Show ae VA lh nta f VW il N ft I 1 91 cv c nallie kivee an illustrations 6 LAUREN TOUT y ay ahaas ferwn fa ca fakey SYNOPSIS john valiant a rich society tir favorite Torl te suddenly dis discovers coers tint that the valiant cor aaion which hs h a rather founded and P which arich nas as tire principal source of 0 his wealth ha has failed he lie voluntarily turns over ever his file private fortune to the receiver for the corporation his ills entire remaining possessions consist of an old motor car a lie bull dok do and damory court a near ne g lecter estate in in virginia on an the way to damory court he meeta meets shirley dand ridge an auburn haired beauty and de bided that he Is to aging to like virginia tin irnen soy sherley Shir leAh mother mrs dand ridge and major bristow exchange rem during which it Is to revealed that the major moor valiant a father and a man ingi named sassoon were rivals tor for the hand band of mrs dandridge in her youth and valiant fought a duel on her account in which the former was killed valiant finds damory court overgrown with weeds and creepers and decides to rehabilitate the place valiant saves shirley from the th bite of a snake which intes him film knowing the deadliness of the bite sharley sucks the poison from the bound aund and nl saves his life valiant learns for the first time that his father left vir finla on account of a duel in which doctor southall Southa 11 and major bristow acted as I 1 11 iq father a seconds valiant and shirley become rood good friends mrs airs dandridge Dand ride faints when she meets valiant for the fiat time N valiant discovers that he has a fortune in old walnut trees the yearly tournament a survival of the jousting of feudal times Is held at damory damery court at the last moment valiant takes the p place of 0 one of the who Is sick nick and enters the lists lie wins and cho chooses osell shirley dandrige Dand riffa a as queen of beauty to the dismay of katherine fargo a former sweetheart who Is in virginia the rhe tournament ball al at damory court draws the elite of the countryside shir ley Is crowned by valiant as quen qu en ot of beauty valiant tells shirley of his love and nd they become engaged CHAPTER continued bristow shirleye Shir leys a magnificent girl finest in seven counties agreed the majors bass whom do you reckon shell she 11 choose to marry chilly lusk of course the boys been in love with her sine since they were la in bibs and he cornea comes as near being fit st for her bar as anybody hump said the other ly no man I 1 ever saw was half good enough for a good woman but good women omen marry just the same it ion t lusk I 1 used to think it would be but I 1 TO ve got a pair of eyes in my head bead it if you its it a young val lant laut the pearl fan twisted in katha rine a fingers what she bad had guessed was an open secret then the major made an exclamation that had bad the effect of coming after a jaw dropped silence 1 I 1 I 1 never thought of that the other resumed slowly somewhat bitterly it seemed to the girl listening it her mother was in love with bassoon sassoon katharine a heart beat fast and then stood still sassoon bassoon that was the name of the man Val valiant lants s father had bad killed in that old duel of which judge chalmers had told it if her mother shirley Dand ridges mother was in love with Sass why was she the majors query held hold a sharpness hat that seemed almost appeal she was conscious ton that the other had faced ibous abruptly 1 I ive ve always believed so no certainly it she had loved valiant would she have thrown him over merely because he be broke his promise not to be a party to a quarrels relT you think not said the major haly not under the circumstances val lantas lant as forced into it it no gentleman at t that day could have declined the f lie catharines Katha rines heart beat fast and then stood still meeting he ile could bava bays explained it to to judiths satisfaction a s woman doern doesn t need much evidence to justify the man she a in n love with he must have written her he could rit have tone tons away without that and it she had loved him she would have called him blin back the major made no answer katha fine title saw a cigar fall unheeded upon the grass where it lay glowing like a anthers panthers eye the other had risen now his stoop ed d figure bulking balking in the moonlight his ills voice sounded harsh and strain ed I 1 loved beauty valiant he said and slid bis his son Is his son to me but I 1 have to think ot of judith too she taint faint ed d bristow when she saw him shir ley told me about it her mother has made her think it was the scent of the roseal hes iles his fathers living image ind be s brought the past back with him every sound of his voice every sight right of hla his face will be a separate stab oh bla his inere mere presence will be enough for judith to bear but with her heart in the grave with sassoon bassoon what would love between shirley and young valiant mean to hert her think of he lie broke off and there waa was a blank of silence in which he turned with almost a sigh then katharine saw him reach the bench with a single stride and drop bis his band hand on the bowed shoulder BrIs bristow he said briskly yours you re 1111 this confounded philandering at your time of life the majors face looked ashy pale but be he got up with a laugh not ot L I 1 he said 1 I was never better in my life we ve had our mouthful of air come on back to the house not much I 1 grunted the other I 1 I 1 m going where we both ought to have been hours ago he lie threw away his cigar and stalked down the path into the darkness 11 the major stood looking after him till he bad had disappeared then suddenly dropped on the bench and covered his face something like a groan burst from him my god he said and hla his voice came to katharine with a quaver of age and suffering very different from the jovial accents of the ballroom if I 1 were only sure it was Sasso Sass oal presently he rose and went slowly toward the lighted doorway CHAPTER the ambush not long after from the musicians bower the sound of home sweet home drifted over the poignant rose scent and presently the driveway re sounded to rolling wheels and the voices of negro drivers and the house entrance jostled with groups muffled in loose carriage wraps silken cloaks and light overcoats calling tired but laughing farewells katharine on the step found her self looking into valiant a eyes how can I 1 tell you how much I 1 bare have en an joyed it all alla she said 1 I ive ve stayed till the very last minute which is something for one a fourth seasons season and now goodby tor for we are off tomorrow for hot springs her father had long ago betaken betoken himself homeward and the big three seated surrey holding six camf table and nine fum iliah in the phrase of lige the coachman had returned tor for the rest judge chalmers the two younger girls and shirley katharine greeted the latter with a charming smile what more natural than that she should find herself straightway on the rear seat with royalty T the two girls safely disposed in the middle the judge climbed up beside the driver driver who cracked his whip and they were off the way was not long and katha rine bad had need of dispatch if it that revengeful weapon were to be used which fate had put into her hr bands she wasted little time it seems so strange she said to find our host in such surrounding st I 1 can scarcely believe him the same john valiant I 1 ve danced with a bun hun dred times in new york hes lies been here such a short while and yet be he t possibly be more at home if he of lived in virginia always and you all treat him as it if he were quite one of yourselves shirley smiled enchantingly why yes I 1 she said maybe it seems odd to outsiders but you see with us a val lant is always a valiant vallant no matter anere he has lived be he a the son of his father and the master of damory court I 1 that a the wonderful part of it it a BO so BO so english somehow I 1 Is it said shirley 1 I never thought of it but perhaps it seems so we have the old houses and the old names and think of them no doubt doubts in the same way what a sad life his father had hadl I 1 pursued katharine dreamily you know all about the duel of cour course 01 T shirley shrank imperceptibly now the subject touched valiant so closely it seemed almost as if it belonged to him and to her alone not a thing to be flippantly touched on yes she said somewhat slowly I 1 every one here knows of IV it no doubt it has been almost forgot ten the other continued but john a coming must naturally have revamped the old story what was it about the quarrel relT A love affair its so long ago murmured shir ley 1 I 1 suppose some one could tell it they would major bristow perhaps conjectured katharine thoughtfully he was one of the seconds admit ted shirley unhappily I 1 but by corn com mon consent that side of it wagn t talked of at the time men in vir girds have old fashioned ideas about women ah all its fine of them therril pa katharine 1 I can imagine the men who knew about that dreadful affair in their southern chivalry drawing a cordon of silence about the name of that girl with her broken heart foi fol it if she loved one of the two it must have been sassoon bassoon not valiant else he be would have stayed how teril ble I 1 to pae one a lover killed la in such a way it was quickly ended for him but the poor woman was left to bear it all the years I 1 fancy she would never wholly get over it never be able to forget him though she tried shirley made some reply that was lost in the whirring wheels the oth er ers a words seemed almost an echo of what she herself had been thinking maybe she married after a while too A woman must make a life for herself you know it if she lives here it will be sad for her this opening of the old wound sound by johns coming and looking so like his father katharine paused there was a kind of exhilaration in this subtle baiting shirley stirred uneasily and in the glimpsing light her face looked trou brou bled catharines Katha rines lil voice toles had touched pathos and in spite of her distaste of the subject shirley had been entering into the feeling of that supposititious woman the judge on the front seat was telling a low toned story over bis his the year was that of the duel the date was the day following the jessamine anniversary shoulder for the delectation of N nancy ancy and betty but shirley was not listen ing her whole mind was full of what katharine had been saying she was picturing to herself this woman her secret hidden all these years bearing of john gallants Vali Val ants lants coming to damory court learning of this likeness shrink ing from sight slight of it dreading the pain tul ful memory it must thrust upon her suppose katharine a voice tole I 1 0 was dreamy that she and john m met et sud denly without warning what would she do would she say anything perhaps she would faint va shirley started violently her ile bands hands as they drew her cloak uncertainly about her began to tremble as it if with cold something fell from them to the bottom of the surrey through her chiffon veil katharine noted this with a slow smile arrille it bad had been easier than she had thought she said no more and the carriage rolled on to the accompaniment of giggles over the judge a peroration As it neared the rosewood lane she leaned toward shirley you have dropped your fan said she and your gloves too I 1 might have reached them for you why we are there already how short tho the drive has seem seemed edt don t driva drive up the lane uge said shirley and her voice seemed sharp and strange even to herself the wheels would wake mother katharine bade her goodby with careful sweetness as the judge bundled her d down own in his strong friendly arms no she told him don t come with me it its a not a bit necessary em maline will be waiting for me lie climbed into her vacant place as the girls called their good nights well we 11 all sleep late enough in the morning I 1 reckon be he said with a laugh but its been a great success sl 0 0 0 0 emmalane Emm allne was crouched in a chair in the hall hill a nig rug thrown over her knees in open mouthed slumber she started up at the touch of Shir sharley lays s hand yawning widely I 1 I 1 dare clare to goodness she muttered I 1 was jes fixin t f go V t sleep I 1 I 1 I 1 m so tired emmalane Emm allne take the crown its heavy the negro woman untangled the glittering points from the meshing hair with careful fingers po III chickadee dee deel she said lovingly she flop all th feddars outer her wings olmie that 0 tin crown 1 I like ter lam it out th winder come on now we go upstairs soft so a not ter mis judith in the silvery blue bedroom she deftly unfastened the hooks books ot of the heavy satin gown and coaxed her mistress to lie on the sofa while she un pinned planed the masses of waving hair till they lay in a rich surge over the cushion then she the brought a brush and crouching down beside her began with long gentle strokes to smooth out the silken threads talking to her bar the while in a soft crooning monotone under these ministrations shirley lay languid and speechless her eyes closed the fear that bad had stricken her heart by turns seemed a cold hand pressing dressing upon its beat beating fig and an algid vapor rising stealthily over it but her hands were hot and her eyelids burned finally she roused herself thank you emmalane Emm allne she bald said in itt a tired voice good night now im rm going to sleep and you must go to bed took too but mona in the warm man dark shirley lay staring open eyed at tha the ceiling slowly the th terror was mas seizing upon her the dread noiseless and in tangible folding her in the shadow ot of ita its numbing wings was her mother the one over whom that old duel bad had been fought she remembered the cape Jessa mines was the date of that duel of 0 the death ot of sassoon bassoon the anniversary her mother kept she sat up in bed trembling then she rose and opening the door with caution crept down the stair sliding her hot band hand before her along the cool polished banister aa As she passed through the loner loser hall a hound on the porch scenting her stirred thumped his tall on the flooring and whined groping her way to the dining dinin groom room she lighted a candle and passed through a corridor into a low ceiling ed ad chamber employed as a general receptacle a glorified garret as mrs dandridge dubbed it it it showed a strange assemblages A row of chests stored with win winter ter clothing gave forth a clean pungent mell smell of cedar and at one side stood an antique spinet and a worn set of horsehair furniture shirley had turned her miserable eyes on a bookshelf book shelf along one wall the volumes it contained had been her fathers and among them stood a row of tomes taller than their tel fel lows iowa the bound numbers of a county newspaper beginning before the war the back of each was stamped with the boyear year she was deciphering these faded imprints thirty years ago she whispered yes here it Is she set down the candle and dragged out one of the huge leather backs staggering under the weight she rested ita its edge on the table and began feverishly to turn the pages her eye on the date line she stopped presently with a quick breath she had reached may the year was that of the duel the date was the day following the jessamine anniversary fearfully her eye overran the columns then suddenly she put her open hand on the page as though to blot out the words every trace of color stricken from cheek and brow but the line seemed to glow up through the very flesh died may ed ward bassoon Sae soon in his twenty sixth year P the book slipped to the floor with a crash that echoed through the room it was true then I 1 it was sassoon bassoon a s death that her mother mourned the man in whose arms she |