The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-11-20
A ROMANCE IN STAID OLD CHESTER
Business Men Sign Petition Urging the President to
Hold UP Young Crawfords Commission
The Young Lady Had Bought Her Trousseau But the
Day Which the Wedding Was Set the Groom
Elect Declined to Marry Her.

Down in South Can olina, at one o.
the oldest and most aristocratic town:
in the State, there is sad little love
affair that promises interesting develop
mepts. Indeed, this little romance
which is somewhat in the nature of 6
tragedy OF hearts, has been carried tc
the attention of the War Department
in Washington. Details are now being
awaited, and all kinds of pulls are
being worked TO punish dashing young
army officer for jlting one of the pref
tiest and sweetest girls in the Palmetto
State.
To appreciate this pathetic heart
narrative, the reader will have TO 90
back to the beginning and follow me
through. 1t is touching story, in
which love anu disappointment, court.
ship and final rupture forced poor little
Cupid to bow his head in humiliation
over his failure to unite two young
throbbing hearts, and, In popular par
lance, to ego way back and sit down."
Chester is a quiet little town on the
Seaboard, Southern and Carolina and
Northwestern railroads up in ihe
northwestern part of South Carolina.
1t is drowsy place, where katydids
argue disputed points in big elm trees
on hot summer nights, while young
lovers with that ardor born and nur-
tured by balmy Southern cline ten
derly WOO on broad veraudas where
sways dreamily beneath honeysuokle
vines and rose bowers the proverbial
summer hammock. 1t is very old
town. Its population varies little from
census to census. Few outsiders set
tie there; nobody ever moves away.
It's people are largely descendants of
original settlers, and everybody is akin
to everybody else-a great family, so
to speak, on sufficiently congenial
terms to require no lnvitatio to tea.
Being an old town, it's people are re-
fined, cultured and proud of their line
age. Pure cavalier blue blood flows
through their veins, while the number
of black sheep in most of the leading
families of the place for generations
back can be counted on your tingers.
Chester is picturesque place. Spa
cious old homes, with dingy colonial
appearance, have been handed down
from father TO son. Some of them
have been the scene of famous house
parties, where Cupid invariably camp
ed out for q harvest, and members of
these parties usually looked for we'd
ding announcements shortly after
wards.
In Chester there is delightful social
life. People know who each other are.
The children make mud pies with
each other become sweethearts at an
N
eether and finally wed and settle down
under the shadow of the old family
homes. Thus 1t goes on from year to
year, and Chester remains the same
sleepy, dingy, hospitable little town.
where nobody has much money, but
everybody, having retired on COM
petence, believes in having a good
time socially to-day and letting the
morrow take care of its If.
This is the atmosphere in which
were reared Willie Crawford and Re-
becca Douglass. Each was blessed
with brains, heart, good blood and
refined family influences. Their par
ents were representative Carolininns
and proud as they were cultured.
Crawford was bright lad. He de-
veloped rapidly in mental attainments
and or, w up to be fine-looking youth.
He possessed splendid physique, was
exceedingly handsome, frank, manly
fellow with clear honest eye and a
high open forehead. Everything was
in his favor. He received good edu-
cation and everybody took to him,
When he grew up to manhood he was
popular with the men the girls all
liked him, and it is said he had no diff
ficulty in making his way straight to
their hearts. With women he was gen-
tie, tender, thoughtful, considerate.
He seemed to understand their whims
and vanities and his persuasive manner
and fluent tongue made matters smooth
sailing in love affairs. Had he the in
clination he would have made reck-
less, disastrous firt. He wrote well,
talked well, danced like dream and
had polished manners. In evening
dress he was striking in appearance.
Sti ange young ladies visiting Chester
ard gliding over the ballroom floor
with HIM in ribbon figure at the ger
man could not help gravitating towards
him during the evening. Crawford was
regarded as the catch of the town.
Several nets were set for him by fair
Carolina girls, but he fell in love with
Miss Douglass. She was home girl.
He knew her, and they drifted towards
each other slowly but surely, until they
became necessary to each other's hap.
piness. Many an evening they sat out
ON the veranda planning their future
amid sweet GUNNER silence undis
turbed by anything save the periodical
chirp of lonesome cricket and the
clear note of whip-poor-will, squattine
on q distant field, hours after the gun
ners had gone in.
Days and weeks passed. There wer,
rumors of q marriage in the drows,
little town of Chester, and everybod,
seemed interested in the event. TIL,
young lovers sLrollcd together, gather
ed DAISIES andtried thor fortunes will
the old familiar love-me, love.me. not
along side the railroad track drove To
gether in the afternoons and SAID GOO
night beneath big, weird moon sifl
ing through the honeysuckle VINE O
the creaking old veranda late at nigh
But time came when they had I
part for while, at least. Ambition