The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-03-11

He tore open the letters abstracted-
ly. the usual dinner-card or two, a
tailor's spring announcement, a
chronic serial from an explanatory
marble-quarrying company, a quarterly
statement OF club house-committee
The last two missives bore a monde
script look.
One was small, with the name of
legal firm in it's corner. The other
was largish, corpulent and heavy, Of
stout Manila paper, and bore. down
one side. a gaudy procession Of post
age stamps proclaimlng that it had
been registered
Whats in that, I wonder?" he said
to himself, and then, with a smile at
the unmasculine speculation. opened
the smaller envelope.
Dear Sir" began tho letter, In the
most uncompromisingly conventional
of typewriting:
Dear Sir:
Enclosed please fnd, with title
deed. memorandum opened in your
name by the late John Valiant some
desire that the services indicated i'm
connection with this estate should con
tinue till this date. We hand you
herewith our check for $236.20 (two
hundred and thirty-six dollars and
twenty cents). the balance in your ia
vor, for which please send receipt,
And oblige,
Yours very truly,
Emerson and Ball."
"(Enclosure)
He turned to the memorandum. It
showed a sizable initial deposit against
which was entered a series OF annual
tax payments with minor disburse-
ments credited to inspection and
care" The tax receipts were pinned
to tho account.
The larger wrapper contained an un-
sealed envelope, across which was
written in faded ink and In an unfa-
miliar dashing, slanting handwriting,
his own name. The envelope con-
tanned a creased yellow parchment,
from between whose folds there
clumped and fiuttered down upon the
floor a long fiattish object wrapped
In a paper. newspaper clipping and
q letter.
Puzzled he unfolded the cracking
thing in his hands. why" he said
half aloud. 'its-it's deed made over
10 mo-" He overran 1t swiftly. part
OF sn old Colony grant
plantation in Virginia, twelve hun.
dred odd acres. given under the hand
OF vice-regal governor in the six
teenth century. / had no idea titles
In the United States went back so far
"a that His eye fed to the end.
have wanted of an estate in Virginia?
II must have come into his hands m
the course Of business"
He picked up tho newspaper clip
ping. It was worn and broken in the
folds as II IL had been carried for
months in a pocketbook
1t will interest readers OF this sec
ton OF Virginia (the paragraph be-
gam to learn, from recent transfer
received for record at the County
Clerks office. that Damory Court has
passed to Mr.. John Valiant, minor"
lie turned the paper over and found
a date Ii had been printed i'm tho 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 TACT, moreover. that this old home
stead has been left in it's present state
tfor, as IL well known, the house has
remained with all It's contents and fur
nishings untouched) to rest during so
long term OF years Inoccupied. could
not, OF course, fail to be commented
ON. and this circumstance alone has
perhaps tended TO keep alive n melan.
choly story which may we'll be- for
gotten"
Ho read the elaborate. rather stiited
phraseology in tho twenty-year-old pa.
per with a wondering interest. An
old house, he unused. with a bad
and maybe uObody would ever live in
IL. 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 hail-bcdroom
Idea, at any rate" he said to himself
humorously. 1T holds out all escape
from tho noble army of remit pay Crs
when my twenty eight hundred la
zone, ] could live down there landed
proprietor. and by tho same mark an
honorary colonel. and raise the cab
bages l was talking about--ch. Chum?
while YOU stalk rabbits. How does
that strike YOU"
Tie laughed whimscally. He. John
valiant. OF New York. frst-nighter at
It's thcaters, hail-fellow.w welLmet I'm It's
club corridors aud welcome diner at