The Irish standard., 1914-03-07

%S9E x GLE
ut Won't Hurt" Treasured the Would
Be Operator.
her hand for the bunch of jessamine
and laid it on the broad roots of q
tree that were mottled with lichen.
Look there" she said suddenly:
isn't that a beauty?"
She was pointing to a jimson-weed
on which had settled, with CLASSY
wings vibrating. a long. ungainly,
needlelike insect with an odd sword
like beak. What is that?" he asked.
IA snake-doctor. If Unc' Jefferson
were here he'd say, 'Bettah watch
out! Dah's er snek roun' erbout heah,
sho'!' He'll fill you full of darby
superstitions."
Suddenly the slim path between the
trees took quick turn, and fell away
at their feet. There" she said. This
is the finest view at Damory Court"
They stood on the edge of stony
ravine which widened at one end to q
shallow marshy valley. The rocks
were covered with gray-green feath,
cry creepers. enwound with curly yel-
low tendrils of love-vine. Across the
ravine. on lower level, began q
grove of splendid trees that marched
UP into the long stretch of neglected
forest he had seen from the house.
You love it," he asked, without
withdrawing his eyes,
i've loved it all my life. I love
everything about Damory Court.
Ruined as it is, it is still one of the
most beautiful estates in all Virginia.
There's nothing finer even In Italy.
Just behind US, where those hemlocks
stand, Is where the duel the children
spoke of was fought"
He turned his head. "Tell me about
It," he said.
She glanced at him curiously. "Didn't
you know? That was the reason the
place was abandoned. Valiant, who
lived here, and the owner of another
plantation, who was named Sassoon,
quarreled. They fought, the story ID,
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 away the 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 story?"
NO." he admitted. IT'LL quite re-
Gently never heard Of Damory
Court"
THAT was the last duel ever fought
In Virginia. Dueling was a dreadful
custom. I'm glad it's gone. Aren't
you?"
YES" he said slowly, ut was Q
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 sas..
SOON"
HE must have suffered. too" she
agreed. "or he wouldn't have exiled
himself as he did. I used to wonder
IL it was Observation-Disclosures they
could have been in love with the same
woman"
but why should he go away?"
Il can't imagine. unless she had
really loved the other man. II SO, she
couldn't have borne seeing Valiant
afterward." She paused with little
laugh. But them" she said, 1T may
have been nothing 80 romantic. Va
liant's grandfather, who was known a.
Devil-John. is 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-face towards
her. Curious and painful questions
were running through his brain. With
an effort, he thrust these back and ro1
called his attention to what she was
saying.
you wonder, I suppose. that we
feel as we do toward these old estates,
and set store by them, and-yes. and
brag of them insufterably as we do
But it's in our blood. You Northern,
ers think we're desperately eon-
ceited." she smiled, "but it's true,
Woo oSAAA do QIOuO VI QUIZ l6uU, anu
its old, old places, and love them az
we'll as our ancestors ever did. Do
you wonder we resent their passing
to people who don't care for them TN
the Southern way?"
"But suppose the newcomers do
care for them?"
Her lips curled. "a young million.
aire 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 uncontro1lably. So that
was what she thought He felt him
self flushing. He had wondered what
would be his impression Of the neigh
borhood and its people: their possible
opinion Of himself had never occurred
to him.
you think there's no chance Of his
choosing to stay here because he
actually likes TT"
Not the slightest," she said tndif.
ferently.
you are 10 certain Of this without
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