Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1876-03-18
THE DISINHERIIED SON.

He has made his own bed," said
Major Martindale, ''and he must lie on
it"
Major Martindale folded up a GER
tain obnoxious letter, as he made this
mental remark, and, laying it on little
gilded letter-rack beside him, in COM
pany with tailor's bill, ticket to
some forthcoming amateur concert,
and printed circular concerning in
surance policies, went deliberately y on
with his breakfast.
man, slightly bald, with bright brown
eyes, straight Roman features, and
one of those, firmly nodded mouths
betoken a decided tendency to have
ones own way. And as he drank his
coffee, and daintily manipulated his
French rolls, broiled birds, and fresh
strawberries, served in a garniture of
their own leaves, he unused over the
contents of this same letter.
Its a great mistake to allow serv-
ant to bring in ones correspondence at
meal-times, reflected Major Martin
dale. Its almost certain to interfere
with ones digestion. I'll never read
another letter at breakfast-time. What
could possess my son 20 go and get
married in this abrupt, nonsensical
sort of way? Says he feared it would
be impossible to gain my consent.
Well, he had good reason for his fears.
He'll find it still more impossible after
marriage than before. He knows my
ideas, and if he don't choose to con-
form to EN-, it S his business, not mine. "
And so, after finishing his strawber-
ries, and daintily cleansing his filbert-
nailed fingers in ruby-colored finger
bowl, Major Martindale wrote three
words on thick gray sheet of note-pa
per, inclosed it in an envelope, affixed
a stamp, and gave it to the servant to
post. And the three words were these
= Consider yourself diSinherited. ="
That was the way in which Major
Martindale disposed of his only son.
Not that he did not love Harry-the
bright, frank boy, who was all that was
left of his young wife, the one roman
tic dream and tender memory of his
life-time-but he liked his own way
better. And it is surprising how OBJ
stinate man can be when he once
turns his attention to the business.
Disinherited o, Harry And
for me j"
Mrs. Harry Martindale, a pretty,
blue-eyed woman, with light hair that
showered itself around her face like
sunshine, little dots of dimples in her
cheek and chin, and a round, fresh
mouth like baby's, looked piteously
up into her husbands face as she
spoke.
Harry Martindale shrugged his
shoulders; the momentary cloud passed
away from his face, as he answered,
brayely:
Never mind, Ariel. We can afford,
you and I, to be independent ofa crus-
ty old gentleman's money. I'll see
about that clerkship in st. Louis"
Half the world away from me,
Harry"
1T won't be for long, pet. Cheer
up I'll send for you when I've got well
established, and we'll have little
bird 's-nest of a home, without asking
any favors of my father"
Ariel smiled through the dew-drops
that sparkled in her eyes. She was
easily consoled. A girls heart at
eighteen is blessedly elastic.
Major Martindale elected to go to
Atlantic City for the hot weeks that
season. Why, he did not especially
particularize to himself. Saratoga was
dull; at Newport one was half mile
away from the beach; Long Branch had
palled upon his fastidious taste. So to
Atlantic City he went, rather enjoying
the very perceptible nets and snares
spread for him by the various widows,
old maids, and gushing damsels who
we're there engaged in the great hus-
band hunting campaign.
Il wonder if they think am fool, "
said the Major, as he strolled on the
beach with a cigar in his mouth.
But one day the Major found himself
forced to give up picnic on account
of strange and unusual feeling of
lassitude and languor, and the next he
was in bed
This looks serious" said the Major
to himself. I've heard of a low fever
hanging about, but never thought of
it's attacking me p
The doctor came, twirled his watch
chain, wrote prodigious Latin pres
cription, and shook his head.
People made haste to vacate the
rooms in the immediate vicinage of
No. 80, and the Major began dimly to
comprehend, through a mist that was
slowly gathering around his brain, that
it was likely to go hard with him.
II will stay and nurse him, doctor.
| have had the fever, a year or two
since, and do not fear it, and am
handy with such people"
But, my dear, you We no idea what
you are undertaking"
Yes, l have" answered the soft,
low tones; and we must not let him
die for want of proper care"
rs your aunt willing?"
Quite So"
"Then you may try; but, take my
word for it, you'll back down at the
end of the first week"
Major Martindale heard these words
suppose as it we're, out Of the clouds,
as he might have heard the thunder of
the waves on the beach outside, or the
ringing of the church bells, without at
all connecting them with himself.
Strange what world of dreams and
shadows his soul and brain had entered
into.
But one day he came back out of the
darkness and the immensity and the
restless whirling to and fro of the
waves of life, weak and white, and
helpless as a baby.
And there, sewing by the window,
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