great corporation. It's pity the sol
| didn't take after him. Have you seel
the papers lately? It seems tina
though he was to blame for the wreck
ing Of the concern they can't do any
thing to him.. Some technically IL
the law, suppose. But If q man II
only rich enough they cant conyic
him Of anything. Why he should sud
denly make up his mind to come dow
here can't see. With that old al
fair Of his fathers behind him,
should think he'd prefer Patagonia"
Il take it, then. madam" Docto
Southalls forbidding voice rose from
the doorway, that you are fam;!.a
with the circumstances Of that old al
fair. a. you term it,"
The lady bridled. Her passages q
arms with the doctor did not invaria
bly, tend to sweeten her disposition
I'm sure I only know what peopl
say" she said.
"'People?'" snorted the doctor iras
chilly. Just another name for CON
munity that's, q perfect sink Of NEAR
ness and malice. II one believed a
he heard here he'd quit speaking t
his own Grandmother"
/ You will admit, suppose" sal