Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-08-02

She felt sharply impatient for him to
60 on, to prove to her, if he could, that
her instructive trust in him had not
been misplaced.
II was not really such bad sort. >
He spoke as if he had read her thought.
but too much was expected Of me. My
father was vary religious, and before !
was born, 1 believe, had dedicated me
to the ministry. 1t was all awful dis.
appointment to him that as grew old.
er showed no sort Of inclination for
tho calling, and when went to college
well, I did not behave as foreor.
dained theoiogue ought, am afraid. ]
was not fast, according to college stand
ards, but was tremendously muscu.
lar fellow, taking to boat and all man.
ner of athletics as naturally as duck
to water.'
"But there was nothing wrong in
that surely?"
1.-THE wrong happened to lie in a
string of broken promises, for my father
looked upon ball and boating as mere
devices of the evil one to encourage
idleness and dissipation, while all secret
societies he hated as much as the devil
is supposed to hate holy water, and SO
with these things l was solemnly pledg.
ed in advance to have nothing to do.
and the pledges were broken"
"But your father was unreasonable
to have made such demands.
81 quieted my conscience by think
ing so, but it did not save me from the
natural way of the transgressor. Prob
ably my father gauged my capacity bet
ter than I, after all, and knew that
could not serve two masters. At all
events, although 1 improved my stroke
to point of which was not little
proud" he went on, with smile that
was not merry, II went home the first
year loaded down with string of con.
ditions which kept me grinding all sum-
mer. That fall l went back all braced
up with good resolutions, determined
to score record as "a dig and nothing
else. I really meant it, but in an evil
hour was persuaded to take an oar i'll
our class crew, and the next thing, al.
other fellow falling out. found myself
pulling stroke and proud Of it. And to
make matters worse it had developed
that was pretty fair pitcher, SO that
I was occasionally called in as substi-
tute OH our class nine, and by this time
pride in my prowess had so chloroform.
ed my conscience that Invent along OH
the principle that 1 might as well be
hung for sheep as for lamb. Ivague.
ly expected a day of reckoning some
time, but it never entered my head that
it could be what it was. With all my
athletic laurels had come pressure to
Join one of the college societies, of
course, and equally, Of course, feeling
that the step was fairly forced upon me,
I chose to join the best. Expenses in
creased, and I was in debt almost be-
fore I knew it-harassed and worried
to death to keep along at the pace, yet
helpless to stop when once I had got
started. Well, came out so low in
scholarship that year tlat I believe
nothing but my athletic record saved
me from being dropped, and when
went home / knew from my fathers
manner that was almost in hopeless
disgrace. And, as if it could not rain
without pour, it happened that our
crew had just won i'll q race-a small
affair, but victory SO unexpected that
we were lauded to the skies, while
one gabbling sheet even went on to
give all all around puff to the boys,
with sketches of our lives, and espe
cially Of our athletic prowess. My
namo figured at the head in large type,
and not q detail was omitted that could
help ruin mo at home. Even my college
society had to appear i'll the tale. OF
course this was the paper which fell
into my fathers hands. He had been
disappointed enough before, but now he
was angrier than had ever imagined
he could be. This explained why I had
nothing but disgrace to show for all the
wastcful and unwarranted expense of
my college life. His son s name blazon-
ed III print as boating man, forever
smirched with the stigma of association
with sporting menl His son convicted
of deliberate lying and swindling! For
haI not stopped to extort money from
him, ostensibly for legitimate expenses,
which had meanly purposed all the
while to use for these disgraceful pur-
suits and pleasures with which I had
been in honor bound to have nothing to
do? His son playing tho role of conf
dence man, thief, against the purse of
his own father! Oh, Miss Ellery, it was
terrible! My father lived such repress-
ed life, his religion seemed to keep him
so bound hand and foot, that it always
appeared when he did let himself 60
that he the more utterly lost control
over himself. In this case he said his
worst, and then I left the house. He
said that he never wished to see my
face again, and he never has," sob in
his voice as he turned his face away.
"But he did not mean it-surely he
could mott" she cried, her cheeks aflame.
He said it," his lips shutting dog
gedly together.
"But your mother?"
"My mother died when l was II
years, old. If she had lived, might
have been a better fellow"
"But did not your father retract his
cruel words when once his anger was
over? Was he not willing to give you
| IL