Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1902-04-30
|; WI CTS
|. COR ..,R
IN SOCIETY
Copyright. 1901, by w. a. Tee.
by WALTER a. TICE


right 20 look. Even on the Stock Ex-
change, where he had amaSsed n for
tune. he speculated on lines directly
opposed TO current reports.
When he found that Bertram. his
only son, had incurred during his SEN
ior year at college an unconscionable
amount of debt. instead of adopting the
customary parental tactics. he prompt
ly paid the bills aud doubled the young
fellows allowance.
Let the boy have his fun" ne de
clared. This is his last year I'm col
lege. Why. l sowcd n few oats my
self at that age. and look at me nowr
But, when few years later Bcrtram
married Edith Byrnc. 4 favCrite on
the light opera stage. family friends
held their breath and waited for the
deluge Of fatherly wrath Surely
Major Wright. who traced his gCncal-
Ogy TO the Mayflower would never
overlook this, Aristocratic blood. FAM
lily pride and parental affection all
would rebel against the mcsailiaucc.
But again did the majors provcrbial
contrarincSs assert itself. He received
the bride with open arms.
Not so the social SET in which the
Wrights had always moved. ConScrv-
alive In the extreme. with old fashion
ed suspicion Of stage life and stage
people still lurking in their minds. they
declined politely but firmly TO receive
young Mrs. Wright. In spite OF the fact
that the majors wife. now gone TO her
long rest. had been their leader i'm her
day. and the old Wright mansion
favOrite rallying ground before Bcrtram
was born. The new Mrs Wright had
once played boy roles and worm
Here the speakers voice would hc
disereetly lowered. and q feeling Of
general despair over Bertram's pros
poets would settle upon the goSSips.
AS for the major. hc seemed 10 grow
young again I'm the invigorating society
OF his new found daughter. who was
a charming girl and felt genuine af-
lection for the dear old chap. who had
so easily forgiven her FOR winning his
sons love. To make the two mon hap
py became her object i'm life. Their
wishes were first in the household.
and the major became her devoted
slave. TO the extent that the slightest
lack Of attention on the part OF the
atOned for by some delicate litte
courtesy on the part OF the fathcr-in-
law.
"Egad. sir" he would say 90 his old
cronies ut the club, you don't know
my daughter, She's the dearest little
woman In the city. SIR.
And the men who mot her agreed
with Major Wright cordially ana
openly. The women. however. cone
tinued 10 raise their lorguctto~ and
their shoulders when she PASSED by
and carefully refrainod from leaving
cards
The major, Tor the time, was So happy
that he did not notice the social ostra-
cism 10 which the house Of Wright was
being subjected. and the younger mcm-
bers OF the family were too thoughtful
TO bring the condition TO his attcn-
ton. When he finally woke ZIP 90 a
realization Of the situation. hc was
quickly transformed into q mimic v0i-
cano-that is. internally. Outwarlly he
disdained 10 discuss the matter with
any one. least Of all with the two poo-
pie essential TO his happiness. Instead
OF talking he wrote out q handsome
Wright abroad for the summer lie
felt sure some solution OF the problem
would present itself during their alb
sence.
But, alas. the day OF their Lomecom-
ing arrived. and the doughty major
realized that he was no nearer storm
ing the social citadel than when the
young couple had sailed for Europe.
In the society columns Of tie daily pa
pers he had read that Mrs. Edmund
a. Glider was 10 give the first impor-
tnnt social function Of the ensuing sea-
son. dancing party. The Glider ball
room was the pride Of the social world
In which the WrightS had moved. The
elegance OF the entertainment. the ex-
clusiveness OF the invitation list and
the beauty Of the youngest daughter,
who was 10 make her debut on this
great occasion, all furnished material
for newspaper gossip. And Major
Wright sat in his library lingering an
oblong. creamy envelope directed ia
"AIajor Winslow \. Wright" Only
bne Invitation. and Bertram and Der
trans sweet wife would be home that
dayl
He tossed the invitation on his desk
and walked down TO his Office Il storm
Of wrath seething in his warm, loving
heart. Before he settled down TO bust
ness q messenger appeared and handed
him note. with in Haste-DeliveI
Immediately" written across one
corner.
Major Wright tore it open and read il
hurriedly, then again carefully. and
third time. more deliberately than be
fore. These words met his eyes:
Ny Dear Wright-For Gods sake let me lay,
bone c. n. and r.! I'm short about 500 shares
and If don't get them I'm q ruined man. ! vii
pay any price. Make your terms Yours,
EnNCND A. GLIDER.
hwait five minutes in the main Office
then, locking himself in, he though
hard and fast.
For n long time there had been ri
mors on the street that the firm o.
Glider & Son had lost heavily in th'
collapse OF n Belgium syndicate. bu
the Invitations for the ball he'd done
mucn to quiet suspicion. Perhaps n
one besides Major Wright knew jus
how deeply the firm was involved
And now what did this note mean
Glider had evidently contracted to de
liver 800 shares of @. n. and Il. whel
the furry over this stock was on, an
he had found on arriving at the ex
change that corner was being form
ed. He had gone from broker to bro
ker, Offering any price to save hi
L..