Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1916-02-24
ARLETTA.

1t WAS on Monday morning IA Au
gust that Miss Backbay climbed lit
brown stone steps to the roonilE:.
house conducted by Mrs. l-dwaF4
Southend in Massachusetts AFenvC.
Boston. Miss Backray was short. stoIi
and sixty, and her face was flushed
and scroWling.
II wish to speak with Mrs. Soul;
end" she snapped at the woman "hc
opened the door. The woman Il Mid
die aged, quiet looking little woman
glanced at the card and said: I'm
Mrs. southend, Miss Backbay; come
this way please"
In the parlor Miss Backbay AMI MIA.
soutbend looked into each others eyes
for a few moments and exchanged Il
silent challenge; then Miss Backbay
leaned forward in her chair ana san:
81 have come Mrs. Southend, to talk
with YOU concerning this-.this affair
between your son and my niece Miss
Arletta Backbay have, as you know,
brought her up, and love her as Ii
she were my own daughter. She is The
last of the Backbays-the BackbayS
Of Backbay. Our family lived on Bel,
con Hill when Boston Common was Il
farming district. The Backbays "e
f.irect-direct descendants Of William
/, King of England-William the Cen
Guelcr."
Mis- Dackbay drew long dec
breath.
Mrs. Southend was silent.
Il have devoted years o. my hEH,'
>!;ss BackbGy continued, ito the ecu
CATO, of 1:ly niece. Nothing has been
SHARED to prepare her for the ms
social position to which, by Ee; g"
ccs;rv alone. she is entitled. l an SC
i. into this bit CT family history Il
,cu viii unGcrstand-so you viii So
this affair from ny viewpoint. h"y:
Icon exceedingly careful in he &clEc
t;nn cs her teachers, her &sSo:!at@:
;.d her servants. Your sen came Il
us we'll recommended by his paste
ard by his former employer. l ha"'
70 fault 10 fird with him GS-G3 1
chauffeur, but as suito2 for tho haE'
Of my niece hc-he is impossible. ~
solutely! The thing is ab"urd. l.
have done what l could to break II
this affair. l have discharged hli.i
But rly niece has defied me. She as
sures me that she loves him and
and will marry him in spite Of every
thing. She is headstrong, self willct
and-and completely bewitched- SHE
has lost all pride-pride in her CT
Gent lineage. Now 1 have come t
YOU to beseech you to use your iEflu
ence With your son. Induce him Il
lea-c tho city-he must leave the Gil:
if only for year. II shall pay
Pardon me, just a moment, Mis-;
Eackbay." Mrs. Southend left t''
room. and in few minutes she\ re
turned carrying large volume, fie
fingers between tic pages. ~
"As 1 listened TO you, Miss B3ck
bay. The thought cane to me Vea%>Eel
chilly that it Is pity-,a great pity
that you could rot have selected Gou
ancestors as you do your scrFan"s-
from the better class of respectable
working people. D;:t, OF course yo'
could rot. You coull, however, try II
live them down-:o2get tlem-:oM<
Of them, GnywaE. Listen TO this biz
graphical sketch % yoCE most fa?2cC
ancestor. IL is fro:l Pee $50 O. til;
'Ercrclopcdia Britannica; william l..
King of Observation-Disclosures the Goa
Gucrcr. born i017 or 1928. lie was liz
bastard son CT robert the Devil, Duke
O. Normandy, by Arletta, the daugh
ter of d tanner"
-.Iv@. Gouthc-d Glazed tic koo.; Wit;
ban:".
Not much 10 least about. is it? We
all have cnccstor;.. Miss Backbay, b@t
the less said about some OF them the
better. And now. if my col wants 10
30 out of his class and mix up with
Robert the Devil and Arletta why,
that's his-his funeral. You'll excuse
me- row, Miss .Backbay. I have my
husbands dinner 10 prepare"