The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-28
Il HARTyOOD'S GAME.

lord HARDWOOD prlded himself
ron his strength of character. His
ssughters said that he was as obsti-
~ 100 as mule. His neighbors pri-
,.stely r opined that a more pighead-
- elderly gentleman had not beer
.aen on earth in recent times. These
roreall different ways OF saying the
,.ma tbing-that when the noble
s sarl had once made up his mind to q
1srtain course he was more difficult
~ turn than a rusty windlass.
NJ this trait no one should have
,oen better aware than his eldest
X Lord Fawnton, who had had
/ e excellent opportunities of studying
the parental character for quarter
If a century or so. Not the least Gu
ions part of the whole story, how
aver was that it all came as sur
1 mise to him. When he first slipped
pff the narrow line of conduct which
h;s father had marked out for him,
bv implication if not by actual pre-
cent, it had never occurred to him
that this derailment would be more
than temporary episode. 1t would
] be easy enough, he thought, to re-
4 turn at any time to the iron route Of
4 flial obedience and to condone the
I omissions of the past by lavish con-
! formance in the future. A balance
would thereby be struck and the life
Journey continue witholt prejudice,
as the lawyers say, on each side.
Inwhich conclusion he forgot two
important factors-frst, that it is
one thing to return from a husk
] gathering excursion alone, but quite
another to propose to bring with
you fellow passenger, and, second
ly his fathers most salient charac-
teristic.
Now, Lord Fawnton's proposal to
marry Mrs. Sainton interfered dig
]astrously with his parents pet plan.
This was to- unite the lands Of Crock
] Castle to those of HARDWOOD, with
which they marched for miles. by
! the marriage Of his heir to the only
child and heiress Of old George Jar
gontoste, who had made a fabulous
fortune out Of patent floor cloth and
! had sunk portion of it in the pur-
chase of Crock from the Hernbys,
who had owned it for centuries.
When, therefore, Lord Fawnton,
after sowing fair crop of wild oats,
announced his intention of marry
! ins Mrs. Sainton, the widow Of an
Indian officer, who was few years
older than himself and possessed
small pension which would die with
her, Lord HARDWOOD. ex-diplomatist
though he was, few into violent
4 rage.
+ Understand this!' he shouted,
ALMOST foaming at the mouth. "I
I will not hear it. Twill be no party
ito it in any way. IF you marry this
woman, not one Of the family shall
be present at the wedding. will
never receive her. You shal! not
have one penny while I live, and,
Though can't interfere with the en-
tail-worse luck II will leave every
other penny that I possess 20 the
girls. Now you know. and you had
better let her know, too, end see if
She will take you on these terms.
Mrs. Sainton was The typical
femme trente ans. She knew life
and was past mistress in the art Of
managing nic1. India is an excel
lent school in which to pursue these
studies, an2 when one is badly
left" proficiency in them comes in
USEFUL She was undoubtedly hand
some.
When Fawnton explained to her,
pslng certain discretion in style,
the scene which had taken place be-
tween his father and himself, she
aw at once that the position was
7SAaoiueiy serious. 1t demanded the
exercise of far more tact and great
20 command Of strategy than Eawn-
]! ION was capable Of. It was part Of
aer creed that she could get round
3any man il she could only getsat
MN. Therefore ehe was bent OF
winning Lord HARDWOOD over. OF
I course if this programme absolutely
,slied there would be nothing for it
jaut to marry in defiance OF him, and
an the horrid old man persisted in
ms threat OF cutting of szpplies--
3Weii, Fawnton could easily raise
Ia money on his prospects. This would
aSe horribly expensive. especially if
5@e father lived long, and it was not
aSy any means the plan she would
lave preferred. but it was not likely,
mat q she was going to give up such
{ cnance simply to pletse q bad tenn
Med elderly gentleman, or that,
oace married. she would be content
10 remain In poverty when she
|%ght 9 to be living in afiaence.
one did not speak so plainly 10
3.a"nton. She afysoted to be quite
0sescome by his nlesys and bemoan-
.aIhe unhappy fate which made her
i cause Of strife between father and
1T does NOT make d bit az iiifSar.