The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-06-14

A this Will cost money, "allS.
eyes. sir. but we can afford it"
Everything" said Mr.. Depdale,
sadly, taking his sons hand, has gone
so smoothly with US, from a worldly
point of view, that I am almost afraid
to communicate bad news to you"
Fearing I might not be strong
enough to bear it?" asked Walter,
cheerfully, ~perceiving how much his
father was in need of sympathy. "Try
me, dad. That is all i can say. Try
me. You are going to contide in me-;
you are going to tell me what it is that
has caused you so much anxiety for
many weeks past. If it is bad news
that affects me as we'll as yourself"
ut is, Wally.,'
ut will make it all the lighter for
both to share it in company. 1t is
keeping a thing secret said Walter,
rumpling his hair, that makes trouble
so much heavier than it really is. Now,
dad, tell me what it is all about, so
that I may take half the load from
your heart. Considering what you have
done for me, how loving and tender
you have been to me since my first
day of remembrance, I ought to take
it all, but that I know your love for
me would not permit you to part with
it all. Now, dad, out with it."
I'm a word, Wally, without explain
ing frst?"
In a word, dad, without any expla-
nation at all till the worst is told"
"Wally, we are ruined"
Walter looked at him with a bright
smile.
lis that all, dad?
II can't imagine worse news than
this which you have taken so lightly.
My boy, you are right; even now my
heart is not as heavy as it was"
"Why, of course it is not; and it shall
be lighter yet. You can't imagine
worse news? My own dear father,
whom 1 love and honor as much as it
is in my own poor power to do, you
might have told me that you were suf-
fering from some incurable disease
which threatened to shorten your days.
That is the greatest grief that could
befan me in connection with you.
Ruined! And that is all! l can't ex-
press to you, dad, how you have re-
lieved my mind"
His arm now was around his fathers
neck, and they were as close together
in body as they we're in heart.
But, Wally, perhaps you don't quite
understand. 1t is no small loss that
has fallen on us. Everything is gone.
We sit together under Gods sky-ah,
my boy! what sweet joy and pain your
caresses give me!-as poor even as Lit
tie Make-Believe and your dear Sar-
anne"
II understand it very well, dad, and
it seems to me to bring us all nearer to
each other. If there existed in Sar-
| anne's mind any uncomfortable feeling
| that she and.I were in some worldly
way not on an equality-though such a
| feeling, I am bound to admit, is more
likely to have disturbed Little Make
Believe than my own dear little girl
and that I was making some sort of
| sacrifice for her, the fact Of our being
no longer rich will help to dispel it and
| set her more at her ease What l have
| to do is to work for US all, and I will
do it. Why, it is not at all unlikely
that this is the most fortunate thing
that could have happened to me. In
stead now of living an indolent, aimless
| life, here suddenly I find an %opportun-
ity forced upon me to show not only
my gratitude to the dearest father son
ever had, but to prove that there is
really something in me worth the
working cut. Holidays! / have had
enough of them to last me all my life.
Of course, my famous scheme of send
ing Saranne to school is blown to the
winds; but what might have been done
at school we will do q thousand times
better at home. Dad, looking at you
with a critical eye, I see that within
these last few minutes you have really
grown very much younger"
II am much happier. my boy, than I
have been for some time past"
And therefore much younger. Now,
dad, tell me how this fortunate piece
of business came about"
1t was soon told.
Mr.. Deepdale's property. consisted OF
shares in certain companies, most of
which paid regular dividends. These
securities he had placed, for safety, in
the hands of his bankers, having moth
ing further to do with them than to
see by his book that the dividends were
regularly credited to his account, and
to pay occasional calls.
Some time since the chief secretary
of this bank suddenly disappeared, and
upon an examination Of his accounts
and of the securities in his charge, it
was discovered hat ne was a defaulter
to the tune Of nearly two hundred
thousand pounds.
His losses had been incurred through
| sp]eculations on the Stock Exchange,
which he had covered from time to
time by using the securities-such OF
them as were available for che purpose
deposited by the customers Of 1he
bank.
Unfortunately, every one of Mr..
Deepdale's bonds were available, and
had been made away with.
To avoid suspicion, the amount due
on coupons and for dividends had been
regularly credited to Mr.. Deepdale's ac-
count.