Show eM HALLE 4 o 6 7 LAUREN cr L J t I J SYNOPSIS John Valiant a rich society favorite suddenly discovers that the the VAUnt Valiant cor- cor lOr which his hiM father founded and amI I which was the source o of ills flis I wealth has failed lie He voluntarily tumI turns tum over I his hla private fortune to the tho receiver Ivr for tor the tte corporation Ills Ilia entire l remaining possessions consist o of oc an old motor car a 0 awhile while white bull dog and court a II J Jeered cUd estate escate In Virginia On the way to Damory court he meet Shirley Dandridge Dand- Dand ridge an aUburn haired beauty and de deckles de- de cI ckles that he lie Is going to like Virginia Immensely Im Im- Im Shirley's Shirleys ys y's mother Mrs Dand- Dand 1 ridge and Major Bristow exchange echan reminiscences reminiscences rem rem- during which It l Is 13 revealed that major Valiant's father r and anit nI n a I m man n named were 1 rivals for Cor the hand antI of oC Mrs Dandridge o 1 In her lier youth ason and VAliant fought a duel on her account In which the former was WIlS killed Valiant finds Damory court ourt overgrown with willi weeds and creepers and tho the buildings build ings In tn a very much Touch neglected ne condition lie He- decides to rehabilitate the place pIneo and nd make the land product produce a living for him Valiant ives lVIS Shirley y from the bite of a snake nako which bites bite him Knowing the deadliness deadlines of the Uie bite Shirley sucks the the- poison polson from Crom the wound and saves hi his lire life Shirley tells tells- ber mother lother of oZ the Incident n 1 nd l th the latter is is' s strangely moved d at bearing that A u Valiant Is again living at Damory court CHAPTER XVI XVI Continued The fhe major nodded Ah Au yes he The Continental prison And Just over over- this rise there I can see an old house courthouse and the Virginia Virginia Vir Vir- ginia Assembly boiling under the golden Jolden tongue lashing of lean rawboned raw raw- boned Patrick Henry I see a messenger messenger messen messen- ger ger gallop up and see the members member scramble to their saddles saddles and and s-and and then Tarleton and his coats red streaming up too late Well commented the doctor deliberately deliberately all I have to say Is Is dont don't materialize too much to Mrs Poly Gifford when you lOU ou meet her Shell She'll have you OU lecturing to the Ladies' Ladies Church Guild before now you know It I I hope you ride Mr Valiant the latter asked genially Im fond of It It itS it'S said Valiant but butI I have no horse as' as yet I t was thinking the pursued-the major major ma ma- jor of the tournament I Tournament m nt Th The doctor cut in A ridiculous co doodle do which gives the young bucks a chance t to rig Ig o out lt in n silly tog tog- gery and ano prance their colts before beCore a lot at nr its an annual affair explained the l' l lOJ OJ kind ind ot spec spectacle a le for For many year by the it has been held t on n a a part of this estate perhaps estate perhaps you will UJ have hav no objection bj to its use this season and and and at night there is a Janice at t t the I Co Country Club By tho Way 5 you ou must roust let me introduce you there there thele tomorrow Ive I've taken the liberty already of of putting your name up Good Cod Go d lord growled the doctor asid sid He counts himself young If It reached your age You have e a said the m major jor n tt d. d Four Tour years ears ago ago As As I was saying r. r r. r Valiant the they ride for a t prize Its It's ja lia veryan ry an thing thing thing-I've Ive I've seen references referenCes refer refer- to to it it in a colonial olon aI m manuscript in the Byrd Library at at Westover er stover No doubt its it's come coine down directly from the old jousts f Y You u tl nt m mean to say say led cried his nearer hearer in genuine astonishment that lineal descendant of the I tourney The major nodded d. d Yes Certain I sections of or Kentucky ky used to have it too but it has has died died out ont out there It exists now only In this state Its It's I a n curious tiling thing that tha th theold old knightly meetings I gs o. o of the the middle ages age should I vive survive oU LUU oily on vu American soil And and In a com corner r o of Virginia Virglnia Do Doctor t r Southall me meanwhile had set gaze gaze on th the litter of He turned turned with wItt an appreciative eye ec Youre beginning ia 11 earnest The Agricultural Department And the Congressional frank Im afraid Im I'm Im I'm a sad sketch as a scientist laughed Valiant My Iy point of or view has to be a somewhat practical l one I must be support self ing Damory Damory- Court is Js a big estate It has as grain lands and forest orest as well If It my ancestors lived from it I can Its It's not only that he lie went on more slowly I want to make the most moat ot of the place for Its Its' sake too loo Not only of its possibilities for earning but tut of its ls natural beauties I lack the thereso reso resources I once had but I can give glo It thought and work and if U they can bring Damory Court back to anything even en remotely re resembling what hat it once oIce was Ill I'll not spare either t er 1 The major smote his knee e and e efen even f en the doctors doctor's face Cace showed a grim if U transient approval I 1 believe you'll do It IU exclaimed the former And let n me say sab sah that the neighborhood neighborhood neighbor neighbor- h hood od is is ti not i unaware unaware re of or of the splendid generosity which Is responsible forthe for forthe the he present lack lacle of which you speak Valiant Valla put pOut out his hi hand with a little g gesture stu e of deprecation but theother the thet I other ther disregarded t it Confound It sah sab it was wa to be be expected t d of a Va Va- llant Hant Your ancestors wrote tho their II names Ic in capital letters OV over t. t this country They were an up and down lot but good gOLd or bad and as Southall says I reckon reckon he he nodded toward the tile great portrait above e the couch couch they they weren't all little woolly lambs they did big thin things s in iii a big way Valiant leaned forward eagerly a question on his lips But at the moment moment mo mo- ment mont a diversion occurred In the shape of Uncle Jefferson who reentered re en bearing a tray on which set sundry sundry sun sun- dr dry jugs and clinking glasses glowIng glow glow- Ing log with white and green grcen and gold You old humbug said the doctor dont you OU know the majors major's that poisoned pot poi with mint juleps already that lie e cant can't get up before eight In the morning morn morn- ing ng Well Vell suh euh tittered Uttered Uncle Jefferson Jetterson Jeffer Jetter- son Ah done foun Coun er mint bald down below de tie kitchens dis clis Yo all bout de in dis US yeah count county en Ah Ab Mars Mars' Valiant sho on yo 0 sampUn sam- sam pUn plin et Sah Sahi said the major feelingly turning to his host Im proud to drink your tour health In the typical beverage beverage beverage bev bev- of Virginia He touched glasses with Valiant and glared at the doctor who was sipping his bis own thoughtfully Poems have ha been written written written writ writ- ten on the tho julep sah They make good epitaphs too observed observed ob ob- ob served the doctor I 1 noticed your glass isn't going begging begging- the major retorted Unc line Jefferson that's a as al' good mint mint-as grew In the garden of Eden See that those lazy of yours dont don't grub the patch out by mistake Yas sah said Uncle Jefferson as ashe ashe ashe he retired with the tray Ah gwine- gwine ter tel put er fence Cence dat ar bald fo Co sundown The question that had sprung to Valiant's lips now no found utterance I saw you rou look 1001 at atthe the portrait there he said to the major Which of my ancestors is It The other got up and stood before beCore the piece mantel In a Napoleonic atti atti- tude That he be sai said l fixing his nis eyeglasses eyeglasses eyeglasses eye eye- glasses is your great grandfather John Devil Valiant John Devil echoed his host Yes Ive I've heard the name The doctor guffawed He earned arn d dIt it It I reckon I never realized what a sinister expression that missing optic gives the old ruffian There was a skirmish during the war on the hillside hillside hill hill- side yonder and a bullet cut it hill I out k I L The Other Got Up and Stood Before the Piece Mantel-Piece In a Napoleonic Attitude When we were boys w we used to call him Old One Eye It interests me enormously John Valiant spoke explosively The stories of Jqhn John would fill till filla tilla a l might big book boot said said the major By all accounts he ought to have lived In the middle ages Crossing the library he looked hooked into the dining dining- room I thought I remembered The portrait over the console there Is his lila wife wire your our great grandmother They sa say he bet that when h ho brought his bride home she should walk into Da Damory Damory Da- Da mory mory Court between rows of candlesticks candlesticks candle candle- sticks worth twenty-thousand twenty dollars Ho lie made the wager good too for Cor when she came up lip those steps out there there was a a. row of ten candles burning on either side of the doorway each held by a young oung slave shave worth a thousand dollars in the market Some say he grew jealous of his wife's beauty There were an any number number num num- ber of stories told of his cruelties to her that arent aren't worth repeating She died earl early poor Joor lady and arid your our grandfather was the on only 1 issue Devil Devil- John himself lived to be past seventy and at that age when most men were stacking their sins and groaning with the gout he was dicing and hunt fox ing lug with the youngest of ot them He lie w always Ys swore ie he 0 would die with his boots on and the they say when the doctor doe doc tor told him he had only a few Cew hours houri leeway he made matte his slaves dress him completely and prop him on his horse They riley galloped out so BO a negro on either side of oC him It was a stormy night black as tho the Earl of or Hells Hell's rid boots ing-boots with wind and nd lightning and he rode cursing at both Theres There's an old gum black tree a mile from here that the they still sUi call Devil John tree They were just passing under it when the lightning struck it Lightning Lightning Light Light- ning has Ims no effect on the black gum you jou OU Know Inow The bolt glanced from the tree ned and struck him between the two slaves sla without harming either of or them It killed his horse horse- too That's the story To be sure at this date nobody can separate fact from Crom fic tic ton tion Possibly he be wasn't so 50 much worse than the rest o 0 his neighbors not not excepting the parsons Other times other manners They weren't any worse than the I present generation said the tho doctor malevolently Your four bottle men nen then knew only claret now they punish pun PUll ish whiskey The major buried his Lis nose in his julep for Cor a long moment before he looked at the doctor blandly I agree with you ou Bristow he said but Its It's the first time I ever heard you OU admit that much good of your jour ancestors Good said the doctor belligerent belligerent- ly b Me I 1 dont don't I 1 said people rc were no better belter As for Cor or the men of that time they were a cheap swaggerIng swaggering swaggering swagger swagger- ing lot of bullies and swash When I read history Im I'm ashamed to tobe tobe tobe be descended from them I I desire to inform you sah said the major stung that I too am nm a d de descendant of oC those bullies and bucklers s as as as' you call them And I wish visit from my heart I thought we WP nowadays nowadays nowadays now now- could hold a tallow-dip tallow to them You refer reCer no doubt said the o c- c tor with sarcasm to our friend Devil Devil- John and his ideal treatment of his wife wICe No sah sali replied the major warm warm- ly Im not referring to Devil There were exceptions no doubt but for the most part the they treated their women omen folk as I believe belie their Maker made them to be treated The man who failed In his courtesy courtes there sah was called to account for it Ho lie was mighty apt to find himself standing Inthe in inthe inthe the cool dawn at the end butt-end of a aHe aHe a- a He broke off oil and coughed There was an awkward pause in which he set down his glass noisily and roseand rose roseand roseand and stood before beCore the open bookcase I envy you OU this sah cab he said with somewhat of haste A fine tine old collection col col- col- col lection Bless my soul what a curious volume I As he spoke his hand jerked out a looking heavy leatherback leather Valiant who had risen and stood beside him saw Instantly that what he had drawn from the shelf was the morocco case that held the rusted pistol dueling In Inthe Inthe Inthe the majors major's hands the broken box opened A sudden startled look darted across his leonine face Wl With h smothered ered erel exclamation he thrust it back bacle between the tile books and closed the tho glass door Valiant had paled His Ills previous finding of or the weapon had escaped his mind Now he read as clearly as ns If It had been printed In letter black the sunny wall hp she significance of or toe maJors major s That weapon on had been In his lathers lather's hand when he faced his opponent In that fatal Catal duel It flashed across his mind as the doctor hector lunged for Cor his hat and stick and got to his feet Come Bristow said the latter irritably Irrl- Irrl tably Your feet will grow fast to the floor presently pre We mustn't talk a anew anew anew new neighbor to death heath Ive I've got to seo see seea a patient at six CHAPTER John Valiant Asks a Question Valiant went vent with them to the outer door A painful thought was flooding his mind It It hampered his speech and arid it was only by a violent effort that he found voice One moment There is a question I would like to ask Doth Both gentlemen had had turned pon upon the steps and as they fa fared faced ed him he thought a swift glance assed between them The They waited waltel courteously the doctor with his habitual frown Crown the majors major's hand fumbling for Cor tIle tho black ribbon on his waistcoat Since I came here bere I have ha heard his his tone was wag uneven uneven of of a duel in v my father was a principal There was such a meeting There was said saih the doctor after the slightest pause vause of surprise Had you ou known nothing of it Absolutely nothing The major cleared his throat It vas spas something he might naturally not nave na nave made a record of or he be said The two had been friends and it It-It It It was wasa a n fatal encounter for tor the other The doctor and I were your fathers father's sec ace I I There was a moments moment's silence before before before be be- fore Valiant spoke again When he did his voice was steady though drops had sprung to his forehead Was there any circumstance in that meetIng meeting meeting meet meet- ing that might be construed as re reflecting re- re re-r re fleeting on his honor his honor Good God no ito said the major ex ex- I On his bearing as a gentleman There Ther WM a hiatus this time in which he cou could cou hear his heart beatIn beatIn beat In lit that single ex exclamation the major seemed to have tr his lary He lie was looking hooking at the ground H U was the doctor who spoke at last In a silence that to the man In the doorway weighed like a hundred at at- No he said bluntly Certainly not noL What put that into your our head When he was alone in the library Valiant opened the glass door and took from Crom the tho shelf sheH the morocco case The old shiver of oC repugnance ran over him at touch of or the leather heather I In the farthest corner was a n low com com- mode He set the case on this com j and moved the big tapestry screen across the angle |