Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-03-10

Suddenly the slim path between the
trees took . quick turn, and fell away
at their test. There" she said. This
Il the fnes4 WV at Damofy Court"
They stood ON TIE edge Of q stony
1svine witch Widened ct one end to q
shallow ma1say valley. The rocks
wsre covered With sray-green feath.
cry cFeepsrs. enwound with curly vel
low tendrils q love-vine. Across the
ravine, on . hover level. began .
grove OF splendid trees that marched
up into the long stretch Of neglected
forest he had seea from the house.
"You love 1T" he asked. without
withdrawing his eyes.
."I've loved X IN my life. love
everything about Dsmory Court.
Ruined g It Il. II u stu one Of the
most beaut4ful estates in al Virginia.
There's nothing nnsr svsn in Italy.
Jast behind us, whore those hemlocks
stand. IL whers tho duel tho children
spoke Of was fought"
He turned his bead Tell me about
It," he said.
She glanced at him cuziousIy. Didn't
you knowf That was the reason tho
place was abandoned. Valiant, who
lived here, and tho owner Of another
plantation, who was named Sassoon.
quarreled. They fought. the story 10,
under those big hemlock trees. sas-
soon was killed"
He looked out across the distance:
he could not trust his face. And
Valiant"
HE went aw.y tho same day and
never came back; he lived in New
York till he died. He was the father
Of the courts present owner. You
never heard the story7"
NO." he admitted. It'll quite re-
Gently never heard Of Damory
Court"
.'Thst was the last duel ever fought
In Virginia. Dueling was . dreadful
custom. I'm glad its gone. Aren't
your
"Yes," he said slowly. 1T was .
thing that cut two ways. Perhaps Va
liant, II he could have had his choice
afterward. would rather have been ly-
ing there that morning than Sss-
SON."
He must have suffered. too" she
agreed, cor he wouldn't have exilsd
himself q he did. I used to wonder
II it was . NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. they
could have been u love With tho same
woman"
but why should he 80 awayr'
II can't Imagine. unless she had
really loved tho other man. II 80. she
couldn't have borne seeing Valiant
afterward." She paused with little
laugh. But then" she said, 1T may
have been nothing 90 romantic. Va
liant's 4randfather, who was known ~
Devil-John. 10 said to have called =
man out because he rode past him
on the wrong side. Our ancestors In
Virginia, I'm afraid. didn't stand on
ceremony when they felt uppish."
He did not smile. He was looking
out once more over the luminous
stretch Of fields, his side-faoe towards
her. Curious and painful questions
were running through his brain. With
an effort, he thrust these back and re-
called his attention to what she was
saying.
you wonder. suppose. that we
feel az We do toward these old estates,
and set store by them, and-yes. and
brag Of them insu6erably as We do.
But its In our blood. You Northern
ers think. we're desperately con-
ceited," she smiled. but it's true.
We're still al proud Of our land. and
its old, old places. and love them as
we'll % our ancestors ever did. Do
you wonder We resent their passing
to people who don't care for them In
tho Southern way?"
"But suppose the newcomers do
caro- for them!"
Her HIPS eurled. "A young million
afro who has lived all his life In New
York. to care for Damory Court! A
youth idiotically rich. brought up In .
superheated atmosphere Of noise and
money!
He started uncontrollably. So that
was what she thought! He felt him
self flushing. He had wondered what
would be his Impression Of the neigh
OOIQOOO 0UO 40 p0OQA0s S40AA 0O0oAOA0
opinion Of himself had never occurred
to him.
"You think there's no chance Of his
choosing 70 stay here because he
actually likes it!''
'.Not the sliEhtest." she said indif.
1erently.
S.You are % certain Of this without
ever having seen him?"
She glanced ct him covertly, an
noyedly sensible Of tho improperly
Of tho discussion, since the man dis
cussed was certainly his patron. may.
be his friend. But his insistence had
reused . certain balky wilfulness that
would have IT. way. @''It's true I've
never. seen him. she said. "but I've
read about him hundred times in the
Sunday supplements. He's regular
fsature OF the high-roller section. His
idea Of good time Il . dos-banquet
1t Sherry's. Why, girl told me once
that there was Q cigarette named after
hira-ths vanity Valiant"
Isn't that beside the point? Be-
cause he has been an idler. must he
necessarily b a-vandal?"
She laughed again. He wouldn't
call It vandalism. He'd think 1t de-
cided improvement to make Damory
Court 40 frantically different % possi-
BILE. suppose he'll erect . glass
cun1,la and = Dorte-cochere. all up-to-