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Show THE MT. PLEASANT PYRAJUU, mwu.j --- ggurj &m HALLE ERMINIE RIVL5 8i ILLUSTRATIONS LAUPENOX j fe SYM UP'il'i. I. V .1 f . .... r.'- i ' ' i. i it r t- .1. I .1 i r 1 .- : i !. i i I v , i:v .n. . i- i . r.,i I., u.- r- I ' - r 'r il.- - ,1 ,i. ! I ., r. ,., .i, ' I, ,1 .. .1 I , , . . I. i ' 1 i r. 1 1 V ii i. i. II..- ia . v I 'i I . i I ii ii i V I . ii-l i ' 1 1 - ii ii . I. 1 1 id I. .1,1 ,--t t.--,i i' V hii-1 '1, ' " - ' I., li ..H. I" lik.- V.i!ii. 4 ' I , CHAPTER V Continued. I Kill walln-il (in 1 1 j the highway Hi. a 1 1 1 r 1 1 1 x hi i-l !., imw and then ..nhliiiy Ii, ln-JMt-lr, (ir tillllllllfi a few ci'li!, (x-caMluiially MopplriK l,y some lii-ilc lo rill a l.-af wliu-li hhh rubbed iMain.-.i ln-r hi--k, Kini-llinx In keen in u i-.ci-df, or -hipping to ki' out it i r 1 1 1 . h the iirai.c ki'-i-ii belts (if min-in' min-in' mil ih :n llclils, on i: hand push Ink l..u-li ln-r iiiiiiinoiiH h ;t I r rroin Ju-r luo'.v II. (- other hhiehlitiK her eyes, r.iriher on the highroad looped around ii t.iri. oi vuiiiu; lon-ist, and hhe ulruck lulu 1 1 1 i h lor a Khort cut. In the depth li" ai di n tu rest on the miii--ila-heil roots of a I ree l.eanlnir hark mkh.iiM Hie Heanied trunk, her felt hat i-illeu lo the ground, she, looked like '"'ii'- ita-wouian t-iin-i'Klng from an t-.n l!) hued pool to comb her hulr ji.'.ainM a dimpled rock. She drew hack against the. Iron and i .uiKht her hreat.il an a bulldog frisked tner a mossy boulder Just In front of ln-r A moment more and ahe had thrown liersi If on her knees with both arms uitsi ! etched. "Oh, you splendid creatine."' crea-tine."' she cried, "you big, lovely v Into darlinx!" Tio- don seemed In no way averse to 'his .-ensnllonnl proceeding. Ho re- tilled Instantly not merely with tall-(MiKt'.niK. tall-(MiKt'.niK. but with ecstatic, grunts nnd ii owls "Where did you come from?" i-he ( nest loned, as his pink tongue .-1 it j.-d d.v-peralely to I'uul a cheek ihiv.;gii the whorl of coppery hair. ' h , you must be th.e one I was told nut lo be afraid of." She pelted and fondled the smooth ihiellieiit inu:'.z!-j. "As if any one i mild 1-- afraid of you! We'll set your master riht on that point." Smiling lo herself, she. pulled one of the roses mini her belt, and twisting a wisp of iniK m.i's, wound it round and round the dons neck and thrust the ragged i use-stem linnly through it. "Now," i-ho said, and pushed him gently from her, "go back, sir! " lie whined and licked her hand, but when she repeated the command, he turned obediently nnd left her. A Utile Ut-ile way from her he halted, with a Midden perception of mysterious punishment, pun-ishment, shrugged, sat down, and tried to tench the irksome, grass-wisp with Ins teeth. This failing, he rolled laboriously la-boriously in the dirt. Then he rose, cast a reproachful glance behind him, nnd trotted off. CHAPTER VI. Mad Anthony. itevond the selvage of the sleepy piOase.OVCruUago a cherry bor- 1 i'a f - sh e 1 1 e re if vn On It- dered lane met the lied RoaiT one side was a clovered pasture arid" beyond this an orchard, bounded by a tall hedge of close-clipped box which M'parated it from a broad yard where the gray-weathered roof of Rosewood showed above a group of tulip and citalpa trees. On the sunny steps a lop-eared puppy was playing with a .mottled cat. The front door was open, showing a 'hall wturo stood a grandfather's clock and a spindle-legged table holding a liowi of potpourri. The timepiece had landed from a sailing vessel at Jamestown James-town wharf with the household goods of that English Garland who had adopted the old Middle Plantation wl en iv.mniore was royal governor under un-der George m. Framed portraits and engravings lent tints of tarnished silver, sil-ver, old-rose and sunset-golds colors iJiue-loned and reminiscent, carrying a i-hainr'.g sense of peaceful content, of gentleness and lng tradition. The , dark polished stairway had at its turn I s square dormer-window which looked out upon one of the rose-arbors. IVwn this stair, somewhat later (hat afternoon, came Shirley Dandnuge, Looted and spurred, the rebellious -whorls of her russet hair now as close-: close-: lilleti d as a Greek boy's, in a short , i,i,,i .ki-t of vew-green and a coo! white blouse and sw ing'r g by its ribbon rib-bon a gree'.i hat whose rolling brim vx.is caught "P at one side by a crisp Mu.'-Mtok hawk's feather. She stopped -o peer n:t r; the dormer-window to .'here. ur.'.er the latticed weave of .i-'oom Ksiiie a rouni iron ta'o'.e lioid--i.g a boor of embroidery and a book wo a iady sat read'.;.?. I ho hiiiv's hair was silver. b,:t not i-h ace ' It had Men so for many .i.,rs. ret; ted by the transparent sta a.-d a ivtcr a oft as th. cheek of aa ..'..;,.c. ;t was solely in her dark "t'-io and stransoiy la:n::-.oas. ,lu.; -,0 might see lark'.r.g the somber som-ber t.ir:.t of pass:oa and o: i am. i-ur th.x 'wvie eager and brillUnt tuthal. . i. ;-- . ,iu lie to the canv whose crook -e'paie delicate hand held with a that somehow couveysd a sense . ,-xaspera:e if semi-huruorous re- '" iV-o'iookod up at Shirley's voice. ,..;; d l-r:--h:lT -OS icr your r Y.-rt I ui K'J'i-iS wi'li tl..j hal-n.errt hal-n.errt ' ')h, of cour-e I'etiy I'a is v.i-lt-j in thi-t.-i, i-n t she?" Shi;!'-)' noibw-d. "Siie catne y-bter-day I II have to hurry, for I eaw tht-m from my wimio-A luniing into the Ked Hoiid." Sh waved her hand and ran lightly duvwi the stair atuj across the lu w n to tlm orchard. Sho pulled a green tpple from a bough that hung over a stone wall and with this in her hand she came clone 1 to the pasture fence, and whistled a ( pi-cuhar call. It was answered by a low whinny and a soft thud of hoofs, and a gold'-n-chestnut hunter thrust a long nose over the bars, flaring ilame lined nostrils to the touch of her hand. She laid her cheek against the white thoroughbred forehead and held the apple to the larger reaching li), wlih several teasing withdraw ings before be-fore she gave it to its juicy crunching. She let down the top bar of the fence and vaulting over, ran to a stable- and presently emerging with a saddle on her arm, whistled the horse to her and saddled him. Then open ing tne gate, sne mounteu anu cantered can-tered down the lane to meet the oncoming on-coming riders a kindly-faced, middle-aged middle-aged man, a younger one with dark features and coal-black hair, and two girls. Chlsholm Iusk spurred In advance and lifted his hat. "I held up the judge, Shirley," ho said, "and made him brins mo along. He tells me there's a fox hunt on tomorrow; may I como?" "Pshaw! Chilly," said the judge. "1 don't believe you ever got up at five o'clock in your born days. You've learned had habits abroad." "You'll see," he answered. "If my man Friday doesn't rout me out tomorrow, to-morrow, I'll be up for murder." They rode an hour, along stretches of sunny highways or on shaded bridlepaths, bridle-paths, where the horses' hoofs fell muf-llcd muf-llcd in brown pine-needles and drooping droop-ing branches flicked their faces. Then, by a murky way gouged with brusk gullies, across shelving fields and "turn-rows" In a long detour around Powhattan Mountain, a rough spur in the shape of an Indian'3 head that wedged itself forbiddingly between the ilelds of spring coin and tobacco. "Do let us get a drink!" said Chilly Lusk. "I'm ns thirsty as a cotton-batting cotton-batting camei." "All right, we'll stop," agreed the Judge, "and you'll have a chance to see a local lion, Betty. This Is where Mad Anthony lives. You must have heard of him when you were here before. He's almost as celebrated as the Reverend John Jasper of Richmond." Rich-mond." Hetty tapped her temple. "Where have Ah heard of John Jasper?" "He was the author of the famous sermon on 'The Sun do Move.' He used to prove it by a bucket of water that he set beside his pulpit Saturday night. As it hadn't spilled - m ' the morning he kuew it wfj thear'h tM s i stood still." . I Hetty nodded laughingly. I member n"". Is Mad Anth An re" riad'" ' tiny really ici i nnT -. - - - "Only harmlessly." said Shirley. "He's stone blind. The negroes all believe he conjures that's voodoo, you know. They put a lot of stock i "Howdy Do. Anthony." Hs Said. ; in his 'prophecisms.' He tells for-! for-! tunes, too. S-sh!" she warned. "He's sitting on the door-step. He's heard us." The oki r.egro had the torso of a ; Mack patriarch. He sat bolt upright kvi:!-. long straight arms resting on ; a is knejs. and his face had thut pe-c-.V.ar expressionless immobility seen in Egyptian carvings. His age might have bi-.;: anything, judging from his : face which was so seamed and crev- iosd with innumerable tiny wrinkles that it most resembled the tortured ciare of some auck-r.t bitumen r.ot-'. r.ot-'. tery unearthed from a tomb of K.-r The nidge dismounted, and .o.-.c";": his briuie over a fence-picket, took i from his pocket a collapsible drinking I cv.p. "Howdy co. Anthony." he said. ' "We just stopped for a drink of your Jji water" oid negro cod'ed his head. iNatah." be said in the gentle r '1 na'. ,-: i:. ton.-s uf ex'.r.-u.e au;,' "Yas, Marse He p yo se f. Co:i:e f ont he ('-niah ob de yt-rf. frsl atah. Kn dab's foiks say de cnitah of de yr-rf Is all Han. Yo' reek'u d '' nht. Mars' chahniahs?" "Now. how the devil do you know wtio I am, Anthony?" The judge set down his cup on the, well-curb. "I haven't been by here for a year." The ebony head moved slowly from side to side. "01' Ant'ny don' need no eyes." he said, touching his hand to his brow. "He see ev'ythlng heah." The Judge beckoned to the others and they trooped inside the paling. "I've brought some other folks with me, Anthony; can you tell who they are?" The slgi.tless look wavered over them and the white head shook slowly. slow-ly. "Don' know ycs.ig mars,' " said the gentle voice. "How many yuddahs wid yo'? One, two? No, I don' know-young know-young mistis, eidah." "I reckon you don't need any eyes," Judge Chalmers laughed, as he passed the sweet cold water to the rest. "One of these young ladles wants you to tell her fortune." The old negro dropped his head, waving his gaunt hands restlessly. The Judge beckon id to Betty Page, but she shook her head with a little grimace and drew back. "You go, Shirley," she whispered, and with a laughing glance at the others, Shirley came and sat down on the lowest step. Mad Anthony put out a wavering hand and touched the young "body. His fingers strayed over the habit and went up to the curling bronze under the hat-brim' "D!s de 111 mistis," he muttered, "aln' afeahd ob ol' Ant'ny. Dah's fiah en she ain' afeahd, en dah's watah en she aln' afeahd. V.'c'..dah whut Ah gwine tell huh? VVhut de coloh ob yo' haih, honey?" "Hlack," put in Chilly Lusk, with a wink at the others. "Black as a crow." Old Anthony's hand fell back to his knee. "Young mars' laugh at de ol' man." he said, "but he don' know. Dat de coloh dat buhn man han's ,de coloh ob goP, en eyes blue like er cat-bird's aig. Dah's er man gwine look in dem eyes, honey, en gwine make 'em cry en cry." He raised his head sharply, his lids shut tight, and swung his arm toward the North. "Dah's whah he come Com," he said, "en heah" his arm veered and he pointed straight toward the ragged hill behind them "he stay." Lusk laughed noiselessly. "He's pointing to Damory Court," he whispered whis-pered to Nancy Chalmers, "the only uninhabited place within ten miles.;, That's as near as he often bit" ' s it, I fancy. -. v "Heah's whah he . j .u c , , ..t, y-S. repeated the old man. Heap ov , ... , r ,. , . , . . trouble wait heah to him too, ho" , , , p i ui, i u-iey- heap ob trouble, heah whah.J ' . i '(va t-nl mistis fin him." r,.ome. Anthony," said Judge Chalmers, Chal-mers, laying his hand on the old man's ihoulder. "That's much too mourn ful! (jive ner someiums uii.c w .oy off with, at least!" But Anthony paid no heed. "Gr'et trouble. Dah's fiah en she ain' aTeahd, en dah's watah en she ain' afeahd. En Ah sees yo' gwine ter him, honey. Ah heah's de co'ot-house clock a-strikin' in de night en yo' gwine. Don' wait, don' wait, li'l mistis, er de trouble-cloud trouble-cloud gwine kyah him erway t orn yo' When de clock strike thuh-teen thuh-teen when de clock strike thuh-teen thuh-teen " The droning voice ceased. The gaunt form became rigid. Then he star'cd and turned his eyes slowly about him, a vague look of anxiety on his face. For a moment no one moved. When he spoke again it was once more in his gentle quavering voice: "Watah? Yas. Mars', good watah. He'p yo se'f." The judge set a dollar bill on the step and weighted it with a stone, as the rest remounted. "Well, good by, Anthony,' be said. "We're mightily obliged " He sprang into the saddle and the I quartette cantered away. "My experi-i experi-i ment wasn't a great success. I'm I afraid. Shirley." he said ruefully. : "Oh, I think it was splendid!" cried i Nancy. "Do you suppose he really be- lieves thosj spooky things? I declare. at the time 1 almost did myself. What I an odd idea 'when the clock strikes thirteen.' which, of course, it never i does." "Don't mind. Shirley." bantered Lusk. "When you see all 'dem trou-; trou-; bits' coming, sound the alarm and we'll fiy in a body to your rescue." ! They let their hcrses out for a 1 pounding gallop which pulled down i suddenly at a raurSed shriek from Bet-i Bet-i ty Page, as her horse went into the : air at sight of an automobile by the : rcad'de. "Now. whose under the canopy is that?" exclaimed Lusk. i "It's stalled."" said Shirley. "I passed here this afternoon when the .wner was trying to start it. and I sen". I'nc' JeSerson as first aid to the in-; in-; jured." 1 "1 wonder who he can be." said i Nancy. "I've never seen that car before." be-fore." "Why," said Betty gaily. "Ah know! It's Mad Anthony's trouhie-man, of courst. come for Shirley." I CHAPTER VII. Uncle Jefferson. K red rose, while ever a thing of beauty, is not invariably a joy forever for-ever The white bulldog, as be plodded along the sunny highway, was sunk In depression. Being trammeled bv the limitations of a canine horizon he could not understand the whims or Adorable Ones met by the way, who seemed so glad to see him that tbey threw both arms about him, and then tied to his neck irksome colored weeds that prickled and scratched and would not be dislodged. So it was a chastened chas-tened and shamed Chum who at length wriggled stealthily Into the seat of the stranded automobile beside his master and thrust a dirty pink nose into his palm. John Valiant lifted his hand to stroke the shapely head, then drew It back with an exclamation. A thorn had pricked his thumb. He looked down and saw the draggled flower thrust through the twist of grass. "Oh, pup of wonders!" he exclaimed. "Where did you get that rose?" r., 1 v. r.nnA hia t-.itl for V UUUJ Brtl Up .m ..... his master's tone, instead of ridicule, held a dawning delight. Perhaps the thing had not been intended as a disgrace, dis-grace, after all! With the first sight of the decoration decora-tion Valiant had had a sudden memory of a splotch of vivid red against the belted gray-blue of a gown. He grinned appreciatively. "And I warned her," he chuckled. "Told her not to be afraid!" He dusted the blossom painstakingly pains-takingly with his handkerchief and held it to his face a live brilliant thing, breathing musk-otiors of the mid-moon of paradise. A long time he sat, while the dog dozed and yawned on the shiny cushion cush-ion beside hlin. Of a sudden Chum sat up and barked in earnest. Turning his head, his master saw approaching ap-proaching a dilapidated hack with side lanterns like great goggles and decrepit and palsied curtains. It was drawn by a lean mustard-tinted mule, and on its front sat a colored man of uncertain age, whose hunched vertebrae verte-brae and outward-crooked arms gave him a curious expression of replete and bulbous inquiry. Abreast of the car he removed a moth-eaten cap. "Evenin', suh," he said, "evenin', evenin'." "Howdv do." returned the other "Ah reck nJK ha(J gr breck. ?0WQ 'ld Li "Machine-thing dar. Yo' bC,eJU bout er hour, ain' yo'?" -c-arer three," said Valiant cheer-ully, cheer-ully, "but the view's worth it." A hoarse titter came from the conveyance, con-veyance, which gave forth sundry ireakings of leather. "Huyh! Huyh! Jat's so, suh. Dat's so! Hm-m. leck'n Ah'll be gittin' erlong back." ie clucked to the mule and proceeded o turn the vehicle round. "Hold on," cried John Valiant. "1 bought you were bound in the other lirection." "No, suh. Ah'm gwine back whah 1 come f'om. Ah jus' druv out hyuh 'case Miss Shirley done met me. en she say, 'Unc' Jeffe'son, yo' go 'treckly out de Red Road, 'case er gemman done got stalled-ed.' " "Oh Miss Shirley. She told you, did she? What did you say her first name was?" "Dat's huh fust name. Miss Shirley. Yas, suh! Miss Shirley done said f me ter come en git de gemman whut whut kinder dawg is yo' got dar?" "It's a bulldog. Can you give me a lift? I've got that small trunk and " "Dat's a right fine dawg. Miss Shirley Shir-ley she mogbty fond ob dawgs, too." "Fond of dogs, is she?" said Valiant. "1 might have known it. It was nice of her to send you here. Uncle Jefferson. Jeffer-son. You can take me and my traps. I suppose?" , Pens on whah yo' gwinoter." an-Bwereed an-Bwereed Uncle.Jefferson saplently. I'm going to Damory Court. A' Ind ofocked surprise th.tw almost -P-fQon: rVaerpohl "Dyrt!1,k"f--- hUVhre obtuse has a great surprise coming to It," said Valiant gravely. "Henceforth some one is going to occupy oc-cupy It. How is it anyway? Measurin' by de coonskin en th W-lP, W-lP, , de tail, et's erbout two mile. Ain' gwineter live dat yosef. sub, is "I am for the present," was the crisp answer. L'ncle Jefferson stared at him a mo ment with his mouth open. Then ejaculating ejac-ulating under his breath, "Fo de lLawd' Whut folks gwineter say ter dat'" he shambled to the rear of the motor and began to. unship the Btearn-er-trunk. "Whut yo' gwineter do wid dat-ar?" he asked, pointing to the car. "Ah kin come wid ole Sukey dat's i- .... iniihit In de mawn- in'. Ain't gwineter rain ter-night nohow." no-how." .1 This matter having been arranged,, they started jogging down the green-bordered green-bordered road, the bulldog prospecting alongside. "S'pose'n de Co'ot done ben sold en yo' gwineter fix it up fo' de new ownah," hazarded Uncle Jefferson presently. . : Valiant did not answer directly. "You say the place hasn't been occupied occu-pied for many years," he observed. "Did you ever hear why, Uncle Jefferson?" Jef-ferson?" ' "Ah done heerd," said the other vaguely,- "but Ah disremembahs. Sump'in .dat happened befo' Ah come heah f'om ol' Post-Oak Plantation. Reck'n Majah Bristow he .know erbout it, er Mis' Judith dat's Miss 'Shirley's mothah; Her fathah wus Geni Tawm Dandridge, en he died fo' she- was bawn." Shirley Dandridge! A high-sounding name, with something of long-linked long-linked culture, of arrogant heritage. In some subtle way it seemed to clothe the . personality of which Valiant Va-liant had had that fleeting roadside glimpse. ....... .. .. , "Reck'n. yp'-all . come Com New iiorii; inqmreatncie11ene.rspn.lL--t;r-aTufie fiilenS. ' "So!" Dey -say dat's er pow'ful big place. -But: Ah reck'n ol' Richmon's big ernuf fo' me.'-' He clucked to the . leisurely mule and added, "Ah bin ter Richmon' onct. Yas, suh! Ah ne-- gee sech houses mos' all bin, '. ffi county-co'ot-house." ""XA John Valiant expressed a somewhat absent interest. , He was looking thoughtfully at the blossom in his band, in an absorption through which Uncle Jefferson's reminiscences oozed on. (TO BE CONTTNUED.) |