The Camden chronicle. (Camden, S.C.) 1888-1981, December 13, 1912, Image 22
01
II MKKC9R had
been unusually ul
l?i u t throughout
dinner and when at
last the butler
withdrew and the
two wero alone, be
reached over and
took bin daughter's
hahdu.
"Paula," he Bald
quietly, "I'm afraid
you won't like my
rhrlstnms present
tliln year I?"
"Nevvi nil r\dU' fa
ther," Interrupted
the smiling girl, "if It has/ one dia
mond lpss that you wlsbod,' I'll survive
the shock." / '
"If It were ou.ly that! Paula, 4 1
have always rt^poctcd your common
hoii no too Mgbly to deceive you about
buBlndf. matters, so I will not con
coal /roin you that tho Casten deal
wr.it against me, aud I am penniless.
*^Very newspaper In town will have
tho dotallH within a fow days. I am
an old man and do ?>ot care, but natu
rally my keenest regret 1h for you,
though nobody can say that your old i
duddy didn't give up every cent h?
possessed for what he. knew to bp
right and just."
Paula covered her eyoB with hoi
hand, while the father watched hei
anxiously. *
"Don't tako it hard, dearie," he
begged. "We'll not starve, though it
will be a struggle for a while/'
"Father," she said calmly, "I am
not taking it hard; I was only won
dering how much we could scrape to
gether to continue fighting. Men like
Casten have no right on this earth
I'm ashamed to admit It, but as far at
I am concerned, I'm glad, truly glad
It's a blow for you, but don't worry
about me. You know T always desired
to mako my own way, but it's next tc
impoHHiblc for a rich man's daughters
Then whon I had to take mother's
place, my hands wero too full. All 1
care about is that we got enough tc
go a ft er Casten There's a Christmaf
party at ttarham's tonight, but I'd
rather Btay hero and talk things ovei
with you."
"Pollle girl, you have no idea hoM
you have lightened my worry," said
Mr, Mercer huskily. "I know you'd
rather not, but by all means go tc
your party. It's moat Important that
the1! true state of affairs is not. buh
pected until absolutely necessary. I'll
spend ^the evening across tho street
with Judge Slmtns. When your moth
er was alive. tho judge and his wlfr
and alio and I never failed to c.ele
brate Christmas eve together, and
they'd be hurt if T stayed away."
Paula kissed him absently and ran
upstairs to dress. She was far from
underestimating the disaster, and the
suddenness of it. startled her.
"It's one thing to talk about earn*
ing your living and another thing tc
do it," she told herself. "You are a
success so far because you' are your
father's daughter. It'll moan hard
work Still, work overcomes heart
aches and teacheB one to forget!"
She brushed the powder-puff aorosn
her nose, and descended. At the doqr
of. the library stood Mr. Mercer.
"I forgot to tell you, Paula, that 1
found it necessary to put Dr. Grant
in possession of the facts."
Paula turned away at mention ol
the young physician, and started tow
ards the door.
"Good-night, dearie? have a jolly
time!" called her father.
1 aula swent into the waiting auto
mobile and ?*ttling down for the long
drive jjnto the suburbs, rapidly evolved
numerous plans, meanwhile noting the
Christ tnns gayety on all sides. The
air rang with tho excited chatter ol
children returning from belated shop
pinR or sight-seeing tours, and min
gled with their merry voices were the
subdued conversations of their elders
The sparkling" snow. aleighbeils
bright lights and holiday decorations
struck a sympathetic note Ir* c her
heart. Tho huge motor purred softly,
and as Paula reached up to arrange j
tho rich red ribbons which held holly
wreaths against the glass doors and
windows, her conscience smote her
becauso of her real gladness
i "I'm forgetting what if means to
poor father." she soliloquized "It's
no fun for a man of his aire to Htart
-all over again."
A quick stop threw her on the (loor. |
nnd by tho time she had regained her j
feet and jumped out to investigate,
the chauffeur was lifting a prostrate ,
body from beneath the wheels An
awed crowd gathered swiftly. Tire j
chauffeur was- exonerated from blame,
as several men had seen the little '
newsboy run in front of the aulomo- I
bile and slip and fall on the snowy i
street.
That b Tim Drown ? ho lives In
Rose alley ? Just over there, ma'am."
volunteered another white-faced
newsy. stooping to pick up the scat
tered papers. --
"I'll take him home," announced
Paula bravely.
f ? a of hard, strange fal*es un
i vi M her. and she folt sick and nau
j *e*te<:, hut she quietly held out hei ,
arras fur the poor child who lay groan
lug In the chauffeur's gentle gra?i>.
A tall young man stepped briskly
through tho crowd, and made his way
to her side.
"Oh, Doctor Grant ? I'm no glad
you're here ! " exclaimed l'uula 'im
pulslvely.
"More terrified than Injured,*' an
nounced tho doctor after a hurried ex
amlnatlon. Thpn turning to Paula, "I
saw It happen front a distance up the
street and recognized ycjpr car."
Assisting l'uula Jnt<^ the motor, hs
made tho child coinfortahlo on Iter lap
and utepped in with her.
"I'll report to you later, Peter?, " hp
called to the iwllceman, who Immedl
ately permitted tbera to drive aWay.
i In a f?'W minutes they were at the
! Btrloken home A tired, resigned wo
I man opened the door, and after th?
doctor'# tactful explanation, who mute
ly accepted this last blow which un
kind fate bad seen fit to administer.
While I)octor Grant and the mptber
were working over the boy, /Paula'i
quick eyes took In every ^ntfcll of the
bare home. Christmas for the many
little Drowns promised to be scanty.
A kind nejghbor had taken the otbei
children "to her home, bo Paula's pre*
encu Was unnecessary. Bhe slipped
,uurt of tho house, gave the chauffeur a
few instruction# and an he drove ofl
rapidly, eho Bought a nearby telephone
booth and after ten very satisfactory
minutes, was 'back at the house. Her
'phone calls were to certain toy doaL
era and caterers, and long before th<l
dootor was ready to go, the chauffeur
had Bhyly dragged baskets and bun
dles of all sizes and shapes Into th?
wee kitchen.
At last Dr. Grant wbh ready tc
leave, .
"May I ask for a lift, Paula?" be
asked wearily. ""I have had a hard
day. I told Mrs. Brown that you
"That's Tlm'Brown ? He Lives In Ros?
Alley."
would be around to Bee her tomorrow
and also tq -watch Tim cat hla Christ
maB dinner. In a week he will hav<
forgo tfbn what happened." As thej
turned into the brilliantly lighted ave
nuc, ho happened to glanco at her eve
ning cloak. "Oh, how Btupid of me! ?
; to let you go so far out of your way
when you are going to the Barhams."
"No, I'm going home. I've had
enough for one night," answered Paula
with averted face.
Now that ?he remembered her owr
? trouble, she felt a strange Bhynesa
with this inan who was In the sccrel
sf their financial wreck. The silence
became awkward ? somehow ther?
seemed nothing to say.
"Paula," began the doctor abruptly,
'I have heard of your misfortune, and
now I feel free to ask you to be my
wife. I realize ? please don't interrupt
until I have finished ? I realize thai
you will take steps to support your
aelf at once, but I need you too much
to allow that."
Paula's heart leaped violently, but
the elation was brief. The sweetnesg
?tpeedily turned to bitterest misery.
"Why does this occur to you to
night of all nights? It would seem a?
If you were doing this out of char
Ity," commented Paula coldly.
"No, Paula, out of esteem. I am
poor, but I have enough for two. You
?ertainly understand why I have not
?poken before; ? a Paula Mercer could
hardly be expected to share a young
physician's precarious Income."
He appropriated her reluctant hand
"And so you allowed your pride tc
,Tonu? between us! % No, I thank you
for the honor. Dr. Grant, but T have
some pride, too."
"Paula." pleaded the young man
miserably, "If you only knew the bat
tles there have been between my
wretched 'pride an{l my love. I need
you bo much, Paula."
"If T were you I'd engage a compe
tent housekeeper," Paula remarked
sarcastically. Hut her heart, ached as
she said It.
"Don't. don't, dear," entreated the
doctor. "Those things hurt too much
from you! Can't you love me, Paula?
IMrnse s^e how Infinitely I worship
you."
"Why didn't you say that before."
Paula whispered unsteadily. "You
said esteem, and what girl In her
right senses desires esteem when
ghe'a yearning for love?"
"And Tm yearning for a kiss; we'Tt
soon be at your home, but I can't wait
until then!" exclaimed the doctor hap
oily.
HER BEST CHRISTMAS
n
) M 10 on along, gaudy;
I'll treat to dinner at
the Metropolitan!"
Bandy, a tall girl who
didn't look hei thirty
year#, wan huay glan
cing over a typewritten
ttheet and for a mo
ment did not ' anawer.
Bob utood watching
her. takliiK In the dell
oate line* of her face
and the beauty of the
"sandy" hair, which, when he was
alone and forgot that Handy was a
newspaper woman and hi* "pal." he ;
win pleatutd to call golden.
"Cut that out, Sandy. You'll be
back. I have a check and It's Ghrlut- ,
mat Eve. I'm for a treat. I say ? did
you hear me ask you to go to the
Metropolitan? You take It an calmly !
aa if 1 had ank?d you to go around to
Otto's lunch coupter. Deuce take It!
Why can't you be a little enthuslas
tic?"
Slowly the girl raltscd her head.
More than a sheet of copy had been
holding her attention, llut she caught
Hob's frown und Immediately the
mother Instinct In her was arqused.
She broke Into her usual comrade
laugh.
"All right, Jlob. The Invitation
overwhelmed me. The Metropolitan?
Hut I couldn't,
Hobby dear. My
(shirtwaist is soil
ed and you your
self said thore
was a hole in
iny beautiful
brown coat."
"Oh, come
along! I was
only joking.
You'd outshine
all the women at
the Metropolitan
if you went
there in a khaki
suit. I wish you
had a little more
vanity. Womon
are awfuly tame when they haven't."
"Come, now, you know I'm vain of
the fact that I haven't any vanity.
Don't call me tame. I won't go to tne
Metropolitan with you if you do.
Somehow I feel "
"Fiddlesticks! Get on your hat.
I'm going. The Idea of a newspaper
woman's feeling! Cut. It out!"
The Metropolitan was filled with
the "vulgar rich" in holiday attire;
but Sandy and Bob were happy in
true bohemian style as they sat at
their little table chatting and joking
like two boys. Sandy never would
play the woman ? that was the only
objection Bob had to her.
"I say, Sandy, I bet you've no plans
for tomorrow and I'm coming to take
you out. I've a great plan. Put on
that brown silk and play you're a
woman for once."
"Yes, a sweet, young, clinging femi
nine creature with my heart on my
sleeve! 'Twill be charming, of course.
Do you really think I could play the
part?"
"Stop Joking, Sandy. You never
will take me seriously. You will go,
won't you?"
"I'd like to please you, Bobby, but I
really must be home tomorrow. I
liavo work that
must bo done, and
besides 1 have a
feeling that I
ought not to go."
"Feeling be
darned! If you
had fewer 'feelings'
and more feeling
for a ; poor fel?
low ? What's the
matter, Sandy?"
The girl had
cast a glance over
the room and had
grown suddenly
pale. She closed her eyes for a mo- 1
ment. Bob had caught the pallor.
"Oh, nothing. I had a little twinge
of that old neuralgia.
Thus the chasm was bridged and
the dinner ended happily. If any
thing. Sandy was gayer than usual.
Four o'clock the next day Sandy's
heart wan beating loud. Her "studio,"
as she was pleased to call It, wore Its
very best attflre. Evon the inevitable
typewriter was out of sight.
She was older, older by six years,
than when he had last seen her, but
happiness made her wondrously beau
tiful. Bobby would have lost his wits.
If ho should not come! But he
would come. Tf he should come and
the dream could not be realized! But
he would not come unless he could.
A rap at tho door!
"Miss, there's a Bhentleman a-askin* ?
for ye. Should I send him in?"
"Yes, Mary." The tones were jhji*
fectly calm. Six years of pationt
waiting had not beon without their
power.
"Margaret J"
"John!" ? l
"I knew you would come. I saw
you last evening. I^knew you would
find me. Oh. John, I am so happy!"
She rested her head on his shoulder
to hide the tears.
"My Margaret, now and forever!"
"And Constance?"
"Constance is gone ? and aho wish
ed it to be."
A long silenco.
"Sit down, John. There is your
chair. How often have I pictured you
in it. I?et me think Let me get my
breath. I knew you would come. I
wonder what Bobby will say! He
thinks I have no heart. But ? It was
to be." ? New York Mail.
_
The Great New York, Chicago and Boston Success
Company, Production, Electrical Effects,
Stage Settings, and Costumes
BEYOND COMPARISON
Presented in Camden by the Same Cast
that is playing much larger cities, such as
Charlotte, Columbia and Charleston
PRICES 50c, 75c, $1.00, and $1.50
Grand
and Big Free barbecue
BY THE
A. Bodenhamer R
' .* ? -J- - ' 'Xi V J"tl. \ J .. . ' *1. Wy \l,
of Greensboro, North Carolina.
These famous Auctioneers, the Two Bodenhamers, will sell on
Monday, Decerfiber 16th, at 10:30 a. m., the noted K. T. Estridge Farm.
This superb farm lies in the edge of the rapidly growing town* of Bethune,
S. C., and contains 554 acres of fine sandy loam, clay subsoil land. One
nice new 5 room dwelling with splendid out buildings and large barn, 6
tenant houses, large fish pond wfell stocked with fish. Quite a lot of this.
... ? ? an ?
lfiind is stumped and is in high state of cultivation. This tract "Win be sub
divided into 20 acre farms and sold to highest bidder regardless of
price. Positively there will Jbe no by-bidding allowed.
Excellent Brass Band. Sale will go on Rain or Shine. Terms so
Easy that Anyone Can Buy. The Public Cordially hvited to Attend.