Cheraw chronicle. (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, August 12, 1915, Image 2
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MY ODD
UNCLE
By DWIGHT NORWOOD
My uncle's life hud been blighted by
an ill assorted marriage. In every other
respect he was to be envied or
would have been had it not been for
his mnrrinne Ho WHS nrnsnpronq In
business affairs and accumulated a
fortune. But no children were born to
blm during tlie brief period of bis marriage.
and nfter bis separation from
Ills wife be never entered upon a second
matrimonial adventure.
1 was bis only male relative, and
after besitatlng for some time between
leaving bis property in trust for a
philanthropic work and leaving It to
me be dually came to tlie conclusion to
allow it to accumulate through my lifetime.
I to establish the foundation that
he intended. But this plan was contingent
on my agreeing not to marry.
His pro|>osition to me. if accepted,
would give uie every comfort and luxury
so long as I lived, but would deprive
me of wife and children. I did
not ngree with my uncle on the subject
of matrimony because I knew that,
though a splendid man. he must be a
very hard mau to get on with. He
seemed to be fond of me, and If 1
wanted anything I had only to ask him
for it. Yet 1 dared not oppose hlui In
any of his prejudices. The difference
between me and the wife from whom
he separated was that I understood
him and had the tact to manage him.
while she failed In both these respects
My aunt was much younger than my
uncle?she was but little my seulor?
and. being conscious of her lunhillty I
to get on with him. came to rely on me
^ to h^^ier mr.nage him wheu a deadweejjr
them. 1 was born
old and never given to acting upon Impulse.
while she was sensitive and had j
no faculty for going around a stone
n*nl1 X*
nan IUOICUU VI U> Ul 1U
My uncle's proposition?which ignored
my aunt?placed me in the position
of taking what belonged rightfullj' to
her. In making my decision I was influenced
far more by what was my
duty to her than to carry out my uncle's
intentions.
I accented the condition, niul my uncle
made ins win, leaving ins property
in trust to me. I to have so much of
the income as 1 chose to appropriate to
myself, but in consideration of this 1
gave my word to him that I would
never marry, and the will stipulated
that in case I did marry the property
was to pass out of my hands and the
foundation was to be established. Under
this condition it would lie practically
impossible for nie to marry, one
of the reasons being that I would be
obliged t<? drop from ailluence to poverty.
a very unpleasant fall.
Before acceding to my uncle's wishes
i asked my aunt if she would dlsap
I>iu<c "I 111,1 .. 1/1 ill; .--u, >11111 >111.' IIIC
that since slit' could not benefit by her
husbnud's projierty she preferred that
I should do so. However, before accepting
the proposition I made bold to
tell him plainly that his separation
from his wife was principally his own
fault and that he was doing her a
greut injustice to leave her property,
or, rather. Its income, to me insteud of
to her. I expected that this would alter
his determination, but was surprised
that it had no effect whatever to deter
him from his purpose. Indeed, it seemed
to confirm him in it
I did not promise not to turn over
a part of the Income from his estate
to his wife. My privilege to do so
would have satisfied me with the position
I assumed had it not been that I
was pledged to celibacy. Moreover,
there was a woman whom I wished to
many._ When the papers Jiad been
?
signed I informed my uncle of" tills fact
though I did not tell him who that womnn
was. He merely said, "You should
thank me, my boy, for saving you from
a life of misery."
Upon the completion of the agreement
my uncle gave me the position of
his right hand man that I might be
prepared to manage his estate after
his death He was certainly a very
queer man. and no one could tell what
Lie would do., Two years after our
compact he was taken suddenly 111.
lie called for mo and said:
"I have been told by my doctor that
I hnve but a few days at most to live.
The approach of death hus made a
change in tuy feelings. It is a part of
a new plan I have made that you
Bhould marry."
I looked at him in astonishment
When I had recovered from my surprise
I said to him:
"If I marry there is hut one woman
in the world I will make my wife."
"You will marry the woman I intend
you shall marry or I will make u
new will, leaving you out in the cold."
He was very weak, and I knew there
was no time to waste.
"Whom do you require that I shall
marry?" 1 asked.
"The woman whose life I have made
miserable."
My heart came up into my throat
but I controlled any expression of my
euiuuuu.
"Have yon obtained her consent?**
"Yes."
"Very well, I will not stand In the
way of your doing this last act of
Justice."
I have always been balanced between
two opinions as to the prime
motive of my uncle's act. Either he
was so perverse that he wished to
marry me to n woman 1 did not love,
thus separating me from one 1 did
love, or he had observed the love that
had sprung up between me and the
woman he had put away. But to do
him Justice ! believe he was repentant
toward her.
The people of (iainesville will be
given an opportunity of voting on the
question whether the city shall accept
the offer of the Carnegie corporation
to locate a SIP.null free i.ii.. m?
at mi early date.
Within the next ten days or two
weeks all of the engines running between
Miami and Key West on the
Florida Fast Coast railway will be
equipped with oil burners and eoai
will be dispensed with entirely for
engine fuel south of Miami.
Work on the new phosphate plant,
at Floral City, is being pushed forward
to completion. This company,
by drilling and pitting, lias developed
one of the largest deposits of high
grade hard rock phosphate that has as
yet been discovered.
DIES OE STAR wmtvnc
Florida Cattleman Succumbs to the
Wounds of Assailant.
C. A. Hedges, 45 years of age. a'
prominent cattle trader of Tampa,
Fin., was stabbed in the abdomen
while walking along Fifth avenue ami
died in a local hospital.
Hedges was conscious until a sliorl
time before ltis death. lie is nllegi d
to have stated that he knew who
stabbed him. but would not give the
man's name, saying he preferred to
settle with the fellow titiii??.n? v?
arrests have been made.
i'reiimiiiary steps are being taken
by the county commissioners of Leon
county to float a bond issue for the
construction of surfaced roads in different
sections of the county, and especially
for surfacing the route of the
Dixie highway from the tieorgia line
to Talluhnssce and from Tullnhassee
to the Jefferson countv line
Form Bar Association.
With thirteen Iuwyers of Pinellas
county in attendance, the Pinellas n|
County Bur association has been organized
at St. Petersburg. Fin. Judge ai
Roy V. Sellers was elected president, a]
Crockett Owen vice-president, L. L. j
PnrlvH flOPVntd rv-frnuo..??/v? * 4 *
....J -..VUOUM-1, 11 I M1 uie v
following attorneys as an executive (
committee: State Attorney McMullen,
Judge Itrandon, of Clearwater, und al
Judge Cook, of St. Petersburg. r?
C A
Threshing Mach
Tractors, Aut
1 Also Lummus (
t JBiiysilwS Write or see
TEr A L
R
Chesterfield, S. (
Fresh Beef, Pork and I
H. A. BURCH
PH0N1
Covington Hotel Bid
CHERA^
1
Sunday
Columbi
via
C 1 I
CJCdUU'dlU .
Tickets on sale
day, May 30th, and <
after until Septembc
date of sale.
Rate fi
Cheraw
J. S. ETCHBERGFR, 1
Columbia, S. C.
C. V
!
NEURALGIA PAINS STOPPED
You don't need to suffer those agnizing
nerve pains in the face, head,
rm, shoulders, chest, and back. Just
pply a few drops of soothing Sloan's
lniment; lie quietly a few minutes,
ou will get such relief and coiufoit!
et a bottle today; 3 ounces for 25c.
t all druggists. Peuetrutes without
lbblng.
S E "
inery, Engines, Gas and Oil
omobiles and Automobile
Accessories.
Cotton Ginning Machinery.
WHITE.
epreentatives.
McFarlan, N. C.
*ork Saussage
'S MARKET
I 8*
Second Street
iv, s. c.
ccursions
a, S. C.
Air Line
commencing Sun
CF
each Sunday there;r
12th, limited to
rom
1 e
r. p. a.,
/. SMALL, D. P. A.,
Savannah, Ga.