Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-09-16
CHAPTER XXVI.


in Atlanta. 1t was the gaia
week Of the year. Every town and
city in the south sent its official repre-
sentatives and its maids Of honor.
The hotels were crowded and the streets
thronged with an incongruous multi
tude wearing badges Of ribbon. South
ern generals and their wives and daugh'
tiers were holding gay receptions. EV-
erybody was welcome; hands were e4-
tended to people from the north as we'll
as from the south. Shouts filled the
air when the carriage Of an ex-Confed'
crate officer passed through the streets.
The bands played Dixie" Men.
SCARED and MANNED, stood on the street
corners and in the bars and hotels and
told war stories and sang the praises
of Robert E. Lee and Stonewall jack
son. All was mirth and good feeling.
From the public buildings. the clubs
hotels and carriages foated the Amer
lean flag. 1t hung everywhere, but IT
was never applauded and yet never
hissed. 1t was beautiful to look upon
and stood for peace. patriotism ana
prosperity. The southerners would
have admitted this. and yet there was
another beauty dearer to their weary
memory-a beauty for which they had
fought grimly and lost.
Mrs. Cranston, Lydia and Kitty Co.'S
by were visiting the Dunleighs, Vir-
ginia family who lived in one OF the
best houses in Peachtree street. George
Buckley was in the city, but he had
gone only to attend to the work OF In
specting the books OF broker VINO
handled considerable grain and cotton
for the Darley house.
The broker, Mr.. Harry Stone, was a
young man Of high social standing in
Atlanta, and he had formed strong
friendship for George and extended the
hospitality Of the best club in the place
to him and offered to introduce him
to his friends, but George refrained
from accepting. He was too fine
man to feel at ease In general society
80 early after his fathers disgrace. and
Stone understood this and did not press
those things upon him,
81 see you've got some stunning girls
I'D your way" Stone remarked as
George sat at desk in the corner OF
the room checking up" the books.
"It's reported down here that our gov
ernor runs up that way every chance
he gets"
Eyes. they are all right" Buckley an
swered briefly.
"She's Miss Cranston, l under
stand" ran on Stone. give heard my
grandmother speak about the family
In Virginia. She's visiting the Dun
leighs, and guess I'll meet her while
she's here. You know her, Of course"
"Yes, we are friends" George said
simply.
"I've never seen her." said the
broker, "but, judging from her picture,
she must be good looking. However,
one can't tell about that. The pictures
in the newspapers are always bad"
"In the newspapers?" said George. In
surprise.
"Why, yes; it's in both the papers
today, along with an account Of the
reception the governor Is giving to her
and her party at the mansion tonight.
It's to be awfully swell. I'm not 60
ing. In fact, he and / don't get on.
The truth is belong to little club Of
young Americans that tried to snow
him under in the last election, but we
got left. He had too big pull with
the ring. He used to be civil to me,
but he snarls like possum when we
meet now. He can't forget an injury.
Did you ever see him?"
"Oh, yes" said George. Hes been
up our way often"
"Oh, Of course; I'd forgotten. They
say he's not been having exactly
smooth sailing up at Darley either, but
It looks little like he's making more
headway now"
How is thatT asked Buckley, his
blood running cold, his heart sinking.
"Why, the reception, you know. That
looks little like she's giving in, don't
you think? But may be dead wrong.
She may want to make that friend of
hers, that Miss Cosby, have a good
time, and the general run Of girls
would consider it sheer madness to
lose a chance like that. Why, it's to
be the chief event Of the reunion. Well,
he's welcome to his glory; 1t won't
last long; he will never get in again."
"You think not?" said George tense
ly.
"No; he'll never be able to pay the
expense Of another campaign. He ruin
ed what little law practice he had
when he went into politics, and now
he's a bankrupt"
"a bankrupt" George exclaimed
"Why, l thought he had unlimited
means"
"In a pigs valise," laughed Stone
81 am intimate with the cashier Of q
certain bank in this town and I had
It straight that Telfares got up the last
bit Of collateral he can raise for money
be can't repay. Why, he had to beg
the bank for little raise to give this
reception. Do you know, suspected
he was trying to marry for money
May / ask if this Miss Cranston is ar
heiress?'
"She's an only child" said Buckley
reluctant to continue the conversation
further. "and her father is fairly well
off,"
Perhaps" said Stone. "he's really
daft about her"
'That must be it." George replied