Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1893-04-02


been winding lane, overshauOWeu Oy
spreading elms, and when the Oroau
houses had sat back in retirement with
long court yards begirt with quaint
plants on guard before them. But Main
street had been Strengthened and Wild
ened. Its granite blocks had deyas-
tated the gardens. The proud trees had
fallen before the ak Of trade. And so,
when old Peter Schenk died in a de-
spairing rage at the audacity or the
times, Che Schenk boys moved on the
hill and converted the winding hall ana
vast, gloomy, yet comtortaoIe' rooms OF
their old home, through which they had
sported, for oil children must neeaS %
blithe, into corridors and ouces'
There were in reality three OF the
Schenk boys; hut EcOert ana feter
were the ones meant by the Ordinary
use OF the term. These two were Ia
fuences; but as for Douglas, the young
est. he resembled his mothers family,
from which he was named, and was re-
served and difiient, and unlike his
brothers in nature as was his fair COM
plexion unlike their Swarthy skin.
The Schenks-that is, Egoert and
Peter-were lawyers occupying a suite
OF the most ramshackle Of all the ram
shackle offices in the rear CT their
building. What the old mansion thought
Of the indiguitieS which IL had suffered,
from the cutting OF beams and the
breaking Of partitions, In order that the
one more Granny should become CON-
mercially available, might have been
Judged from the scOwl OF its gables and
IFS freQueut grOans and rumOleS. but
the Schenks were too practical 70 heed
fanciful premonitions. The building
would hold together fast enough until
they should decide 20 tear it down ana
rebuild, which would be on that indeh-
mite some day when they would be sat
isfed with their gain. So the carpenter
who was always in charge, being
chained there by links OF interest on
loan which the brothers had made TO
him years before with malice prepense,
he wed and honeycombed, but never
dared nor wished 70 repair.
The rear room, which EgOert anu
Peter shared together, for they had 10
separate secrets, was the glOomleSt OF
their suite. Here had been gathered
the detritus OF the furniture OF the
SchenkS-heavy armchairs with only
one arm; weighty tables totterlng on
three legs; MASSEY mahogany wardrobe
which once had held the hnery OF col
Onial danes, bat was now lnsecureIy
propped against the bulging wall, swol-
len with grimy text books and statutes
and rolls OF foreclosure rOceediAgS-a
sight as melancholy as family portraits
in q garrett. Above impended cracked
and broken cOrnice, pOnderOus with the
idea OF the past, seemingly held in place
by the cobwebs that ObScured it. Gun
ming and fat were the spiders that bat
tened within them; but not half so cum
ming nor greedy as the human spiders
who, beneath, SChemed IN harmony,
since each one felt that he conld not
surprise or exceed the other in mean
ness.
The Schenks were wealthy, and easily
So Their ancestor, trader from hOl-
LARD, had bought principallty from the
aborigines for a few baubles, "A part or
which constitutes the site of Aberdeen.
And, as after two generations, the
family ceased 20 increase after the im-
provident fashion OF settlers and cOncen-
trated itself in a single line, a large por-
ton OF the original purchaSe-tO use a
euphemism-continu in its posses
sion. The example Of getting much for
little became a piOus precedent 10 the
race, though heretofore the prompt col
lection of rents had seemed q sufficient
fulfllment. But Egbert and Peter were
not content with so slow an incretlOn.
Like certain animals, that the more dirt
they could find the harder they dig, so
did these two study law. The results OF
their Industry were chicanery and sharp
practice. liz seemed 70 them a TedUCti0
Gd dbSltrdltm, an instance OF learning
run mad, as valuelesS as the dubious,
insipid fruit which comes from too much
grating. AS for Douglas, be was yet
their ward in a minority which termin
ates at twenty-five. As long as they
held his share of the estate they cOnSid-
cred him little, except when he was
sick, and then hopefully. lie was
student, a dreamer, a ne'er-dO well In
their eyes, who read books for the beau
ties they contained, not for the profit
they taught. He was q protest against
their careers aud they hated him.
The Schenks did a lucrative business
Not that they ever tried q case in open
court: their practice led them to Special
Term, aud especially to Chambers
where certain Judges whom they had
obliged were apt 20 be cOmplacent
Their papers were always fawleSs-
those Of their adversaries never so; such
was their keen scent for technicaitieS.
They were masters in drawing adroit
and sufficient attachments, injunctiOns,
orders Of arrest, assignments, and eject
ments. the law OF mortgages, both
real and personal. was az their fingers
ends, and as 10 bills Of costs they were
publicans, we'll yerSed In taxing. They
dealt largely in real estate, selling from
their birthright yet not permanently d.
minishing it. Property always returned
TO the SchenkS aiter,a brief separation
as II it were ashamed Of straying. Per
haps this was due 70 their shrewdness
IN selecting vendeeS; for they were apt
70 take an interest in thrifty young mar
ried people, IN widows and orphans
with pensions, in teachers and clergy
men with but assured salaries. Nothing
could exceed their generous anxiety in
providing such people with homes, eX-
ceDt their remOrSeleSs tenacity In after
ward regaining them. OF course, there
were papers that had 70 be signed, and
matters of fee, interest, and diSbUrSe-
ment-an expensive term this latter
wbiNs must be arranged. They attend
ed 20 ali this with q vengeance. II, then,
their purchasers could stagger along
without fall, the Schenks were content
10 let their ancestral lots trapse under
other names. Bu6 should q default be
made-UlU UictltS! Arrayed in all the
panODly OF foreclosure proceedings, the
brothers charged lin every sense OF the