The Irish standard., 1914-03-21

The major smote his knee and even
the doctors face showed grim, IL
transient approval. II believe you'll
do it," exclaimed the former. "And
let me say. sab, that the neighbor-
hood is not unaware Of the splendid
generosity which 10 responsible for
the present lack of which you speak"
Valiant put out his hand With Q
little gesture Of depreciation, but the
other disregarded It. "Confound It,
sab. 1t was to be expected Of . Va
liant. Your ancestors wrote their
names in capital letters over this
country. They were an up and down
lot. but good or bad land. 40 soutaail
says. reckon"-he nodded toward the
great portrait above the eouch-''the
weren't all httle woolly lambs) they
did big things in big way"
valiant leaned forward eagerly. Q
question on his lips. But at the mo-
ment diversion occurred In the
shape Of Uncle Jefferson, who re-en-
tered, bearing tray on which set sun
dry jugs and clinking glasses. glow.
ing with white and green and gold.
"Yov old humbug," said the doctor.
don't you know the majors that poi
soned with mintjuleps already that he
can't get up before eight in the morn
'ing?"
well, suh," Uttered Uncle Jeffer.
son, "Ah done foun' or mint-baid down
below de kitchens dis mawnin'. Yo'.
all gemmun' bout de bigges' expuhts
in dis yeah county, en- All reck'n
Mars Valiant sho' 'sist on yo' sam.
.plin' ct"
'sah," said the major feelingly,
turning to his host, I'm proud to
drink your health in the typical bev-
,erage Of Virginia." He touched
glasses with Valiant and glared at the
doctor. who was slipping his own
;thoughtfully. Poems have been writ
ten on the julep, sah."
"They make good epitaphs. too" OBJ
served the doctor.
Il noticed your glass isn't going
begging" the major retorted. "Unc'
Jefferson. that's as good mint as grew
In the gyarden Of Eden. See that
those lazy niggers of yours don't grub
the patch out by mistake"
''Yas, sah," said Uncle Jefferson, as
he retired with the tray. "Ah gwine-
ter put er fence eroun' dat ar bald TO
shutdown"
The question that had sprung to
Valiant's lips now found utterance. II
saw you look at the portrait there"
he said to the major. (Which Of my
ancestors is it,"
The other got up and stood before
the mantel-piece in a Napoleonic atti-
tude. THAT" he said, fxingshis eye.
glasses, els your great-grandfather
Devil-John Valiant"
"Devil-John!" echoed his host. Eyes,
I've heard the name."
The doctor guffawed. "He earned
It, reckon. never realized what a
sinister expression that missing optic
gives the old ruf1an. There was q
skirmish during the war on the hill
side yonder and bullet cut it out.
When we were boys we used to call
him old One-Eye.'" !
1T interests me enormously" John
Valiant spoke explosively.
"The stories OF Devil-John would fill
a mighty big book" said the major.
by all accounts he ought to have
lived in the middle ages" Crossing
the library, he looked into the dining
room. II thought remembered. The
portrait over the console there is his
wife, your great-grandmother They
say he bet that when he brought his
bride home, she should walk into Da-:
mory Court between rows Of candle.
sticks worth tventy-thousand dollars.
He made the wager good, too, for
when she came up those steps out
there, there was row of ten candles
burning on either side of the doorway,
each held by a young slave worth q
thousand dollars in the market. 4,
"Some say he grew Jealous Of his
wife's beauty. There were any num-
Der of stories told Of his cruelties to
her that aren't worth repeating. She
died early lady-and your
grandfather was the only issue. Devil
John himself lived to be past seventy,
and at that age, when most men were
stacking their sins and groaning with
the govt, he was dicing and fox-hunt-
ing with the youngest Of them. He
always swore he would die with his
boots on, and they say when the doc
tor told him he had only a few hours
leeway, he made his slaves dress him
completely and prop him on his horse.
They galloped out so. a negro on
either side Of him. It was a stormy
night, black as the Earl Of Hell's rid.
ing-boots, with wind and lightning,
and he rode cursing at both. There's
an old black-gum tree q mile from
hare that they stu call Devil oha,A
tree. They were just passing under
It when the lightning struck it. Light
ming has no effect on the black-gum.
you know. The bolt glanced from the
tree and struck him between the two
slaves without harming either Of
them. It killed his horse. too. That's
the story. To be sure Ut this date
nobody can separate fact from 40.
ton. Possibly he wasn't 20 much
worse than the rest Of his neighbors
NOT excepting the parsons. Other
times. other manners"
They weren't any worse than the
present generation" said the doctor
SAA1A~AHAAAN~ sFU~s- 80. A-kANA