The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1920-03-25
cAnericans
All!
M
By ALDEN CHAPMAN


actly in halves. There was little
choice between the east side and the
west side as to residential Qualifca-
tions, although the latter included the
business section of the town.
By strange coincidence the social
leader in the east town was Mrs. Ed
ward Browne, and the dominating lady
of the west was Mrs. Edward Brown.
"With the e. please remember the
east side empress Of style and fashion
would remark when introduced for
the first time. I'VE run back to the
Browne -Burdetts of Worcestershire,
believe. There were three baronets in
the family at the time Of Charles H."
without the e. so as to avoid con-
fusion" fearlessly remarked the queen
of the west side domain. I'VE are
Of the branch of the parliamentary
Brown family Of Wotton, ! under
stand"
So the social leader with the "e"
and her rival without it assumed great
airs and strove to eclipse each other
In the eyes Of their respective adher-
ents. Exclusiveness became the es-
sence of the combat between the two
cliques. Thus, Mrs. Browne patronized
the church element and Mrs. Brown
the business set. It was continuous
rivalry between the vaunted high aes-
thetic attitude Of those borrowing
certain supremacy as to art and Mt
erature and their competitors who
counted bankers and other real men
Of wealth and position In their ranks.
Never did the east side, engineered
by Mrs. Browne, announce some high
social function that 1t was not fol-
lowed by one arranged BY Mrs. Brown.
Now, by another strange coincidence,
Miss Edna Browne had become &C.
qusinted with young MI. Walton
Brown. The restrictions which shut
them out from meeting socially in any
general way made no difference to
them. They laughed mutually at the
conventional restrictions which, In q
measure, separated them as though
they were feudists and enemies.
A caller upon Mrs. Brown one day
set ball rolling that was not destined
to relapse into inertia until 1t had con-
siderably depressed the high social
notions Of both the Brown and the
Browne element. The visitor brought
some news to Mrs. Brown that stirred
her up greatly.
"Confidentially," impaired this gos-
sip, IT learn that Mrs. Browne has en-
ployed an expert to trace the genoa.
logical record Of the family"
rs that true?' at once bridled Mrs.
Brown. THANK you for the informa-
ton; we shall do the same. fancy
we are entitled to a crest or coat OF
arms fully as much as the Browne
family"
"Mrs Browne dilates e1travagantly
on a certain Erastus Brown who first
added the e. to his name three cen
turtles ago."
"Bless mel! derided Mrs. Brown,
"our family goes back three centuries
beyond that"
So the rival social leaders contrib
uted each to the income Of dismal
looking genealogical student who pro-
fessed great proficiency In tracing
back family history. Meantime Edna
and Walton lived the life Of hopeful
contentment and love, became engaged,
and all Lyndon wondered Y the an
ticipated marriage would anite the
rival factions or at leNI mitigate
their rockbound e1clusiveaess.
One day Mrs. Browne received dis
NAL news. The owl-faced antiquarian
she had employed called upon her with
a scroll containing family tree In
skeleton outline and sheet after sheet
Of records.
r. .aMrs. Browne" he announced, you
mnSt prepare for severe disappoint-
l,ment. You, are not connected with
the Gloucester Brownies and your orig.
inal progenitor was Brown, plain and
simple"
'But here is the e. at the end Of his
name"
'That is true, a notation, Hrh
Browne. The e. In the record Is
designation. Your Brown was driven
from England and the e. signifies
'exiled.'"
mo baronets, thenT" mourned the
collapsing east side lady.
'None, I fear"
It was Mrs. Browns turn next. The
genealogist was terse and blunt.
my dear lady" he announced, your
parliamentary family claim does not
mold good. Your ancestor was one
Leopole Braun. q reputable and OBJ
seure clergyman Of westphalia, who
changed his name when he settled In
england"
And now ensusd an influence that
caused Mrs. Browne to take in her
sails, as the saying goes, and her 50