The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-05-12
XII.
The Chichesters.


= 4 LAR1C sat on the edge or her
"a chair and put his arm around
~ her shoulder and tried to com
fort her.
-Don't you worry, mater" he said.
~-Ysan't worry. I'll go down and tell
~ssSn what l think Of '~em-exactly b
Il think of 'em. They can't play the
cSssI with me. | should think not. in
.yuaesd. Listen. mater. You've got u
asen. thank God. and one no bank can
,, a.Ehe any liberties with. What we put
~ there we've got to have out. That's
Iii i can say. We've simply got to
;Xha1e it out. There! I've said it."
Akaric rose and. drawing himself up
.7ss his full five feet six inches or man
aapud, glared Indignantly at some imag-
fsnary bank officials. His whole nature
'7Ess reused. The future Of the family
nHesended on him. They would not de-
7a,s,d in vain. He looked at Ethel. who
~aras trying to make the best OF the
EaGsaness by smiling agreeably on them
k%.lssfh.
-Gf's bankrupt" walled Mrs. Chi
- ~&Sfester.
-Fniedw~ suggested Ethel. c%heerfully.
We're beggars." continued the moth
ssr. "a must live on charity for the rest
6 VI nv life. the guest Of relations I've
.Gsszsed the sight Of and who have hated
q, grse. It's dreadful-dreadful"
Al Alaric's first glow OF manly en-
=, 4taansiasm began to cool.
Don't you think we'll get any
HzaingT' By accident he turned to
:;TSdei. She smiled meaninglessly n
-asRa for the first time with any real
.~~aotesf conviction:
~Mothing!"
Aaar4c sat down gloomily beside his
mother.
-y always thought bank directors
'Sssere blighters. Good heavens, what a
.-sMaessi" He looked the picture Of mis-
,4ay. whats to become of Ethel,
s~,.raGer"
-Whoever shelters me must shelter
.-EEshst as WE'LL" replied the mother sad
CHI. But it's hard-at my age-to be-
sheltered"
.Adaric looked at Ethel, AID a feeling
I'D pity came over him. 1t was dis
.-Hnctly to his credit since his own
r :4rangs occupied most Of his attention.
: .But, after all, he could buffet the world
:. End wiring a living out Of It. All he
had to do was to make up his mind
" which walk in life to choose. He was
BoCtunate.
But Ethel. reared from infancy in the
Environment of independence-it would
.s1oozne very hard and bitter IN her.
.Alaric just touched Ethel's hand, and
Ter be said:
Shocking. tough. old girl"
Ethel shook her head almost deter
~lminedly and said somewhat enigmati-
eacally and for her heatedly:
-.NoT"
Nor asked Alaric. "No-whatT"
Charity" said Ethel.
"Cold blooded words" and Alaric
-ashuddered. What will you do, Ethel?'
Work" .
AT what?"
Teach"
Teach? Who in the wide world can
.~-~-you teach?"
"Children."
Alaric laughed mirthlessly. "Oh,
come that's rich! Eth, mater? Fancy
Ethel teaching grubby little brats their
a B C's! Tush!"
-Must!" said Ethel, quite unmoyed.
"a Chichester teachy' said Al6ric,
in disgust
Settled from Ethel, and she swept
Der fingers slowly across the piano.
Every WE'LL" said Alaric determined
", Ill work too"
Mrs. Chichester looked up pleadingly.
Alaric went on: I'll put my hand to
che piow. The more | think Of it the
&faeener I am to begin. From today I'll
Zoe a worklngman."
At this Ethel laughed a queer, little,
add, sulercilious note, summed up in
- single word, "Ha" There was moth
ing mirthful In it There was no re-
Eprooch in it 1t was just an express
sion Of her honest feeling at the bare
suggestion of her brother working.
Alaric turned quickly to her.
"Apd may l ask why that 'Ha!
Why. I ask you? There's nothing |
couldn't do if l were really put to it
-not q single thing Ia there. mater?'