Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-11-22
The Story Teller.
"OLD SCRATCH" "

"I-I-oh, dear! I don't want t.
go to Henley, at ALL" sobbed Maud
Wilmington, miserably.
"Come, come, old sis, you'll like i
when you're there. You'll see hin
rowing, you know" answered Mabel
in consoling tone.
"But don't want to see him row
ing. I never want TO see him under
any circumstances again. It-it-only
makes it harder to bear, now that-tha'
everything is over between u.s."
~ am sorry for you, Maud, dear,
exclaimed Mabel, placing her arm
round her sisters waist, and trying tc
kiss away some of the tears which were
coursing down her cheeks. "But you
must try 10 take more cheerful view
Perhaps papa will relent."
"Papa will never relent. He can''
relent. You-you-know as we'll as
do, that. -.that--his circumstances make
that impossible. Besides, 1'm-engag
ed to-to-Old Scratch. That is why
papa insists upon my going today, be-
cause Old Scratch is coming. l.
I-hate Old Scratch; and l wish
was dead" finished up Maud, with
energy.
"I am sure" said Mabel, with conf.
dence, "that Mr.. Spishank is gentle.
man. and that if he were to learn the
state of your feelings, he would imme'
diately release you from your engage
meDt. Don't you think so yourself?'
"Y-y-e-s, think he would. But
but-I-can't tell him 1-I-prom'
ised papa; and-and-I'm in honor
bound to keep the secret. Besides,
|if-if-I were to tell him, and he were
to break off the engagement, papa
would would-at once bring down
one of his horrid Stock Exchange
friends-somebody much worse than
Old Scratch-and insist upon my ac-
cepting him. Oh, it's cruel--it's a
shame-to be placed in this position.
I-I-wish I was the ugliest and most
unattractive girl in the three king
doms."
Plain Mabel sighed. She would
have been quite content 10 relieve.
Maud of her burden of good looks, had
such a readjustment been possible.
Perhaps, also, she did not think 1t any
great hardship to be engaged to Old
Scratch-a jolly, well-preserved gen
tleman, who was not yet past the prime
of life, and had some 100000 per
annum to bis fortune. 1t was not as
though he were man of Objectionable
or tyranical character. Quite the re-
verse. He was a kindly, courteous,
considerate gentleman, against whom
nobody could find a word to say. If
people did find fault with him at all, it
was for being Quixotically generous
and absurdly confding. That, appa-
rently, was the worst that could he
raked up to his discredit.
The nickname "Old Scratch" which
had stuck to him ever since his young
manhood, had first arisen in reference
to his repute as sculler. For four
successive years he was amateur cham
pion of the Thames and in every hand
leap for which he entered he was al
ways placed on the scratch mark. He
had long ago given up these aquatic
contests, except in the character OF
spectator and mentor to young aspi-
rants, who always took the veterans
hints with attention and respect. He
was the more looked up to by them on
account of his modest, but withal geni-
al disposition. And it is doubtful
whether the Leander, or for the matter
of that, any boat-club on the Thames,
contained a better known or more pop
ular member than Old Scratch.
Maud's engagement to this amiable
gentleman came about in the following
way:
Her father, stockbroker in large
way of business, about a year previous
ly had met with run of ofunlucky spec
ulations, which crippled him considera-
bly,. Instead of giving up his large
house aud his expensive way of living,
he embarked on some highly risky
financial operations in the hope OF
bringing off coup. The usual result
followed. He landed himself in worse
difficulties. In fact, so bad had his
pecuniary position become that-al-
though his name and credit were still
publicly unimpaired-he stood on the
verge of ruin and disgrace. About
this time a wealthy stockjobber of his
acquaintance-Fladsby by name-be-
gan to evince a partiality for With
ringtons younger daughter, Maud.
The girl had already given her affec.
tions to Charlie Milligan, the famous
Oxonian, whose prowess as a sculler
had already made him public char
acter. He was q handsome, manly
young fellow % years of age, but un-
fortunately the possessor Of only a
diminutive income. While things went
we'll with him, Wilmington permitted
the little affair between these two
young persons to continue, but when
he became hard hit, and it was a mat
ter of serious moment TO him to intro.
duce money into his family, he at once
put a stopper on Charley Milligan's
visits.
Maud protested with tears. Her
father took her into his study and
"talked to" her. He confded to her
his precise position Tor as much oft as