The Valiants of Virginia

ssion. Being trammeled by the limitations of a canine horizon, he could not understand the whims of Adorable Ones met by the way, who seemed so glad t

ondign punishment and was puzzledly wretched. So it was a chastened and shamed Chum who at length wriggled st

tion. A thorn had pricked his thumb. He looked down and saw the draggled flower thrust thr

elight. Perhaps the thing had not been intended as a disgrace after all! As the careful hand

f a gown. He grinned appreciatively. "And I warned her," he chuckled. "Told her not to be afraid!" He dusted the blossom painst

ped their fingers into indigo. On the far amethystine peaks of the Blue Ridge leaned milky-breasted clouds through which the sun sifted in wide bars. A

ins. It was drawn by a lean mustard-tinted mule, and on its front seat sat a colored man of uncertain age, whose hunched vertebr? an

" he said,-"ev

eturned the o

achine-thing dar. Spec' er graveyahd rabbit done cr

aliant cheerfully, "bu

f leather. "Huyh! Huyh! Dat's so, suh. Dat's so! Hm-m. Reck'n Ah'll be gittin

nt. "I thought you were bou

'case Miss Shirley done met me, en she say, 'Unc' Jeffe'son, yo' g

you, did she? What did yo

Miss Shirley done said f' me ter come en git d

give me a lift? I've go

g. Miss Shirley she mou

known it. It was nice of her to send you here, Uncle

ineter," answered Unc

g to Damo

's face, like oil over a pool. "Dam'ry Co'ot! Dat's de old Valiant place. Ain

it," said Valiant gravely. "Henceforth some

n de tail, et's erbout two mile. Ain' g

resent," was th

ting under his breath, "Fo' de Lawd! Whut folks gwineter say ter dat!" h

, with the portmanteau in his han

Ah gen'ly chahges er quahtah er trunk f'om de deepo'

e'll make it a dollar. What make

"Ah knows et," he said ingenuously, "but Ah don' know why. Ah'll jes' twis' er rope eroun' yo' trunk. Whut yo' gwineter do wid dat-ar?" h

ark soared somewhere in the overarching blue, dropping golden notes; dusty bumble-bees boomed hither and thither; genial crickets

o' gwineter fix it up fo' de new owna

ace hasn't been occupied for many years," he obs

me heah f'om ol' Post-Oak Plantation. Reck'n Majah Bristow he know erbout it, er Mis' Judith-d

culture, of arrogant heritage. In some subtle way it seemed to clothe t

in sing!" he said. "Queeh dat folkses cyan' do dat, dey so moughty much smahtah. Nevah knowed nob

he knows th

y en git right smaht wussur. Et las' seems lak de li'l boy gwine die. When Mis' Shirley heah dat, she try en try till she jes' git dat buhd's song ez pat ez de Lawd's Prayah, en one evenin' she gwine en say ter he mammy ter tell him he mockin'-buhd done come back, en he mammy she bundle him all up in de quilt en o

Jefferson had paused. "Did the c

"Yas, suh!" he said. "He done git well. H

r pow'ful big place. But Ah reck'n ol' Richmon's big ernuf fo' me." He clucked to the leisurely mule and ad

ooking thoughtfully at the blossom in his hand, in an absor

l out 'Adams,' en er gemman whut wah sittin' ercross f'om me, he git up en git off. De kyah start ergen en de nex co'nah dat ar man on de flatfawm he yell out 'Monroe.' En Mistah Monroe, he was sittin' up at de end, en he jump up en git off. Den de kyah took anuddah staht, en bress mah soul, dat ar man on de flatfawm he holl

erie. "En dat ar wa'n't de wust. When Ah got ter de deepo, Ah didn' have mah poc