Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1886-12-01

means vicious, and with very passable man
ners, becoming almost agreeable OH the rare
occasions when, standing inaweo of somebody,
he had the sense to curb his frolicsome dispo-
sition.
He saw Sibyl Temple. Used as he was to
believe the finest horses bred for him, the
finest vintages grown for him, the richest
dishes cooked for him, he hearing and seeing
that Sibyl was the handsomest girl in Kettle
well, easily concluded that she had been
reared for him. So he began making eyes at
her, and having perceived that she noticed
his attentions which she could not fail to
do-he treated the conquest as made, and told
his uncle on Sunday at lunch that he loved
Miss Sibyl Temple, and that he had little
doubt that she reciprocated the passion.
Beneath some of our big, middle-aged
waistcoats there lie strange secrets. This
ponderous Archibald Goldmore, elevated,
pompous, and remote from sentiment as he
appeared, had buried sorrow Of his own.
Years ago his only brother, Harry Goldmores
father, died. The two brothers had ever
b,en fondly ATTACHED Lifes early struggle
they had faced side by side, and an affection
never to be destroyed had, during those
early years, laced Their hearts together.
The brother died. In dying he put his thin
white hand out from under the bed clothes,
and, catching Archibalds wrist, begged him
not to forget his little son, soon to be an Or
phan. Archibald promised, and that prom
ise, never broken, and REINFORCED year after
year by memories of the dead man, made the
uncle merciful to the rldeness and the folly
of this rash and uncongenial youth. When
the young man spoke OF marriage, in some
inexplicable way a reminiscence Of long ago
stole into the uncle's heart, and made him sad
and gentle.
Harry" he said, with unusual kindness,
1you are young to marry, and have little OF
your own, but approve Of the idea on the
whole. shall make your way plain"
"Oh, that Of course" replied the easy
youth. 81 settled that in my mind long ago,
and he la 'ghed loudly.
Suppose we make a call on the Temples
to morrow" the uncle said.
"No, not tomorrow, thank'ee," the passion
ate lover said, shaking his head "To-morrow
l ride over to Blancourt to see Jefferson.
Never hurry after the women. They think
qlite enough Of themselves without our
nelp;" which delicate speech he enlivened
with fresh laugh, loud, hearty and vacant.
The matter dropped, but at dinner that
day, after the cloth had been removed, Archi-
bald Goldmore, gravely renewing the sub
ject, said:
"In a curious way your choice Of Miss
Temple-we say nothing about her view OF
the matter"
10, that's all right enough" young Harry
said.
"That we shall see," his uncle remarked; !;
"for thu present, never mind. I was going to
say your choice in curious way approves
itself to me; for do you know, Harry, 1 once
had thoughts Of proposing to the young lady
myself"
"Of ,uhat9" screamed the nephew.
"Of proposing to the young lady myself"
the uncle repeated.
"Of ,chat?" exclaimed the nephew, again in
a scream Of undoubted surprise. He could
neither believe his ears nor disbelieve them.
"Of proposing to the young lady myself"
Archibald Goldmore answered once mora
with steady solennity.
His nephew would hear no more He burst
into roar of laughter, threw himself back in
his chair, laughed loud and long, changed
the key of his laugh, went high, went low,
slapped the table, and in a general way
signified that the most comical idea ever
heard of since ideas first began had just been
let loose upon the world.
ut is perfectly true" the uncle said, used
to his neph ,w's mad moods, and not as yet
affronted.
'aAt your age" screamed the nephew,
@lnarry lovely girl ike that Do you
think she would have looked at your and SO
in variety OF phrases he put the absurdity,
saluting each fancy with fresh outburst OF
ridicule, while the uncle sat fuming over in
suits which were truly exasperating. But he
was man Of great self-restraint, and he
said nothing.
All that ,ht the nephew persisted in his
ridicule. "Uncle, what kind Of O coat would
you be married ina" "Where would you
have gone for your honeymoons" "How
many bridesmaids would you have had?'
"Would it not have been suitable to have sage
spinsters Of fftya' and so on in an insane,
tut offensive, succession. The rude young
fellow thought only Of his sallies and his
amusement; perhaps little tincture Of an
,oyance lay at the bottom, and made his
ieSts taunts indeed. In any case, he jested to
MS hearts content; and the uncle, boiling
with anger, disclosed nothing of his fury.
The nephew thought Of a final witticism.
After they had gone to bed be marched to bis
uncle's door and tapped, and the uncle, hear
ing his voice, which for wittier effect he
pitched low and serious, fancied be was going
TO apologize The great man opened his door.
"Uncle," said the nephew, in grave tone,
which carried on the illusion
swell, Henry!"
Something has just struck me-"
swell, Henrys"
u could not 60 to bed without asking you. !"
"What is it!"
"Make me godfather to number one"
He dropped his voice lower than ever And
screaming again with rapture, be retreated
down the corridor, and left his uncle to go to
bed with what appetite for sleep he might.
The next day he rode over to Blancourt,
and at night returned to dinner. He was
tired, and spoke little beyond a grumble at
the fish. But when dessert began, feeling his
energies recruited, he thought it time to show
something more of bis playful ways.
"Thought again about your marriage,
Uncle?"
ayes, Henry"
"You could not do wiser thing than to
propose to young beauty" said this young
man of fatal rudeness. "The younger and
the more beautiful, the wiser you will be-"
Here came the facetious scream. 1t was
always the same-short, shrill spasmodic,
irrational.
$50 think, Henry"
"Only don't propose to Miss Sibyl Temple;
she's mine, you know"
"Have you asked herl"
"No; but shall tomorrow"
"Henry, asked her to-day"
"What, for me"
"No, for myself"
"You dids'
81 did"
aNow don't begin with any tricks uncle"
the young man said, rising from his chair
with alarm in his face; 81 hate practical
jokes"
"This is no joke" the uncle answered with
calmness. ~ asked Miss Sibyl Temple to-
day to marry ME, and she said Yes She is
my affianced wife, und with her mothers full
consent"
Poor Harry Goldmores face fell as visibly
during this announcement as if it had been q
house tumbling down story by story. At the
end-the speech was slowly delivered by his
uncle-he called out in exactly the note in
which an angry boy says, u won't play any
more"
"Well it's the shabbiest thing ever heard
Of"
"Henry, listen to me, !" the uncle said severely.
HYou are thoughtless young man, and you
know well your affections were not engaged
doubt, indeed, if you have any affections to
engage. You have been rude and even brutal
in your language to me; forgive you; you