The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1877-09-19
CHAPTER III.

CHAPTER III.
The fire roared aud cracked cheerily
in the private roo1a at the bank, but
neither OF the partners had arrived.
"I never knew him SO late," re-
marked Tom Leslie, as if finishing aloud
a puzzling conjecture.
"Who?" Old Dart ?"
"Mr. Dart-yes."
"Lesie feels it incumbent upon him
to uphold the dignity of his partners, y
put in another clerk. His breast
swells proudly with fellow-feeling."
"What an idle set you are this morn
ing!" remarked Tom, turning from his
desk with O quick, kindly smile which
made his face so pleasant to look upon.
GAS soon as I senior partner I shall
give you all sweeping dismissal.
The listeners laughed, enjoying the
absufdity of the idea; and one or two
questioned him, with mock anxiety, as
to the treat he intended to stand them
on the occasion.
Through all the laughter Tom pursued
his work, and Dart noticed this when he
entered the bank, and though it was but
very CURLY he answered Toms quiet
greeting, yet before he reached the inner
door he turned and spoke to him.
"Cool outside, Leslie. Keep up good
fires." eft is hard" he muttered to
himself, "to pass him without word. !"
Then Mr.. Dart let the spring door
close behind him, and, sitting down in
his Office chair, leaned on one arm only
-as very calm men do when they are i'll
at ease, rs we'll as tired.
He was sitting so, looking moodily
down into the fire, when Mr.. Maitland
entered the room. The senior partner
did not turn to greet him, and even
when Walter stood upon the rug beside
him he did not venture to meet his eyes.
Maurice" began the younger man,
"Isuppose T may congratulate you. It
is rather hard, yet no one ought to do
it so heartily as II, who know what q
good fellow you are and what-what
wife you have won."
A glance of surprise into his friends
face. and then Mr.. Dart spoke in few
words, as was his custom
"She has refused me, Maitland. l."
Refused you p
Walter repeated the words, though
not incredulously. Only truth, he
knew, could have weighted them so
sadly.
"She has refused me, too," he said.
"She has never cared for me but as O
friend simply and only as friend"
"In few kind words to me-" said
Mr.. Dart, without looking up, "she
told me she had given her love else
where. I was trying, when you came in,
to prepare myself to tell you, 'Irejoice
in your happiness, Maitland and now
you-you come and say the same to me-"
Buried in one long, sad thought, the
partners in the good old firm sat in their
silent room, while the work and pleasure
of the world went on without. But the
days duties had to be gone through, and
these were not the men to shun them
selfshly.
"I suppose we had better settle with
Leslie about his holiday" remarked Mr..
Maitland that afternoon, sending to sum-
mon Tom to the partners room. "He
will lose every glimpse of summer if he
waits longer"
"He should not have postponed his
holiday; he had his choice. Well, Leslie,
when do you wish to start?" inquired
the senior partner, when Tom entered
the room.
"You said about the middle of Octo-
Der, and this is the twentieth"
"Thank you, MIR. Dart, but if it
| would make no difference, I would
rather take my holiday from the twenty
ninth"
"Then it is to be hoped you are
going on visit" remarked Walter
Maitland, pleasantly; "for November
days are not the pleasantest for a
| tourist"
"I am not going on tour, sir" Tom
hesitated only moment; then both of
his listeners were conscious of new
earnestness in his, voice:
"I should like to tell you, gentlemen,
why want my holiday then. The twenty
ninth is to be my wedding-day."
Mr.. Dart returned quietly to his
writing. Mr. Maitland arose from his
seat and moved to the fire, turning his
back to Tom. Before the eyes of both
the partners there hovered face which
had led them, too, to dream of possible
neutrality-suspicious. from which they
had 80 lately been awakened.
It would be hard, with these memories
rising back, to talk to their favorite clerk
of his good fortune; yet it was not in
Walter Maitland's nature to let any sell
fish feeling prevent him.
"Indeed, Leslie" he said, II am
surprised; but very glad, of course, to
hear it. Iprognosticate every happiness
for your wife. Of course I cannot do so
for you until I know who she is."
"You know her we'll, gentlemen" said
Tom, flushing. "Her father, Colonel
Conyngham, is my mothers cousin. We
have rarely visited them, except when
they we're alone, because-at my moth
er's cottage, of course-we could not
entertain their guests. We have always
been-as old friends and relatives should
be; and I have always loved Isabel.
But it was necessary for us to wait lit
tie. Though it would be difficult for you
to realize the fact, gentlemen, marriage
is an expensive debt -
"You can go, Leslie, remarked Mr..
Dart, without raising his head.
And the holiday, sir ?"
"Take your holiday when you choose;
only don't make such fuss about it.
"And is there nothing more you in.
tended to say to me, Mr.. Maitland ?" in
quired Tom.
"I should say" remarked Walter,
with jealous anger in his eyes, |" it is
an irreparable mistake you are making
to marry on your own income, unless
you had chosen wife in your own po-
sition and used to such life as your
mothers"
"My mothers life was such life as
Isabel's, at Isabel's age" said Tom, and
for a moment his face was really hand
some in it's flush of honest pride; "and
Isabel has known what my mothers life
is for many year past. Would I marry
her under any false pretenses?''