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

good feeling and democratic equality
and civilized peace the European war
backed in from nowhere.
A young man from Serbia shot n
grand duke Of Austria, and the world
heard of Sarajev0 for the first time,
but not the last The bullet that slew
the Austrian heir multiplied itself US
by magic into billions Of missiles. A
young shoemaker from Bavaria. to his
great surprise, killed an old Belgian
schoolteacher lie had never heard Of.
The Schoo'teacher fell into ditch
still clasping his umbrella. The shoe
maker moved on with strange ap-
petite for shooting.
Refugees in hordes filled the roads
with Eew Pharaonic exodus. So
many children piodded along in hun
cry flight that Herod might have been
hunting down the innocCniS again.
With the moral cataclysm went
financial earthquake. The European
exchanges flung their doors shut. The
American exchanges tried to keep
their shop windows open, but had to
close them down.
BuyarG Kip was among the first cas-
ualties. Before he could put In u stop
order his margins were gone. He had
said that prices, having struck bot
tom, could 90 no lower. Now the bot
tom itself was knocked out.
Prices stopped falling at last be-
cause of the closing of the markets..
Europe established general moratO-
rum. America established one Of
sentiment. Everybody owed somebody
else, and everybody gave tolerance be-
cause everybody needed it.
Night fell on the commercial world,
a night illumined by horrors unknown
before. Bayard'S factory could not
meet even its diminished pay roll. The
president of the concern could not
borrow a penny at the bank of which
he was q director. The factory Shut
down. sending Ill its wo.kmen into
the hordes of the unemployed. The
office forces were reduced to mini
mum and the salaries Of the minimum
further reduced. Clay was thrown
out OF even his half-job and Bayard
was put on half-pay.
Bayard's sober thoughts concerned
themselves with eStricating himself
from the wreckage. 1t was not pos
Sible to debarrass himself of every
thing. He could MT give up his eX-
penSive apartment. 1t was leased for
Il year and half more. He could not
dismiss his expensive wife; she was
leased for rinety-nine years. He
could not give up his character, his
costly tastes, his zeal Cor front, the
maintenance of good facade.
The instinct of lOvable bluff was
seen in his telegram to Leila. He
wanted her ut home to comfort him,
now that he had no business for her
to hamper. Besides. he could not af-
ford to keep her ut Newport. Out of
his OminOuSly small funds he tele-
graphed her u liberal sum to pay her
bills and her railroad fare and parlOr
car fare. He met her and found her
aStOniShin:ly beautiful in her million
aire uniform.
He felt like the pauper who received
white elephant for Il present. But
she was gorgeous in he" trapph%S.
They embraced with mutual approval.
lie laughed:
81 WAS going to hcgin economy by
cutting oNt the taxi business, but |
couldn't carry Il Cleopatra like You in
the subway. You look like all tn"
money in the world. And you're worth
it," In the taXicab he crushed her 10
him again in dismal ecstasy and
sighed gay!y: "Y"u're too grand Cor
me, honey. I'm busted higher than Il
kite. You didn't bring home any
change. of course"
81 did better than that" she beamed,
and, being married TO him. made no
bones about bending and disclosing
one entire silk stocking most ele-
gantly repleted. 1t was transparent,
translucent, indeed. like gossamer
over marble, and of sapllng SYM
metry except for one unSightly knob
which she deftly removed and placed
in the hand of Bayard.
He did not need to glance al MS
palm to tell that it was full Of bank
! notes.
'.Nhpt'S all th':'" h. said.