Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-10-30
CHAPTER v.


Ny chest, which had boon certed back to
my mothers house, I had renewed that very
night to the feiTy boat which communicated
with the terminus Of the railroad leading to
New York. went on the boat in the morn
ing, before any other passengers came down,
and kept myself out of sight My Leave
taking with my mother was q brief affair.
We had eatena silent, comfortless breakfast
AT its conclusion, taking my hat, said,
s''Well, mother, I'm OF for good now
I Perhaps IL was q presentiment that my
words were true that made the change in her
manner. With softness unusual to her she
said; but, my son, what are you going to
doi Where are you goingF
a Never mind now said "'ve talked
enough before Of my plans. Now I'll keep
silent I've an idea that talking things out
leads to bad luck I'm going away, that's
AL. 80 good-by."
She said nothing, took my hand and kissed
me. never recollected having been kissed
by her before. She may have done so when
was an infant Favors OF that sort are not
appreciated or remembered during that ten
der period. This was not from lack Of feel
ing or affection. II came Of that reserve and
repression of all external signs Of emotion
bred In the bone way back through know
not how many generations OF Puritan and
Roundhead ancestry, until not only had out
ward sign of emotion been considered as
bordering on an impropriety, but the very
ability TO manifest it had been destroyed. II
was q turning of the softer side of human
nature inward and the harder outward and
the fruitage was harshness and austerity; not
Intentional but the natural growth OF UNI
natural lives
I left the house, wondering II It was in the
natural order OF events that proofs Of affec-
ton, parental and otherwise, must come at
the last moment, like the best dish at dinner
being placed before one for second and
then snatched away.
In few hours was In New York Taking
a room at hotel shut myself therein, and
opened the packet received from Blanche It
contained bills to the amount of $500 and the
following note;
II desire you to accept'this money from me
as loan, with interest at per cent, for
three years. This is business, you know. I'm
glad for your sake you did not 60 on the Ann
Mary Ann. You will go now to California as
gentleman should. Mind you take cabin
passage. Don't go in the storage to save
dollars. It doesn't save them at all. There
was Providence in that pig, and Pell too
pigs both-to take you out of the ship Shut
up on board of her for five or six months,
eating their coarse food and leading their
coarse life, would have put you back as many
years When you got to California you
would probably have done as five-sixths OF
them will do-strike for the hardest and
coarsest way of making fortune, by digging
and grubbing-the very way not to make it
II there is gold there, mind you, it's not for
those who dig for it, unless they dig with
their brains and you can't dig with your
brains and work like a hod carrier and live
on hod carriers fare. So, my dear boy, live
like gentleman and you will have q gentle
mans luck BLANCHE"
So this was the promise had made-to
accept pecuniary favor Of woman. The
unwritten code Of the time held this as
hardly the correct thing, unless you married
the woman, when everything she had be-
came yours and the favor, If such, ceased
almost to be one.
Blanche had few years previous been
left few thousand dollars by an eccentric
uncle, who, possibly recognizing something
of her independent spirit, said, when closely
questioned by some over-anxious relatives
as to his reason for so doing, that he Le
heved Blanche was a girl who could use heI
own money for herself, and he wanted tt
give her a chance He didn't think, b.
added, IT was the fair thing that girls
capital should be salted down until somt
lazy loafer of O husband came along TO U.S.
it, and generally lose it. He didn't cart
what she did with her money, so that she
used it for her own pleasure in any ant
every possible way except that of handing
it over to a husband. II give it to you,
he remarked, mot to the man who, moi
content with robbing you of your name
wants your money along with it Lend
it, spend it, scatter it, do anything with it
except bring it, like good little girl, &c
the chuckle-head who wants to marry you
for it
Uncle John Seton was nondescript IN
opinion, and seemed to take pleasure in hold
ing none that were popular He had been 6
| privateersman-some said also a SLAYER, anc
! others pirate-caTied bullet in one leg
the mark of which he was fond of showing
without much regard to time, place or fitness
| resolved to use the money. She had beer
| diplomatic in not Offering it as gift, and il
| putting the transaction ON a business footing
| To refuse it under the present circumstance:
would result, felt, in putting great barrier
between myself and Blanche. Il seemed as L
she said to me; II am in this giving you thu
opportunity you need. You are nc man L
you quarrel with the instrument put in you
hands because II docs not come exactly in th,
manner you would have it.
could see in Imagination, as clearly a
though she stood before me, the way in which
Blanche would have taken back from me hei
gift saw her calmly listening to my state
ment and as calmly receiving from me th,
notes, and then continuing conversation on
! general topics as If the whole affair had no
feathers weight in her mind. But undel
all that seeming indifference knew ther'
would lie indignation, disappointment and