The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1914-04-22
CHAPTER X.-Continued.

CHAP EH H.-Contlnueo
"Oh, don't be afraid" he assured
her. II meant exactly what I said to
Higgins"
She sighed with real relief.
II don't mind telling you, Miss Rich
ards, that when I came here yesterday
my intention was to sell this business
and get it off my hands at any price
or sacrifice"
The mere statement Of this evidently
past and gone intention was a shock
to her. He noted, and not without
emotion-mind that: Broadway unmis-
takably was touched-that her face
blanched at the thought of that which
he had definitely decided not to do.
The young man was beginning to
think; he was forming some faint
realization of the fact that his own
troubles were but somewhat unimpor-
tant bubbles in a sea made up OF
everybody's troubles. The thought
was forming in his mind that, while
he had been severely worried about
ways and means for getting luxuries,
these people, here in Jonesville, who
had lived and probably would die with
out aver having heard the anne Of
many Of the things his sybaritic soul
had learned to crave, had felt them
selves confronted by the possibility Of
loss of the necessities.
Indefinitely, but for the first time in
his life at all, he saw how grim the
struggle for a bare existence Is with
the majority; how, although they
strain and strive to their limit of abil-
ity, they never feel quite safe in their
possession Of the means for getting it.
He acknowledged to himself a feeling
of embarrassment as he considered the
undeniable s%elishness Of his previous
existence.
But he frightened visibly, as he
went on. He had learned his lesson
and had learned it thoroughly. 20
Carnegie couldn't buy the plant this
morning" he said simply, IF he Of
fered every dollar he has in the world.
Mr.. Wallace and I sat up talking it
over until two o'clock this morning. I
told him everything you said, and went
over the whole situation with him. I
promised to take his advice, and he's
convinced me that the right thing to
do is to stick right here and put up a
fight for these people, the same as my
uncle did"
Her reserve quite vanished; as is
the way Of women, she took credit for
an intuition which her previous man
ner had not indicated. Where she had
been suspicious of a reason for sus-
picion, she became enthusiastic over
reason for enthusiasm.
II knew you would" she cried. 81
knew knew you would"
She had not known he would; she
had feared, had half believed that he
would not; but that now made not the
slightest difference with her firm be-
lief that she had known he would. Nor
had the fact that Broadway, a short
minute before, had suspected, with
good reason, that she seriously doubt
ed him, any influence whatever on his
deep pleasure when he discovered that
she did not-did not because she could
not, not because she would not.
Men do not think clear to the bottom
of these things. They take what WON
en- give them, when they give them
anything, and are humbly grateful and
surprised because they get a smile
when they deserve one, rather than a
brick when they do not deserve one.
Nothing which the world has ever Of
fered to the gaze Of the philosopher
has been one-half so pitiful as the as