The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-24
CHAPTER Viii.
The Ghost Of Romance.

The Ghost Of Romance.
Van Vechten's admission was ac-
cepted by Mr. Flint quite as matter
of course; as if he would have been
exceedingly surprised if the young
man had identified the lady Of the taxi
cab with some other entirely different
person. Said he:
Il shall sketch briefly as much or
the Schuyler-Bonner history as. have
learned; then, Mr.. Van Vechten. you
will see what want to know.
I'm the seventies and early eighties,
Compton Schuyler was prominent
figure, a man of affairs, in the New
York commercial world, and as for
tunes went in those days, wealthy
man. Besides, he was of the old Dutch
stock; his home was center OF the
fashionable life of the city. Two beau
tiful, charming daughters greatly en-
HANGED this attraction SO that the
name was really better known socially
than in business way. At that period
his home was looked upon as man
sion, and that young man who stood
in the family's good graces counted
himself fortunate indeed.
1T was only an inevitable conse-
quence that the two Schuyler sisters
carried a long string of suitors In
their train, they were social favorites
and enjoyed the supremacy which for
several years discouraged all idea of
matrimony.
Then conditions began to change.
One misfortune followed another so
that in a remarkably short time the
family sank into comparative obscur-
ity, and, in the cruel way society has
of giving her erstwhile favorites the
cold shoulder, speedily forgotten.
First, through a series of bad in
vestments, Schuyler lost the bulk of
his fortune. A few months previously
Josephine had married against her
fathers consent, and her husband,
Percy Devereaux, showed the sort of
specimen he was by promptly desert
ing her when the loss became known.
Next, Mrs. Schuyler died suddenly.
Hope of rehabilitating the family
and of recoupirg its dwindllng for
tunes was now all centered in the re-
naming sister-Eenrietta Among her
suitors was one young man who was
not only her social equal, but heir to
one of the largest fortunes in the
world. Every mother in New York
with a manageable daughter, to say
nothing of many specially in
Lngland-had marked this young man
for her legitimate prey; but he loved
Henrietta Schuyler and was so de-
voted and open in his preference that
the matrimonial schemers were one
and all discouraged.
"But with all his wealth and superior
position, the course of true love did
not run smooth for Temple Bonner.
The facts would make a plot for a
novel; There was yet another young
man among those who came acquiring
at the old brownstone mansion, but
one vastly different in many respects
from Bonner. This mans name was
Willard-Max Willard"
I've heard the NAME" muttered Van
Vechten.
1T was an irony of Fate" pursued
Mr.. Flint, that Bonner and Willard
should not only be friends, but the
closest sort of intimacy existed be-
tween them, a genuine Damon and
| Pythias attachment.
willard lacked about every ad-
vantage possessed by his rival; he
was poor, unattractive in appearance,
and had many peculiar traits which
made enemies where Templer Bonner
won friends. He was regarded as a
| -; hn
never make his mark. However, he
must have possessed some unusual
quality, because Temple Bonner had
| implicit faith in him-believed that he
was a genius of some sort; but it was
characteristic of Willard that he would
accept no assistance from his more
| fortunate rival.
| Bonner, it would seem. felt his oWT
position keenly. He realized that his
friend was almost overwhelmingly
handicapped, and as we'll as can piece
out from what actually happened, he
withdrew temporarily from the field
and gave Max Willard every oppor-
| tunity to advance his suit. | suppose
| the idea was, that if Willard was sue
| cessful, Bonner would abide by the
consequences; if not, then Willard
was to stand aside and give Bonner
his chance. Much Of this is guess
work; it is hard to arrive at the truth
at this late day: but certain circum
stances exist which indicate that what
l am telling you is what actually hap
pened.
| 1T would appear from the seque
| that Max Willard had been the favored
one all along. Temple Bonner went
abroad; within two months Willard
| and Miss Henrietta had eloped and
| were married; within ten minutes aft
er he received news of the runaway
wedding Compton Schuyler had blown
out his brains.
There are the naked facts.
Temple Bonner never returned tt
America, and Max Willard, instead OF
| iustifying his friends confidence In