The Lamar register., 1914-02-18

rou Uncle Jefferson; the run will do
him good" So.
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
shady front porch. where its Haunting
blossom made Q dash of bright GRIM
son against the gfayed weatherbeaten
brick. This dons, he opened the one
large room on the ground-hoor that he
had mot visited.
1t was double me size OF the library,
a parlor hung IN striped yellow silk
vaguely and tenderly faded. with a
tall plate mirror set over marble
TONED console ct either side. In one
corner stood . grand piano OF Circas-
sian walnut with keys OF tinted
motherof-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
we're covered with dusty slipcovers 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
wood stands and . corner held glass
cabinet containing a 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
pvshed down the antique wrought
iron hasp and threw up the lid 1t
was filed to the brim with textures:
heavy portieres Of rosedamask, table
covers OF faded soft-toned tapestry.
window hangings of dull green-all
with tobacco-leaves laid between the
folds and sifted thickly over with the
sparkling white powder. At the bot
tom. rolled in tarry-smelline paper. he
found a half-doxen thin, Persian pray
er-rugs.
"Phew!" he whistled. Il certainly
ought to be grateful to that law Arm
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. II I'm not careful. I'll
stumble over the family plate-it
seems to be about the only thing want
ing" ..
He thought . moment, then went
quickly into the library and began to
ransack the trunk. At length he found
a 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.
tigers claw. . compass and what-not.
Among them was mans seal-ring
with q crest cut In . comedian. He
looked at II closely. II 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 . 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 1t showed
clear in the marble OF the hall-mantle:
/ 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 well justi-
fled. 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 and
bad, abiding and lawless. every gener-
alton had cleaved stubbornly to Its
acres. / clinge. His father had chung
through absence that seemed to have
been almost exile, and now he. the last
Valiant, has come to make good the
boast
His gaze wavered The tail Of his
eye had caught through the window a
squirt of something dashing and vivid
that grazed the corner of a far-off
field. He craned his neck. but 1t had
passed the line OF his vision. The
next moment, however. there came
trailing on the satiny stiffness the
high-keyed ululation of q horn. and an
instant later. a lons-drawn hallo-o-o!
mixed with o pattertng chorus of
yelps.
He went close, and leaning from the
all shaded his ewes with his hand