The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1914-03-12

"Ah ain specticulous as ter d
wages" said Uncle Jefferson. "A
knows er gemman when All sees one
Then it's bargain responded Va
liant with alacrity Can you come a
once2"
"Yas, sub. me en- Daph gwinete
come ovah fus' thing In de mawnin'
Whut yo-aIl gwineter do 70 yo' sup
pah?"
I'll get along" Valiant assured hin
cheerfuIly. Here is five dollars. You
can buy some food and things tc
cook with. and bring them with you
Do you think there's stove In the
kitchen?"
"Ah reck'n," replied Uncle Jefferson
EN- eff dar ain Daph kin cook Ell
Chris'mu dinnah wild TO stones en- er
tin skillet Vas, subj"
! He trudged away into the shadows,
but presently as the new master OF
Damory Court stood in the gloomy
hall, he heard the shambling step
again behind him. "Ah done neglect
uated ter az yo' name, sub. All did.
TO er fac"
MY name is Valiant. John Va
liant"
Uncle Jefferson's eyes turned up
ward and rolled out Of orbit. Nah
Lawdi" he calculated soundlessly.
And with his wide lips still framed
about the last word. he backed out
of the doorway and disappeared
Alone in the ebblng twilight, John
Valiant found his hamper, spread a
napkin on the broad stone steps and
took out glass, spoon and part of
a loaf of bread. The tbermos flask
was filled with milk. 1t was not
splendid banquet, yet he ate 1t with
a great content as the bulldog at his
feet gnawed his share of the crust.
He broke his bread into the milk as
he had not done since he was child,
and ate the luscious pulp with a keen
relish bred Of the long outdoor day.
1t was almost dark when the meal
was done and, depleted hamper in
hand. he reentered the empty echoing
house. He went into the library,
lighted the great brass lamp from the
motor and began to rummage The
drawers of the diningroom sideboard
yielded nothing; on a shelf of the but
ler's pantry, however, was tin box
which proved to be half full of wax
candles, perfectly preserved
THE very thing" he said triumph
antly. Carrying them back, he fixed
several in the glass-candlesticks and
set them, lighted, all about the somber
room till the soft glow flooded its
every corner. There" he said,
that is as 1t should be- No big bla-
tant search-light herel And no glare
of modern electricity would suit that
old wainscoting, either"
He dragged the leather settee to the
porch and by the light of the motor
lamp busted it thoroughly, and wheel
ing it back, set it under the portrait |
which had so attracted him. He
washed the glass from which he had |
dined and filled 1t at the cup of the
garden fountain, put into it the rose
from his hat and set it on the read |
ing-stand. The small china dog |
caught his. eye and he picked it up
casually The head came off in his
hands. II had been a bon-bon box and
was empty save for a narrow strip of
yellowed paper, on which were writ
zen some meaningless figures 1928
$40. He pondered this moment,
hen thrust ii into one of the empty
)igeonholes of the desk On the lat
er stood an old-fashioned leaf-calen-
lar; the date it exposed was May
4th. Curiously enough the same date
would recur tomorrow. The page bore
quotation: Every man carries his
ate on a riband about his neck"
The line had been quoted in his
ather's letter. Nay 14th-how much
hat date and that motto may have
meant for him!
He rose to push the shutter wider
nd In the movement his elbow sent a