The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-07-26

you please proceed, Mrs. Maynard?"
"Where was I? Indeed, have for
gotten"
"You spoke last" observed North, re-
ferring by glance to his notes, "of
Hamilton Dupont's reckless course,
which resulted in his being disinherited;
and my first question elected the fact
that within comparatively short time
after this event his father died"
"oh, to be surel Now don't expect q
detailed history, Mr.. North, for my in
formation is extremely fragmentary;
but it is certain that there had always
existed between Mrs. Dunkirk and her
young brother barrier Of cold reserve,
which time and his wayward conduct
only increased. Mr.. Dunlsirk was hots
woman possessed Of warm affections.
Her regard for people was purely mat
ter of intellectual esteem. II her stern
Judgment approved them, that was suf-
ficient; II not, there was no tender voice
In her heart to plead their cause.
There was little In Hamilton's wayward
life Of which she could approve; hence
her total estrangement from him.
after the death Of their father, how.
ever, she seemed to feel the loneliness
of her position, and for the first time
she turned to her brother Hamilton for
sympathy and companionship. He was
In trouble Of every sort, drifting about
In the world without aim or purpose,
friends or prospects. She offered him
everything-a home, wealth, social ad-
vantages, asking only that he renounce
his youthful follies and strive for the
future to devote his talents and ener-
gies to some useful and honorable pur-
suit. She finally induced him to accept
this offer; and, having established him
beneath her roof, she made every effort,
faithfully, II not always wisely, to re-
claim him from the error Of his ways
His education was fair, although he
had never completed any regular course
of study, having been three times ex-
PEELED from college. Mrs. Dunkirk
urged him to enter one of the learned
professions, and, though he had no in
clination for such a career, he finally
yielded to her opportunities, choosing
the study Of medicine; and while he was
pursuing the course at the university,
she settled upon him handsome al
lowance for his own personal expenses.
"ne was not long in attracting a
large and brilliant circle of acquain-
tances, for his dashing manner and
reckless style of expenditure made him
universally popular. All this, however,
interfered with more important mat
ters; he could not respond to the con-
slant demands of society and at the
same time attend faithfully TO his du-
ties at the university, and the conse-
quence was that his studies were
neglected, his absence from lectures and
clinics became the occasion of frequent
reproofs from the faculty, and in time
the report of his delinquencies reached
Mrs. Dunkirk's ears.
"Of course she demonstrated with
Hamilton, and he generally answered
her reproaches with angry defiance.
These scenes, however, always ended in
a reconciliation, with promises OF fu-
ture good behavior on his part, and a
resolution on hers to give him one more
trial. Thus affairs ran on until at last,
without any warning, the catastrophe
came.
'Mrs. Dunkirk had at the very be-
ginning of her compact with Hamilton
exacted from him solemn promise
that he would not marry until he had
obtained his diploma and established
himself in practice. Unfortunately for
this promise, chance threw him into
the society Of q young lady who was
neither wealthy nor highly connected,
but whose wonderful beauty, combined
with her sweetness and intelligence,
took his heart by storm.
eve shall be obliged to imagine oil
the details of this little romance, since
only the merest outlines OF it are on
record. His wooing prospered, and
within few months the lady became
his bride. He contrived to conceal the
fact Of his marriage from his sister for
several weeks, continuing TO reside
under her roof and devoting himself 10
the university with zeal that he had
never before exhibited; and Mrs. Dun
kirk, delighted at what she considered
the first real evidence OF reformation,
looked on with kind approval and en-
couragement. II was in the full tide Of
her satisfaction with his course that
some one brought her the astounding
intelligence Of his marriage.
"You can perhaps imagine the Sc
quel. think she might in time have
pardoned him II he had not deceived
her so unscrupulously; but that was an
offense beyond all forgiveness. After
stormy scene, with biting reproaches
on her part and scornful defiance on
his, they parted forever. He took his
wife away from New York within a
week; and Mrs. Dunltirk never looked
upon his face again"
"a sad story" commented North, as
Mrs. Maynard paused here. "It seems
strange that he should have passed so
entirely from the knowledge of all his
friends. How long did he live after be
left New York;"
at was just two years later, be-
lieve, that the papers contained meager
accounts Of his tragical death in Balti-
more"
North gravely assented. The brief
outline Of this history that he had re-
ceived from Hunter and Ketchum had
not embraced any particulars OF Hamil-
ton Dupont's tragical death; but he
deemed II best not 10 pursue his In
quiries on that point. After little
musing silence Mrs. Maynard volun-