Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-10-30
The Sturp Teller,
TOMS FRIENDSHIP.

eyes, lady in reduced circumstances; you
know that's what they advertised for, and
by Jove, but she is a lady, every inch of her.
And she's more, too. Wish you could see
Ter eyes-and the way she smiles Pm
sure she's got beautiful hair, if she wouldn't
hide it. Ivow, if was only little older,
I'd pitch in head and ears"
''Strikes me you have done so, in spite of
your years. How long has this wonderful
being been in the house?"
"Came early this morning. Come up and
see Maud, and perhaps you can get look at
her."
"O,I guess she'll keep" said Ralph, care
lessly. Sim not in any hurry to see herr.
'sBother! you won't even look at pretty
girl since Miss Bascom dropped you. l."
"Stop, Tom" said his brother, sharply.
"You know have forbidden you to speak
lightly of that lady"
7You may keep on forbidding, but can't
help my thoughts, and vow [ wouldn't
think so much of a girl who'd engage her
self, and then just quietly let me go, as she
did, without any reason"
For a moment there was no reply to this.
Then slowly and thoughtfully the older
brother said:
atom, you are old enough now to under
stand my position, and possibly, if l ex-
plain it, it may be he'll to you some day.
Do you care to hear it?'
''Rather. Fire away"
"You know I have never talked much
about Miss Bascom, but that when have
there have been very unkind and sighting
things said. Now, Tom, as long as they
were said only to me, could keep my
tongue still and avoid them, thinking no
one ould dare say such things of my wife.
But may as we'll go back and tell you the
whole story. I met Miss Bascom, as you
know, in Orange, in the prettiest little home
beautiful voice, for heard her singing one
night in the twilight, when I went to attend
to a little matter Of business for her father.
met her several times in that way, when l
had gone on business to the house, and soon
became so charmed with her manners anu
appearance, that wanted to know more of
her, for she was rather a different type of
woman from what had been accustomed
to, and determined to make my summer
home in Orange, which is near enough to
admit of my going back and forth from the
city. I became q constant visitor at Mr..
Bascom's house, and before long the one de-
sire of my life was to make his daughter my
wife. She is woman any man might be
proud of as friend, but I was not satisfied
with that; asked for more. TOm," he
said, with slight curl of his lips, slet me
advise YOU when you find woman that you
would like to make home for, a woman
who makes life more beautiful to you than
it has ever seemed before-When you lind
such a woman, l say, put aside all personal
feelings until the different members OF the
family have examined into her antecedents,
and have found out her fathers standing in
the money market. 1t don'tpay to spend
month i'm paradise, and then have to turn
YOUR back on it." '''''-. w, ,'"t
"But, Ralph, I wouldn't turn my back,
don't YOU see? I wouldn't care how much
of row they made. I'd let them blow till
i was married, and then they would respect
her as my wife,"
81 thought that way, too, at first, and
when mother and the elegant Mrs. Franklin
treated the announcement of my engage
call on the lady or have anything to do with
her, I let the matter rest, thinking they
would become accustomed to it in time, and
would act as I wished. But did not know
INV own mother and sister. They knew me
too we'll, however, to think that anything
they might do or say would affect me, so
long as the young lady herself knew and
felt nothing, and so, after some consultation,
their plans were laid, and they began the
attack. knew nothing of it until the bomb
burst, so you can imagine my surprise and
me one evening that we must part. 1t is
unnecessary to describe the interview,
which was one of the saddest I ever had
ANYTHING to do with. / discovered that she
had received several letters from the family
urging her to break with me, but one she
had received that day was positive insult;
and she told me, with flash Of her eye and
q proud drawing back of her head, that she
could not enter family where she would be
looked on in the light suggested in the letter,
and Tom, after reading the letter, couldn't
ask her to. She is proud and sensitive, and
were I to bring her here into the family,
she would be constantly subjected to insult
ing remarks that would only render her life
miserable But am even now having my
affairs put in order to leave New York. L
shall 90 West, establish myself somewhere,
and then ask her to share home with me,
where she will be in no danger of receiving
Sights and insults.
"Good for you, Ralph. And the lady?"
s'She does not know all.
81 think begin to like her. She's got
some spunk, and l always did like that in
woman"
81 wish you could have seen and known
her. Pm sure that you would have liked
her. She used to tell me she knew she
would like you, just from your photograph
and what I had told her Of you. She said
once when was speaking of you, that you
were the first one of the family she would
try to make friend of, for she thought you
would be such true one. She admired
YOUR actions at the time your roommate
got into trouble at college,"
'You mean to say she said and thought
all that about me, Ralph?"
eyes, and more too"
s'Then l just wash my hands of all re-
sponsibility in the actions of my illustrious
family towards her. If she said she would
like to have me for friend she shall have
me. I never would refuse to befriend a
does; so, Ralph, if can help you, just COM
mand me-"
s'Thanks, Tom," said the old brother.
81 always said you were made Of the right
metal"
"See here, Ralph, just wish you would
give me Miss Bascom's address. I'd like to
drop her line and tell her Pm all right,
YOU know, and let her know if there's any
thing I can do while you're away, Pm hers
to command, etc. Quick there's the din
ner bell, and Pm hungry as bear, and
have an engagement at eight.
The members of this family, who were
all assembled around the dinner table save
one. consisted of Mr.. and Mrs. Grafton,
married daughter and her husband, Mr..
and Mrs. Lawrence, Helen, a younger
daughter Just in society, and Ralph and
Tom, the two sons. After an animated dis
cussion of some society topics, Mrs. Law
renee looked at her mother and said:
II really think we have at last found
treasure. She seems to have won Maud's
tln nhs ii x,,s1 ~