The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1875-09-18
A Confidence Family.-Iast Spring

the DeBOwenS' house on the corner Of Main
and Bridge streets in this town, for the sea,
son or for a year. The house had been
lately remodrlcd and finished inside and
out at considerable expense, and is one OF
the most commodious and handsome houses
in Elkton. The house was rented ready
furnished, Mr.. DeBowens and family hav-
ing sailed Tor Europe, leaving every thing
in the way of furniture in the house. The
Burton family was composed of several
members, there being, in addition to the
parental heads of the family, several chill
dren mostly grown up. A more attractive,
finely cultivated, and in every way agreea-
Bile society family, it were impossible to
meet with any where. The mother and
daughters were just charming, and Miss
Clara was pretty, INTERPRETATION in the
parlor or drawing room, and was "quite
the rage" with the gentlemen.
The parental head of the family is a bridge
( contractor, etc, etc, and has an Office in
Philadelphia. He was not seen often in
! Elkton. Everybody was willing to trust
|
on them, and bid them welcome. Among
the furniture left by DeBowens, were a pair
of horses and a very handsome double car
riage. The carriage they had taken the
precaution to take apart and store away in
the carriage-Louse, with the injunction to
| the new tenants that it was not for USE
But the Burton folks could not see the sense
/ of nice carriage and pair of horses remain
! ing unused when smooth roads and pleas
ant weather invited them to drive, and soon
the carriage was put together, colored
driver engaged at handsome wages, and no
| finer turnout was seen in Elkton than the
! Burtons exhibited. One of the Mr.. Bacons,
a step son of Mr.. DeBowens, had a very
handsome saddle which he had won at a
| tournament, and which he priced very
highly on that account. This piece of horse
furniture was packed up and put away in
the attic, where it was intended to remain
| till the owner returned from Europe. This
was soon unpacked and placed on the back
of one of the horses, and the handsome
brother with one of his sisters, enjoyed de-
lightful horse back rides through the streets
| in the Summer evenings.
Every thing progressed lovely for while,
and would have kept on so, had it not been
for the mercenary habit of trades people,
which so interfcres with society enjoy
ments. Credit was asked and readily OBJ
tanned for Thirty days. All, thirty halcyon
days were these to the strangers. They
lived on the best, dressed in style, and
drove out in state, almost. The colored
driver complained he could get no money,
and he gave up his " stuation," which had
been the envy of all his associates. The
butchers-for there were several of them
sent in their bills and got fair promises for
pay. The grocers, the dry goods men, and
all the the shop keeping race, hastened up
with their little bills, and were gracefully
waved away with bright smile, few
pleasant words and fair promises that all
would be satisfied in few days-some lit
tie disappointment had occurred which the
Madam, who was the visible head of the
establishment, regretted exceedingly, but
all would be well soon. After this diplo
macy played out-for promises depreciate
very fast, like paper money without gold
| basis-further credit was refused by the
most hard hearted shop men, but all those
who had a soft place in their hearts were
| found out, and squeezed still harder. The
mercenary traders now did not fly to meet
the new family with that eager pleasure
displayed at first. The grocer did not send
out the clerk with q scoop full of fine sugar
| to the carriage for inspection or send SAM
pies of dry goods by the boy to the big
house. The perfume men did not dash
| out with bottle of Luben's extract in
each hand, to meet the young ladies, who
sat- radiant with smiles in their carriage,
and condescended to receive the delicate
perfumery without the trouble of alighting.
One good-natured butcher, who supplies
customers from the wagon, called with his
bill when things began to grow desperate,
aud was so bewldered by sweet smiles,
profuse promises and tlattering compli-
ments of the quality of his beef, that he
cut off the finest roast in his wagon and
left it in place of his bill. He never re-
turned, for fear he might be SO bewitched
as to leave wagon and all the next time.
Young Bacon went to demonstrate about
using the family carriage and his brother S
saddle, but was beseged with smiles and
so caressed by all the arts of beauty that
! his head was turned and he beat a retreat,
leaving the strangers masters of the field.
In the meantime the rent, month after
month, was falling due, and was paid by
generous promises in place of greenbacks.
The family had but tritling amount of
goods of their own, and were compare
| lively safe from the terror of landlords
warrant
| But the climax came at last. The trades
people grew hot and made things warm for
the genteel strangers. The sheriff and
constable both waited on them with war
rants, and seized all the goods about the
place. The agent of Mr.. DeBowens sternly
nterfered at last and sent the horses away,
which brought carriage riding to dismal
end. The folks who were so tlattered and
caressed in the Spring were denounced as
confidence people in the Fall. They began
to try to get away by ones and twos, but
could not get credit for railroad tickets
from the agent, and had not the ready to
pay down.
Several heavy trunks were sent to the
cars for shipment, by night trains and by
some master strokes of .fnesse most of them
were shipped, some of them containing, it
was supposed, silver-ware and other valua-
bles. Joseph Wells, who was incensed
| beyond endurance at having been victim
lied, made the last raid on the premises
! armed with a foreign attachment, and sue
ceeded in dragging from their places of
concealment in the cellar and other dark
spots, several boxes and trunks filled with
dry goods, some of which had passed from
the shelves of some of our obliging mer-
chants into the private Golfers of this gentle
| family; besides a large amount of fine