The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-01-20

rather heard OF II and there was a
terrible scene. ye.fries, Sr., went i'm.
medlately to New Haven and there
followed a stormy interview in which
howard promised to reform, but once
the parents back was turned things
= went on pretty much as before. There
were fresh scandals the smoke cof
which reached as far as New York.
This time Mr.. Jeffries tried the nlan
or cutting down the money supply and
Howard found himself financially EN-
oarrassed. But this had not quite
the effect desired by the father. for,
rendered desperate by his inability
to secure funds with which to carry
ION his sprees, the young man started
IN to gamble heavily, giving notes fur
his losses and pocketing the ready
money when he won.
Then came the supreme scandal
which turned his fathers heart te
steel. Jeffries, Sr., could forgive much
IN young man. He had been young
himself once. None knew better than
ne how difficult IL Is when the blood
s rich and red to keep oneself in
control. But there was one offence
winch man proud of his descent
could not condone. He would never
forgive the staining of the family
name by degrading marriage. The
news came to the unhappy father like
a thunder-clap. Howard. probably in
q drunken spree, had married secretly
waatress employed In one of the
.porty" restaurants in New Haven.
anu to make the mesalliance worse.
the girl was not even of respectable
parents. Her father, Billy Delmore,
the pooiroom king, was a notorious
gambler and had died in convict
stripes. Fine sensation that for the
yellow press. Bankers Son Weds
Convict's Daughter" So ran the
scare heads" in the newspapers.
That was the last straw for Mr.. JEFF
ries. Sr. He sternly told his son that
he never wanted to look upon his face
again. Howard bowed his head to
the decree and he had never seen his
father since.
All this the young man was review
Ing In his mind when suddenly his re-
hections were disturbed by a friendly
hail
Hello. Jeffries, old sport! Don't
you know a fellow frat when you see
him?"
He looked up. A young man of
athletic build. with a pleasant, frank
face. was standing at the news stand
under the Park place elevated station.
Quickly Howard extended his hand.
Hello. Coxe!" he exclaimed. What
on earth are you doing in New York?
Whoever would have expected to
meet you in this bowling wilderness?
How's everything at Yale?'
The athlete grinned.
yale be hanged! / don't care q
d.. You know graduated last June.
I'm IN business now-:n a brokers' of.
hce in Wall street Say, it's great!
We had semi-panic last week. Prices
went to the devil Stocks broke 20
points. You should have seen the ex.
element on the exchange floor. Our
football rushes were nothing to 1t.
tell you, It's great. It's got college
beaten to a frSzzle!" Quickly he
added: What are you doing?"
Howard averted his eyes and hung
his head.
Nothing" he answered gloomily.
Coke had quickly taken note of his
former classmates shabby appear.
ance. He had also heard of his es-
capades.
Didn't you hear?" muttered How
ard. Row with governor, marriage
and all that sort of thing? OF
course" he went on. fathers damn
ably unjust. actuated by absurd pre-
judice. Annie's a good girl and q
good wife. no matter what her father
was. D--n it, this Is free country!
A man can marry whom he likes. All
these ideas about family pride and
family honor are old world notions,
foreign to this soil. Tm not going
to give up Annie to please any one.
I'm as fond of her now as ever. l
haven't regretted moment that
married her. OF course, it has been
hard. Father at once shut down
money supplies, making my further
stay at Yale impossible, and I was
forced to come to New York to seek
employment. We've managed to fix
up small fiat in Harlem and now,
like Micawber I'm waiting for some.
thing to turn up"
Coke nodded alphabetically.
Come and have a drink" he said
cheerily
Howard hesitated. Once more he
remembered his promise to Annie. but
as long as he had broken 1t once he
would get no credit for refusing now.
He was horribly thirsty and de-
pressed. Another drink would cheer
him up. 1t seemed even wicked to
decline when 1t wouldn't cost him