The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914, 1914-03-31

repealed by the craft Of the face, yet
subtly attracted. Il wonder who you
WERE" he said. "Yow were cruel.
Perhaps you we're wicked Bat you
/ were strong, too" =
He returned to the outer hall to find
that the negro had carried in his
trunk, and he babe him place it, with
the portmanteau, in the room he had
just left Dusk was falling.
Uncle Jefferson" said Valiant abb
ruptly, "have you family?"
NO. suh Jes' mel en- nah OF
CONAN"
"Can she cook?"
Cook" The genial litter again
captured his dusky escort. When
she got de. fixens, All reck'n she de
beaten'es cook in his heah county.
How would you both like to live
here with me for a while? She could
cook and you could take care of me. =
/ Uncle Jefferson's eyes seemed to
turn inward with mingled surprise and
introspection He shifted from one
foot to the other, swallowed difficulty
several times, and said, "Ah ain neo-
bah seed yo befo', subj
well. haven't seen you either,
have 70"
Oats de trufe, sub, deed ct is!
Hyuh, hyuh! Whut All means ter
say is dat de OF CONAN kahn cook
no fancy didoes like what dey eats up
Norf She kin jes' cook de Ferginey
style.Y
THAT sounds good to me-" quoth
Valiant. "1'll risk it. Now as to
wages"
"Ah ain specticulous as ter de
wages said Uncle Jefferson. "Ah
knows er gemman when All, sees one. .
Then it's bargain responded Va
liant with a1acrity. Can you come at
once?"
"Yas, sub, me en- Daph gwineter
come ovah fus' thing in de mawnin'
Whut yo-alf gwineter do fo' yo' sup
pah?''
''Fll get along" Valiant assured him
cheerfully. Here is five dollars. You
can buy some food and things to
cook with, and bring them with you
Do you think there's stove in the
/ kitchen?"
"Ah reck'n," replied Uncle Jefferson
EN- eff dar ain Daph kin cook er
Christmas dinnah wild TO- stones, en- er
tin skillet. Vas, subj"
He trudged away into the shadows
but presently as the new master OF
Damory Court stood in the gloomy
hall, he heard the shambling ster
again behind him. "Ah done neglect
uated ter ak yo' name, sub. All did
TO- er fac"
MY name is Valiant. John Va
liant"
Uncle Jefferson's eyes turned up
ward and rolled out of orbit. "Mah
Lawd! he calculated soundlessly
And with his wide lips still framed
about the last word, he backed out
of the doorway and disappeared.
Alone in the ebbing twilight, Johr
Valiant found his hamper, spread 6
napkin on the broad stone steps and
took out glass, spoon and part o.
a loaf of bread The thermos fash
was filled with milk. 1t was not 6
splendid banquet, yet he ate it with
a great content as the bulldog at his
feet gnawed his share of the crust
He broke his bread into the milk as
he had not done since he was q child
and ate the luscious pulp with keer
relish bred of the long outdoor day.
1t was almost dark when the mea
was done and, depleted hamper IL
hand, he reentered the empty echoine
house He went into the library
lighted the great brass lamp from the
motor and began to rummage. The
drawers Of the dining-room sideboart
yielded nothing: on shelf of the but
ler's pantry, however, was a tin boz
which proved to be half full of wa1
candles, perfectly preserved.
''The very thing" he said triumph
antly. Carrying them back. he fixec
several in the glass-candlesticks anC
set them. lighted, all about the sombe
room till the soft glow flooded tt
every corner. There" he said
that is as it should be- No big bla
tant search-light here! And no glar,
OF modern electricity would suit tina
|, old wainscoting, either"
He dragged the leather settee to the
porch and by the light of the motor
ing it back, set 1t under the portrait
which had so attracted him. He
washed the glass from which he had
dined and filed it at the cup of the
garden fountain, put into it the rose
from his hat and set it on the read
ing-stand The small china dog
caught his eye and he picked it VI
casually. The head came off in his
hands. 1t had been bon-bon box an6
was empty save for narrow strip Of
yellowed paper, on which were writ
ten some meaningless figures: 1928
$40. He pondered this a moment
then thrust it into one of the empty
, pigeonholes of the desk. On the lat
I ter stood an old-fashioned leaf-calen
: dar; the date it exposed was May
14th. Curiously enough the same date
. would recur tomorrow. The page bore
} quotation: Every man carries his
fate on riband about his neck
The line had been quoted in his
fathers letter. May 14th-how much
that date and that motto may have
meant for himi
] He rose to push the shutter wider
and in the movement his elbow sent {
81 - : E|@|lI
7 @\N i lTdHHE1ggIII