Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1919-04-03

iitut vi tlluHhS. iHio ""o 'hS III 81
payment he had made in advance for
long time.
He sealed the letter, put special
delivery stamp on 1t, and took 1t to
the branch post office so that it would
reach Cleveland without fail the next
morning.
When he got back to the house
there was telegram from home.
Leaving beaver due tomorrow n.
m. don't meet me but be home must
see you important mamma well love.
FATHER"
The next morning Bayard rose be-
times to meet his father at the train.
And Daphne went to the Grand Cen
trail station with him. She ran to
her father and flung her arms about
him. and Bayard hugged him and cur
ried his suitcase for him. 1t was no
time to be tipping porter. Nor to be
making use of tuXlcabS with the jit-
ney subway at hand. Bayard lugged
his fathers suitcase along Fifty-ninth
street. The hall boy, who had not been
tipped for some days, observed a
strict neutrality. He was feeling the
pinch, too.
When breakfast was ended Wesley
noted that Leila herself carried the
dishes away. with Daphnes help.
When the table was clear she closed
the door on the two men and said:
well leave you two alone to talk
business"
The two men regarded each other
askance, as uneasily rs two wrestlers
circling for q hold. Wesley was the
first to speak. He said:
"Well, my bcy?"
II wrote you long letter last night,
dad" Bayard said.
"You did? What about?"
Bayard had guessed the situation
he saw the cruel joke Of II. He
thought he could dull the edge with
mockery. He snickercd, rather crav-
enly:
II wrote to ask you to lend me some
money. guess 1 wasted the postage"
"And guess wasted the fare over
here. I thought I oughn't have taken
berth in the sleeper, but your moth
er inSlsted-said I'd not been feelin'
any too WELL"
Bayard laughed outright-a laugh
wet with vinegar tears.
Wesley sank Into a chair with the
little whimp pf sick old man.
rBayardA his father and put
his arm abons him and regretted his
Wall street disaster with ferocious
remorse. He could not speak, and
there was a long dumbncss before
Wesley sighed:
"T guess We got to lose the home,
then"
That "then" was a history in q
word.
Eayard bent his head in shame at
his helplessness. AS usual, it was
Wesley who found shabby comfort
In the situation-found it for his son.
"Don't you think anything more
about it, my boy. I'm kind of relieved"
He giggled with a pitiful senility. u
been so ashamed at traipsln' over here
to bother you instead of rushin' over
to help you like 1 ought to-being
your father-that I'm kind of glad you
can't help me. 1 got no right to add
to your troubles. I'm supposed to
take care Of you"
Bayard kept groaning:
ITO lose your home! To think Of
you losing your home! And me stand
ing by"
"Why, it's nothing, Bayard. After
all, we're not in Belgium. We've got
friends. And relations. There's no
danger of anything happening to u.s."
Daphne and Leila overheard this con-
versation while listening in the hall.
Daphne clung to Leila and buried
her face In Leila's bosom to smother
her frenzied grief. Leila, mopping
Da1hne's cheek with her own hand
kerchief, caught the CLINT of a dia-
mond Oh her finger. 1t gllstened like
u great. immortal tear.
1t inspired her with Il new hope.
She had often conSOled herself with
the thought of her jewels as q final
refuge. but she had put off the evil
day. Now she felt that the time had
come. She threw open the door and
spoke ::ito the gloom with a voice of
scraphic beauty:
81 couldn't help hearing what you
were saying. You needn't be down
hearted, though. for I've just thought
of way TO help daddy out" He was
daddy" to her also.
Bayard and Wesley turned and
! stared at her in amazemcnt. She
went on in n kind Of ecstasy.
"My rings!" she cried. "DOn't you
see. My diamonds and rubies! And
I've got a necklace or two, and some
chains and brooches. They're worth
lot of money. And you're welcome
to 'em, daddy"
The men were confused with too
many emotions to know what to feel,
much less what to say. Leila's mis-
sion was so divinely meant that 1t was
sacrilege to receive It with reluctance
And yet for Wesley to let this new
daughter-in-law pawn her trinkets for
him was postgraduate humiliation.
The end of It was that Bayard de-
~~.~~~rs"seSe>eseseS'
Of Salt Lake, was bitten on the thign
by caterpillar while in bed. Within
m ho,. 49, a.t..z nod cpread through