The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1908-10-09
Pa 8 sing the
Rapids.


the age OF sleds and skates and the
ball age. At fourteen to fifteen mos
boys begin to consider costume, com
mencing with their cravats. This tn
| terest develops till at seventeen all
their clothes must be especially to
their liking. AT this time. too. they
usually begin to take notice of girls,
| 1 have always considered that young
| men are made or marred by the mar
riage they make. \ wife with plenty
! of common sense is n great help to n
man; frivolous, empty headed one
| may be his ruin. therefore BEGAN to
| watch my son, Harry, as soon as h
| arrived at the girl noticing age with
| all mothers solicitude. confess,
| however, that l was led to do so by
discovery. When about to send one OF
his suits out to be ironed emptied
| his pockets. From the left upper vest
pocket / took out Il piece OF blue rib.
| bon.
l received shock not less intense
than that experienced by n woman on
discovering q letter to her husband
from rival. though not Of the same
na ture. That my boy had entered the
rapids had proof positive Would he
te swamped, or would he sail into a
snug harbor? Did the ribbon indicate
real case. or was 1t merely sporadic?
My friend, Ruth Pennington, had
| daughter, Grace, fifteen years old
Mrs. Pennington and had often
l1ughingly talked of how nice it would
| Tn ND ha,
make Il match OF course we did not
seriously expect It, Matches between
the children oe old friends seldom come
about We simply would have liked it.
Ruth came in while | was mcditatinS
over the discovery of the ribbon She
remarked that | looked like Robinson
Crusoe when he first saw n footprint
in the sand. | told her all. and we
talked the matter over. Unfortunately
we got to discussing n case wherein
the son of a friend OF ours had mar.
ricd chorus girl then had gone &c his
mother and asked her TO help him yet
RID of his wife. This was followed by
citing case wherein the daughter Of
an acquaintance had run away with a
coachman. BY the time our interview
ended we had worked ourselves into Z
state of dreadful pessimism
am ashamed to confess that after
this | searched Harry's pockets at in
tcrvals for clewS. made but one dis
covery, but 1t was enough-a little
lock of hair, ring formed folded in
Bit OF paper was so frightened nj
this portcntous sign that resolved 70
go TO Harry and demand the name OF
~ of31 rn no
Ing him into u trap But after due
| thought | decided that II would noe do
for me TO admit that | had gained
| knowledge Of his treasure surrepti-
tiously. Besides, such affairs thrive on
opposition. So l kept the secret
One day Ruth Pennington came to
me to tell me that she was having the
| same trouble with Grace that was
having with Harry. She had caught
Grace standing before the fireplace
| looking at card photograph AS the
| mother entered Grace turned red Us &
| rose and threw the photograph into the
| fire, where ii was burned before the
mother could get glimpse of the face.
Nothing could induce the child to tell
who was the original of the likeness.
Il only wish it was Uarry's" | said
No such luck" Ruth replied "She
| and Harry seldom see each other. and
when once twitted Grace about him
| she said he was horrid"
For an hour we discussed different
plans. Ruth considered taking Grace
abroad and putting her Mt school there.
but the plan was impracticablc /
thought of sending Harry to Il distant
h,N.1 IL 1fr.yr
college the next year. ana it would be
pity to break in upon his preparatory
course.
After this Ruth ana / were used to
comparing notes frequently. She could |
not discover any more clewa in the |
case of her daughter. but | came upon |
them often in the case OF my son. Ruth |
and l agreed that our sex was moro !
adept In conccaling such matters than |
men However, aothiug definite oc- |
Cured in either case and at last wo |
began 10 be luiicd 10 better feeling
one day Ruth came To me IN Il high |
state of excitement and told me that |
she had discovered n bundle of love |
letters in Grace's possession. But they |
gave her no information rs to the iacn. |
tity of the lover. for they we're ali |
written on 4 type machine and un- |
signed. WHO would suspect such Gun !
ming in those so yolng?" said Ruth. |
"Hu; l fear the man may be much |
Older than Grace. Oh, heavens. SUP. |
pose she has been fascinated ,v an
actor. / told her that we should sail i'm
one week for Europe She turned pale
| shall watch her carefully lest she
clopr with him"
Two days after this. when I went TO
Harry'S room to call him. NJ usual
was terrified not to find him there. nor
had his bed been slept in rushed
over TO Ruth Pennington 10 tell her of
MY trouble and found her in the sm.c
coalition as myself Her little bird
too, had flown. Then We looked If
each other, something dawning on the
face Of each
81 wonder!" l gaspcd.
And ] wonder, tooH' gnspcd Ruth
Gould they have
Gould they"
There was ring at the door-nnd u
telegram Ruth broke it open ana read:
May come home md he fcrg3vcno