davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30

bled on a lichened and sunken tomb
stone.
When you read this, my son, you
will have come to man estate. It is
curious to think that this black, black
ink may be faded to gray and this
white, white paper yellowed, just from
lying waiting so long. But strangest
Of all is to think that you yourself
whose brown head hardly tops this
desk, will be as tall Il hope) as /!
How I wonder what you will look like
then! And shall 1.-THE real. real /,
mean-be peering over your strong
broad shoulder as you read? Who
knows? Wise men have dreamed such
thing possible-and / am not q bit
wise.
John, you will not have forgotten
that you are a Valiant. But you are
also Virginian viii you have dis
covered this for yourself? Here is the
deed to the land where / and my
father, and his father, and many, many
more Valiants before them were born.
Sometime, perhaps, you will know why
you are John Valiant of New York in
stead Of John Valiant of Damory
Court. I can not tell you myself, be-
cause 1t is too true story, and have
forgotten how to tell any but fairy
tales, where everything happens right
where the Prince marries the beautiful
Princess and they live happily to-
gether ever after
You may never care to live at
Damory Court. Maybe the life you
will know so well by the time you
read this will have welded you to it.
self. If SO, well and good. Then leave
the old place to your son. But there is
such thing as racial habit, and the
call of blood. And I know there is
such a thing, too. as fate. Every
man carries his fate on RI
band about his neck so the
Moslem put it 1t was my fate to
go away, and know now-since dis
tance is not made by miles alone
that myself shall never see Damory
Court again. But life Is a strange
wheel that goes round and round and
comes back to the same point again
and again. And 1t may be your fate to
go back. Then perhaps you will cry
(but, oh, not on the old white bears
skin rug-never again with me holding
your small, small handy
Wishing House! Wishing-House!
Where are your
And this old parchment deed will
answer
Here l am, Master; here I ami
"Ah, we are only children, after all,
playing out our plays. l have had
many toys, but o John, John! The
ones treasure most are all in the
NeVer-Never Land!"
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
HIRES MEN OF MATURE YEARS
chicagoan Decidedly of Opinion That
Worker Is at His Best in the
Neiehborhood of Forty-Five.

A Chicago man. a leader in the COM
mercial life of that city, is quoted as
saying: Among the men l hire nine
out of ten are better workers at forty
five years Of age than are the men of
twenty-five or thirty" This man firmly
believes that the man of forty-five or
thereabouts is at the prime of life,
physically and mentally. He also
holds that men of mature years are
more reliable and less apt to become
restless after year or two in posi-
ton and to seek new fields. The aver
age young man, he says, is seeking
a soft snap and is not the sort of
employe who will stick by his em-
ployer through thick and thin until
his services become highly valuable
and, in many cases, Indispensable. We
often hear young men complain of
their inability to get settled. That is
largely because they do not settle, do
not seek to adjust themselves to work
and make the most of their opportu-
nifty. Opportunity seldom knocks at
our doors. We must knock at the door
Of opportunity and be prepared to
push the door a little if necessary
The Living Church.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
COST OF WAR DURING 1918
Many Converts Made to Peace Cause
by the Fierce Struggle In the
Balkans.

The Balkan war has made innumer-
able converts to the peace cause, de-
clares Frederick Lynch in the Yale
Review. 1t has revolted the twentieth
century conscience. 1t has made thou
sands ask the question that Life ask
ed under its famous picture: Must
1t Always Bet" More men than ever
have said: Surely there must be
some better ~ay!" Many are saying:
SIS what one gets worth the price paid
for it?" This change of heart has
been noticeable in the daily press.
There, has. been distinct progress
toward the advocacy OF judicial meth
DDS during the year. This has not all
been due to the exhibition of savage
hatred in the Balkans, nor to the In
human atrocities perpetrated BY all
concerned. but 1t was partly come
about from the revelation Of the futil,
ity OF It ell. Hundreds and thousands
Of lives havo been lost, thousands Of
Armes are fatheFisss and poverty
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
TactfuI French Prince.

One hundred years ago the Count
D'Artois. youngest brother of the un-
fortunate Louis XVI, arrived in Paris
to make the necessary preparations
for the return of the Bourbons and
their restoration to the throne. The
choice of Count D'Artois as an ennis
sary on this occasion was a prudent
one, for he was perhaps the most
generally liked of all the members of
the exiled royal family of France.
Upon his arrival in the capital of his
ancestors, the crowds in the streets
greeted him with demonstrations of
good will. The count was visibly
touched by the warmth of his greet
ing. Though worn and tired by his
long journey, he declared to the depu-
tation that came out to welcome him,
This is the first happy day l have
known in 80 years"
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
GET THE PUBLIC INTERESTED
Salesman Who Can Do That, and Has
the Right Goods, May Be Sure
Of Success.

Attract tn attention Of the pub
lic," is the secret of salesmanship in
virtually every line. Next comes the
merit Of the goods, Upon the latter
depends whether the dealer holds his
trade. Many ingenious methods are
employed in saIesmsnship. The art
becomes closely related to human ma
ture.
An Albany cigar dealer has DEM
onstrated explicitly Just how far the
eye enters into the question. He
discovered he was stocked with a
brand of cigarettes that were prov
ing "stickers." Instead of reducing the
price and consequently losing money.
or barely clearing at cost. he devised
q new method. He ranged q half
dozen boxes along the top Of his show
cases. Each was inclosed In glass
case of its own. Naturally the at.
tention of the customer was attracted
by their individuality. y
Those cigarettes Were disppssd Of
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
Diplomacy Needed.

Women were holding market in a
Columbus store when the supply Of
cottage cheese began to run low. The
demand for the cheese was SO great
that the women worried because they
had not brought in a larger supply.
Finally one Of them declared she
could present solution for the
trouble. She seized a real egg and
broke it. She beat the egg to frothy
mass. Then she worked the beaten
egg into the rapidly diminishing sup
ply Of cottage cheese and, behold. one
quart had grown to three quarts. A
merchant bought the whole supply.
"Just leave 1t here until noon and
I VIII take It home" he said.
When he returned the beaten egg
had collapsed and there was only the
original amount Of cottage cheese ir
the can Tne explanations Required
cipIomacy. Indianapolis NsuA
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
CHAPTER w.
A Valiant Of virginia.


For long time John Valiant sat
motionless, the opened letter in his
hand, staring at nothing. He had the
sensation, spiritually, Of a traveller
awakened with a rude shock amid
wholly unfamiliar surroundings.
He was trying to remember--to put
two and two together His father had
been Southern-born; yes, he had
known that. But he had known moth
icg whatever of his fathers early days.
or of his forebears; since he had been
old enough to wonder about such
things, he had had no one to ask
questions Of
Phrases Of the letter ran through
his mind: Sometime, perhaps, you
will know why you are John Valiant
of New York instead of John Valiant
of Damory Court l cannot
tell you myself" There was some
tragedy, then, that had blighted the
place, some melancholy story" as the
clipping put it.
He bent over the deed spread out
upon the table, following with his fin
ger the long line of transfers: To
John Valyante,,'" he muttered; what
odd spelling! Robert Valyant'-with-
out the e. Here, in 1880, the " be-
gins to be T." There was something
strenuous and appealing in the long
line of dates. Valiant. Always Va
liant. How they held on to it.! There's
never break"
A curious pride, newborn and self
conscious. was dawning in him. He
was descended from ancestors who
had been no weaklings. A Valiant had
settled on those acres under a royal
governor. before the old frontier
fighting was over and the Indians
had sullenly retired to the westward
The sons Of those who had braved
sea and savages had bowed their
strong bodies and their stronger hearts
to raze the forests and turn the
primeval jungles into golden planta-
tions.
There stole into his mood an eery
suggestion Of intention. Why should
the date assigned for that deeds de-
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30

his eyes puckered shut with the
wretched pang. John Valiant sat up
and shook his grimy fist in the air.
You silly loafng idiot" he cried
"Thump your own crazy-bone and see
how you like it! You-oh, lord!"
His arm dropped, and flush spread
over his face to the brow. For his
eyes had opened. He was gesturing
not at the bull but at a girl, who
fronted him beside the road, haughti-
ness In the very hue OF her gray-blue
linen walking suit and, in the clear
cut cameo face under her felt cavalry
hat, myrtleblue eyes that held a
smolder Of mingled establishment and
indignation. An instant he gazed, an
the muscles of his face tightened with
chagrin.
Il beg your pardon" he STAN
mered. Il didn't see you. really
didn't l was-I was talking to the
bull"
The girl had been glancing from the
flushed face to the thistly fence-corneS,
while the startled dignity Of her feat
ures warred with an unmistakable ten
dency to mirth. He had struggled to
his feet, nursing his bruised elbow,
irritably conscious of his resemblance
to an emerging chimney-sweep. y
don't habitually swear" he said, but
Id got to the point when something
had to explode"
"Oh," she said, don't mind mel"
Then mirth conquered and she broke
forth suddenly into a laugh that
seemed to set the whole place aquiver
with a musical contagion. They both
laughed in concert, while the bull
paved the ground and sent forth a
rumbling below Of affront and chal
lenge.
She was the first to recover. You
did look 80 funny!" she gasped.
Il can believe it," he agreed, max
ing vicious dab at his smudged el-
bow. The possibilities of a motor for
comedy are simply stupendous."
She came closer and looked curious
ly at the quiescent monster-at the
steamer-trunk strapped on the carrier
and the bulging portmanteau peeping
over the side Of the tonneau. rs 1t
broken?"
Merely on strike, imagine. Are
we far from the village?"
About a mile and half"
I'll have to have 1t towed after me-
The immediate point is my traps.
wonder If there is likely to be a team
passing"
I'm afraid it's not too certain" an.
swered the girl, and now he noted the
liquid modulation, with its slightly
questioning accent. charmingly South.
ern. There is no livery, but there is
a negro who meets the train some
times. can send him IL you like"
You're very good" said Valiant, as
she turned away. land I'll be enor-
mously obliged. Oh-and II you see a
white dog, don't be frightened If he
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
in paper. a newspaper clipping and

in a paper. a newspaper clipping and
letter.
Puzzled he unfoided the cracking
thing in his hands. Why" he said
half aloud, ''it's-it's deed made over
to me-" He overran it swiftly. ~Part
Of an old Colony grant 9
plantation in Virginia, twelve hun
dred odd acres. given under the hand
Of a Vice-regal governor In the six
teenth century. had no idea titles
In the United States went back so far
as that!" His eye fed to the end.
1T was my fathers! What could he
have wanted Of an estate in Virginia? I?
1t must have come into his hands in
the course of business"
He picked up the newspaper clip
ping. 1t was worn and broken in the
folds as II 1t had been carried for
months in a pocketbook.
1T will interest readers of this sec
ton Of Virginia (the paragraph be-
gan) to learn, from a recent transfer
received for record at the County
Clerks Office, that Damory Court has
passed to Mr.. John Valiant, minor"
He turned the paper over and found
a date; 1t had been printed in the year
OF the transfer to himself, when he
was six years old-the year his father
had died.
John Valiant, minor, the son of
the former owner.
There are few indeed who do not
recall the tragedy with which in the
public mind the estate is connected.
The fact, moreover, that this old home
stead has been left in its present state
(for, as is well known, the house has
remained with all its contents and fur
nishings untouched) to rest during 80
long term Of years unoccupied, could
not, Of course, fail to be commented
on, and this circumstance alone has
perhaps tended to keep alive a melan-
choly story which may well be for
gotten"
He read the elaborate, rather stilted
phraseology in the twenty-year-old pa
per with wondering interest. An
old house." he unused, with a bad
name. Probably he couldn't sell it,
and maybe nobody would ever live in
it. That would explain why it re-
NAMED SO long unoccupied-why there
are no records Of rentals. Probably
the land was starved and run down.
Its an offset to the hall-bedroom
idea, at any rate," he said to himself
humorously. 1T holds out an escape
from the noble army of rent-payers.
When my twenty-eight hundred is
gone, could live down there a landed
proprietor, and by the same mark an
honorary colonel, and raise the cab
bages was talking about-eh, Chum?
while you stalk rabbits. How does
that strike you?"
He laughed whimsically. He, John
Valiant, of New York, first.nighter at
its theaters, hailfellow-well-met in it's
club corridors and welcome diner at
any one of hundred brilliant glass;
Notwithstanding supper tables, en-
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30

| livery have been the very day on
which he had elected poverty? Here
was a foreordination as pointed as the
index-fnger Of a guide-post. Every
man carries his fate,'" he repeated,
on riband about his neck Chum,
do you believe in fate?"
For answer the bulldog, cooking an
alert eye on his master. discontinued
his occupation-a conscientious II un.
successful mastication Of the flattish
packet that had fallen from the folded
deed-and with much solicitous tail.
wagging. brought the sodden thing In
his mouth and put it into the out.
stretched hand.
His master unroIled the pulpy wad
and extricated the object 1t had en-
closed-an old-fashioned iron door-key
After a time Valiant thrust the key
into his pocket, and rising, went to q
trunk that lay against the wall
Searching in portfolio, he took out
small old-fashioned photograph
much battered and soiled. It had been
cut from larger group and the name
Of the photographer had been erased
from the back He set it upright on
the desk, and bending forward, looked
long at the face 1t disclosed. 1t was
the only picture he had ever possessed
Of his father.
He turned and looked into the glass
above the dresser. The features were
the same, eyes, brow, lips, and strong
waving hair. But for its time-stains
the photograph might have been one
Of himself, taken yesterday.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
CHAPTER "
On the Red Road.

The green, mid-May Virginian
afternoon was arched with q sky as
blue as the tiles of the Temple of
Heaven and stepped In a wash Of sun
light as yellow as gold. Nothing in all
the springy landscape but looked
warm and opalescent and inviting-ex-
cept tawny bull that from across a
barred fence-corner switched trucu-
lent tail in silence and glowered sui
lenly at the big motor halted motion
less at the side Of the twisting road.
Curied worm-like in the drivers
seat, with his chin on his knees, John
Valiant sat with his eyes upon the
distance. For an hour he had whirred
through that wondrous simmer of
color with fippant lettering breeze
in his face, sweet from the crimson
clover that poured and rooted over the
roadside.
"Chum, old man." said Valiant, with
his arm about the bulldogs neck, If
those color-photograph chaps had
shown US this, we simply wouldn't t
have believed 1t, would we? Such
scenery beats the roads we're used to,
what?" He wound his strong fingers
in choking grip in the scrun of the
white neck, as a chipmunk chartered
by on the low stone wall. mo, you
don't you cannibal! He's a jolly lit
tie beggar, and he doesn't deserve be-
ing eaten!"
He filed his briar-wood pipe and
drew in great breaths of the fragrant
incense. What a pity you don't
smoke, Chum; you miss such lott"
After a time he shook himself and
knocked the red core from the pipe
bowl against his boot-heel. Il hate to
start" he confessed, half to the dog
and half to himself. ITO leave any
thing so sheerly beautiful as this!
However, on with the dance! BY the
road map the village can't be far now.
So long, Mr.. BULL"
He clutched the selfstarter. But
there was only protestant wheeze;
the car declined to bulge. Climbing
down, he cranked vigorously. The
motor turned over with a surly grunt
Of remonstrance and after a tentative
throb-throb, coughed and stopped dead.
Something was wrong. With sigh
he flung off his tweed jacket, donned a
smudgy Jumper" opened his tool-box,
and, with glance at his wrist-watch
which told him it was three o'clock,
threw up the monsters hood and went
bitterly to work.
At half past three the investigation
had got as far as the lubricator. At
four o'clock the bulldog had given 1t
up and gone nosing afield. At half
past four John Valiant lay fiat on his
back, like some disreputable stevadore,
alternately tinkering with refractory
valves and cursing the obdurate
mechanism. A sharp stone gnawed
frenziedly into the small of his back
and just as he made a final vicious
lunge, something gave way and a
prickling red-hot stab of pain shot zig
tagging from his smitten crazy-bone
through every tortured crevice of his
impatient frame. Like steel from flint
1t struck out crisp oath that brought
an answering bovine snort from the
fence-corner.
Worming like lizard to freedom
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30

to New Orleans from here recently by
F. w. Allen, progressive farmer, re-
siding seven miles east Of Magnolia.
Mr.. Allen has a mill made specially
for grinding "file." and he shipped a
small quantity CT it last year. While
the article is used extensively in the
preparation Of "gumbo file," the de-
licious soup which has made French
cooking famous, the demand for 1t
is very limited. The leaves are gath
cred in July and August, and are thor
oughly dried in the shade before being
carried to the mill. 1t requires about
three hundred pounds of green leaves
to make one hundred pouDaS Of meal.
Magnolia News.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30

stricken, the nations are bankrupt and
without resources for the future: for
the next hundred years taxes will be
OF abnormal proportions; worst Of all.
there are no young men left to breed
a future race. 1t has all caused many
to ask If wars accomplish anything
in the long run that could not much
better be gained by judicial and peace
able methods. have lurking sus.
picion, from what heard in Italy last
year, that many Italians feel the same
way after the war in Tripoii. Every.
where, in England and America, as
we'll as in Germany, many have been
asking: Who starts war scares?
Who advocates increase of armaments
and big navieS?" Yes, "Who origi.
mates wars themselves?"
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
POSTAGE stamps.

The postage stamp first made its
appearance in 1889. Its inventor was
James Chalmers, printer of Dundee.
who died In 1853. England adopted
the adhesive stamp in 1889. and issued
the first stamps for the use of the
public In 1S4O. A year later stamps
were introduced into the United
States and Switzerland. and soon aft.
erward made their appearance In
Franca belgium and Bavaria.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
New Industry IN MlssissInp,

The advent of the Mexican cotton
boil weevil has caused at least one
new industry to spring up in Pike
county. namely, the gathering. drying,
grinding and shipping leaves of the
sassafras tree to be used as an article
Of commerce The product is known
as "flle." and seven barrels OF 1t, az
gregating 750 pounds. we're ahipDed
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30

tombed on the wreck of a Virginia
plantation, would-be country gentle
man. on an automobile and next to
nothing year!
He bethought himself of the fallen
letter and possessed himself CT it
quickly. 1t lay with the superscrip-
tion side down. On it was written, in
the same hand which had addressed
the other envelope:
For my son, John Valiant,
When he reaches the age of twenty.
five.
/ That, then, had been written by his
father-and he had died nearly twenty
years ago! He broke the seal with a
strange feeling as II, walking in some
familiar thoroughfare. he had stun
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30

at profit. That Albany cigar dear
er discovered something that is max,
ing money for him. That little idea OF
individuality he is applying to every
line of his goods that incline to go
SLOW"
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30

Guest Tin New york restaurant
What's good today, Henry?
Waiter-You ought to try the Cave
Cuddle, sir. It's got the Hesitation
positively stopped!-Puck.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
Pointing the Way.

Rosemary-Mrs. Shimmerpate says
she fears the world will some day
find out they have family skeleton.
Thornton-If she wishes to keep it
secret why doesn't she wear thicker
clothes hes?-Youngstown Telegram.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
She Was the First to Recover. GYou
Did Look So FunRyI"
! tries to follow you. He's perfectly
kind"

tries to follow you. He's perfectly
kind"
She looked back momentarily.
"He-he always follows people he
likes, you see"
Thank you," she said. The tone
had now a hint-smal, yet percepti.
ble-of aloofness. I'm not In the least
afraid Of dogs" And with little nod.
she swung briskly on up the Red Road.
John Valiant stood staring after her
till she had passed from view around
curve. ''Oh, glory!" he muttered.
ITO begin by shaking your fist at her
and end by making her wonder If you
aren't trying to be fresh! You poor
profane, floundering dolt!"
CTo BE CoNTINUED0
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
The Remedy.

Much to the disgust of its promo
ters, that telephone venture has gone
into the hands of a receiver"
We'll, why don't they hang up the
receiver?
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30

He-What candle light power has
your electrical fxings?
She-Oh, those aren't real candles
on that chandelier; they're merely
make-believe.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30

Nothing disgusts fault-finder like
humping into perfection.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
footing.

Cholly-"There's a girl who wouldn't t
marry the best man living" Reggie
How do you know" Cholly-"I asked
her myself"
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
SYNOPSIS

John Valiant. a rich society favorite,
suddenly discovers that the Valiant cor
poration, which his father founded and
which was the principal source of his
wealth. has failed. He voluntarily turns
over his private fortune to the receiver
for the corporation.
The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-04-30
Just Once.

Teacher-"Willie, what is your
greatest ambition?" Willie-"To wash
mothers ears."-Stanford Chaparral