Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-02-10

CHAPTER X-Valiant explores his an
cestral home He is surprised by fox
hunting party which invades his estate.
He recognizes Shirley at the head of the
party.
which did she love?" The major
shook his head helplessly. 1t was.
after all, only the echo, become all
at once audible on a shallow woman's
lips. Of a question that had always
haunted him. 1t had first come to him
on the heels of that duel, when he
had stood, somewhat later that hate
full morning, holding a saddled horse
before the big pillared porch. 1t had
whispered itself then from every NOV
ing leaf. "Sassoon or Valiant?" If
she had loved Sassoon, of what use the
letter Valiant was so long penning in
the library? Buff it were Valiant
she loved? The man who, having
sworn not to lift his hand against the
other, had broken his sacred word to
her! Who had stained the unwritten
code by facing an opponent maddened
with Hquori Yet, what was there
woman might not condone in the one
man? Would she read, forgive and
send for him?
The major laughed out suddenly,
harshly, in the quiet room, and looked
down as if he expected to see that
letter still lying in his hand. But the
laugh could not still a regular pulsing
sound that was in his ears-elfin like
the voices, but as distinct-the sound
of a horses hoofs going from Damory
Court.
He had heard those hoof-beats echo
in his brain Tor thirty years!
Till the sun was high John Valiant
lay on his back in the fragrant grass,
meditatiyely watching a bucaneering
chicken-hawk draw widening circles
against the blue and listening to the
vibrant tattoo of a ''pecker-wood'' on
a far-away tree, and the timorous wet
whistle of a bob-white The whole
place was very quiet now. For just
one thrilling moment it had burgeoned
into sound and movement: when the
sweaty horses had stood snOrting and
stamping in the yard with the hounds
scampering between their legs and the
riding-coats winking like rubies in the
early sunshinel
Had she recognized him as the
smudged tinkerer of the stalled car?
she saw me drop that wretched brute
through the window" he chuckled. i
could take oath to that But she didn't
give me away, true little sport that
she was. And she won't l can't
think of any reason, but know. Was
she angry? wonder!"
At length he rose and went back
to the house. With a bunch of keys
he had found he went to the stables,
after sone d. Guilty gained access,
and prOpped ray doors and win
dOws open to 49, sun. The building
was airy and well-lighted and con-
tanned a dozen roomy box-stalls,
spacious loft and a carriage-house.
The straw bedding had been unre-
moved, mice-gna we'd sacklng and
rotted hay lay in the hangers, and the
warped harness, hanging on its pegs,
was a smelly mass of mildew and
decay. He found a stick, moved away
the festooning cObwebs, and moved
the debris piece-meal.
'There!" he said with satisfaction.
There's a place for the motor-lf
Uncle Jefferson ever gets it here"
1t was noon when he returned, after
a wash-up in the lake, to the meal
with which Aunt Daphne, in a costume
dimly suggestive of a bran-meal poul-
tice with Bingham apron on, RECALLED
him. Fried chicken, corn-bread SO
soft and fluffy that it had to be lifted
from the pan with a spoon, Drowned
potatoes, and to his surprise, fresh
milk. "Ah done druv ouah Of COW
ovah, SUBJ explained Aunt Daphne
lease she gotter be MIXED, er she
run dry ez de Red Sea TO de chillon
OBJ Izril"
AUNT Daphne" inquired Valiant
with his mouth full, what do you call
this green thing?"
Dat? OATS jes' turnip-tops, sub,
wild er hunk er bacon in de pot. Laws
er-me. ct cer'n'y do me good ter see
20 git arter it dat way, sub. Reck'n
IIxrY1b Ilvubf'