The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-06-30

and one of added honor. in a coneern
that had vigorously cleansed itself and
already looked forward to new ca.
reer of prosperity But he thought of
this now with no thrill. The old life
no longer called. There were still
wide unpeopled spaces somewhere
where mans hand and brain were no
less needed, and there was work there
that would help him to bear, If not for.
get
He paced up and down the porch UNI
der the great gray columns, his Steps
spiritless and tagging. The Virginia
cTeeper, trailing over its end. waved
to and fro with a, sound like a sigh.
How long would it be before the lawn
was once more unkempt and draggled?
Before burdock and thistle, mullen
and Spanish-needle would return to
smother the clover? Before Danlory
court, on which he had spent such
loving labor, would lie again as it lay
that afternoon when he had ratified
thither on Uncle Jefferson's crazy
hack? Before there would be for him,
in some far-away corner of the world,
only Wishing-H House and the Never
Never Land?
In the hall he stood a moment be,
I fore the fireplace. his eyes on its
caryen motto, 81 clinge:" the phrase
was like spear-thrust, He began to
wander restlessly through the house.
up and down, like a prowling animal
rTsI-
chill-only the little lady in hoops and
love-curls who had been his great
grandmother smiled wistfully down
from her gilt frame above the console
and in the library melancholy
deeper than that of yesterdays trag-
edy seemed to hang, through which
Devil-John, drawing closer the leash
of his leaping hound, gIared sardon.
ically at him from his one cold eye.
The shutters of the parlor were
closed, but he threw them open and
let the rich light pierce the yellow
gloom, glinting from the figures in
the cabinet and weaving thousand
tiny rainbowg in the prisms of the
great chandelier
He went upstairs. into the bedrooms
one by one, now and then passing his
hand over polished chair-back or
touching an ornament or a frame on
the wall: into The Hilarium with its
records of childish study and play.
The dolls stood now on dress parade
in glass cases, and prints in bright
colors, dear to little people, were on
the walls. He opened the shutters
here, too, and stood some time on the
threshold before he turned and went
heavily downstairs.
Through the rear door he could see
the kitchens, and Aunt Daphne sitting
under the trumpet-vine piecing nine
patch calico quilt with little squares
of orange and red and green cloth
Two diminutives darkies were sprawled
on the ground looking up at her with
round serious eyes, while wary ban
tam pecked industriously about their
bare legs.
EN- den whut de roostah say,
Aunt Daph?"
cor roostah he hollah to all he
wifes, Oo-ooo! Oo-ooo! Young
Mars come!-Young Mars comet
Young Mars comet En- dey all mighty
skeered, case Mars John he cert'ny
fond OBJ fried chick'n- But de big tub
key gobbier he don bleeve ct tall
Doubtful doubtful-doubtful! he say,
lax dat. Den de drake ne peep eroun'
de cornah, en- he say, Hash! Hash!
Haish!' Fo' he done seed Mars John
comm, sho' huff. But ct too late by
den, TO- Aunt Daph she done grab
Mis- Pullet, en- Mars John he gwine-
ter eat huh dis berry evenin' TO- he
suppah- Now you chillun runs erlong
home ter yo' mammies, en- don yo'
pick none OBJ dem green apples on de
way, neidah.'
1t was not till after dark had come
that Valiant said goodby to the gar
den. He loved it best under the star
light. He sat long hour under the
pergola overlooking the lake, where
he could dimly see the green rocks,
and the white froth of the water bub-
bling and chuckling down over their
rounded outlines to the shrouded level
below. The moon lifted finally and
scared through the sky, blowing out
the little lamps of stars. Under its
! light a gossamer mist robed the land
! scape in shimmering opalescence,
| in which tree and shrub altered their
values and became transmitted to sill
yer sentinels, watching over a de-
mesne of violet-velvet shadows filed
with sleepy twitterings and stealthy
rustlings and the odor of wild honey
| suckle.
At the last he stood before the old
sun-dial, rearing it's column from it's
pearly clusters of blossoms. 81 count
no hours but the happy ones" he read
the inscription with an indrawn
breath. Then, cropping at its base he
lifted the ivy that had once rambled
there and drew up the tangle again
over the stone disk. His Brides Gar
| deni
In the library, an hour later, sitting
at the big black pigeonholed desk, he
wrote to Shirley:
Il am leaving tonight on the mid
night train Uncle Jefferson will give
you this note in the morning. | will
not stay at Damory court to bring
more pain into your life 1 am going
very far away. 1 understand all you
are feeling-and so, goodby, goodby
God keep you! / love you and / shall
love you always, always!"
| CAAprER XYNIiI