Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-05-12
A DEAL ON CHANGE.
By ROBERT BARR.
[Copyrisht, 1896, by the Author.]


brac. The darkness enabled the hadt
blinded visitor coming in out OF the
bright light to knock over gracefully a
5000 vase that had come from Japan to
meet disaster in New York.
In a corner of the room was seated in
a deep and luxurious armchair most
beautiful woman. She was the wife OF
the son Of the richest man in America.
She was young. Her husband was de-
votedly fond of her. She was mistress OF
a palace. Anything that money could
buy was hers did she but express the
wish. But she was weeping softly and
had just made up her mind that she
was the most miserable creature in all
the land.
If stranger had entered the room,
he would first have been impressed by
the fact that he was looking at the pref
tiest woman he had ever seen; then he
would have been haunted by the idea
that he had met her somewhere before.
If he were a man moving in artistic
circles, he might, perhaps, remember
that he had seen her face looking down
at him from various canvases in picture
exhibitions, and unless he were stran-
ger to the gossip Of the country be could
hardly help recollecting the dreadful
fuss the papers made, as if it were any
business of theirs, when young Ed Druoe
married the artists model, celebrated
for her loveliness.
Every one has read the story Of that
marriage. Goodness knows, the papers
made the most of it, as is their custom.
Young Ed, who knew much more OF
the world than did his father, expected
stern opposition, and, knowing the un-
limited power unlimited wealth gave to
the old man, he did not risk all inter
view with his parent, but eloped with
the girl. The first inkling old man
Druce had of the affair was from viv.
id, sensational account of the runaway
in an evening paper. He was pictured
in the paper as an implacable father,
who was at that moment searching for
the elopers with shotgun. Old Druce
had been too often the central figure OF
q journalistic sensation to mind what
the sheet said. He promptly telegraphed
all over the country, and, getting into
communication with his son, asked him
electrically as favor to bring his
young wife home, and not make fool
of himself. So the truant pair, much
relieved, came back to New Yori.
Old Druce was taciturn man, even
with his only son. He wondered at first
that the boy should have so misjudged
him as to suppose he would raise objec-
tions, no matter whom the lad wished
to marry. He was bewildered rather
than enlightened when Ed told him he
feared opposition because the girl was
Door. What difference on earth did that
make? Had he not money enough for
all of them? If not, was there any trou-
BILE in adding to their store? Were there
not railroads to be wrecked, stockhold-
ers to be fleeced, Wall street lambs to
he shorn? Surely man married to
please himself, ami not to make money.
Ed assured the old man that cases had
been known where suspicion of mer-
cenary motives had lowered around a
matrimonial alliance, but Druce ex.
pressed the utmost contempt for such a
state of things.
At first Ella had been rather afraid
of her silent fathcr-in-law, whose very
name made hundreds tremble and thou
sands curse but she soon discovered
that the old man actually stood in awe
of her, and that his apparent brusque-
ness was the mere awkwa"dness he felt
when in her presence. He was anxious
to please her and worried himself Won
dering whether there was anything she
wanted.
One day he fumblingly dropped
check for 100000 in her lap, and,
with some nervous confusion, asked her
to run out, like a good girl, and buy
herself something If that wasn't
enough she was to call OH him for more.
The girl sprang from her chair and
threw her arms around his neck, much
to the old mans embarrassment, who
was not accustomed to such situation.
She kissed him in spite of himself, al.
lowing the check to futter to the floor,
the most valuable bit Of paper floating
around loose in America that day.
When he reached his Office he sur.
prised his son. He shook his fist in the
young fellows face and said sternly:
IF you ever say cross word to that
little girl, III do what I've never done
yet. I'll thrash you. "
The young man laughed.
"All right, father. I'll deserve q
thrashing in that case
The old man became almost genial
whenever he thought of his pretty
daughter-in-law. my little girl" be
always called her. At first Wall street
men said old Druce was getting into his
dotage, but when a nip came i'll the
market and they found that, as usual,
the old man was on the right side of the
fence, they were compelled reluctantly
to admit, with emptier pockets, tha
the dotage had not yet interfered witt
the financial corner of old Druce's mind
AS young Mrs. Druce sat disconsolate
ly in her drawing room the curtain
parted gently, and her father in-law en-
tered stealthily, as if he were thief
which indeed he was, and the yer.
greatest of them. Druce had small
shifty, piercing eyes that peered ou
from under his gray bushy eyebrows lik'
wo steel sparks. He never seemed q
te looking directly at any one, and hi
eyes somehow gave you the idea tina
they were trying to glance back owe
his shoulder as if he feared pursuit