The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1914-04-01
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put i m living In 1t at present"
The edge Of a smile lifted the care
fully trained mustache over the
others white teeth. 1t had tho per-
fectly courteous air Of saying, "Of
course, If you say so. But"
Valiant turned, with gesture that
included all. "If you care to dismount
and rest" he said, 81 shall be honored,
though I'm afraid l can't offer you
such hospitality as should wish"
The judge raised his broad soft hat.
THANK you, sir" he said, with a soft
accent that delightfully."- disdained tho
letter "r." "But we mustn't intrude
any further. As you know, Of course,
the place has been uninhabited for
any number Of years, and We had no
idea 1t was to acquire a tenant. You
will overlook our riding through, 1
hope. I'm afraid tho neighborhood
has got used to considering this a sort
Of no-man's land It's a pleasure to
know that the Court is to be re-
claimed, Sill Come along, Chilly" ho
added. Our fox has a burrow under
the house, reckon-hang the cunning
little dcvil!"
He waved his hat at the porch and
turned his horse down the path. side
by side with tho golden chestnut.
After them trooped the others, horses
walking wearily, riders talking in low
voices, the girls turning often to send
swift bird-like glances behind them
to where the straight masculine figure
still stood with the yellow sunshine on
his face. They did not leap the wall
this time, but filed decorously through
the swinging gate to the Red Road.
Then, as they passed from Wow be-
hind the hedges, John Valiant heard
the younger voices break out together
like tho sound Of bomb thrown into
poultry-yard.
John Valiant stood watching till the
last rider was out Of sight. There
was warm flush Of color in his face.
At length he turned with ghost
Of sigh, opened the hall door wide
and stalking a hundred yards away,
sat down on the shady grass and be-
gan to whistle, with his eyes on the
door.
Presently he was rewarded. On a
sudden, around the edge Of the sill
peered a sharp, suspicious little muz-
zle. Then, like flash Of tawny light
the fox broke sanctuary and shot for
the thicket.
The brown ivied house in the vii.
lage was big and square and faced the
sleepy street. A one-storied wing con-
tanned a small door with doctors
brass plate on the clapboarding be-
eli
Mrs. Merryweather Mason's paying
guests-for she would have deemed
the word boarder a gratuitous insult
no less to them than to her. Another
was the major, who for decade had
occupied the big old-fashioned cor
ner-room on the second floor. COM
panioned by a monstrous gray cat and
waited on by an ancient negro named
Jereboam, who had been a slave of
his fathers.
The doctor was sallow taciturn
man with saturnine face, eyebrows
like frosted thistles, mouth as if
made with one quick knife-slash and
a head nearly bald, set on neck that
would not have disqualified year.
ling OK.
On this particular morning neither
the major nor the doctor was in evil
dence' the former having gone out
early, and the latter being atathe mo-
ment In his office, as the brassy buzz
OF telephone from time to time an.
nounced. Two Of the green wicker
rocklng-chairs on the porch, however
were In agitant commotion. Mrs. Ma
son was receiving a caller in the per-
son OF Mrs. Napoleon Clifford.
After all these years!" the visitor
was saying in her customary italics.
cThe broad "a" which lent dulcet
softness to the speech OF her hostess
was scorned by Mrs. Poly, her own
as being as narrow as the needle
through which the rich man reaches
heaven.) 1--WE came here from Rich
mond when I was bride-thats
twenty-one years ago-and Damory
Court was forsaken then. And think
what condition the house must be In
now! Cared for by an agent who
comes every other season from New
York. Trust man to do work like
that"
I'm glad a Valiant is to occupy It,"
remarked Mrs. Mason in her sweet,
flute-like voice. 1T would be sad to
see any one else there. For after all,
the Valiants were gentlemen"
Mrs. Clifford shifted Would you
have called Devil-John Valiant a gen
tleman? Why, he earned the name
by the dreadful things he did. My