Alma record., 1914-02-26

say he bet that when he brought MS
bride home, she should walk into Da-
mory Court between rows or candle
sticks worth twenty-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 young slave worth
thousand dollars In the market.
Some say he grew jealous OF his
wife's beauty There were any num-
ber of stories told Of his cruelties to
her that aren't worth repeating. She
died early poor 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 gout, 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 few hours
leeway, he made his slaves dress him
completely and prop him on his horse
They galloped out so, negro ON
either side of him. II was a stormy
night, black as the Earl of Helrs rid
ing-boots, with wind and lightning,
and he rode cursing at both. There's
an old black-gum tree a mile from
hare that they still call Devil-John's
tree. They were Just passing under
1t when the lightning struck 1t. 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. 1t killed his horse, too. That's
the story. To be sure at this date
nobody can separate fact from fic-
ton. Possibly he wasn't so much
worse than the rest Of his peighbors
not excepting the parsons. Other
times, other manners.
"They weren't any worse than the
present generation" said the doctor
malevolently. Your four bottle men
then knew only claret: now they pun
ish whiskey-straight."
The major buried his nose in his
julep for a long moment before he
looked at the doctor blandly. II agree
with you, Bristow," he said "but it's
the first time | ever heard you admit
that much good of your ancestors"
Good" said the doctor belligerent-
ly me? | don't! | said people now
were no better. AS for the men OF
that time, they were a cheap swagger-
ing lot of bullies and swash-bucklers.
When | read history I'm ashamed to
be descended from them
Il desire to inform you, sab, said
the major, stung, that too am a de-
scendant of those bullies and swash-
bucklers, as you call them. And |
wish from my heart thought we. now
adays, could hold a tallow-dip to
them"
You refer, no doubt" said the ooc-
tor with sarcasm, ito our friend Devil
John and his ideal treatment Of his
wife!"
NO, sah," replied the major warm
ly. I'm not referring to Devil-John.
There were exceptions, no doubt, but
for the most part they treated their
women folk as l believe their Maker
made them to be treated! The man
who failed in his courtesy there, sab.
was called to account for 1t. He was
mighty apt to find himself standing in
the cool dawn at the butt-end of "a"
He broke off and coughed. There
was an awkward pause in which he
set down his glass noisily and rose
and stood before the open bookcase.
II envy you this, sah," he said with
somewhat of haste. "A fine old col
lection. Bless my soul, what curious
volume!"
AS he spoke. his hand jerked out
heavy-looking leather-back. Valiant,
who had risen and stood beside him,
saw instantly that what he had drawn
from the shelf was the morocco case
that held the rusted dueling-pistol! In
the majors hands the broken box
opened. A sudden startled look darted
across his leonine face. With smoth-
cred exclamation he thrust 1t back
| between the books and closed the
glass door
Valiant had paled. His previous
finding Of the weapon had escaped his
mind. Now he read, as clearly as IL
1t had been printed in black-letter
across the sunny wall, the significance
of the majors confusion. That weap-
on had been in his fathers hand when
he faced his opponent In that fatal
duel! 1t flashed across his mind as
the doctor lunged for his hat and stick
and got to his feet.
Come, Bristow," said the latter irri-
tably. Your feet will grow fast to
the floor presently. We mustn't talk a
new neighbor to death. I've got to see
a patient at six"
(To Be Continued)