Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-02-23
6zg
NLIANTSdVIRdIlyIA
81 HILI LRf1lNl[ RlVLS Ss>'rnsa)
ILLUSTRATED 81 LAUREN STOUT


was larsish. corpulent and heavy, ".
stout Manila paper. and bore, down
ono side. = gaudy procession Of post
age stamps proclaiming that it had
been registered.
Whats In that, I wonder!" he said
to himself, and then. with smile at
the unmasculine speculation, opened
the smaller envelope.
Dear Sir" began the letter, in the
most uncompromisingly conventional
Of typewriting:
Dear Sir:
Enclosed please find, with title
deed, q memorandum opened In your
name by the late John Valiant some
years before his death. It was his
desire that the services indicated in
connection with this estate should con-
tinue till this date. We hand you
herewith our check for $4,000 1.-TWO
hundred and thirty.six dollars and
twenty cents), the balance in your IA.
vor. for which please send receipt
And oblige,
yours very truly,
Emerson and Ball"
"(Enclosure)
He turned to the memorandum. It
showed stable initial deposit against
which was entered Z series Of annual
tax payments with minor disburse.
ments credited to inspection and
care" The tax receipts were pinned
to the account.
The larger wrapper contained an un.
sealed envelope. across which was
written in faded ink and in an unfa.
miliar dashing, slanting handwriting,
his own name. The envelope con.
tanned a creased yellow parchment,
from between whose folds there
dumped and fluttered down upon the
floor a long hattish object wrapped
in paper. a newspaper clipping and
. letter.
Puzzled he unfolded the cracking
thing in his hands. why" he said
half aloud, "it's-it's q deed made over
to me-" He overran it swiftly. part
Of an old Colony grant
plantation in Virginia. twelve hun.
dred odd acres, given under the hand
Of vice-regal governor In the SIX
teenth century. I had no idea titles
in the United States went back so far
as that!" His eye fed to the end.
IT was my fathers! What could he
have wanted of an estate in Virginia?
1t must have come into his hands in
the course OF business"
He picked up the Newspaper clip
ping. It was worn and broken in the
fN1AA a. he
months in q pocketbook.
1T will interest readers Of this sec
ton of Virginia (the paragraph be-
GAM to-learn. from recent transfer
received for record at the County
Clerks ONCE, that Damory Court has
passed TO Mr.. John Valiant, minor"
He turned the paper over and found
. date; 1t had been printed in the year
Of the transfer to himself. when he
WAS six years old-the year his father
had died.
John Valiant, minor. the son Of
the former owner.
There are few indeed who do not
recall the tragedy with which In the
public mind tho estate 10 connected.
The fact, moreover. that this old home
stead has been left in its present state
(for. - 10 we'll known, the house has
remained with all its contents and fur
nishings untouched) to rest during 30
long term Of years unoccupied. could
not, Of course, fail to be commented
on, and this cifcumstance alone has
perhaps tended to keep alive q melan-
choly story which may we'll be for
gotten"
He read the elaborate, rather stilted
phraseology In the twenty-yearold pa
per with q wondering interest. IAN
old house," he unused, with q bad
name. Probably he couldn't sell it,
and maybe nobody would ever live in
it. That would explain why 1t re-
NAMED so long unoccupied-why there
are NO records Of rentals. Probably
the land was starved and run down.
Its an Offset to the hall.bedroom
idea, 1t any rate" he said to himself
humorously. 1T holds out an escape
from the noble army Of rent.payers.
When my twenty-eight hundred is
gone, could live down there landed
proprietor. and by the same mark an
honorary colonel. and raise the cab
bages I was talking about-eh, Chum?
you stalk rabbits. How does
that strike you?"
He laughed whimsically. He, John
Valiant, Of New York, frst-nighter at
its theaters, hail-fellow-well.met in its
club corridors and welcome diner at
any ono of . hundred brilliant glass
Notwithstanding supper tables. en-
tombed on the wreck Of .. Virginia
plantation. . wo,lld.be country gentle
man, on an automobile and next to
nothing q year!
He bethought himself Of the fallen
letter and POSSESSED himself Of 1t
quickly. It lay with the superscrip-
ton side down. On it was written, in
the same hand which had addressed
the other envelt Pc:
For my con, ohm Valiant,
When no res shes the ace ct twenty.
five.
That then r n heen vritfen nv his