The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1885-11-03
The birmingham Fortune.
BY FLORENCE ALLEN.

''lt's only Toni said Ethel. in the
calm accents OF absolute Indifference. as
she turned arother page in the novel
she wa, reading
"Only Tom r. repeated Rosamond, in
tone of disappointment, looking up
from her embroidery, and then adjust
ing her eyeglasses and looking down
again, as though Tom we're the one per-
son in the wide world whom she had not
the slightest desire to see; but Bertha,
the youngest daughter of the honse OF
Montgomery, frightened perceptibly,
and her def fingers paused in their swift
flying about over the dainty apron which
she was fashioning, while she looked up
with a welcoming and expectant smile,
as the loud. breezy voice came nearer.
To tell the truth, Tom Yerningham
was looked upon by his uncle's widow,
and two-thirds Of her daughters, as
far from desirable young man, and. but
for the fact Of the quasi relationship be
tween them, he would undoubtedly have
been politely but decidedly given to un-
dersiand tina. his presence 10 Yerning-
ham House was not only unasked but
unpleasing.
As it was, however. the late Mr.. Yern.
;ngham, deceased some twelve months
since, had been especially fond of Tom,
bis only nephew, and IL would not be
quite the thing to snub that individual
too roughly; and so be came and went
as be pleased. seeming TO he qiite una
ware of his own unpopularity.
1t is quite certain that Mrs. Yerning-
ham and her daughters, at least two
thirds of them. would have looked on
Tom with very different eyes, had he
been something other than mere clerk
in Wholesale house somewhere in the
business labyrinth Of the city, and more
over, addicted to garments shiny on the
seams, fraved as to- their button holes,
and generally inelegant in appearance.
The fact that Tom-brought up 10 lux.
ury and finding, only on his fathers
death that be was heir only to his ia.
ther's name. that father having lost his
all in wild speculations-had gone to
work to support himself, weighed heav.
lily against him in the minds OF many,
including his step relatives above men
toned Precisely what they thought
that he should have done under the cir.
Gums ances, no one ever really explained,
hut they agreed that Toms behavior be.
trayed him to be the possessor OF low
order of mind. and that be had volun-
tarilv diseraced himself by the course
be had pursued.
Tom. himself, evidently thought little
and cared less about the matter. With
cheerful Inconsistencies of bis own
dereliction, he went on his way quite as
though Tom Yerningham of two years
ago, and Tom birmingham Of the pres.
ent time, we're exactly the same; and in
spite OF shabby garments and empty
pockets, was favoriie still, except with
few of the mammas in society, who
feared that his handsome face and pleas
ant ways might counterbalance those
drawbacks in the estimation Of their
manageable daughters. a
Mrs. birmingham, his step aunt had,
however, never liked him. She had been
a widow with three daughters, and in
comfortable circumstances, when Mr..
birmingham had fallen victim to her
charms, and made her the mistress of
birmingham House, and from her first
advent there, she had struggled and
schemed and lied to prevent the pnssi-
bility OF her husband's remembering his
nephew In his last will and testament -
She had never succeeded in making any
rupture between them, or in daposing
Tom from his place In his uncle's heart;
but she had succeeded. bv dint Of wor-
ryjng. .fretting, crying, teasing, and nag
ging during the last year OF her hus-
bani's life, when he was nervous in
valid, in making him leave to her the
whole of his large property, with only
"remcmbrancer" of thousand dollars
to poor Tom, who certainly had right
to expect something different.
Tom. however, was not one to fret
over such matters. He took his small
legacy consisting of the above thousand,
and an inlaid box in which his uncle for
merly kept his stationery, and went about
his business cheeriully. The money be
invested safely-the box be put ON his
table in the shabby little room which
was his abiding place, and thought no
more about it.
1t had been twelve months now since
Mr.. Leopold birmingham had departed