The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-04-28

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It's not only that" he went on more
slowly, II want to make the most of
the place for its own sake, too. Not
only of it's possibilities for earning.
but of it's natural beauties. lack the
resources once had, but ] can give
1t thought and work, and If they can
bring Damory Court back to anything
even remotely resembling what it once
was, I'll not spare either"
The major smote his knee and even
the doctors face showed a grim, If
transient approval 81 believe you'll
do 1T" exclaimed the former. And
let me say, sab, that the neighbor-
hood is not unaware of the splendid
generosity which is responsible for
the present lack of which you speak"
Valiant put out his hand with
little gesture of depreciation, but the
other disregarded it. "Confound it,
sab, It was to be expected of Va
liant. Your ancestors wrote their
names in capital letters over this
country. They were an up and down
lot, but good or bad land, as Southall
says, reckon"-he nodded toward the
great portrait above the couch-"they
weren't all little woolly lambs) they
did big things in big way
Valiant leaned forward eagerly, a
question on his lips. But at the mo-
ment a diversion occurred in the
shape of Uncle Jefferson, who re-en-
tered, bearing tray on which set sum
dry jugs and clinking glasses, glow
ing with white and green and gold.
you old humbug," said the doctor,
don't you know the majors that poi
soned with mintjuleps already that he
can't get up before eight in the morn
ing?"
well, suh," Uttered Uncle Jefper-
son, "Ah done foun' er mint-baid down
below de kitchens dis mawnin'. Yo'-
all gemmun' bout de bigges' expuhts
in dis yeah county, en- All reck'n
Mars Valiant sho' 'sist on yo' sam
plin' ct"
"Sah," said the major feelingly,
turning to his host, I'm proud to
drink your health in the typical bev-
erage of Virginia." He touched
glasses with Valiant and glared at the
doctor, who was slipping his own
thoughtfully Poems have been writ
ten on the julep, sah."
''They make good epitaphs, too" OBJ
served the doctor.
'T noticed your glass isn't going
begging" the major retorted. "Unc'
Jefferson, that's as good mint as grew
in the gyarden of Eden. See that
those lazy niggers of yours don't grub
the patch out by mistake"
"Yas, sah," said Uncle Jefferson, as
he retired with the tray %Ah gwine-
ter put er fence eroun' dat ar bald TO-
shutdown"
The question that had sprung to
Valiant's lips now found utterance. 81
saw you look at the portrstt there"
he said to the major. (Which Of my
ancestors is it?"
The other got up and stood before
the mantel-piece in Napoleonic atti-
tude, THAT" he said, fixing his eye
glasses. "is your great-grandfather,
Devil-John Valiant"
''DevilJohn!" echoed his host. yes,
I've heard the name"
The doctor guffawed. "He earned
it. reckon. l never realized what a
sinister expression that missing optic
gives the old ruffian. There was a
skirmish during the war on the hill
side yonder and bullet cut it out.
When we were boys we used to call
him old One-Eye.'"
'It interests me enormously" John
Valiant spoke explosively.
"The stories of Devil-John would fill
a mighty big book" said the major.
by all accounts he ought to have
lived in the middle ages" Crossing
the library, he looked into the dining
room 81 thought remembered. The
portrait over the console there is his
wife, your great-grandmother. They
say he bet that when he brought his
bride home, she should walk into Da-
mory Court between rows of candle
sticks worth twenty-thousand dollars.
He made the wager good, too, for
when she came up those steps out
there. there was row of ten candles
burning on either side of the doorway,
each held by young slave worth a
thousand dollars in the market
Some say he grew jealous OF his
wife's beauty. There were any mum
Der Of stories told of his cruelties to
her that aren't worth repeating. She
died early poor lady-an your
grandfather was the only ISSUE Devil
John himself lived to be past seventy
and at that age, when most men were
stacking their sins and groaning with
the govt, he was dicing and fox-hunt
ing with the youngest of them. He
always swore he would die with his
boots on, and they say when the doc
tor told him he had only few hours
leeway, he made his slaves dress him
completely and prop him on his horse
They galloped out so, negro or
either side of him It was a stormy
| night, black as the Earl of Hell's rid
ing-boots, with wind and lightning
and he rode cursing at both. There's
an old black-gum tree a mile from
here that they still call Devil,Jo ohm:
tree. They were just passing under
1t when the lightning struck it. Light
ming has no effect on the black-gum
you know. The bolt glanced from the
tree and struck him between the two
slaves without harming either OF
them. 1t killed his horse, too. That's
the story. To be sure at this date
nobody can separate fact from fic
ton. Possibly he wasn't SO much
worse than the rest Of his neighbors
mot excepting the parsons. Other
times, other manners
They weren't any worse than the
present generation" said the doctor
] malevolentIv sTYour four bottIa nner