The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-06-03
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VAL I[ANTSctV VIRGINIA
HALLlI TI1NIINI[ RIVIS po5r os9S :
ILLUSTRATED 81 LAUREN STOUT

blossom season, and tiny island with
Greek castle on it in the Aegean.
Little colored memories for me to
bring away to dream over. But al
ways | come back here to Da1nory
Court For this is-home!'
They walked beneath the pergo1a
to the lake, where Shirley gave q cry
OF delight at sight of It's feathered
population. "Wherc did you gee them
from?" she asked.
Washington In crates"
THAT explains it," she exclaimed.
One day last week the little darkies
In the village all insisted circus was
coming. They must have seen these
being hauled here. They watched the
whole afternoon for the elephants"
Poor youngsters!" he said Its
shame to fool them. But I've had
oil the circus l want getting the live
stock installed"
They won't suffer-" said the major.
"Rickey Snydcr'll get them up a three
rlnged show at the drop OF a hat and
drop it herself. Besides there's tourn-
ament day coming, and they can live
on that. see you've drcdged out
some OF the lll1es.
Yes. l take my dip here every
morning"
I'VE used to have a diving board
when we were little shavers." pursued
the major. II remember once, your
father"
He cleared his throat and stopped
dead.
Please" said John Valiant, I'll
like to hear about him."
1T was only that struck my head
on a rock on the bottom and--stayeh
Gown. 1ne olhers were frightened,
but he-he dove down again and again
till he brought me out. 1t was mar
row squeak, reckon"
A silence fell. Looking at the tall
muscular form beside her, Shirley had
a sudden vision Of determined little
body cleaving the dark water, over
and over, now rising painting for
breath, now plunging again. never Civ
ing up. And she told herself that the
son was the same sort. That hard
set OF the jaw, those firm lips. would
know no flinching. He might suffer
but he would be strong.
Half unconsciously she spoke her
thought aloud: You look like your
father, do you not?"
Yes" he replied there's strong
likeness. l have photograph which
I'll show you sometime. But how did
you know?"
Perhaps only guessed" she said
in some confusion. TO cover this she
stopped by the pebbly marge and held
out her hand to the bronze ducks that
plshed and gobbled about her fingers.
what have you named them?" she
asked.
Nothing. You christen them"
Very we'll The light one shall
be Peezletree and the dark one Pilgar-
lie. got the names from John Jasper
he was Virginia's famous negro
preacher. once heard him hold forth
when he read from one of the Psalms
the one about the harp and the
psaltery-and he called it peezletree.
Valiants laugh rang out over the
lake-to be answered by a sudden
sharp screech from the terrace, where
the peacock strutted, a blaze OF span
gled purple and gold. They turned to
sec Aunt Daphne issue from the
kitchen, twig-broom in hand.
"Heah!" she exclaimed. What fo'
yo' kyahin on like er viii gyraff wen
we got comp'ny, yo triflin' OF fan
tail, yo. Git outen heah!" She
waved her weapon and the bird, with
raucous shrek of defiance, retired
in ruf!led disorder. The master of
Damory Court looked at Shirley.
What shall we name him?"
I'D call him Fire.Crackcr If he
goes off like that" she said. And Fire
Cracker the bird was christened forth
with.
"And now" said Shirley, lets set
cut the ramblers."
The major had brought a rough plan,
sketched from memory, OF the old ar.
rangement Of the formal garden. Ill
Just go over tho lines OF the beds with
Unc' Jefferson" he proposed, while
you two n"';"r over these rosos" SO
VGli;" nir'cy walked back Up
the slope beneath the pergola to.
gether.
With RanstOn, putting and blowing
like black porpoise over his crcak-
Ing go.cart, they planted the ramblers
crimson and pink and white-Ya.
liant much OF the time on his knees.
his hands plunging deep into tho black
spongy earth, and Shirley with broad
nat flung on the grass. her fingers
separating the clinging thread.like
roots and her small archcd foot tamp
( ing down the soil about them. Her
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