The Irish standard., 1914-04-04


She looked in some curiosity. Clear.
ly, II not . refuge Of genteel poverty.
neither was It the abode Of wealth:
10. from her assured rampant Of the
Fargo millions. Katharine reflected
oomplacently. The girl was q looal
favorite. of course-he had been tact
full as to that. 1t was fortunate, in a
way. that he had not seen her. Katha-
rtne. in the grand stand until after
ward. Feeling toward her as she be-
lie,ed he did. with his absurd direct
ness, he would have been likely to
drop the rose in her lap. never re-
f1ecting that, the tourney being local
function, the choice should not fall up.
on an outlander.
The slowing of the car brought her
back to the present. and she looked
up to see before them the great gate of
GLADDEN. Hall. She did not speak till
they had quite stopped.
Then. as her hand lay in his for
farewell, you are right in your de-
cision." she said softly. This is your
place. You are Valiant of Virginia.
I didn't realize 1t before, but am be.
ginning to see all 1t means to YOU"
Her voice held lingering indefiu.
able quality that was almost sadness,
and for that one slender instant, she
opened on him the unmarked batteries
of her glorious gray eyes.
The tournament ball at Damory
Court that night was more than an
event. The old mansion was an IRE
sfstible magnet. The floor of it's vel
low parlor was known to be of delecta.
bic hugeness. Its gardens were a le
gend. The whole place. moreover, was
STEPPED in the very odor Of old mys
terry and new romance. Small wonder
that to this particular affair the elect
the major was the high custodian
of the rolls, his decisions being as the
laws of the Modes and Persians-came
gaily from the farthest county line,
and the big houses of the neighbor.
hood were crammed with overnight
guests.
BY half past nine o'clock the pha.
lanx OF chaperons decreed by old Gus
tom had begun to arrive, and the great
iron gate at the front of the drive
erect and rustless now-saw an impos.
Ing professional Of carriages. These
passed up a slope as radiant with the
fairy light Of paper lanterns as Japa-
nese thoroughfare in festival season,
The colored bulbs swung moon-like
from tree and shrub, painting their
rainbow lusters on grass and drive
way. Under the high gray columns of
the porch and into the wide door,
framed in its small loaded panes that
glowed with the merry light within.
poured stream of loneliness: in car
riage-wraps of light tints, collared and
edged with fur or elder, or wide.
sleeved mandarin coats falling back
from dazzling Threats and arms, hair
swathed with chiffon against the night
dews, and CALAMITY cavaliered by mas.
culine black and white
These from their tiring.rooms over.
flowed presently, CARRIED like dreams,
to make obeisance TO the dowagers
and then to drift through flower-lined
corridors, the foam on recurrent waves
of discovery. Behind the rose.bower
in the hall, which shielded q dozen
colored MISUNDERSTANDING. cello, gui
tars and mandolins-came premonitory
chfrps and shivers. which presently
wove into the low and dreamy melody
Of Garry Me Back to Old Virginia. u
Promptly as the clock in the hall
chimed ten, the music merged into q
march. Doors on opposite sides of the
upper hall swung wide and down the
broad staircase came, with slow step
a stately procession: two heralds in
fawn-colored doublets with scroll and
trumpets wound with flowers, behind
them the Queen of Beauty, her finger
tips rasting.lightly in the hand of the
knight Of the Crimson Rose, and these
followed by as brave concourse of
lords and ladies as ever graced castle.
hall in the gallant days when knight.
hood was in flower"
Shirley's gown was Of pure white:
her arms were sWathed in tulle,
crossed with straps of seed-pearl, over
which hung long semi-howing sleeves
of satin, and from her shoulders rose
stiff pointed medieval collar Of Vene.
tian lace, against whose pale traceries
her bronze hair glowed with rosy
lights. The elge of the square-cut cor.
sage was powdered with the pearls
and against their sheen her breast and
neck had the soft creamy ivory of
magnolia buds. Her straight plain
train of satin, knotted with fresh white
rose-buds Nancy Chalmers had la
bored for a frantic half-hour in the
dressing-room for this effect was
held by the seven-year-old Byloe
twins, beribboned knickerbockers, duly
impressed with the grandeur of their
privilege and grimly intent on acquit.
ting themselves with glory.
Shirley's face was still touched with
the surprise that had swept 1t as
Valiant had stepped to her SIDE She
had looked to see him in the conven
tional panoply a sober-sided masculine
mode DEGREES. What she had beheld
was figure that might have stepped
out Of an Elizabethan picture-frame
He was in deep purple slashed with
gold. A cloak Of thin crimson velvet
narrowly edged with ermine hung
from his shoulders, lined with tissue
like cloth-of-gold From the rolling