North Carolina Newspapers

S®^M.LYNT3 -/VIRGINIA K #-HALLE ERMINIE CIVES IB —iSrfi ILLUSTRATIONS 6/C LAUPEN STOUT S?5 t&r* ' y co/*r/r/c*r joy ao&a&sum/tAt. jl ctw/HKK C *rrU SYNOPSIS. I i in i John Valiant! , a rich society favor 1 e. suddenly discovers that the Valiant cor poration. which bis father founded and which was the principal source of his wealth, has failed. He voluntarily turns •over his private fortune to the receiver for the corporation. His entire remaining possessions consist of an old motor car. a white bull dog and Damory court, s neg lected estate in Virginia. On the way to Damory court he meets Shirley Dand ridge. an auburn-haired beauty, and de cidea that he is going to like Virginia im mensely. Shirley's mother. Mrs. Dand ridge, and Major Brlstow exchange rem iniscences durtng which It is revealed that the major. Vsliant'a father, snd a man named Sanson were rivals for the hand of Mrs Dandridge in her youth, gssson snd Valiant fought a duel on her account in which the former was killed. Valiant ftmls Damory court overgrown with weeds and creepers and the build ings In a very much neglected condition. He decides, to rehabilitate the place snd make the land produce a living for him. Valiant savfs Shirley from the bite of a snake, which bites him. Knowing the desdliness of the bite, Shirley sucks the poison from the wound and saves his life. CHAPTER XlV—Continued. "Ldaten, Shirley. What's that Ric key Is telling Ranston?" "Don' yo' come heah wld yo' no count play-act!n'. Cyan' fool Ranston wld no slch snek story neldah. Aln* no moc'sln at Dam'ry Co'ot, en neb bah was!" "There WM. too!" insisted Rickey. "One bit him and Miss Shirley found him and sent Uncle Jefferson for Doc tor Southall and it saved his life! So there! D6ctor Southall told Mrs. Ma son. And he Isn't s man who's just come to fix ft up, either; he's the r.ally truly ms-ri that owns it!" "Who on is that child talking about?" Shirley put ber arm around her mother and kflsed her. Her heart was beating quickly. "The owner has come to Damoly Court. He —" The small book Mrs. Dandridge held fell to the floof. "The owner! What owner?" "Mr. Valiant —Mr John Valiant. The son of the man who abandoned It so long ago." AB she picked up the p fallen volume and put it Into her mother's hands, Shirley was startled by the whiteness of her face. "Dearest!" she cried. "You are 111. You shouldn't have come down." "No. It's nothing. I've been shut up all day. Go and open the other window." Shirley threw It wide. "Can I get your salts?" she asked anxiously. Her mother shook her head. "No," she said, almost sharply. "There's nothing whatever the matter with me. Only my nerves aren't what they used to be. I suppose—and snakes always did get on them. Now, give me the gist of It first. 1 can wait for the rest. There's a tenant at Damory Court. ' And his name's John —Valiant. And he was bitten by a moccasin. When?" "This afternoon." Mrs Dandridge's voice shook. "Will he—will he recover?" "Oh. yes " • "Beyond any question?" "The doctor says so." • "And you found him, Shirley— you ?" "I was there when it happened." She had crouchecj town on the rug In her favorite posture, her coppery hair against her mother's knee, catching strange reddish over-tones like molten metal, from the shaded lamp. Mrs Dandridge fingered her cane nervous- But Mors Than Once Shirley Saw Her Hsnds Clasp Themselves Together. ly. Then she dropped her hand on the girl's bead. "Now," she said, "tell me all about iL" CHAPTER XV. The Anniversary. The story was not s long one, though it omitted nothing: the morn ing fox-hunt and the identification of the new arrival at Damory Court as the owner oZ yesterday's stalled mo tor; the afternoon raid on the jessa mine. the conversation with John Va liant in the woods. Mrs. Dandridge, gazing Into the fire, listened without comment, but more than once Shirley saw her hands clasp themselves together and too, that she seemed strangely pale. The swift and tragic sequel to that meet ing was the hardest to tell, and ss she erded she put up her hand to her shoulder, holding it hard. - "It was horrible!" she said. Yet now she did not shudder. Strangely enough, the sense of loathing which had been •urging over her at recurrent in tap vals ever since that hour In the wood. | bad vanished utterly! She read the newspaper article j aloud and her mother listened with an expression that puttied her. When she finished, both were silent for a moment, then she asked, "You must have known his father, dearest; didn't you?" "Yes." said Mrs. Dandridge after a pause. "I—knew his father." Shirley Bald no more, and facing each other tn the candle-glow, across the spotless damask, they talked as with common consent, of oth«r things. She thought Bhe had never seen her mother more brilliant An odd excite ment was flooding her choek with red and she chatted and laughed as she had not done for years. But after dinner the gaiety and ef fervescence faded quickly and Mrs Dandridge went early to her room She mounted the stair with her arm thrown about Shirley's pliant waist. At her door she kissed her, looking at her with a strange smile. "How cu rious," she said, as if to herself, "that It Bhould have happened today!" The reading-lamp had been lighted on her table. She drew a slim gold chain from the bosom of her dress and held to the light a little locket brooch it carried, it was of black en amel, with a tiny laurel-wreath of pearls on one side encircling a single diamond. The other side was of crys tal and covoged a baby's russet col ored curl. In her fingers It opened and disclosed a miniature at which she looked closely for a moment. Her eyes turned restlessly about the room. It had been hers as a girl, for Rosewood had been the old Garland homestead. It seemed now all at once to be full of calling memories of her youth. • • • •• • • • "How strange that It should have been today!" It had been on Shirley's lips to question, but the door had closed, and she went slowly down stairs. She sat a while thinking, but at length grew restless and began to walk to and fro across the floor, her hands clasped behind her head so th?u the cool air filled her flowing sleeves. In the hall she could hoar the leisure ly kon-kon—kon-kon of the tall clock. The evening outside was exquisitely still and the metallic monotone was threaded with the airy fiddle-fiddle of crickets in the grass and punctuated with the rain-glad cloap of a frog. Shirley stepped lightly down to the wet grass % she could see her mother's lighted blind. All around the ground was splotched with rose-petals, looking in the squares of light like bloody rain. She skimmed the lawn and ran a little way down the lane. A shuffling sound presently fell on her ear, "Is that you, Unc' Jefferson?" she called softly. , * "Yas'm!" The footsteps came near er. "Et's me. Miss Shirley." He tit tered noiselessly, and she could see his bent form vibrating In the gloom. "Yo' reck'n Ah done fergltf "No, indeed. I knew you wouldn't do that. How is he?" "He right much bettah," he replied In the same guarded tone. "Doctah he say he be all right in er few days, on'y he gotter lay up er while. Dat was er ugly nip he got Tom dat 'spls able reptyle." "Do you think there can be any others about the grounds?" "No'm Dey mos'ly keeps ter de ma'sh-lan' en on'y runs whah de un dah bresh ez thick. I gwineter fix dat ter-morrow. Mars' Valiant he tell me ter grub et all out en make er bon flah ob it." "That's right. Unc' Jefferson. Good night, and thank you for coming." She started back to the house, when his voice stopped her. "Mis'- Shirley, yo' don' keer ef de ole man geddahs two er three ob dem roses ? Beems lak * young mars' moughty fon' ob dem. He got one In er glass buret's mos' daid now." "Wait a minute," she said, and dis appeared in the darkness, returning quickly with a handful which she put in hi* grasp "There!" she whispered, and slipped back through the perfumed dark. An hour later she stood tn the cozy stillness of her bedroom. She threw off her gown, slipped Into a soft loose robe of maize-colored silk and stood before the small glass She pulled out the amber pins and drew her wonderful hair on either side of her face, looking out at her reflection like a mermaid from between the rip pling waves of a moon-golden sea At last she turned, and seating her self at the desk, took from it a diary She scanned the pages at random, her eyes catching lines here and there. "A good run today. Betty and Judge Chalmers and the Pendleton boys. My fourth brush this season." A frown drew itself across her brows, and she turned the page. "One of the bounds broke .his leg, and ! gave him to Rickey." • • • "Chilly Lusk to dinner today, after swimming the Lor ing Rapid." She bit her lip, turned abruptly to 1 the new page and took up her pen. "This morning a twelve-mile run to Damory Court," she wrote. "This afternoon went for cape jessamines." There she paused. The happenings and sensations of that dar would not be recorded The* w«i* unwritable THE ENTERPRISE, WILLIAMSTON, NORTH CAROLINA. She laid down her pen and put her forehead on her clasped hands. How empty and Inane these entries seemed beside this rich and eventful twenty four hours Just passed! What bad she been doing a year ago today? she wondered. The lower drawer of the desk held a number of slim diaries like the one before her. She pulled It out, took up the last-year's volume and opened it "Why," she said in surprise, "1 got Jessamine for mother this very same day last year!" she pomlerefl frown ing, then reached for a third and a fourth. From these she looked up, startled, v That date tn h«r mother's calendar called for cape Jessamines. What was the fourteenth of May to her? She bent a slow troubled gaze about her. The room had been hers as a child. She seemed suddenly back In that childhood, with her mother bend ing over her pillow and fondling her rebellious hair. When the wind cried for loaaitnesß out in the dark she had "I'm Tempttd to Stay Sick and Do Nothing but Eat." sung old Bongs to her. Sad songs! Even In tho»e pinafore years Shirley had vaguely realized that pain lay be hind the brave gay mask. Was there something some event that had caused that dull-colored life and un fulfilment'' And was today, perhaps, Its luuuvorury? • *«••••* Jofeß Valiant sat propped up on the library couch, an open magazliie un heeded on his knee. TJie reading stand fcaaide him was a Utter df let ters r**d papers. The bow-window was open and, the honeysuckle breeze blew about him, lifting his hair and ruffling the leaves of the papers. In the garden three darkles were labor ing, under the supervision of Uncle Jefferßon. The unsightly weeds and lichen were gone from the graveled paths, and from the fountain pool, whose shaft now spouted a flender spray Bhlvered by the breeze into a million diamonds, which fell back Into the pool with a tlntlnabulant trickle and drip The master of Damory Court closed the magazine with a sigh. "If I could only do It alt at once! J ' he muttered. "It takes such a confounded time Four days they've been working now, and they haven't done much more than clean up." He laughed, and threw the magazine ft the dog who dodged It with Injured alacrity. "After all. Chum," he remarked, "It's been thirty years getting in this condition I guess we're doing pretty well." He Btretched luxuriously. "I'll take a hand at It myself tomorrow I'm as right as rain again now, thanks to Aunt Daph and the doctor, Somt thing of a crusty citizen, the doctor but he's all to the good." A heavy Btep came along the porch and Uncle Jefferson appeared with a tray holding a covered dish with a plate of bUcult and a round Jam-pot "Look here," said John Valiant, "I had my luncheon three hours ago, I'm being stuffed like a milk-fed turkey " The old man smiled widely. "Et's Jeß' er ll'l snack er broth," he said. "Reck'n et'll kinder float eroun" de yuddah things. Dls' yeah pot's dat apple-buttah whut Miss Mattle Sue sen' yo' by Rickey Snyder." Valiant sniffed with satisfaction "I'm getting so confoundedly spoiled," he said, "that I'm temptSd to stay sick and do nothing hut eat. By the way. Uncle Jefferson, where did Rickey come from? Does she belong here?" "No. suh She come fom Hell's Half-Acre." "What's that?" "Dat's dat ornery passle o' folks yondah on de Dome," explained Un cle Jefferson. "Dey's been dah long's Ah kin recommembah—Jes' er ram shackle lot o' shiriess po'-whlte trash whut git erlong anyways 't all.?— "That's Interesting," said 'Valiant. "Sdf Rickey belonged there?" "Yas, suh; nebbah 'd a-conie down heah 'cep'ln' fo' Mis' Shirley. She de one whut fotch de ll'l gal outen dat placemen put hrfh wld Mis' Mattle Sue, three jre&b ergo." A sudden color came into John Va liant's cheeks, "Tell me about it." His voice vibrated eagerly. * "Well, suh," continued Uncle Jeffer son, "dey was one o' dem low-down Hell's-Half-Acrers, name' Oreef Klr,g, what call hese'f de mayah ob d* Dome, en he went on de rampage one day. en took ahtah his wife. She was er po' sickly 'ooman. wld er ll'l gal five yeah ol' by er fust husban'. He done beat huh heap o times befo', but dis time he boun' ter finish huh. Ah reck'n he was too drunk fo' dat, en she got erway en run down heah. Et was wintah time en dah's snow on de groun', Dah's er road f'orn de Dome dat hits de Red Road clost' ter Rose wood —dat ar's de Dandridge place— en she come dah. Reck'n she wus er pitlful-lookln' obstacle. Teahs lak she done put de ll'l gal up In de cabin lor en hid de laddah, en she mos* crazy fo' feah Greef gi' huh. Bhe lef he huntin' fo' de young 'un when she run erway. Dey was on'y Mis' Judith en Mis' Shirley en de gal Em'- line at Rosewood. Well, suh, dey wa*nt no time ter Ben' fo" men. Whut yo' reck'n Mis' Shirley do? She aln' afenhd o' nuffln on dls yerf, en Bhe on'y sebenteen yeah ol' den, too. Bhe don' tell Mis' Judith—no, Buh! - She run out ter de stable en saddle huh boss, en she gallop up dat road ter Hell's Half Acre laker shot outen er shovel." Valiant brought hlB hands together sharply. "Yes, yes," ho Bald. "And then ?" "When she come ter Greef King's cabin, he done foun' de laddah, en one er he foota was on de rung. He had er ax In he han'. De po' ll'l gal waß peepln' down thoo' do cracks o' de flo', en prayln' de bestes' she know how She Bay arterwuhds dat she reck'n de Good Lawd sen' er angel, fo' Mis' Shhley were* all In white she dldn' stop ter change huh close She dldn' say nuffln, Mis' Shirley dldn' She on'y lay huh han' on Greef King's ahm, en he look at huh face, en he drop he ax en go. Den Bhe dumb de laddah en fotch de chile down In huh ahma en take huh on de hoss en come back. Dat de way et happen, suh." "And Rickey waß that little child!" "Yua. suh. she sho' waß. In de mawnln' er posse done ride up t.er Hell's Half-Acre en take Greef King in. De majah he argyfy do caße fo' de State, en when he done git thoo', dey mos' put de tow eroun' King's nek In de co'ot room. He done got six yeah, en et moß' broke de majah's ha'at dat dey couldn' give him no mo'. He wuz cert'n'y er bad alg, dat Greef wus. Dey Bay he done aw'ah he gwineter do up de majah when be git out." Such was the story which Uncls Jefferson told, standing In the door way. When his shuffling step had re treated, Valiant went to the table and picked up a slim tooled volume thst lay there. It waß "Luclle," which he had found In the hall the night of hIH arrival. Ho opened It to a page where, pressed and wrinkled but still retain lug Its bright red pigment, lay what had been a rose. He Btood looking at it abstractedly, his nostrils widening to Its crushed spicy scent, t»ien closed It and sllpj>ed It into bis pocket. CHAPTER XVI. In Devil-John's Dsy. He was still Bitting motionless when there came a knock at the door and It | opened to admit the gruff voice of Doctor Southall. A big form was close | behind him. "Hell tip. I see. I took the liberty I of bringing Major Rristow " The master of Damory Court came j forwardAllmping the least trifle —and | shook hamls. „ "Glad to\know you. Bah," said the NO MORE MARRIAGE RISKS Reformers of Today Certainly Are Throwing All Kinds of Safeguards € Around the Ceremony. Under the microscope of modern criticism marriage seems to be honey combed with false Ideas and tyrannous customs. So wrong Is It that we al most doubt If any of our grandparents could have been happy, and we sigh with relief when we consider that at last modern Intellect is about to de molish the old-fashioned methods and build In their place a scheme of com mon-sense marriage In which no sor row and regret can cloud tiie domestic hearth. • - What a primitive, careless thing marriage has been hitherto Just be cause a man and a woman have been attracted to one another they baj?e rushed blindly Into a lifelong partner ship without any careful forethought or Inquiry. But we see the end of all that non sense. Already the new marriage— the careful, well-considered mating— has arrived. The first medically ex amined wedding has been celebrated in this country- Surely this will give a lead to the world. In future the first consideration will be the medical certificate, and after that the certificate of temperament No man and woman will enter the major. "Allow me to congratulate you; It's not every on® who gets bit ten by one of those Infernal mocea stern that Uvea to talk about It. You must be a pet of you have a cast-Iron constitution. Bah." Valiant waved his band toward the man of medicine, who Bald, "I reckon Mlas Shirley was the Providence In the case. She had sense enough to send for me quick and speed did It." "Well, Bah," the major said. "1 reckon under the circumstances, your first Impressions of the section aren't anything for us to brag about." "I'jn delighted; It's hard for me to tell how much." "Walt till you knpw the fool place," growled the doctor testily. "You'll change your tune." The major smiled genially. "Don't be taken In by the doctor's pessimism. You'd have to get a yoke of three year oxen to drag hlhi out of this state." "it would take as many for me." Valiant laughed a little. "You who have always lived here, can scarcely understand what I am feeling, I Imag ine. You see, I never knew till quite recently—my childhood was largely spent abroad, and I have no near rela tives--that my father was a Virginian and that my ancestors always lived here. Why, there's a room upstalr» with the very toys they played with when they wore children! To learn that 1 belong to It all; that I myself am the last link In such a chain!" "The ancestral instinct," said the doctor. "I'm glad to see that it mean* something still, In these rotten days." "Of course," John Valiant continued, "every one knows that he has ances tors. Hut I'm beginning to see that what you call the ancestral Instinct needs a locality and a place. In a way It seems to me that an old estate like this has a soul too —a sort of clan or family soul that reactß ou the descendant." "Rather a Japanesy Idea, Isn't It?" observed the major. "Hut I know what you mean. Maybe that's why old Virginian famines hang on to their land In spite of hell and high water. They count their forebears real live people, quite capable of turning over In their graves." "Mine are beginning to seeip very real to me. Thongh ""I d6n't even know their Christian names yet, I can judge them by their handiwork. -Th» men who built Damory Court had a sense of beauty and of art." "And their share of deviltry, too," put In the doctor. "I suppose so," admitted his host "At thin distance I inn bear even that Hut Rood or bad, I'm deoply thankful that they chose Virginia. Since I've been laid up, I've been browsing In th« library here—" "A bit out of date now, I reckon." said the major, "but It used to pass muster. Your grandfather was home thing of a book worm. He wrote a history of the family, didn't ho?" "Yes, I've found it. 'The Valiants of Virginia.' I'm reading the Revolu tionary chapters now. It never seemed real before—it's been onl>»ta slice of impersonal and rather dull history. But the book has made it coma allfe. I'm having tho thrill of the globe trotter tho first time ho sees the Tow. er of London or the field of Waterloo. I sje more than that wtubble-flelc out yonder; I see a big wooden stockade with soldiers In ragged buff and blue guarding It." (TO OK rONTTNITRO > state of matrimony without the con sent of learned psychologist* to testify to their suitability to one another. And then the financial certicate, the considered judgment of economic specialists to ways and means. However physically sound and temper amentally suitable the man and wom an may be, the new marriage will in sist that their Income be sufficient to a life of comfort according "to their normal standards. Our marriaga reformers are going to allow us to take no risks.—New York Telegram. Doing (Their Best. Little Maggie had not been to the country before, and, getttng lonesome, she was told she might go to the barn and look for eggs. Presently she re turned without any. "Couldn't you find any eggs, dear?" asked her mother. "No. The hens were scratching all around as hard as they could, but they hadn't- found a single egg," was th« doleful reply. —— A Misinterpretation. Miss Elderlelgh—-So you remarked to Katherine that I looked as old at the hills. Now, don't deny It; I hearJ y°u- . '. Jack Spott—Oh-er-but you mlsunder* stand. I was merely comparing youf age with that of the Httl young ladle* I am acquainted with—twins, jroq know. TAKE SALTS TO FLUSH KIDNEYS IF &ACK HURTS Bays Too Much Meat Forms Uric Acid Which Cloga the Kidneys and Irritate* the Bladder. * Moat folks forget that tha kidney*, like the bowela, get sluggish and clog* ged and Deed a flushing occasionally, else we have backache and dull misery In the kidney region, severe head aches, rheumatic twinges, torpid liver, acid atomach, sleeplessness and all sorts of bladder disorders. You simply must keep your kldneya active and clean, and the moment you feel an ache or pain In the kidney region, get about four ounces of Jad Baits from any good drug store here, take a tablespoonful in a glass of water before breakfast for a few days and your kidneys will then act fine. This famous salts 1B made from the acid of grapes and lemon Juice, com bined with llthla, and is harmless to flush clogged kidneys and stimulate them to normal activity. It also neu tralizes the acids in the urine So It no longer irritates, thus ending blad der disorders. Jad Salts Is harmless; Inexpensive; makos a delightful effervescent lithta water drink which everybody should 1 take now and then to keep .their kid l neys clean, thus avoiding serious com j plications. A well-known local druggist says he i sells lots of Jad Salts to folks who be j lleve In overcoming kidney trouble ! while It Is only trouble. —Adv. Reformer Rebuffed. The nervous lady wan calling on the calm and collected mother of six. "Do look at the baby!" shrieked j the caller. "What'B the matter with the baby?" ' smiled the mother. "iie'B playing with a big carving „ knife!" "I see he is. Hut don't you worry. > U'B an old carving knife, and even If j he did dull it a little, we have a lovely machine in the kitchen that will j sharpen It again a Jiffy. You were ■ saying?" FACE COVERED WITH PIMPLES 214 Brevard St., Tampa, Fla.—■ "Some three years ago 1 commenced j to suffer from a rash on my face and j back. Before the pimples came on my j face there were a lot cf blackheads. It I looked as if the blackheads turned | Into pimples because after a little t while all of them were gone and my | face was covered with pimples. They j were small at first but gradually ! grew and right at the end of each I pimple it was all white. I carelessly ! picked them with my flager nails, i which made them spread, and I soon discovered them on my back. My ! back was covered with pimples and |my face the same way. At night I J could hardly sleep on account of the | burning and itching sensation they caused. I did not like to go out be cause the pimples caused disfigure ment, » "Seeing the advertisement of Cuti cura Soap and Ointment In one of the magazines I sent for a sample. I bought some Cutlcura Soap and Oint i ment, and I am glad to be able to say that I am entirely cured of 1 pim ples." (Signed) Jno. O. Darlington, Jan. 25, 1913. Cutlcura Soap* and Ointment sold throughout the world Sample of each L free,with 32-p. Skin Hook Address post card "Cutlcura, Dept. L, Boston."— Adv. Found a Tintoretto. A municipal councillor, Adrien Mith ouard, is responsible' for the dlsc-ov ery of a masterpiece among the pllei of old canvases put aside as almost J valueless in the municipal storeroom! 'at Auteull. I'arls. Ills curiosity wai J aroused by the aspect of one of th« canvases, which was so black thai ! practically nothing was visible, auc I ordering the picture scrubbed, at I "Adoration of the Magi" by Tintoret I to was disclosed. I ACHY FfIHCI.INfJS. PAIN I!« MMDS and all Malartytm Indications removed by Kll*lr Ilabrk, that well known rem edy for al! sui;h diseases. ' ''X have taken up the three bottles o) i your 'Kll*lr llnhek,' and have not fell I an well and entirely free from pain In , I limbs for five yeJirS."—Mrs. K. HiKKins Jacksonville, Fla. Elixir Unbelt 60 cents, all druKKlata oi I by Parcels Post prepaid from Klocsew j ski & Co.. Washington. D. C. Both Hands. I "Do you. know." .said the weariet | damsel, "that you play a great dea, i like Josef llofuiaun?" j "Really' Aren't you Joking?" salt i the sad specimen. "Not at all You. both use youi 1 hands." —Dartmouth Jack o' Lantern ! . -J3 RUB-MY-TISM j Will cure vour 'Rheumatism and al | liinds of aches and pains—Neuralgia I Cramps, Colic, Sprains, Bruises, Cuta | Old Sores, Burns, etc. AntlaeptU ! Anodyne. Price 25c.—Adv. Her Experience. Ethel —Man proposes—• Marie —Yes, but he needs encourage ment. ' - Important to Mothera Examine carefully every bottle o CASTORIA, a safe and sure remedy to Infants and children, and see that 1 Slgnature'of In Use For Over 30 Years. Children Cry for Fletcher's Cutorii Probably Will "Another Chicago woman has mui dered her husband for treating be brutally." "That ought to be a lesson to him.' The setting hen may be a loafer, bo ahe delivers the goods.