The Irish standard., 1914-04-04
ne canrered BACK he heard the majors
bass pitting him against the field.

anu tA0us BuOUeulys Bt6uQ ana 00l0
all vanished. He saw only the long
level rope-lined lane with its twinkling
mid-air point. An exhilaration caught
him at the feel Of the splendid horse
flesh beneath him-that sense Of one
ness with the creature he bestrode
which the instructive horseman knows.
He lifted his lance and hefted it, seek.
ing its absolute balance, feeling its
point az a fencer with his rapier.
When again the blood-red sash
streamed away the herald's cry,
Knight of the Crimson Rose-One!"
set the field hand-clapping. From the
next joust also, Valiant returned with
the gage upon his lance. Two had
gone to the Champion of Castlewood
and two to scattering riders. When
Valiant won his fourth the grand stand
Numbered with applause.
The trumpet again pealed its silvery
proclamation. Judge Chalmers was on
his feet. Fifty to ten on the Crimson
Rose," he cried. This time, however,
there were no takers. He called again,
but none heard him: the last tits were
too absorbing.
Where had John Valiant learned
that trick of the loose wrist and In.
flexible thrust, but at the fencing club?
Where that subconscious management
of the rein. that nice gage of speed
and distance. but on the polo field3
The old sports stood him now in good
stead. "Why, he has q seat like q
centaur!" exclaimed the judge-praise
indeed in community where riding
was passion and horseflesh fetish!
"Oh, dear!" mourned Nancy Chal-
mers. I've bet six pairs of gloves on
Quint Carter. Never mind; If it has to
be anybody else. I'd rather it were
Mr.. Valiant. It's about time Damory
Court got something after Rip-van.
Wink]tng it for thirty years. Besides,
he's giving US the dance, and I love
him for that! Quint still has chance,
though. If he takes the next two. and
Mr.. Valiant missea-"
Katharine looked at her with q lit
tie smile. HE won't MISS" she said.
She had seen that look on his face
before and read it Alright. John Va
liant had striven in many contests, not
only Of skill but of strength and dar.
ing, before crowded grand stands. But
never in all his life had he 80 desired
to pluck the prize. His grip was tense
on the lance as the yellow doublet
and olive plume of Castlewood shot
away for last time-and failed. An
instant later the knight of the Grim.
son Rose flashed down the lists with
the last ring on his pike.
And the tourney was won.
In the shouting and hand-clapping
Valiant took the rose from his hat
band and bound it with q shred Of his
sash to his lance-point. As he rode
slowly toward the massed stand, the
whole field was SO still that he could
hear the hoofs of the file Of knights
behind him. The people were on their
feet.
The mounted herald blew his blast
by the Majesties Of st. Michael and
st. George" he proclaimed, Il declare
the knight Of the Crimson Rose the
victor Of this our tourney. and do
charge him now to choose his Queen
of Beauty, that all may do her hom-
age!"
Shirley saw the horse coming down
the line. its rider bareheaded now,
and her heart began to race wildly.
Beyond wanting him to take part, she
had not thought. She looked about
her. suddenly dismayed. People were
smiling at her and clapping their
hands. From the other end of the
stand she saw Nancy Chalmers throw.
ing her kiss, and beside her a tall
pale girl in champagne-color staring
through a jeweled lorgnette.
She was conscious all at once that
the flanneled rider was very close
that his pike-point, with its
big red blossom, was stretching up to
her.
With the rose in her hand she curt
sled to him, while the blurred throng
cheered itself hoarse, and the band
struck up "You Great Big Beautiful
DOLL" with extraordinary rapture, to
the tune Of which the noise finally sub
sided to a battery of hilarious con.
CALCULATIONS which left her flushed and
little breathless. Nancy Chalmers
and Betty Page had burst upon her
like petticoated whirlwinds and pres.
emily, when the crowd had lessened,
the judge came to introduce his visi.
tor.
"Mr. Fargo and his daughter are our
guests at GLADDEN. Hail." he told her.
''They are old friends of Valiant's, by
the way; they knew him in New
York"
"Katharine's lighting her incense
now, guess" observed Silas Fargo.
"See there!" He pointed across the
stand, where stood willowy tan fig
ure, one hand reckoning to the con.
course below, where Valiant stood, the
center of shifting group, round which
the white bulldog, mad with recovered
liberty, tore in eccentric circles.
AS they looked, she called softly,
John! John!"
Shirley saw him start and face
about, then come quickly toward her,
amazement and welcome in his eyes.
AS Shirley turned away little later
with the major, that whispering voice
seemed to sound in her ears-"John!
joint" There smote her suddenly the
thought that when he had chosen her
his Queen of Beauty, he had not seen
the other-had not known she was
there.