Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-05-22
THE FITTEST SURVIVES
BY j. III. CONNELLY.

her drawing, and he comprehended that
silence was the price she had to pay for
being present
After a moments silence Mrs Hall
resumed:
IT shall require Of you that you cease
your attentions to my daughter and OF
her that she no longer receive them. "
Excuse me, but presume you will
favor me with what you deem your
good reasons for such requirement,
which is not at all in accordance with
my purposes. I believe you will find 1t
difficult to establish any valid objections
to me upon the grounds Of my present
means for supporting wife, my pros
poets in life or my personal character. "
"Addie has told me much about you,
and making all due allowance for the
unintentional e1aggeration natural un-
der the circumstances I have no doubt
you are very good sort Of young man,
as young men nowadays go, and to
some girls would be an eligible person.
My objections are not to you personally.
I simply have other plans for my daugh-
ter. Courtship and marriage are not for
her-not at least until sacred duty has
been discharged-and will not allow
you or any other man to make in her
mind love paramount to that sacred
duty"
IA sacred dutyr' echoed John La
than questioningly, looking sharply at
his intended mother-in-law and begin
ming to doubt If her head was quite
right
eyes The righting Of great wrong
the rehabilitation Of an honored name,
dragged by foul treachery into the mire
of mems contempt; the punishment OF
heartless scoundrel, and the recovery
Of stolen fortune that the thief has for
many long years enjoyed in triumph"
"a big contract" thought John,
(Which would probably be handled best
at Bloomingdale. "
It twas not unreasonable that he should
doubt her sanity, even had her words
seemed less wild, for in the excitement
of giving expression to her absorbing
thought her eyes. blazed, color mounted
to her cheeks, and her voice grew loud
and shrill. Moreover, he noticed that
the girl, instead of working, was covert
ly but intently watching her, with a
/ look that he interpreted to mean anxiety.
"That you may not think, - the widow
went on, "my words are only vapor
from the feverish imaginings of an over
heated brain, I am going to tell you
briefly the story. When have done so,
you will comprehend why the decision
I have announced to you must be final
Eighteen years ago, when Addie
was an infant in her cradle, her father
was well to do merchant here in New
York, with a substantial capital, a
flourishing business and all unblemished
reputation. Before she could speak his
name he was bankrupt in purse and
honor, and in six months more he was
dead. He died of pneumonia, the doc
tors said, but knew he died Of broken
heart, the victim of foul treachery and
unmerited disgrace. And all the i'll that
came to him was the work Of trusted
friend"
John Latham uttered an exclamation
Of indignant surprise, for he felt that
she was telling but the horrible truth.
For a moment the furious energy Of her
speech was checked, and her lips moved
in silence, as if she were uttering an
inaudible prayer or more probably voic-
ing in her soul an execration upon the
dead mans faithless friend Then, with
sigh and passing her hand wearily
across her brow, she continued in some
what calmer tone:
my husband was not altogether free
from blame legally in the transaction
which afforded the opportunity for his
ruin, but I, who knew his heart and all
the circumstances Of his action, know
that no shadow Of dishonest purpose
ever entered his mind He had become
security in a large amount for man
with whom he had business relations,
and there was every reason to believe
that that man would not be able to meet
his obligations when they fell due.
Knowing that the holder Of the notes
was an avaricious, hard and merciless
man, who would grant no time and
would not scruple to prosecute the in
dorser at once and sell him out in or
der to seize upon all the law would give
him, my husband temporarily put al
most all he possessed into the hands OF
one who had been his most intimate and
trusted friend from boyhood.
"In order to guard against question
of the apparent validity Of the transfer,
it was made to appear that he had part
ed with everything in exchange for
some stocks which were well under
stood to be absolutely valueless. By
this means, it was thought, delay would
be compelled and time gained to enable
the drawer of the notes to realize upon
certain property he held and to pay his
debts. After which it was understood,
and even stipulated between them in a
secret writing, that my husband and
his friend should retransfer the property
and the valueless stocks Thus no one
would have been injured or have suf-
fered even a small loss But when the
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