The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-01-30
.Wherethe
Pluck Lay
A Story of Old Virginia
By r. "A. mitchell

.artain persons OF rank VINO nad been
.rsnted privileges by the British SOW
sraIen. There were younger sons of
rnclish families Of ancient lineage
vbo having no fortune In the old
rorld had come to the new to find one.
In those days every man wore a
srord al his side, and when a father
seut bis son out into the world his prin-
einol Instruction was that he should
nrotect his honor with 1t to the last
drop Of his blood.
During the first half Of the nineteenth
century the aristocratic classes of Vir-
glnla we're in their prime, though the
Uar between the states which was TO
impoyeri>h them was impending. Men
had ceased to wear swords, the impulse
70 uSe them having somewhat abated.
But tic code duello was still consider
ed the proper tribunal for gentlemen
10 settle their disputes.
One IF the principal tobacco planters
in Virginia at the opening of the nine
teenth century was Major Rufus liar
desty. whose military title-a breyet-
had been conferred upon him at the
siege of Yorktown, where as a young
subaltern he had distinguished himself.
In those days the state was considered
superior TO the nation, and when Major
Hardesty went abroad he registered his
name at London hotel as from Vir-
gina.
The majors only child was daugh-
fer, whom his loyalty to his state in
duced him to name Virginia. Miss Har-
desty was a typical girl Of her period.
There was a disposition among south
ern girls In those days to consider them
selves as objects to be sought and con-
tended for by their suitors, and Vir-
ginia especially objected to giving her
self to any man who had not proved
bis prowess in his efforts to obtain her
favor
One reason for the pride in state
instead of nation in those days was
that there was little passing from one
state to another. Especially was this
true Of transitions between the north
and the south. In that region in which
Major Hardesty's plantation was sit
uatel there was but one resident from
the north, Henry Brainard, who, hav-
hg served several years in the United
States army at a Virginia post, had
resigned to follow the occupation of
most Virginia conference.-the raising
Of tobacco.
Barnard was thirty-five years of age
when Virginia Hardesty was nineteen.
lie was a reserved man, somewhat an
gar In his appearance, stir In man
ner and movement. He was as old
fashioned as flint lock musket would
be ut the present day of rapid fire
arms. What induced such man to
fall In love with q fllrt like Virginia
Harlesty can only be accounted for
on the theory that like loves unlike.
Virginia had known Brainard some
time before she was able to interpret
bis treatment of her as being caused by
love. Brainard considered himself al
together too old for such chit, and
this greatly intensified his embarrass-
ment toward her. When she made up
her mind that his strange treatment
Of her meant love she was much
amused and foresaw much pleasure IL
tOrturing him. But Brainard was nc
fool and, seeing that the coquette was
playing with him as cat would play
with mouse, ceased his visits to hel
fathers plantation.
Virginia would have attempted t
bring him back to tantalize him fur
Their had she not at the time been alb
sorbed In a new fame. Arthur Rim
gold. the son of a neighboring planter
returned from a sojourn in England
where he had been enrolled as stu
dent at oxford. He had acquired th
tastes and manners of an Englis
swell and by no means relished hl
return to the primitive state of VII
glnia. He was somewhat consoled b
favorable notice from Miss Hardest!
1t was not long before she had s
lar blinded him to her faults as to 81
cure proposal from him. That ma
Tor whom there was nothing in vi
gnia good enough should have offere
himself to her battered her, and ST
was inclined to accept him; but, as hs
oeen said, she would accept no ma
VINO was not willing to take great risl
for her.
Just how Virginia made 1t apparel
70 kingold that he would have to fig
,or her does not appear. 1t is prob
ole that she talked a great deal abo'
ushting and her admiration for bra
e!. AT any rate. 1t was not long al
= MS proposal to her that he was
vi settlement Of difficulty und
,ae code. At the coffee house In W
.amsourg where gentlemen were wo
meet to drink and smoke, not
eauen gambling, his disparageme
:. america in favor of England excit
e resentment Of one TbSbadeaux,
Aoh OF French extraction An altorr