The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-08-11

up. / could almost think l was look
ing at Damory Court in the sixties.
sahi"
could have said, Major" responded
Valiant. But it needs the flowers
He looked at Shirley with sparkling
eyes. How splendid of you to bring
them l feel like a robber"
With our bushels of them? We
shall never miss them at all. Have
you set out the others?"
81 have, indeed. Every one has
rooted, too You shall see them" He
led the way up the drive till they
stood before the porch.
"Gad!" chuckled the major. who
would think 1t had been unoccupied
for three decades? At this rate, you'll
soon be giving dances, sah"
"Ah," said Valiant That's the very
thing | want to suggest. The tourna-
ment comes off next week, l under
stand, and it's been the custom to
have ball that night. The tourney
ground is on this estate, and Damory
Court is handler than the Country
Club. Why wouldn't it be appropriate
to hold the dance here? The ground
floor rooms are in order, and if the
young people would put up with 1t, it
would be a great pleasure to me, I as
sure you"
"Oh!" breathed Shirley. THAT
would be too wonderful"
The major seized his hand and
shook it heartily 81 can answer for
the committee" he said. They'll
jump at it. Why, sab, the new gener-
alton has never set eyes inside the
house. It's golden legend to them"
Then I'll go ahead with arrange
ments."
He led them around the house and
down the terraces Of the formal gar
den, and here the majors encomiums
broke forth again. you are going to
take US old folks back, sah," he said
with real feeling. This gyarden in
it's original lines was unique. 1t had a
piquancy and a picturesqueness that,
thank God, are to be restored! One
can understand the owner of an es-
tate like this having no desire to
spend his life philandering abroad. We
all hope, sab, that you will recur to
the habit of your ancestors and count
Damory Court home
Valiant smiled slowly. 81 don't
dream of anything else" he said. my
life, as l map it out, seems to begin
here. The rest doesn't count-only
the. years when l was little and had
my father"
The major carefully adjusted his
eyeglasses. His head was turned
away. "Ah, yes he said.
THE last twenty years." continued
the other, from my present view
point, are valuable mainly for con-
trast."
.'As a consistent regimen of pate
de foie gras," said Shirley quizzically,
makes one value bread and butter? 2"
He shook his head at her. "As star
walton makes one appreciate plenty
The next twenty years are to be here.
So SNOW hold sidn-trinr. 20 N
and then there's a taunt back to the
city"
Contrast again7" she asked inter-
estedly.
Yes and no. Yes, because no one
who has ever known that blazing
changing life can really understand the
peace and blessedness of a place like
this. No, because there are something's
which are to be found only there
There are the galleries and the opera
/ need breath of them BOTH
And semi-occasional longer fights,
too" the major reflected "a look-see
abroad once in a blue moon. Why
not?"
Yes. For mental photographs-im-
pressions one can't get from between
book-covers. There's an old cloister
garden l know in Italy and particu-
lar river-bank in Japan in the cherry
blossom season, and a 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 Damory
Court. For this is-home!"
They walked beneath the pergola.
to the lake, where Shirley gave cry
of delight at sight of it's feathered
population. Where did you get them
from" she asked.
Washington. In crates"
THAT explains it," she exclaimed
Zone day last week the little darkies
n 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. TITS
shame to fool them. But I've had
all the circus l want getting the live
stock installed"
They won't suffer-" said the major
hickey Snyderll get them up three
hinged show at the drop of hat and
drop it herself. Besides, there's tourn-
ament day coming, and they can live
on that. I see you've dredged out
some of the lilies"
Yes. / take my dip here every
morning"
I'VE used to have a diving-board
when we were little shavers," pursued
the major. 81 remember once, your
father"
He cleared his throat and stopped
dead
Please" said John Valiant, II
like to hear about him."