The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1870-09-29
HoYT g. CO., Proprietors.
Selected Story.
Che Blue River Bank Robbery.
CHAPTER I.

cit is not of the least use to argue the ques.
tion, father. Tell me plainly, yes or no, and
will bother you no more about it."
'I cannot indulge you in this, Harry. In
deed, you should believe me when say we
cannot afford it."
Mr.. Houghton leaned his head heavily on
his hands as he spoke, and seemed to depre-
cate the displeasure of his handsome, impa-
tient son.
s every we'll, sir" said the youth of nineteen,
his hands quivering as he rose with the anger
he seemed striving to keep out of his words
and tones II hope you will never be sorry
for the triAe you have refused me tonight. l
shall make the trip to Lake George next week,
nevertheless, if / have to sell my grandfathers
watch and chain to get the money"
A half-groan came from the hidden face OF
Foster Houghton, and reproachful 20, Hat-
ryp' from his mother, whose eyes had been
filling with tears as she sat silent through the
stormy interview. But the boy was angry,
and in earnest, and he twisted the chain IN his
waistcoat to give emphasis to the threat. Then
as he took his cloak and cap from the closet he
continued:
"You need not sit up for me, or leave the
door unlocked; am going to Tinborough with
the fellows of the strawberry party, and as
there will be a dance, and as the nights are
short, I shall wait for daylight to come home,
if / do not stop and catch nap at the Valley
House, before starting"
"Who is going from Elmfeld?' inquired the
father, more from desire to show an interest
and win the boy from his moodiness than any
real curiosity.
ssNearly everybody of my set" said Harry,
with something of studied coldness: Arthur
Brooks and Tom Boxham and Frank Petten-
gin-and Harrison Fry, if you want the whole
list"
His father turned sharply away, but the
mother spoke appealingly: -,
eff you would cut off your intimacy with
Harrison Fry, now and forever, l think there
are very few things your father would refuse
YOU. | have seen his evil influence over you
ever since he came back from the city. He
was bad boy, and will be a bad man."
'Like myself and other wicked people"
said the boy, looking at his watch, "Harry Fry
is not half so black rs he Is painted. But
nm not as intimate with him as you fancy !;
and as to father, 1 don't think his treatment OF
me to- night gives him clue to interfere with
any friendships"
Henry Houghton shot his shaft deliberate
", for he knew his fathers sensitive nature
in which it would rankle cruelty; and in
moment he was of, bounding through the low,
open window, and running with fleet steps
down the gravel sidewalk toward the common.
The family circle thus divided was that OF
the cashier of the Blue River National Bank,
of Elmfcld. Foster Houghton was q man past
middle age, and older than his years inappear-
ance and in heart. He had petted his only
son in his childhood enough to spoil most boys,
and now made the balance even by repressing
the exubcrance of his youth with sharpness
sometimes no more than just, sometimes qucru-
lous and unreasonable. The boys grandfather,
II d. 1iodo u hotOrp
ninety and over, had almost worshipped Har-
ry, and on his death-bed, had presented his
own superb Frodsham watch to the lad !; and
both father and mother knew he must be deep
ly moved to speak so lightly at parting with it.
81 fear Harry is getting in very bad way"
said Mr.. Houghton, gloomily, after pause in
which the sharper click of his wifes needles
told that her thoughts were busy. "He- goes
to the other church too often to begin with
smokes, after I have repeatedly told him how
the habit hurt me in my boyhood, and what
fight I had to break it off He is altogether
too much in Harrison Frys company. de has
been twice before to Tinborough, driving
home across the. country in the. gray, OF the
morning. And this project of going alone to
Lake George on a weeks trip is positively
ridiculous"
every likely you are the best judge, my
DEAR said Mrs Houghtpn. She always began
in that way when she meant to prove him 9TH
crwise. 81 fully agree with you about that
reckless young Fry. But as to Harrys going to
the brown church, and his visits to Tinborough,
I think the same cause is at the bottom of both.
Grace Chamberlin has been singing in the
choir over there this Spring, and now she is
visiting her aunt at Tinborough. And as to
that, she is going with her aunts family to
Lake George, to spend July, and suppose
they have expressed wish to meet him there:
Grace Chamberlin is very pretty girl; and
Harry is like what you were at his age"
"Bless my soul, Mary" said the cashier,
"then, why didn't the boy tell me what he was
driving at? Chasing across the country after
a pretty face is foolish enough, at his age, but
It is not so bad as going to a watering place
merely for the fashion of it, like some rich, old
nabob or professional dandy. If Harry had
told me he wanted to dangle after Grace Cham
berlin, instead of talking in that desperate
way about the watch, l might have thought
differently. There is charm ON the chaln
with my mothers hair, that | wouldn't have go
out of the family for a fortune"
Just then the door-bell rang, as if power
full, nervous hand was at the knob. MI
Houghton answered the ring, for their one do
mestic had been called away by message from
n sick sister, and the mistress of the house was
"getting along alone for a day. So when her
quick ear told her the visitor was one to see her
husband on business, she Quilted the room to
set away the milk and lock up the reardoors OF
the house for the night
The caller was Mr. Silas Bixby. He would
have been a sharp man in Elmfeld estimation
who could predict the object of one Of Silas
Bixbys calls, though there were few doors in
the village at which his face was not frequent
" seen. He was the constable, but he was
also the superintendent of the Sunday School,
and the assessor of internal revenue in the dis
trict, to say nothing of his being the agent of
two or three sewing machine firms, and one
life insurance company, and the correspondent
of the Tinborough Trumpet. He owned farm
and managed it at odd hours. He gave some