Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1880-02-12
gu Original Sturg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
THE THREAD OF FATE.
BY VICTOR VERNON.
CHAPTER X.

tion which he occupied to that gentleman and
his wife, His father, Colonel St. Orme, re-
tired officer of the French army, had, at one
time, been under considerable obligations to
Mr.. Stanley, for whom he ever afterward enter
tanned warm friendship, and at his death be-
queathed to him, with the guardianship OF his
son, a portion of his picturesque but not very
valuable estate, in one of the southern provin-
ces. This bequest, however, Mr.. Stanley did
not care to retain. AS soon as he could take
legal proceedings to that effect, he made over
his portion to Eugene, in addition to that
which he already possessed by his fathers will.
The young man, on coming of age, did not
care to adopt the life of country gentleman.
There were vineyards on his place, but know
ing nothing about the management of them,
he engaged competent person to undertake
it, left him in possession Of the chateau and
all it's belongings, and set out to make a tour
of the world, before settling down, definitely,
to any occupation. The agent, OF steward,
who looked after his affairs, wrote to him at
regular periods, with statement of his ac-
counts. He was, fortunately, an honest, trust
worthy man, and in his hands the income Of
young St. Orme, arising from the profit OF his
vines, assumed larger proportions than it
would have been likely ever to do, had the lat
ter himself undertaken to supervise the busI-
ness. .-...r.-... IT, .... .,s....s. -..
Eugene had travelled extensively, gratifying
his inclinations, on that score, to their utmost
bent. He was an amazing pedestrian, and few
tourists, of his age, had probably covered so
much ground, on foot, as he had succeeded in
doing, during the last four years of his life, in
various quarters of the globe. To an .intelli-
gent and observing mind, the varied experien-
ces he had encountered could not fail to be pro-
ductive Of useful results. And he succeeded
in learning, practically, much that he had neg
lected to learn from the study Of books, OF
which, it must be confessed, he had never
proved himself over fond. With much. that
was useful, however, he had picked up a few
pernicious ideas, and a rowing, yagrant propen-
sity which made it impossible for him to be
contented long in any one spot. Mr. Stanley
saw this with regret. He felt a sincere regard
for him, and earnestly desired to see him es-
tablished in some position which he could hon
orably fill, and which would afford him ration
al occupation for his mind, as we'll as be of ad-
vantage to him in a lucrative point of view.
To this end he often tried to persuade him,
since he had no turn for agriculture, to adopt
a profession, or else enter mercantile life But
to neither proposition did Eugene lend will
ling ear. 80 -. - -. ;,
he would say II could not endure to be
third-rate lawyer or physician and [ am quite
to the ministry, my views are not sufficiently
settled for me to entertain thought of that;
besides, a life of cure would be utterly un-
suited to my taste. AS to entering dry, dus-
ty counting-house, or affecting myself with
the adding up of columns of tiresome figures,
my head aches at the very idea, and the reality
would kill me in a fortnight" .....- -....
s'But, my dear Eugene, suppose you were
dependent upon your exertions for a livelihood;
hot 0f
''Then suppose should be forced to work;
J. but why fancy such a disagreeable case?' ~
''The reality may come upon you some day,
and it would be well to be prepared for it,
"As to that" Eugene would say, Struggling
his shoulders, with pleasant smile, ''when
the necessity comes dare say / shall manage
to meet it, one way or another. But you know
the excellent proverb "A chaque jour Sutft SON
NAL had rather enjoy the present as may,
without laying up evil for the future. One Of
these days I shall grow tired of travelling, and
then, dear sir, will endeavor to be all that
you can desire. But while the bent is in me
I must crafty it. can no more resist the in
clinatiOn to rove than worm can keep from
wriggling, and the only remedy is to let it
wear itself off by degrees
But it did not seem likely that it would
ever wear itself off, judging from the renewed
vigor with which, after brief interval of rest
and quiet, he would be off on a fresh expedition;
sometimes alone, sometimes in company with
party who had the same goal in view. There
were constantly new scenes to be explored,
new feats of pedestrianism to be undertaken;
and sometimes Mrs. Stanley would suggest to
him, ilaughingly, that she believed he intended
some day to win diamond belt as the cham
pion walker of the world
Whatever might be said against his ''va-
grant prociivities, "as he himself termed them,
no one who knew him could fail to like him
for his many attractive qualities of mind and
heart. A more generous disposition it would
have been hard to find. No tale of distress ever
reached his ear that he did not endeayOr to
find out and relieve it's subject. He was a
true friend, never forgetting those who had
once won his regard, and verifying the line
which has emanated from some poets pen
1--WE change our skies, but not our hearts,"
Certainly, amid all the changes which wan
derings led him through, he continued faith
full to all early friendships and associations
and it was this fact which, above all others,
encouraged his former guardian to be hopeful
of his future. ..
eff he could only find a nice, pretty, amiable
wife, with domestic habits, he would do very
well,'' he would say s'He needs something
to give him a settled, steady interest in life.
And I have no doubt, with his affectionate
disposition, he'd be model married man.
But if any hint of this was given to Eugene,
he would throw it off with easy amusement,
declaring that he was not marrying man.
He had never yet seen any woman who would
suit him as wife, and did not expect to. To
be sure, he was very young-not yet five and
twenty; there was time enough for him to
change his mind ON that point.
II may as we'll be stated at once that both
Mr.. and Mrs. Stanley had fixed upon Jennie as
just the right sort of mate for their wander
ing sheep. She was gentle, innocent, and fair
in aspect had placid and even temper :;
was refined and lady like enough to grace any
sphere, and had sufficient tact and perception
to acquire readily those habits and ideas with
which her early training had failed to make
her familiar, but which the conventional
usage of society made requisite. Whether
this little plan, of which the two whom it
most nearly concerned were in blissful ignOr-
ance, was likely ever to be carried out, re-
manned as yet, of course, a matter of mere
conjecture. But Mrs. Stanley, who was not
without experience in the management of such
delicate affairs, resolved to leave no means
untried to bring about the desired result.
She therefore took care to have the young
people thrown much together; though in such
a way that their intercourse always came
about in the most natural manner, without the
possibility of her agency being suspected. Eu-
gene was quite willing to enjoy Jennie's socie-
ty. He thought her very sweet and compan-
ionable, and there was chivalry enough in his
nature to make it an agreeable paStine for him
to do homage to young and pretty girl III
any place and under any circumstances. She,
on her part, found him very entertaining and
if he was disposed to sit and chat with her as
she did her embroidery, to turn over her music
when she practiced her easy lessons, or give
her hints in drawing, she saw no reason why