Show e liante f VIP rm balue RIVES illustrations LAUPEN 1 TOUT MUT y COPY ICY ay BOGG 6 4 COWK 1 SYNOPSIS vallant a rich society favo favorite rite suddenly john ji discovers that the Vit valiant ilant cor fattier father founded und which hla his po rution i source of hla his was jag the principal ho voluntarily turns wealth ach lias ins failed ed fortune to the receiver private ht lila nyi r over ills ilia entire remaining the c corporation orp oration for gello forim an it old motorcar motor car a bull dok and darmory court ft a neg iviline ako itel estate in anthe on the w way fald to daintry court li he e shirley dana haired beauty and de an nu auburn burn railee id ge r to like virginia immensely imla rides la es that hat lie ile Is goiner sely mother mrs dand ine men ridge and exchange ex clane rt ren n during which it ta Is re revealed v baled that the 1110 major Vallan lB father and it a man numal were rivals tor the he bind of t mrs dandridge in her youth I 1 1 bassoon 11 1 10 1 I 1 1 1 and 1 nd valiant foucht a duel on tier her account 1 1 0 tl 1 t i in 1 which the former was wan killed valiant il ni damory ourt court eulth veda and creepers and anal ahm buildings ing in it a very much neglected condit condition loti CH CHAPTER APTER IX continued lie he trudged away into the shadows but presently as the now naw master of damory court stood in the gloomy hall he heard the dh shambling ambling step again behind him ali ah done neglect bated ter fix ax yo name suh auh I 1 ali ah did to er fac wy ily nante name la is valiant john vallant valiant uncle jeffersons eyes turned upward and rolled out of orbit mah landl he ejaculated soundlessly and with ills his wide lips lipa still framed about the he last word he backed out ot of the doorway and disappeared alone in the ebbing twilight john valiant found ilia his hamper spread a napkin on the broad stone steps and took out a glass a spoon and part of a oaf loaf of bread the thermos flask was filled with milk it at was not a splendid banquet yet lie he ate ante it with a great content as the bulldog at ills his feet gnawed his share of the crust brusti lie ile broke ills hla bread into the milk as lie to had not done since he was a child and ate the luscious pulp with a lieen heen relish bred of the he long outdoor day it was almost dark when the meal was done and depleted hamper in hand lie ho reentered the empty echoing louse lie he went into the library lighted the hie great brass lamp from the motor and began to rummage ru tile the drawers drapers of the dining room si sideboard deboar d leaded yielded nothing on a shelf of the butlers pantry panto however was a tin box alch which proved to be half full of wax wa candles perfectly preserved the very scry thing he said triumphantly carrying them back he fixed several in ili the glass candlesticks and set them lighted all about the somber room till the soft glow flooded its every corner there he said that is as it should be no big blatant searchlight search light here and no glare of modern electricity would suit that old wainscoting either lie he dragged the leather settee to the porch arid and by the light of the motor lamp dusted it thoroughly and wheeling it back set it under the portrait which had so attracted him ile he washed the glass from which he had dined and filled it at the cup of the garden fountain put into it the rose from his hat and set bet it on the reading stand the small china dog caught ills his eye and ho he picked it up casualty casually the head came off in ills his hands it had been a bonbon bon bon box and was as empty save for a narrow str strip lp of yellowed paper on which wore were written some meaningless figures 1728 17 28 84 0 lie ile pondered this a moment then thrust athrur t it into one of the empty pigeonholes of the desk on the latter stood an old fashioned leaf calendar the date it exposed was waa may furiously enough the same date 77 t me he shuddered as he ha stooped to pick up the weapon oaid d recur tomorrow the page bor boro 10 a quotation y rt n every man carries his ato fato on a about his bis neck ii ye e line had been quoted in his hers ers letter may alay how much oat date and that motto may have meant for him lie he rose to push the shutter wider nd ind in ili the movement ills his elbow sent a shallow s case of morocco leather that had abad lala laiti on tile the desk crashing to the joor for it opened and a heavy metallic rolled almost to his feet he ir aaa aw at a glance that it was an old fashioned ash luned rusted dueling pistol rho rh hox box had originally held two moly he 11 shuddered as he stooped W C pick pla up the weapon and with the repugnance mingled a pangs anger and humiliation from bis hl akry babyhood it had bad always been so that unconquerable aversion to the tha touch of firearms fl there had been mo alo fuenta in ili his youth when this unreasoning shrinking had bad filled him with a blind fury had driven him to strange solf self tests of courage lie he had never been able to overcome it abaly za had told him that ili his peculiar abhorrence was no mere outgrowth of this it lay far deeper ile he had rarely of recent years met the test now as he stood in these unaccustomed surroundings with the cold touch of the metal the old shuddering held him arid and the sweat broke in beads beada on hla forehead foie Ame head setting hla his teeth hard lie he crossed the room slipped th the 9 box with its total between the wl N of 1 unies of the bookcase and returned to ilia hie beat the bulldog aroused from a nap thrust a warm muzzle between ills knees its uncanny chum he said I 1 as bis tila liand hand caressed the velvety head why should the touch of that tool fool thing chill my spine opine and make maka my flesh neah tiptoe over my bones bonea why should I 1 hate a pistol do you suppose I 1 was shot iu in one of my m previous existences for a long abile lie ho sat gat there lila his pipe dead hla his eyes on the moonlighted out of doors the aery feeling that had bad gripped hirn him had gone as an quickly ns as it had come coane at last he rose roae stretching himself with a great boyish yawn put out till all save baic one of the candles and taking a bathrobe bath robe sandals als and a huge fuzzy towel from tile the steamer trunk stripped leisurely lie he donned the bathrobe bath robe and sandals and wen went tout out through the window to the garden and down to where lay the little lake ruffling sll verly under the moon on oil its brink lie ho stopped and back his head tried to imitate one of the birdcalls bird ralls calls but was unsuccessful with it rueful laugh he threw off the bathrobe bath robe and stood an instant glistening poised in the moonlight like a marble faun before he dove straight down out of sight five minutes later lie he pulled himself up over the edge his flesh hipsh tingling with the chill ot of the water and threw the robe about ills hla cool white shoulders theu then lie he thrust his feet into his sandals arid and sped quickly back lie he rubbed himself to a glow and blowing out the remaining cantile candle stretched himself luxuriously between the warm blankets on the couch the dog sniffed inquiringly at ills his hand then leaped up and snuggled down close to hla his feet john Vali Vallant ants 3 thoughts had chad fled a thousand miles away to the tall girl who all ills his life had bad seemed to stand out from his world aloof and unsurpassed katharine fargo lie he tried to picture her a perfect chatelaine graceful and gracious as a tall white splendid lily illy in this dead house that seemed still to throb with living passions but the picture subtly eluded him and he stirred uneasily under the blanket after a time his hands stretched out to the reading stand and drew the glass with its vivid blosom nearer till in ills bis nostrils its musky odor mingled with the dew wet scent of tho the honeysuckle from the garden at last his eyes closed every man mail carries his fate on a about his neck he muttered drowsily and then roses red j gd roses and so lie he fell asleep CHAPTER X the hunt lie he awoke to a musical twittering and chirping to find tile the sun aun pouring into the dusty room in a very glory lie he rolled from the blanket and stood upright fitting his lungs with ir a long deep breath of satisfaction lie he felt singularly lighthearted light hearted and alive the bulldog came bounding through tile the window dirty from the weeds and lung flung himself upon his master in a canine rapture get gat out the latter laughing stop licking my feet ilow how the dickens do you suppose im to get into my lily clothes with your ridiculous antics going on down I 1 say hark ile he broke off and listened chos that I 1 singing the sound drew nearer a lugubrious chant with the weirdest weir dest minor millor reflections faintly suggestive of the ragtime rag time ditties of the music halls yet with a tIve cadence cad enco good morning uncle jefferson the singer broke off set down the twig broom that he had been wielding and came toward him Maw suh lawnin lie he said hopes dopes YO 0 o all step good ali ah dem or ar birds woke yo 0 o up deys days malan sell seh er mi Imi ration thank you never slept better in my life am I 1 laboring under a delusion when I 1 imagine I 1 smell small coffee just then there came a voice from the open door of the It clien calls er man yo reconstructed ted nig biggall gall wen arstad atah ter git he br brek eUfus fus wid yo tin aroun wid dat awag all dis als bawd s bald maw go fotch ills dis minute yo somo some nio mo flah ban wood heah A turbaned head poked itself through the door with a good natured leaf brown face bene beneath ath it which broadened into a wide smile as its owner bobbed energetically ily at va blants greeting F fo 0 do de landl she ehe exclaimed wiping floury hands bands 0 on n a gingham apron yo sho Is up early but ah got YU yo brek brekhus ready suit sub all right aunt daphne ill bo be back directly ho sped down to the lake to plunge ills hla head into tho the cool water and thereby sharpen the edgo edge of an appetite that needed no honing boning ile ho came up the trail again to find tile the r reading bland transferred to the porch and laid with a white cloth on which was set a steaming coffeepot coffee pot with fresh cream salt leas lass butter and crisp hot biscuit and as he sat down with a sigh ot of pure delight in ili his dressing gown a crepy japanese thing redeemed from by the bold green bamboo of its do sign uncle Jeffe jefferson roon planted before him a genei oua platter of bacon eggs and potatoes these ho nt tit tacked with a surprising keenness As lie buttered ilia his fifth biscuit he ha looked at the dog rolling on his back in morning ecstasy Y with a look ot of humorous sur surprise Trise chum he ha said what do you xou think of that all my life a single he craned his neck but it had passed the line of his vision roll and a cut cup of coffee have been the moat I 1 could ever negotiate for breakfast and then it was apt to taste like chips arid and whet stones and now look at this plate the dog ceased winnowing ills hla ear car with a hind foot and looked back at its his master with much the same expression clearly his own needs had not been forgotten ali ah battali go ter git dat ar machine thing said uncle Jeff jefferson ersell behind him 01 ol 01 boman heah she abe low ter 11 ax up de kitchen dla dis mawn in ert en we WB begin begia on do house die eve 13 1 n said valiant its all uphill so the motor wont run away with you aunt daphne can you get some help hell with the cleaning hep that worthy responded with tine fine scorn no sull suh few in III tie ilo town leean lowdown low down new issue trash det ast aln killin ali ah go to dat house mall mahmet set to fo long bammah en tongs en all git it fix up splendid my destiny Is in your hands bands you might take the dog with you uncle jefferson the run will do him good when the latter had disappeared and truculent sounds from the kitchen indicated that the era of strenuous cleaning had begun he bo reentered the library changed the water in the rose glass and set it on the edge of the shady front porch where its flaunting blossom made a dash of bright crimi son against the grayed weather beaten brick this done he opened the one large room on the ground floor that he had not visited lt it was double the size of the library a parlor hung in striped yellow silk vaguely and tenderly faded with a tall plate mirror set bet over a marble topped console at either side in one corner stood a grand piano of walnut with keys of tinted mother mothe ro r o of f pearl and a slender music rack inlaid with morning glories in the same game material from the center of tho the ceiling above an oval tible table depended a great chandelier hung with glass prisms the chairs and sofas were covered with dusty slip covers of muslin lie he lifted one of these the tarnished gold furniture was louis XV vv the upholstery of yellow brocade gitil with a pattern of pink roses two japanese hawthorn vases sat on an teakwood stands and a corner held a glass cabinet containing a pol collection lection of small ivories and fa faience lence lie he went thoughtfully back to the great hall where sat the big chest on which lay the volume of luclle lucile lie he pushed down the antique wrought iron hasp and threw up the lid it was filled to the brim textures heavy port leres of rose damask ta able ble covers of faded soft toned tapestry window hangings hannings of dull grec n all with tobacco leaves laid between the folds and sifted thickly over with the sparkling white powder at the bottom rolled in tarry smelling paper he be found a halt dozen thin persian pray er rugs phew ho he whistled 1 I certainly ought to be grateful to that law firm that inspected Inspect cd tho the place think of the things lying here all these years and that everywhere essry where its ita 4 done clone the work too for theres not a u big ot of moth it im not cu reful ill stumble over the tha family faintly plate it seems to be about tho only thing wanting lie he thought a moment then went quickly into tho the library mul and began to ransack the trunk at length lie he found a small box containing keepsakes keep sakes ot of various kinds lie ile poured the medley on to the table an uncut moonstone tin an amethyst topped pencil that one of life hla tutors had riven given hlin him as aa a boy a claw a copi compass pass arid and whatnot what whal not among them was a mans mails seal aral ring with a crest cut in ili a corn cornelian ellan ito he looked at it closely it was waa the same device the ring had been its his fathers just when or how it had come into hla his possession ho he could never remember it had lain among these kp keep sakes tie BO many years that tin ho had almost forgotten its existence lie he had never worn a ring but now as lie he went back to the hall lie ho clipped filliped blipped filli ped it on oil ills his finger the motto below the crest creat was worn away but it showed allowed clear in the marble of the hall I 1 clinge ilia hla eyes turned from the carven words and strayed to the lie pleasant sunny foliage outside an arrogant boast perhaps yet in the event well justified gallants Vali Val ants lants had held halt that selfsame slope when the tha eric encircling forests had rung with war whoop and blazed with torture fire they had bad held on through revolution and civil war good and bad abiding and lawless every generation had cleaved stubbornly to its acres I 1 clinge ilia his fattier father had clung through absence that seemed to have been almost exile and now lie he the last valiant has come to make good the boast hla gaze wavered the tall of his eye had caught through the win window dow a oburt of om something ething dashing and vivid that grazed tho the corner of a far off field ile he craned his neck hut but it had passed the line of |