Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-12-08
are the poor men to get money to buy
~ ol,


money to buy their shares" repeated
Goldmore "Shares are not given away ;
you have to pay for them in hard cash.
Now in the present case the difficulty is
that there is no cash at all"
= "Then + suppose you don't approve of
my scheme?" answered Egerton, with
some irritation. "Very well. One can
only suggest. I withdraw the PROPOSE
ton. Still, I repeat. Goldnore, it is not
every day of the week you can find a
gentlemanly musical undertaking that
can be carried out with clean hands,"
So he took his leave. But his visit had
some result, after all; for that afternoon
Archibald Goldmore called upon young
Brent, and asked for little private con-
versation with him. Goldmore was very
kind, inquired what his young friend
was going to do, nodded his head APPROX
ingly over the details Of the Australian
scheme, and marked the young fellow
outas man that would rise.
"Let me say one thing to you, Mr..
Brent" he said, as he rose to 60. ~ am
in most respects self-made man. l
know the difficulties which even indus
trious and clever young fellows have to
face who start without capital. Now,
from, what my wife tells me, you have
gained the affections Of my sister-in-law,
and may add that from what I have
seen of you am not surprised tit. AS a
member of the family, take an interest
in all that concerns them. Now, Brent,
if few hundred will help to start you I
can lend you the sum and shall require
no security but your word. You shall
pay me'-this he added pleasantly
''when you are half as rich as am"
Brent colored very red with gratitude
and pleasure; but for all that, his reply
was not what the great man expected:
II don't know how to thank you," he
said: "it is SO kind an offer. But have
already saved enough 10 start me. had
ALL"
IA few hundred extra will better your
chance" remarked the other.
"Thank you q thousand times," the
Young fellow replied; "but if I can ac-
complish what I wish out of my own re-
sources, I had rather do it. If ever
marry Miss Temple, I should like to feel
that it was my own doing from first to
last"
Goldmore looked at him with admira-
ton.
II respect the feeling, Mr.. Brent" he
said. "Only remember this: if your cap,
ital should run short, write to me, and
you will find me no bad banker when the
account has to be overdrawn."
"Thank you again." the young fellow
answered. "And that offer do accept.
You understand me. don't you If |
can manage without any mans help l
should he glad but rather than fail, l
should most gratefully avail myself of
yours. hope you dom think me proud
to the point of Stiffness"
"Confound it, cried Goldmore, II
wish you were my son!'
And the great man marched away down
the street as like the Tower of Babel as
ever, only in a silk hat and other human
fittings. But Goldmore is on the right
side Of things, for all mis- pomp and SEEM
ing hardness.
Little Mrs. Barbara Temple showed a
singular mixture of astuteness and good
feeling in her management of the affair
from this time until Percivars depart
ure. She took care to impress on the
lover the fact that all engagement, un-
derstanding, hope, and whatever else
could bind himself and Sophia together,
was utterly at an end. She repeated sew
eral times that her duty as Sophia
mother was to see that her future was
not embarrassed by foolish obligations
hastily taken up, and perhaps retained
from sense of honor when inclination
would cast them off. She told Brent
that in all human probability Sophia
would marry some one else in twelve
months. Thus she put herself in the po-
sition of being able, with perfect honesty,
to assure Sophia at any future day that
Perrival Brent neither did nor could ex-
pect her to wait for him. And having
thus made her position good, with rare
moderation, or rather far-siShtedness
she did not prevent the young couple
meeting occasionally during the few
weeks that interviewed between the break
ing of the engagement and Brent's de-
parture for Australia.
Mrs. Barbarba Temple went yet fur
ther in the way of good-natured conces-
sion. On the day when Brent came to
take his final leave she continued to be
out of the wav, sending an apology by
Sophia for her absence. 1t was a cour-
ageous act, but worldly wise, presume,
like all she did. believe to the day OF
her mothers death Sophia never forgot
this particular concession. 1t showed
such trust in her daughter, such kind
desire not to deprive her of. any secret
comfort which the parting might give.
In fact, it was an act OF womanly
generosity and courage of which few
mothers would have been capable. But
have I not said already that our little
mother was as truly queen Of women as
Agamemnon was king Of men?
Sophia tried to be cheerful that dull May
afternoon for she saw that her poor fellows
heart was breaking. Indeed, he could hardly
speak one word. She had to tell him Of
magnificent present which she had made to
him in secret, and which was now waiting for
him in London. This was set Of foreign
travelling boxes, furnished with everything
the good little creature could think of as be-
ing possibly of use to her dear when he was
far away. I wish I could give catalogue
Of the articles in leather, glass, steel, silver;
how she had slipped into one part Bible and
prayer book; the little medicine chest, with
book, under the guidance of which you could
heal yourself of any disease; down to needles
and thread-"stout thread for buttons"
her account of it read like shopman's cata-
logue She grew so interested in her clever
ness and forethought that she half forgot the
impending parting. Bless the heart OF
woman, how it lives in the present, and Will
not realize the future, be it ever so nearl
Then, blushing, she told him of one particu-
lar little pocket in one particular little leather
case, which he was never to open unless he
happened to want money very badly. He
might have lost everything, and not be able
to get back to England. In that case let him
open that pocket. He might be very i'll, and
have nothing to pay the doctor. In that case
let him open the pocket. In any capital and
inextricable difficulty let him open that
pocket. Poor Sophia! the savings Of thrifty
years, and the better part Of her allowance
for don't know how many more (mortgaged
to Car and SibyD had gone into those boxes
and that pocket
All this time, while she chattd on, trying
desperately to be cheerful, he had said little
or nothing. At last he took out his watch,
and looked at it, gathering strength.
II must 60 now." he said.
Then in un instant, like frail hut swept
away by sudden hurricane, all her little
cheerfulness was gone. Her steadlnesS, her
heroism was worth nothing at all. She cast
herself Oh his breast-he was to sustain her
now-crying, caressing him, clinging to him,
as if she could not let him 60.
"Percy," was all she said-"darling Percy"
And he said nothing. One thing his manli-
ness enabled him to do: he kept silence. But
not a VOID could he utter.
"It is the sea between us" she said, sobbing.
"Such distance of sea! such length OF
time!"
He only clasped her to his breast
"But shall not forget you; you won't for
get me; promise i'll"
No sound came from his lips; but somehow
she understood by his clasp that, with an un-
uttered VOW, be was binding himself to her
forever.
Promise me again" she murmured.
Still he did not make any audible reply.