Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-03-27

Mr.. Valiant, they ride for a prize. It's
a very ancient thing-T've seen refer.
ences to it in a colonial manuscript
in the Byrd Library at Westover. No
doubt it's come Gown directly from
the old jousts."
you don't mean to say" cried his
hearer In genuine establishment, that
Virginia has a lineal descendant OF the
tourney"
The major nodded. Yes. Certain
sections of Kentucky used to have it,
too. but 1t has died out there. 1t
exists now only In this state. It's
a curious thing that the old knightly
meetings of the middle ages should
survive today only on American soil
and in a corne of Virginia"
Doctor Southall. meanwhile. had set
his gaze on the litter of pamphlets. He
turned with an appreciative eye.
You're beginning in earnest. The
Agricultural Department. And the
Congressional frank"
I'm afraid I'm a sad sketch as a
scientist" laughed Valiant. my
point or view has to be a somewhat
practical one. | must be self-support-
ing. Damory Court is a big estate.
1t has grain lands and forest as we'll.
II my ancestors lived from It, l can.
It's not only that" he went on more
slowly. i want to make the most of
the place for its W sake, too. Not
only or its possibilities for earning,
but of Its natural beauties. I lack the
resources l once had, but | can give
it thought and work, and If they can
bring Damory Court back to anything
even remotely resembling what 1t once
was, I'll not spare either"
The major smote his knee and even
the doctors face showed a grim, If
transient approval. Il believe you'll
do i'll" exclaimed the former. "And
let me say, sah, that the neighbor-
hood is not W of the splendid
generosity which Is responsible for
the present lack of which you speak"
Valiant put out his hand with a
little gesture of depreciation, but the
other disregarded it. "Confound it,
sab, 1t was to be expected of a 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 hiU thin orc IN a hin uuouv
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 a tray on which set sun
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 mint-juleps already that he
can't get up before eight in the morn
ing?"
well, suh," Uttered Uncle Jeffer-
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 IN the julep, sab"
"They make good epitaphs, too" OBJ
served the doctor.
81 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. Il
saw you look at the portrait there"
he said to the major. (Which of my
ancestors is it?"
The other got up and stood before
the mantel-piece in a Napoleonic atti-
tude. "That," he said, fixing his eye
glasses, ais your great-grandfather.
Devil-John Valiant"
"Devil-Johni" echoed his host. Eyes,
I've heard the name"
The doctor guffawed. "He earned
it, I reckon. l " realized what a
sinister expression that missing optic
gives the old rufflan. There was a
skirmish during the war on the hill
side yonder and a bullet cut it out.
When we were boys we used to call
him old One-Eye.'"
1T interests me enormously" John
Valiant spoke e~xplosively.
THE stories of Devil-John would fill
a mighty big book" said the major.
by all accounts he ought to have