Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1908-12-11

Il ~ ~
RMAl ed the unfinished record
that his race had woven
! into the social fabric Of the metropolis
was merely an automatic matter fol
Selwyn.
| His own people had always been
among the makers Of that fabric Into
part of Its vast and Intricate pattern
they had woven an in,4nspicuously
| honorable record-chronicif of births
aud deaths and marriages. a plain
memorandum of plain living and up
right dealing with their fellny men.
| Some public service of modest nature
they had performed. not seeking It. not
Sinking. accomplishing II cleanly when
it was Entrusted to them.
His forefathers had been. as q rule
professional men-physlcians and law
yers. His grandfather died under the
walls of Chapultepec castle while
twisting tournlQuet for cursing
dragon: an uncle remained indefinitely
at Malvern Hill; an only brother at
Montauk Point sickened 10 the trench
es before Santiago.
His fathers services as division med
icaI officer in Sheridan's cavalry had
been perhaps no more devoted. no more
loyal than the services OF thousands
Of officers and troopers. and bis reward
was pension offer. declined. he prac.
ticed until his wife died. then retired
to his country home, from which house
bis daughter Nina was, married to Aus
tin Gerard
Mr.. Selwyn. ST.. continued to pay his
taxes On his fathers house in Tenth
street. voted in that district. spent
month every year with the Gerards
and judfciousiy enlarged the family
reservation in Greenwood, whittier he
retired IN due time.
The first gun of the Florida keys
sent Selwyn's only brother from his
law Office IN hot haste to San Antonio
That same gun interrupted Selwyn's
connection with Neergard & Co.. op
orators In Long Island real estate, and
a year later the captaincy offered him
In western volunteer regiment oper
ating on the island of Leyte completed
the rupture.
And cow he was back again. q
chance career ended. with option Of
picking up the severed threads-his
inheritance at the loom-and Of rety
ing them. warp and weft. and continu
ing the pattern according to the de-
signs of the tufted, tinted pile yarn
knotted in by his ancestors before
him.
Meanwhile be was looking for two
things-an apartment and job-the
first energetIcally combated by his i'm
mediate family.
1t was rather odd-the scarcity of
Jobs. or course Austin offered him
one. which Selwyn declined at once
engaging bis brother.in-law
"But what do I know about the In
vestment of trust funds3" demanded
SeIwyn. "You wouldn't take me II |
were not your wife's brother. and |
that's nepotism."
Austin's harmless fury ragged for
nearly ten minutes. after which he
cheered up. relighted his cigar and re-
sumed his discussion with Selwyn con.
corning the merits of various boys
schools. the victim in prospective being
Billy.
A little later. reverting to the sub
ject Of bis own enforced idleness, Sci
wyn said. "I've been on the point Of
going to see Neergard. but somehow
can't quite bring myself to it--sllnkina
into his Office as a rank failure In one
profession to ask him II be has any
Use for me again"
"Stuff and fancyy growled Gerard. /.
It's all stuff and fancy about your be-
ng any kind Of failure. If you want
o resume with that Dutchman. go to
him and say so. If you want to invest
lnything In his Long Island schemes
le'll take you In fast enough. he took
n Gerald and some twenty th0nsandv'
isn't be very prosperous. Austin?"
"Very-on paper. Long Island farm
ands and mortgages on Hampton hen
oops are not fragrant propositions to :
ne. But there's always one more way
# making living after you counted
EN- all up on your fingers. II you've I
ny capital to offer Neergard, he wont
hriek for belp."
but isn't suburban property
ION the jump? Yes-both ways. Oh, I
suppose that Neergard is all right. If
e wasn't ! wouldn't have permitted 9
ierald to go into 1t. Neergard sticks to G
Is commissions and doesn't back his
ancy in certified checks. don't know $
xactly how he operates. only know !
hat we find nothing In that sort Of [
hing for our own account But Fame.
harmon & Co. do. That's their affair
DO It's all a matter Of taste, tell c
ou." D
Selwyn reflected: II believe I'd 90
nd see Neergard If We're perfectly .
lre OF my personal sentiments toward q
i'm. He's been civil enough to me, of
curse. but | have always had curl. q
US feeling about Neergard-that he's II
brewer on the edge of doing some.
p
His business reputation Is all right. s.
le shayes the dead line like q safety 8
lzor, but he's never yet cut through y
On principle, however, look out for p
q apple faced Dutchman with a thin
Dse and no lips. Neither Jew, Yankee II
DR. American STANDS any chance In
eal with that type Of flnancler. Per. D
'nally my feeling y this: IL I've got to q
ay games WITH Julius Neergard, I'd "
'efer to be his partner. And SO | told .