Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1922-11-30

7 len with his chain. In the parior Aur
Tycie sang, In this house a custom
= be dreaded by the learned ear; bs
: Braces ear was not learned Shottle
was as an oyster-shell ciapped to HI
head and In music the General coul
; Lnot distinguish Intention from accom-
plishment. II WAS a song Of Low.
Hast Thou No Feeling to See NJ
K~neellng?" and when Its last note ha
found a dark corner wherein TO die
Drace requested her to sing II agar
She gave him a grateful look; the Ger
eral smiled at him and as the song be
gan again to mourn Its way, Shottl,
said TO himself:
"If Providence will lend virtue to
scheme, that will cost you money, vir
gil. Came here to rest after goin;
through more than Stonewall jackson
could stand, and this Is what | get
Oh. it's respectable and ought to BIZ
endured, and so is a casket lined WITH
satin, but II doesn't suit me. Lord
but this atmosphere Is unsympathet
icl"
II you have patience TO wait. bed
time always comes; history is strewn
with bedtime. II came slow-footed for
Shottle, but quickly enough for Drace.
with his nerves Of steel wire. And
how-dalighted he wal with his room, a
kA1l83E7NEEa4ai great
poster bedstead with a canopy heavy
enough to have served as deadfall TO
some medieval giant. A chair that
looked like the oaken throne OF an an
Client BritOmTa wardrobe wherein Blue
beard might have hanged his wives.
q rough-hewn n~antelpiece remIndful OF
n beetling clif-these were featured
In the light of a hanging lamp big
enough to turn the ashes OF a ere
mated dragon.
The night was warm, and through
the windows the air came cool and
lullIng from the Gulf: but Drace lay
until daybreak before he slept, and
when he awoke the noontlme bell was
ringing. A negro knocked to tell him
that dinner was ready. The General
and Tycie were seated. but Shottle
was not at the table with them; and
following Drace's look of Inquiry. came
explanation from the General:
II gave him the five hundred dollars
that he was TO put In with the five
hundred furnished by you to be In
vested initiatively In that ~cotton-bag-
ging factory at vicksburg, and he took
an early boat for that city. | think II
is a fortunate thing for the South
that they discovered a wild plant, a +
sort of jute. really better for making
ropes and bagging than either fax or
hemp. l had seen nothing about the
discovery, but / am not a very close
of the newspapers. But Shottle
assures me that this wild Jute can be
on the poorest land and that II
needs no tending. am naturally eau
tious, Virgil. and I did not myself In
vest. but backing your judgment In
the matter, / loaned Liberty five hun
dred. When do you expect active OPP
erations toward building the factoryT"
Tycie forestalled Braces answer:
VIZ 4 III Qit IL Will SutNttts anu |
viii be a great thing. especially for
Liberty. He has tried so hard. but
somehow his energies haven't been
properly directed. And he is so cap
able"
She vas so confident, and so hopeful
for her luckless kinsman. that Drace
protecting villain to Shottle's
purposes.
Well. I don't know exactly when
they are TO begin work, but soon, ]
She gave him a grateful look for his
trust. o perfectly assured OF Shot
Ties useful future. But the General
aot appear to be easy In his mind.
and a little later when he and Drace
we're walking about the yard. beneath
he trees. he referred again TO the in
restment. Drace would have shut.
led away from II. but the old gentle
nan cornered him with a question:
Il want the truth. Did Liberty lie
mel"
'TYes, sir. he did"
81 began TO think so the moment he
me. Well. 1t is a singular thing.
hat when he Is With me. i believe In
lin. but the moment he Is gone my I
aith has gone with him. I have had I
much experience with men. Mfr. Druce, I
a the army and elsewhere. but nv /,
vife's nephew is the most-I don't I
tnow how to define him. Let me I
hank you for protecting him In the {
of my wife, and I regret that /.
may have seemed In doubt. But {
BRACE, that fellow makes me angry {
nth myself. Confound him. he almost :
~'onvinces me at times that | have no I
liability Of character. And yet 1 am '
ond Of him. 1 am always glad TO SEQ 1
lin come. And let me say that he H.
u~Ssrates one truth very clearly-that /
Ibility consists mostly In the fervor I
With which we go az a thing. / sup
,ose he has cost you considerable =
~Monslsur, how foolish to :
eouss ~ you do not 90 now =