Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-03-07
Tom laughed again.

Tom laughed again.
81 am afraid that after tonight, sir,
the world will decline your definition.
The chrysalis never reverts to the
grub"
Mr.. Matthews waved his hand i'm
pcriously. I'VE were speaking Of your
self, Thomas. Olivia has occupied our
attention to the exclusion Of more I'm
rortant things. l presume you return
to college tomorrow"
"No, sir. That would get me back
to my rooms on Friday. My leave Of
absence permits me to spend Sunday
at home"
"Oh. it does"'
"Yes, sir" He was not unmindful OF
the uncordial acceptance the idea met
with.
"Well, then, there Is more time for
talking over affairs than l expected.
Now that you are here we may as well
discuss several projects which I have
on foot for your beneflt-Broxton Hall,
for instance. Westover has taken
great fancy to 1t. That was one Of my
objects in holding the fete here. The
old place put Its best foot foremost to-
night. Westover wants a house just
this size. Now that his daughter Jeanne
Is In society they will be wanting to
entertain a good deal, presume. he
Is charmed with the place"
Tom flushed hotly.
"Of course. sir, you told him that
Broxton was not In the market"
"No, my dear boy. told him moth
ing of the kind. 1t would have been
most Ill advised. have made 1t rule
in life never to slam door In q mans
face unless am quite sure am on the
right side of It,"
81 hope you would not advise me to
sell the old place, Mr.. Matthews. l
might lease 1t for q time. expect to
make my own home here. I expect to
bring my wife here. have never
thought Of any other place as home"
LEASED property runs to the devil
fast enough, Tom. Broxton Is need
lessly large and expensive establish
ment for solitary young gentleman.
"But perhaps l shall not always be
solitary, sir. Men marry, you know"
This with q wistful smile and look
that seemed to appeal for comprehen-
sion. But his guardian knew well how
to harden his heart In the day Of provo
cation. This attachment Of the boy to
the old homestead had come to him as
a disagrceable surprise. He braced
himself against the shock Of 1t.
"Yes, men do marry; boys, not often
sensible ones. that Is. Matrimony Is
q remote factor in your affairs as yet,
far more remote and uncertain than
the depreciation Of real estate in this
county and the rapid decay Of this
property. But we will not agitate that
point further at present"
THANK you, SIR" said Tom CRATE
fully. He was only too glad not to
put himself In fencing posture at once.
His guardian resumed blandly. 81
have devoted every moment Of my
rare leisure hours, Thomas, to mapping
out plan Of travel for you. In point
Of fact, 1t Is a resurrected map, one
that your dear father and I drew to-
gether. You will recognize his mar
ginal notes. We had planned to go
over the very ground I want you to
take and after a year Of travel to To-
cate in some quiet German town for
another year Of supplemental study
and reading. was looking at the old
map only last week. am sure 1t
would please my dear friend Rufus to
have his son carry out our itinerary"
"Why did he not go-you, / meanT
said Tom, politely including the lawyer
in his eager desire to at last hear
something Of his fathers boyish days.
"Women got in the way. We both
fell In love, l with your dear Aunt
Lucetta, your father with your mother.
So you see, my boy" with benignant
smile, chow necessary it Is for me to
guard against a similar catastrophe