The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-03-31

"Chum," he said, what do you
think of that? All my life single
roll and a. cup Of coffee have been
the most i could ever negotiate for
breakfast and then it was apt to taste
like chips and whet-stones. And now
look at this PLATED" The dog ceased
winnowing his ear with hind foot
and looked back at his master with
much the same expression Clearly
his own needs had not been forgot
/ ten.
''Reckn All bettah go ter git dat ar
machine thing" said Uncle Jefferson
low ter fix up de kitchen dis mawn-
4 in en- we begin on de house dis eve
MIN"
'Right-o," said Valiant "It's all up
HILL SO the motor won't run away
with you Aunt Daphne, can you get
some help with the cleaning?"
"He'p?" that worthy responded with
fine scorn. NO, sub. Moughty few.
in de town 'cep'n low-down yaller new
issue trash Diet ain wu'f killinI All
gwineter go TO- dat house mahsef TO
Z
up!"
Splendid! My destiny is in your
hands. You might take the dog with
4 you, Uncle Jefferson; the run VIII do
him good"
When the latter had disappeared
and truculent sounds from the kitchen
indicated that the era of strenuous
cleaning had, begun he reentered the
library, changed the water in the rose
glass and set it on the edge of the
4 shady front porch, where its Haunting
blossom made dash of bright Grim
son against the grayed weather-beaten
brick This done, he opened the one
large room on the ground-foor that he
had not visited.
It was double the size of the library,
a parlor hung in striped yellow silk
vaguely and tenderly faded, with a
tall plate mirror set over marble
topped console at either side. In one
corner stood grand piano of Circas-.
sian walnut with keys of tinted
mother-of-pearl and slender music
rack inlaid with morning glories in the
same material From the center of
the ceiling, above an oval table, de-
pended a great chandelier hung with
glass prisms. The chairs and sofas
were covered with dusty slip-covers of
muslin. He lifted one Of these. The
furnished gold furniture was Louis
XIV, the upholstery of yellow brocade
with a pattern Of pink roses. Two
Japanese hawthorn vases sat on teak
L. I. IL
cabinet containing collection Of
small worries and faience.
He went thoughtfully back to the
great hall, where sat the big chest on
which lay the volume of Lucille" He
pushed down the antique wrought
iron hasp and threw up the lid 1t
was filed to the brim with textures:
heavy portieres of rose-damask, table
covers of faded soft-toned tapestry,
window-hangings of dull green-aD
with tobacco-leages laid between the
folds and sifted thickly over with the
sparkling white powder. At the bot
tom, rolled in tarry-smelling paper, he
found half-dozen thin, Persian pray
er-rugs.
'Phewi" he whistled. 81 certainly
ought to be grateful to that law firm
that inspected the place. Think of
the things lying here all these years!
And that powder everywhere! It's
. done the work, too, for there's not
sign of moth. If I'm not careful, I'll
stumble over the family plate-tt
seems to be about the only thing want
ing"
He thought a moment, then went
quickly into the library and began to
ransack the trunk. At length he found
small box containing keepsakes Of
various kinds. He poured the medley
on to the table-an uncut moonstone,
an amethyst-topped pencil that one of
his tutors had given him as boy, a
tigers claw, a compass and what-not.
Among them was mans seal-ring
with a crest cut in a cornelian. He
looked at it closely. 1t was the same
device.
The ring had been his fathers.
Just when or how it had come into
his possession he could never remem-
Der. 1t had lain among these keep
sakes so many years that he had al
most forgotten its existence. He had
never worn a ring, but now, as he
} went back to the hall, he slipped 1t
on his finger The motto below the
, crest was worn away, but it showed
. clear in the marble of the hall-mantle:
l clinge.
His eyes turned from the carven
words and strayed to the pleasant sun,
, ny foliage outside. An arrogant boast
perhaps yet in the event we'll justi
fed. Valiants had held that selfsame
slope when the encircling forests had
} rung with war-whoop and blazed with
, torture-fire. They had held on through
Revolution and Civil War. Good ant
bad, abiding and lawless, every gener
; alton had cleayed stubbornly to its
: acres. clinge His father had chung
through absence that seemed to have
i been almost exile, and now he, the last
Valiant, has come to make good the
boast
i His gaze wavered The tail Of his
J eye had caught through the window a
: squirt of something dashing and vivid
that grazed the corner of far-off
: field. He craned his neck, but it had
J passed the line of his vision. The
/ next moment, however, there came
trailing on the satiny stiffness the
high-keyed ululation of horn, and an
Z instant later long-drawn hallo-o-o!
| mixed with a pattering chorus OF