The Lamar register., 1914-02-11
CHAPTER TX.

CHAPTER TX.
paasosy Court.
Oars Damh1 Co'ot smack-dat
ahaid, subj"
John Valiant looked up. Facing
them at an elbow Of the broad road. ,,
was an old eshsway of time-nicked
stone, clasping n iron gate that was
quaint and hsaVy and red with rust
He put out his hand.
Wait a moment" he said in low
voice. and as tho creaking conveyance
STONED he tusnod and looked about
him
Facing the sntrance the land fell
away sharply 10 miniature valley
through which Eambled willow-bor.
dered brook. IN whose shadows short.
horned cows Geood lazily. Beyond
whittier wound the Red Road. he
could see q dsowsy village, with a
spire and capolAed courthouse; and
farther yet . ysllow gorge with a
wisp of white smoke curling above
it marked the course Of a crawling
far-away railway.
"Et's er mouSAky nne oil place. sub,
mid dat big rOVsnus OBJ trees" said
Uncle Jefferson. But All reck'n Ell
ain got none Oh dc modern conniv
ances."
As Valiant tsmped down he was
possessed by an odd sensation Of old
acquaintance-as II he had seen those
tall white columns before-an illu
sorry half-vision into some shaaowy.
fourth-dimensional landscape that be.
longed to his subconscious self, or
that, glimpssd in some immaterial
dream picture, had left faint-etched
memory. Then. on q sudden, the vista
vibrated and widened, the white col
umns expanded and shot up into the
clouds. and from every bush seemed
to peer friendly black savage with
woolly white hair!
Wishing House" he whispered.
The hidden country which his fathers
thoughts. sadly recurring. had painted
to the little child that once he was,
in the guise Of an endless wonder
tale, His eyes misted over, and It
seemed to him that moment that his
father was very near.
Leaving the negro to unload his be-
longings. he traversed an overgrown
path OF messed gravel. between box
rows frowsled like the names of lions
gone mad and smothered in an &C.
emulation of matted roots and debris
of rotting foliage. and presently, the
bulldog at his heels, found himself
in the rear Of the house.
"Mine!" he said aloud with rueful
pride. And for general rundown
ness. it's up to the advertisement"
He looked musingly at the piteous
wreck and ruin. his gaze sweeping
down across the barred fields and I'M
kempt forest "Mine!" he repeated.
"All that. suppose. for it has the
same earmarks of neglect. Between
those cultivated stretches it looks like
a wedge of Sahara gone astray." His
gaze returned to the house. Yet what
a place 1t must have been in its time!"
He went slowly back to where his con-
ductor sat on the lichened horse
block.
IVES heah," called Uncle Jefferson
cheerfully "Whut we gwinter do
mex, sub? Reck'n All better go ovah
ter Miss Dandridge's place fer er
crowbah Lawd!" he added, "ef he
ain got de key. Whut yo' think OBJ
dat now?"
John Valiant was looking closely at
the big key: for there were words.
which he had not noted before en-
graved in the massive fiange. Friends
all hours" He smiled. The sentiment
sent warm current Of pleasure to
his finger-tips Here was the very
text of hospitality.
A Lilliputian spider-web was
stretched over the preempted keyhole.
and he fetched a grass-stem and poked
out its tiny gray-striped denizen be-
fore he inserted the key In the rusted
lock- He turned 1t with curious
sense of timidity. All the strength of
his fingers was necessary before the
massive door swung open and the lev
cling sun sent its late red rays into
the gloomy interior.
CONTINUED Next Week)