The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1914-05-14

look as he sat there, a heavy lonely
figure. that bright morning. 1t had
slipped to his face with the news OF
the arrival at Damory Court He TOLD
himself that he felt queer.
Suddenly he seemed to hear elfin
voices close to his ear;
which was 1t she loved? Valiant
or Sassoon?"
IL was so distinct that he started.
vexed and disturbed. Really. 1t was
absurd. He would be seeing things
next "Southall may be right about
that exercise" he muttered; "I'll walk
more" He began the projected re-
form without delay. strldlng up and
down the room. But the little voices
presently sounded again. shouting like
gnomes inside a hill:
Which was 1t? Valiant or Sas-
soon?"
Il wish to God I knew," said the
major roughly. standing still. II ST.
fenced them, but the sound OF his own
voice. as though It had been a pre-
concerted signal. drew together a hun
dred inchoate images OF other days.
There was the well-ordered garden of
Damory Court-it rose up. gloomy
with night shadows, across his great
clothes-press against the wall-with
himself sitting on rustic-benoh
smoking and behind him the candle
lighted library window with Beauty
Valiant pacing up and down, waiting
for daylight There was a sun
l-N.A .s.I. n. A. atra
with Southall and he measuring the
ground-the grass all dewy sparkles
and an early robin teetering on a
thorn-bush. Eight - nine - ten - he
caught himself counting the PAGES.
He wiped his forehead. Between
the hemlocks now we're two figures
facing each other, one twitching un.
certainly, the other palely rigid; and
at one side, held screenwise, a raised
umbrella In some ghostly way he
could see right through the latter
see the doctors hand gripping the
handle. his own, outstretched beyond
its edge, holding handkerchief ready
to flutter down. A silly subterfugs
those umbrellas, but there must be nc
actual witnesses to the final act OF Z
"gentlemen's meeting! A silly code
grown! The scene blurred into a sin
gle figure budding down-hu6dlinl
down
Which did she lover" The majo
shook his head helplessly. 1t was
after all. only the echo. become al
at once audible on a shallow womani
lips, OF a question that had Away
haunted him. 1t had first come to hin
on the heels OF that duel, when h
had stood, somewhat later that hate
full morning. holding a saddled hors'
before the big pillared porch. 1t hat
whispered itself then from every NOV
ing leaf "Sassoon or Valiant2"
e she had loved Sassoon. OF what use tn
letter Valiant was 80 long penning II
the library? Buff II we're Valian
she loved? The man who. havini
sworn not to lift his hand against thu
other, had broken his sacred word Il
herl Who had stained the unwrittel
code by facing an opponent maddene'
with liquor! Yet, what was there
woman might not condone in the on
> man? Would she read. forgive an
. send for him?
The major laughed out suddenly
; harshly, in the quiet room. and locke
4 down as II he expected TO see tina
I letter stlll lying In his hand. But tn
: laugh could not still regular pulsin
i sound that was In his ears-elfin lik
the voices, but as distinct-the SCUM
d OF a horses hoofs going from Damor
Court.
Q He had heard those hoof-beats ech
; In his brain for thirty years!
GRO BE CoNTINUED)