The Sopar Democrat (Choctaw County, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 9, 1914 Page: 2 of 10
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THE SOPER DEMOCRAT
X
)
S' HALLE ERMINE RIVEA
ILLUSTRATIONS iSr LAUREN STOUT
or nooao rffri i cosrwyy
SYNOPSIS
Joh Valiant A rich oclHjr favorlt
uMnly 11rovrt that th Valiant cor-
poration which hi father founded and
which u th prinipal lourrt of hi
wwaith had failoi! Ha voluntarily turn
over hi prlvafa fortune to th receiver
for th corporation Ilia entlr rmtntntf
nlin consist of an old motor car a
whit bull do and Hamory court a ne-
l td eatat In Virginia On tit war to
Imory court h meat Hhlrlay Hand-
rulg an auhurn-haired beauty and d-
1J4 that h I dn to Ilk Virginia lrn
tnenaely Shlriay’ mother Mr Iwnd-
rldga and Major llriatow etching rrm-
InljK’cnre during mhtuh It Is ieaahd
that th major Valiant father and a
man named Snaaonrj wrr mala for the
hand of Mr l’andridg In her youth
Saaaoon and Valiant fought a duel on her
HMuint in which the fomr aaa killed
Valiant And Iamorv court overgrown
with weMis and creeper and decide to
rehalnlltata the place Valiant save
Shtriev from the lute f a snake which
bites him Knowing the deadline of the
lute Shirley su k th p-in from th
wound anj eaves hi life Valiant learn
for the first time that hi father left Vir-
ginia on account of a duel In which Ioo-
tor Southall and Malor Hrlatow acted aa
hi father' second Valiant and Shirley
become gfwvi friend Mr Iandrldga
flnta when he meet Valiant for th
firt time Valiant !1ecner that h ha
a fortune In old walnut tree The vearlv
tournament a survival of th jousting of
feudal time I held at hamory court At
the last moment Valiant take the place
of one of the kn'ght who Is sick and
enter the Hat lie win and chooses
Shirley I’andridcr as queen of beautv to
the dismay of Ka’henn Fargo a former
sweetheart who 1 visiting In Virginia
The tournament bail at Ianorjr court
draw the elite of the countryside Shir-
ley 1 crowned by Valiant a queen of
beautv Valiant tells Shirley of hi love
and Ihev become engaged Katherine
Fargo determining not to give up Vali-
ant without a struggle point out to Shir-
ley how terrible It would be for the worn
an who caused th duel to meet Valiant
who looks so much like M father Shir-
ley uncertain but feeling that her moth-
er was In loe with the victim of Vali-
ent' pistol breaks th engagement Oreef
King a liberated convict whom Major
Krixtow had sent to prison makes threat
against hi proietcutor Valiant plead
with Shirley hut fa’ls to persuade her
to change her delnlon Malor Bristow Is
fatally wounded hv Oref King but b
f re dvlng he confesses to Mrs Tnd-ndr-
that he had kept a letter Val&nt
had written to her after the duel
CHAPTER XXXI— Continued
In the little haircloth trunk back In
hr room lay ah old scrap-book It
held a few leaves torn from letters and
many newspaper clippings From
these she had known of bis work his
marriage the great commercial suc-
cess for which his name had stood —
the came that from the day of his go-
ing she bad eo seldom taken upon her
lips Some of them had dealt with
bis habits and idiosyncrasies hints of
an altered personality and aloofness
or loneliness that had set him apart
and made him In a way a stranger to
those who should have known him
best Thus her mind had come to
hold a doable image: The grave man
these shadowed forth and the man
-she had loved whose youthful face was
tn the locket 6he wore always on her
breast It was this face that was
printed on her heart and when John
Valiant had stood before her on the
porch at Rosewood It had seemed to
hav risen Instinct from that old
grave
He had not kept silence! He had
written! It pealed through her brain
like a muffled bell But Beauty Vali-
ant was gone with her youth In the
room near by lay that old companion
who would never speak to her again
when Valiant would have done eo the
major called him nearer
"No" he panted "I Ilka to aee you
two together” Ilia voice was very
weak and tired
Aa ahe leaned and touched hla hand
he amlled whimsically "It'a mighty
curious” he aald "but I can't get It
out of my head that lta Beauty Vali-
ant and Judith thAt I'm really talking
to Foolish— lan't It?" But the Idea
seemed to master him and presently
he began to call Shirley by her moth-
er's name An odd youthfulnesa crept
Into hla eyee a subtle paradoxical
boyishness His cheek tinged with
color The deep lines about his mouth
smoothed miraculously out
"Judith” he whispered “ — you—
sure you told me the truth a while ago
when you said — you said — "
"Yes yes" Shirley answered put-
ting her young arm under him think-
ing only to soothe the anxiety that
seemed vaguely to thread some rague
hallucination
He smiled again "It makes it
easier" he said He looked at Valiant
his mind seeming to slip farther and
farther away “Beauty" he gasped
“you didn't go away after all did you!
I dreamed It — I reckon It’ll be — all
right with you both”
He sighed peacefully and his eyea
turned to Shirley's and closed “I'm —
so glad” he muttered “so glad I —
didn't really do It Judith It would
have — been the — only — low-down thing
— I — ever did"
The doctor went swiftly to the door
and beckoned to Jereboam "Come In
now Jerry” he said In a low voice
“quickly"
The old negro fell on his knees by
the couch "Mars’ Monty!” he cried
"Is you’ gwine away en leabe ol’ Jer-
ry? Is yo'? Mars’?"
The cracked but loving voice struck
across the void of the falling sense
For a last time the major opened his
misting eyes
Jerry you— black scoundrel!" he
whispered and Shirley felt his head
grow heavier on her arm "I reckon it's
— about time — to me going — home!”
CHAPTER XXXII
He Went Upstairs Into the Bedrooms
One by One
the lifelong friend — who had really
failed her thirty years ago!
and in a tin box a mile away lay a let-
ter “He won't rouse again” the doctor
had said but a little later as he and
Valiant sat beside the couch the major
opened hla eyea suddenly
"Shirley” he whispered "Where's
Shirley?”
She was sitting on the porch Just
outside the open window and when
she entered tears were on her face
The doctor drew back silently but
Renunciation
- The grim posse that gathered In
haste that afternoon did not ride far
Its work had been singularly well
done It brought back to Damory
court however a white bulldog whose
broken leg made hie would-be Joyful
bark trail Into a sad whimper as bis
owner took him into welcoming arms
Next day the major was carried to
his final rest In the myrtled shadow of
St Andrew's At the service the old
church was crowded to Its doors
Valiant occupied a bumble place at
one side — the others he knew were
older friends than he The light of the
late afternoon came dimly in through
the stalned-glase windows and seemed
to clothe with subtle colors the voice
of tbe rector as he read the solemn
service The responses came broken-
ly and their were tears on many faces
Valiant could see the side-face of
the doctor Its saturnine grimness
strangely moved and beyond him
Shirley and her mother Many glanced
at them for the major’s will had been
opened that morning and few there
had been surprised to learn that save
for a life-annuity for old Jereboam
he had left everything he possessed
to Shirley Miss Mattie Sue was be-
side them and between wan with
weeping sat Rickey Snyder Shirley’s
arm lay shelteringly about the small
shoulders as If it would stay the pas-
sion of grief that from time to time
I shook them
f The evening before had been further
darkened by the child's disappearance
and Miss Mattie Sue had sat through
half the night In tearful anxiety It
was Valiant who had solved tbe riddle
In her first wild compunction Rickey
had gasped out the story of her meet-
ing with Greef King bis threat and
her own terrorized silence and when
he heard of this be had guessed her
whereabouts He had found her at
the Dome In the deserted cabin from
which on a snowy night six years ago
Shirley had rescued her She had fled
there In her shabbiest dress her toys
and trinkets left behind taking with
her only a string of blue glass beads
that had been Shirley's last Christmas
present
"Let me stay!” she had walled "I’m
not fit to live down there! It's all my
fault that It happened I was a coward
I ought to stay here In HHl’s-Half-Acre
forever and ever!" Valiant bad car-
ried her back In his arms down the
mountain — she had been too spent to
walk
He thought of this now as be saw
that arm about the child In that pro
tective almost motherly gesture It
made hie own heartache more unbear-
able Such a little time ago be had
felt that arm about him!
He leaned hla bot head against the
cool plastered wall trying to keep hla
mind on the solemn reading But Shir-
ley’s voles and laugh seemed to be
running eerily through the chanting
lines and her face shut out pulpit and
lectern It swept over him suddenly
that each abominable hour could but
make the situation more Impossible
for them both He had seen her aa
she entered the church had thought
her even paler than la the wood the
bluish shadows deeper under her eyes
Thoae delicate charms were In eclipse
And It was be wha was to blame!
It came to him with a stab of en-
lightenment He had been thinking
only of himself all the while But for
her It was bis presence that had now
become the unbearable thing A cold
sweat broke on his forehead "
for I am a stranger with thee and a
sojourner as all my fathers were O
spare me a little that I may recover
my strength before I go hence ”
The intoning voice fell dully on his
ears
To go away! To pass out of her
life to a future empty of her? How
could he do that? When he had part-
ed from her In the rain he had felt a
frenzy of obstinacy It had seemed eo
clear that the barrier must In the end
yield before their love He had never
thought of surrender Now he told
himself that flight was all that was
left him She — her happiness — noth-
ing else mattered Damory court and
its future — the plans he had made — the
Valiant name — in that clarifying In-
stant he knew that all these from that
May day on the Red road had clung
about her She had been the Inspira-
tion of all
"Lead kindly Light amitl the riclrcllng
gloom—"
The voices of tbe unvested choir
rose clearly and some one at hie side
was whispering that this bad been tbe
major’s favorite bymn But be
scarcely heard
When the service was ended the
people filled the big yard while the
last reverent words were spoken at the
grave Valiant standing with the rest
saw Shirley with her mother and the
doctor pass out of the gate She was
not looking toward him A miet was
before his eyes as they drove away
and the vision of her remained waver-
ing and Indistinct — a pale blurred face
under shining hair
He realized after a time that the
yard was empty and the sexton was
locking the church door He went
slowly to the gate and Just outside
some one spoke to him It was Chis-
holm Lusk They had not met since
the night of tbe ball Even In his own
preoccupation Valiant noted that
Luek’s face seemed to have loat Its
exuberant youthfulness It was worn
as if with sleeplessness and had a
look of suffering that touched him
And all at once while they stood look-
ing at each other Valiant knew what
the othpr had waited to say
"I won’t beat about tbe bush” said
Lusk stammering "I’ve got to ask
you something I reckon you've
gueaeed that I— that Shirley — ”
Valiant touched the young fellow's
arm "Yes" he said "I think I know”
It's no new thing with me” said
the other hoarsely "It’s been three
years The night of the ball I thought
perhaps that — I don’t mean to ask
what you might have a light to resent
— but I must find out Is there any
reason why I shouldn’t try my luck?
Valiant shook his head "No" he
said heavily "there i no reason"
The boyish look sprang back to
Lusk's face He drew a long breath
“Why then I will" he said "I— I'm
sorry If I hurt you Heaven knows I
didn't want to!"
He grasped the other's hand with a
man's heartiness and went up the road
with a swinging stride and Valiant
stood watching him go with his hands
tlgbt-clencbed at his side
A little later Valiant climbed the
sloping driveway of Damory court It
seemed to stare at him from a thou-
sand reproachful eyes The bachelor
red squirrel from bis tree-crotch
looked down at him askance The
redblrds flashing through tbe hedges
fluttered disconsolately Fire-Cracker
the peacock was shrieking from the
upper lawn and the strident discord
seemed to mock bis mood
The great house bad become horns
to him he toid himself that he would
make no other The few things he had
brought — his books and trophies — had
grown to be s part of It and they
should remain The ax should not be
laid to the walnut grove As bis fa
ther had done bs would leave behind
him the life be had lived there and
the old court should be once mors
cloaed and deserted Uncle Jefferson
and Aunt Daphne might live on in the
cabin back of the kitchens Thera
was pasturage for the horse and the
cows and for old Sukey and tome
acres had already been cleared for
planting And there would be the
swana the ducks and chickens the
peafowl and the fish
A letter had come to him that morn-
ing The corporation bad resumed
business with credit unimpaired lab-
ile opinion was more than friendly
now A place waited for him there
and one of added honor tn a concern
that had rigorously cleansed Itself and
already looked forward to a new ca-
reer of prosperity But he thought of
this now with no thrill The old life
no longer called There were still
wide unpeopled spaces somewhere
where a man's hand and brain were no
less needed and there was work there
that would help him to bear If not for-
get He paced up and down the porch un-
der the great gray columns his steps
spiritless and lagging The Virginia
creeper trailing over Us end waved
to and fro with a sound like a elgh
How long would It be before the lawn
was once more unkempt and draggled?
Before burdock and thistle mullein
and Spanlsh-needle would return to
smother tbe clover? Before Damory
court on which he bad spent such
loving labor would lie again as It lay
that afternoon when he had rattled
thither on Uncle Jefferson's crazy
back? Before there would be for him
In some far-away corner of the world
only WIshlng-House and the Never-
Never Land ?
In the hall he stood a moment be-
fore the fireplace his eyes on its
carven motto "I cllnge:" the phrase
was like a spear-thrust lie began to
wander restlessly through the house
up and down like a prowling animal
The dining-room looked austere and
chill — only the little lady In hoops and
love-curls who had been his great-
grandmother smiled wistfully down
from her gilt frame above the console
— and In the library a melancholy
deeper than that of yesterday's trag-
edy seemed to hang through which
Devll-John drawing closer the leash
of his leaping hound glared sardon-
ically at him from his one cold eye
The shutters of the parlor were
closed but he threw them open and
let the rich ligbt pierce the yellow
gloom glinting from the figures In
tbe cabinet and weaving a thousand
tiny rainbows In the prisms of the
great chandelier
He went upstairs Into the bedrdQma
one by one now and then passing his
hand over a polished chair-back or
touching an ornament or a frame on
the wall: into The Hllarium with Its
records of childish study and play
The dolls stood now on dress-parade
In glass cases and prints In bright
colors dear to little people were on
the walla He opened tbe shutters
here too aDd stood some time on the
threshold before he turned and went
heavily downstairs
Through the rear door-be could see
the kitchens and Aunt Daphne sitting
under the trumpet-vine piecing a nine-
patch calico quilt with little squares
of orange and red and green cloth
Two diminutive darkles were sprawled
on the ground looking up at her with
round serious eyes while a wary ban-
tam pecked Industriously about their
bare legs
"En - den wbut de roostah say
Aunt Daph?”
"Ol' roostah he bollah to all be
wlfes Oo — ooo! Oo — ooo! Young
Mars’ come! — Young Mars’ come!
Young Mars’ come!’ En dey all mighty
skeered ’case Mars’ John he cert’n’y
fond ob fried chlck'n But de big tub-
key gobbler he don’ bieeve et ’talL
’Doubtful — doubtful — doubtful!’ he say
lak dat Den de drake be peep eroun
de cornah en be say ’Halsh! Halsh!
Halsbl Fo' be done seed Mars’ John
cornin' sho nuff But et too late by
den fo’ Aunt Daph ahe done grab
Mis’ Pullet en Mara’ John he gwine-
ter cat huh dla bery evenin’ fo’ he
suppah Now you chlllun runs erlong
homo ter yo’ mammies en don’ yo’
pick none ob dem green apples on do
way neldah”
It waa not till after dark had come
that Valiant said goodby to the gar-
den He loved It beat under the star-
light He eat a long hour under the
pergola overlooking the lake where
be could dimly eee the green rocke
and the white froth of the water bub-
bling and chuckling down over their
rounded outlines to tbe shrouded level
below Tbe moon lifted finally and
soared through the eky blowing out
- CHAPTER XXXIII
The Voice From the Past
Though the doctor left the church
with Shirley and her mother he did
not drive to Rosewood but to bie of-
fice There alone with Mrs Dan-
drldge while Shirley waited tn the
carriage he unlocked the little tin
box that had been the major's with
the key Mrs Dand ridge gave him and
put Into her hands a little packet of
yellow olled-eilk which bore her name
He noted that It agitated her pro-
foundly and as she thrust It Into the
bosom of her dress her face seemed
stirred as he had nexer seen It When
he put her again In the carriage bn
patted her shoulder with a touch far
gentler than his gruff goodby
At Rosewood at length alone In her
room she sat down with the packet In
her hands During the long hours
since first the little key had lain In
her palm like a lire coal she had been
all afire with eagerness Now the
moment had come she was almost'
afraid
She tried to Imagine that letter's
coming to her— then Thirty years
ago! A May day a day of golden
sunshine and flowers The arbors had
been covered with rose then too Itkn
those whose perfume drifted to her
now Evil news files fast and she
the little lamps of stars Under ita
light a gossamer mist robed the land-
scape in a shimmering opalescence
In which tree and shrub altered their
values and became transmitted to sil-
ver sentinels watching over a de-
mesne of violet-velvet ahadowe filled
with sleepy twitterings and stealthy
rustlings and the odor of wild honey-
suckle At the last be stood before the old
sun-dial rearing lta column from Its
pearly clusters of blossoms “1 count
no houre but the happy onea:” he read
the Inscription with an Indrawn
breath Then groping at Its base he
lifted tbe ivy that had once rambled
there and drew up the tangle again
over the atone disk His Bride's-Gar-den!
—
In the library an hour later sitting
at the big black pigeonholed desk be
wrote to Shirley:
I am leaving tonight on the mid-
night train Uncle Jefferson will give
you this note In tbe morning I will
not stay at Damory court to bring
more pain Into your life I am going
very far away I understand all you
are feeling — and so goodby goodby
God keep you! I love you and I shall
love you always always!”
Latter’s
Thirty
She Tried to Imagine That
Coming to Her— Then
Year Agol
had beard of the duel very early that
morning The letter would have
reached her later She would have
fled away with It to this very room
to read It alone — aa ahe did now!
(TO BE CONTINUED )
Value of Talk
Talk has the reputation of being the
cheapest thing there la As supply
and demand have something If not all
to do with valuee doubtless the sup-
ply of talk is what gives It a bargain
counter value
Things that are cheap lack enduring
quality
If talk were confined to the things
done more than to the thing aald It
would have a greater value
Some one asked Edison If be experl-
enced much Inconvenience on account
°f that he
thanked Ood for it every day alnce It
protected him from the distracting ef
hu°l T° t4lk' H could
thus live his own life think bis own
or°X£ ’ 0’“ °'k '
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Crossett, R. E. The Sopar Democrat (Choctaw County, Okla.), Vol. 4, No. 7, Ed. 1 Thursday, July 9, 1914, newspaper, July 9, 1914; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc1715850/m1/2/?q=wichita+falls: accessed June 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.