Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-03-24

wife an "et tn, Brute" look and open
ed his battery without the preliminary
Of curt challenge.
"Now. see here, Matilda! Have you
gone over to the enemy"
"Gone over to the enemy? Which
enemy, John Govan" She smoothed
the white bands Of hair on her temples
nervously. John had such a dreadful
ly incisive pair Of eyes. He was using
them just then as he used that sharp.
shining probe among his surgical in
StrumentS.
"Well, l should say pretty much all
Vaudeville stood for the enemy at this
juncture. and should be sorry to see
my wife aligning herself with them
and sitting in Judgment upon man
who has never committed one overt act
that man or woman could point to and
say, That Is wrong"
"Well, but, john
"Let me have the floor little while
longer, if you please. my dear. really
feel as If Matthews needed friend, a
champion, If you choose. / will say to
you in strict confidence l don't think
he will be here many years longer"
@What, John? Oh, that poor girlr
"Of course this is for no ear but
yours"
81 have been a doctors wife 80 years.
John"
"And better one never doctor had
An air kiss was floated from the doc
tors mature fingers to bring smile
to Matilda's mature lips.
"But about Mr.. Matthews"
"Yes, about Matthew'S believe he
Is not unaware Of the hostile attitude
some of his old neighbors have as
sumed. Not all Of them. The solid
men Of this community. the men who
do their own thinking and can look at
a subject all around. see Matthews rs
I do. q shrewd, close mouthed business
man, with one object. and only one. In
life"
"Olivia."
"Precisely-Olivia. | doubt if there's
any man in Melton county who knows
Matthews as we'll rs do. knew him
before his shell developed. knew him
when he was in love with Lucetta
Broxton and looked forward to marry
ing her. Matthews was all right then.
He was changed by her death into a
SILENT almost moroSe, man. He was a
20 ;rl, 6oroto1 buchopd to olivia C
mother. but nothing has ever come be-
tween him and his first love. All the
pent up forces Of his nature have eX-
pended themselves on this girl. He
has slaved to make her rich. He would
die to make her happy"
Mrs. Govan moved reStleSsly in her
chair. John really was not telling her
a single thing she did not know a.
ready.
"Yes; but. John. nobody has-that is.
nobody should'-
She started and opened her mild blue
eyes to their widest extent. John was
positively pounding the arms Of his
chair with his clinched fist.
IL say ii is an inhuman shame to
damn Matthews because Tom BroX-
tons property has deprecated and his
fathers investments turned out badly.
Are Broxton's riches the first that ever
took wings to themselves? And be-
cause. by close attention to his bus-
ness. Matthews has amassed a little
bit bigger pile than the common run
Of Melton county attorneys the wise
ones Of the earth have added two and
two together, with malicious chuck
lings, and decided that Matthews is q
scoundrel Of the blacklist shade"
"All the same, it Is great pity that
all of his papers are burned" said
Mrs. Govan quietly.
"An awful pity" the doctor replied
solemnly. 81 do believe that 1t is the
loss of those papers which has preyed
on Matthews mind until he is almost
ready to take to his bed. You see. all
of his vouchers as Tom Broxton's
guardian went up IN that fire."
"But Tom
"Oh. Tom is all right! Matthews
showed me letter he got from him in
answer to the announcement that all
the papers were gone. He is grand
fellow. Rufus BroXtons own son."
81 wish | could have seen it."
"Oh. it was short! But it had point
to it-by Jove, it had! do not sup
pose could repeat it verbatim, but
| could give you the sense Of it."
TRY, John, just to give me the sense
of it. do so want to hear how the
dear boy took it. don't mean about
the fire. but about his losses. He Is
so young"
The old man threw back his head
with an air Of pride in the son Of his
old friend.
"Ie took it grandly. could not
help thinking. when | was reading that
letter. how proud it would have made
Rufus. He said he did not suppose
he was the first man who had met with
disappointments just as great on the
threshold Of life; that the blow was
softened in his case by the reflection
that no one would suffer by his losses
but himself; that if he could not pro-
vide for his individual wants the mon
ey expended on his education had been
poorly placed. AS it was not at oil
~. g.,