The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-08-25

| pioSS'S "a tnat part OF the town. 1t
was there she was born, in it's quaint
old parlor she was married, and all her
girlhood, her brief welded life and her
widowhood were connected with It.
Mrs. Gray and Montgomery's mother
mad been 'schoolmates and playmates,
and their friendship endured When
old Edwin Peter Brewster looked about
for place to house his orphaned grand
son. Mrs. Gray begged him to let her
care for the little fellow. He was three
years older thnn her Margaret, and the
children grew up as brother and sis
ter. Mr. Brfwster was generous I'm
! providing for the boy. While he was
away at college, spending money in a
manner thatscaused the Old gentleman
to marvel at his own liberality. Mrs.
Gray wfls well paid for the unused but
well kept apartments, and there never
was a plpranllr of compla.et from Ell
win Peter Brewster. He was hard, but
he was not nicTardly.
| 1t had been something of n struggle
, for Mrs. Gray to make both ends meet
i The property in Fortieth street WAS
: her only possession. But little money
: had come to her ut her husbands
ccath,- andfa unfortunate speculation
!, of his lad swept away all that hal
fallen ofher from her father, tho late
Judge Merriweather. For years she
Kept The old home unincumbercd.
teaching French. and English until
Margaret Was we'll into her teens. Tho
girl was sent to one of the good oil
boarding sshools on the hudson. and
came out 3well' prepared to help her
mother in the battle to keep the wolf
down and appearances up. Margaret
was r1cn III friendships, and pride
alone stood between her and the adj
Vantages tlley offered. Good looking
orlSht and cheerful, she knew no natL-
raj privatlons. With heart as light
ana joyous as a May morning she
faced adversely as though 1t were q
pleasure, and no one would have sus-
pected that even for a moment her
courage wayercd.
Now that Brewster had come into
his splendid fortune he could conceive
no greater delight than to share it
with them. To walk into the little
drawing room and sereneiy lay largo
sums before them as their own seemed
such a natural proceeding that he re-
fused to see an obstacle. But he knew
1t was there. The proffer of such a
gift to Mrs. Gray would mean
wound to the pride Inherited from
naughty generations of men sufficient
unto themselves. There was n small
out Troublesome mortgage on the
mouse, matter of two OF three thou
sand dollars, and Brewster tried to
evolve plan by which he could as
sumo the burden without giving deep
and lasting offense. A hundred wild
designs, had come to him. but tbey
We're quickly relegated to the growing
hcap OF subterfuges and preteXts con-
demned by his tenderness for the pride
of these two women who meant SO
much to him.
Leaving the bank. he FASTENED by
ciectfies aSr & to- Fortieth street AMI
) BroadSyss Shd'r 'rhen walked eagerly Off
into the street of the numeral. He had
not-Eet>comc to the point where he felt
like scorning the cars even though
MI OF blink notes was tucked snugly
away In pocket that seemed to swell
With sudden atfiuence. Old Hendrick.
faithful servitor through two genera.
tions was sweeping the autumn leaves
from the sidewalk when MONTGOMERY
came up to the house.
Hello, 1Iendrick!' was the young
mans CHEEKY greeting mice lot of
leaves YOU have there"
'So? ebbed from Iendrick. who did
not even so much as look up from his
work. Hendricll was human clam
Mrs Gray in?"
A grunt that signitied yes.
You're as loquacious as ever, Hen
drick."
A mere nod,
Brewster let himself in with his own
latchkey, threw his hat on n chair and
unceremoniously bolted into the libra
ry Margaret was seated near win
dow. book in her lap. The first evil
dencc OF unbiased friendship he had
seen In days shone in her smile. She
took his hand and said simply, I'VE are
glad to welcome the prodigal to his
home again"
II remind myself more of the fatted
calf"
Her first self consciousness had gone.
Il thought Of that, but didn't dare
say It," she laughed. Zone must be
respectful to rich relatives
Hang your rich relatives, Peggy!
IL thought that this money would
make any difference 1 would give It I'D
this minute"
Nonsense, Monty"' she said. "How
could 1t make a difference? But you
must admit it is rather startling. The
friend Of our youth leaves his humble
dwelling Saturday night with his sal
ary drawn for two weeks ahead. He
returns the following Thursday daz-
cling millionaire"
"Im glad I've begun to dazzle any
way. ! thought 1t might be hard to
look the part"