Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-10-19

Polly blushed, ana looked half.lrlgnteneo,
toward that corner of the room where the big
bureau cast its shadow.
"Why, there's nobody can hear"
"Yes, father, the children might; and chill
dren sometimes make lot of mischief" ob-
served that little wiseacre, Polly. Then, with
desperate intention of changing the subject,
she said: "You must have great-coat, this
winter, or you are sure to have the rheumat.
les, as you had 'em last year. Oh! saw q
beauty in the Horseferry road, to.night-so
thick, with nice, warm lining inside, and the
price only eighteen shillings. Secondhand,
of course, but almost as good as new."
"Oh! / think / can do without it, this year.
Let's save the eighteen shillings, and send it
to Mr.. Baker, junior"
mo, shan't allow anything of the sort.
I'm just as anxious as you are to pay our
debts, but I'd rather work my fingers to the
bones than that you should suffer another year
as you did last"
"And I, too," added strong, manly voice,
which seemed to issue from Mr.. Webb's sleep;
ing place. .....
Polly gave shrek, then burst into ring
ing laugh that seemed to fll the room with
joyous harmony, like the sound Of bells upon
frosty night and Abel, turning suddenly in
his chair, saw the burly form of Tom Smith
emerge from the dusky corner.
"Hallo, Tom p shouted Abel, $50 you've
been listening. Well, luckily, you amt heard
no secrets suppose you are one of those
children that makes mischief, as Polly says"
This retaliation upon his daughter struck
Webb as such An extraordinary masterpiece
of witticism, that he fairly roared with laugh.
ter. By and by, Tom Smith roared, too and
when he had had his laugh out, finding that
Abel's attention was still engrossed by the
wondrous joke, seized the opportunity to throw
his arms around Polly's waist, at. which the
damsel, who did not like being laughed at,
told the devoted lover to "a.done, and not be
so silly"
"Well, what brings you here ?" inquired
Abel, whose laugh had now subsided into a
giggle, and winking at his young friend.
"Why, father, he saw me home, and brought
the cucumbsr. for present"
,-,. snMy- - S1tSatss .beautgl- Im-- -sarsA
to you, Tom, for there's nothing I like better.
Some people says cowcumbers amt good, that
you ought to peel 'em nicely, and then fling
'em out of the window but taken with little
of tberind on, bit ofingun, and lots Of pepper,
I don't think there's much harm in 'em-
leastways they don't harm me-" And appa.
rently cucumbers were thoroughly inocuous to
Mr.. Webb, who speedily drew his chair up to
the table, and began to ply his knife and fork
with will.
Mr.. Tom Smith considerably waited until
his old friend had completed his repast, and
then explained the object of his visit.
"You know, Mr.. Webb, Polly and have
been courting long time, nigh upon eighteen
months, and we're beginning to think-that
is, I'm beginning to think" (this alteration in
response to protest from Polly)-"it's time
we got married. I don't like to see her wear
ing her young life out in our hot work.rooms.
My salary, as you know, is at present ESQ
year, and I live on the premises. Now l
think if were to tell Loustring the facts of
the case, and that wanted to live away, he'd
give me e1SO. Now amt that enough to get
married on, and have you any objection to
Polly and being married at once?"
Here Tom Smith paused, not because he
had exhausted his subject, but for the reason
that he was out of breath. Then Polly took
up the parable Sliding her stool to her faith
er's side and resting her head upon his knee,
she said, tremblingIy:-
"Don't think, daddy, dear, that my being
married will make any difference to you and
me, for you are to come and live with US; eh,
Tom ?"
Mr.. Smith, thus appealed to, vowed that
his father.in. laws residence with them was
considered quite a settled matter, as in truth
it was. A tear stood in old Abels eye, and
his voice quivered with emotion as, laying
aside his pipe, and taking his daughters hand
lovingly within his own, he said -
"Tom Smith, I know you TO be true and
honest fellow. There isno man upon the face
of this earth 1 would more desire to call my
son-in-law; but before give my consent to
your marriage, I must tell you Of something
that may perhaps cause you to draw back"
Tom was about to speak, when Abel, in
trembling accents, resumed
eff you'd both been content to wait few
years, itmight never have been known to either
of you. I was still young man when en-
tered Baker & Bakers warehouse; you, Polly,
were three years old, but your brother Sam,
was eleven or more. He used sometimes to
bring me my meals to the drug warehouse,
and once or twice Mr.. Bsker-the old man [
am speaking of now-took notice of him.
AS was bit of favorite, he used to say to
me: Now, Abel, when that boys old enoug
I'll take him into the counting house, if you
like If I would like? I treasured those
words, and your mother and myself did all we
could in the way of sending him to school and
such like, so as he should be fit when Mr.. Baker
him wanted. Oh how We loved that boy !
how proudly we watched him grow up, and
what hopes we formed of him! Sam seemed
steady, industrious lad enough, and for a
time he certainly gave great satisfaction in
the eounting.house He was then seventeen,
and as handsome fellow as you might wish
to see, though I'm his father as says it. He
was general favorite in the Office, and at
last got trusted to collect some of the debts
due the firm. About this time there came
sudden change in bis habits and appearance,
which alarmed me and his mother very much.
He got to keeping late hours, made some bad
acquaintance and began to dress extrava-
gantly. It was no use our cautioning him,
for he seemed determined to 60 on his own
course. But all the sorrow and disappoint-
ment we felt was as nothing to the fearful
blow that almost stunned US when, on chance
examination of the books, it was found Sam
had embezzled his employers money to hun.
dred and fifty pounds. From the moment Of
that terrible discovery your mother drooped
and dropped until she died. What he had
done with the money he would never tell but
the head cashier, Mr.. Robert Wilmot, he who
went soon after to Australia, declared that