The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, April 24, 1902, Image 6
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ICoptbight, Robebt Bo:
. ; CHAPTER II. I
GATHERING STORM.
I 'Any news. Leland?"
T DA?,.AnK?wof Klo
\jrregurj dcuovuuuxoi auu uio mvuu I
Harry Dillingham were greeting one ,
of the Zingara's passengers, a tall. }
fair-haired young man with a delightfully
good-humored face, who was en- (
? thusiastically shaking hands with Dillingham,
protesting his pleasure at J
seeing him safe returned from his ,
camping excursionLane
Leland shook his head, shrug- j
ging his shoulders, and laughed.
"There's never any news at this season,"
he said, lightly. "Everything's 1
dead in the city?crowded out to
breathe, you know. Dueced unpleasant
on the street. I went down to get
a whiff of business and found it asleep.
Suffocated! Money too heavy to lift
even for the having. By the way,
though?" he pasused suddenly with a
mysterious face. "There is news,
Gregory. though I'll not vouch for the
truth. A bad piece of news, too, if
ft is true. I'm inclined to doubt it,
though, because common sense
prompts me to doubt. Nevertheless,
I heard"?he spoke in a cautious tone
?"I heard in Wall street to-day that!
there's a big failure on the carpet.
The last one, too, that' you would
1 Lane Leland shrugged his shoulders j
again and "raised his eyebrows.
"I hope it isn't true," he said grave-)
ly. "I don't believe it is ?I simply'
won't believe it until it is proved be-,
yond donbt?but 1 heard that Graham's'
gone under."
"Impossible!" Gregory Bensonhurst
fell back a pace or two, pushing hisj
cap up from his face blank with amaze-j
ment. "Somebody lied to you, Leland. i
Graham's sound as a brick; no flaws
In that firm! At the head, you know?!
worth millions. His wife's diamonds
alone are worth a fortune."
"Well," again Lane Leland lifted his
brows and shrugged his shoulders.
"Willi a gesture ui vue uauu, ao uivu^u,
he would set aside any responsibility
In the matter; '"I can't say, Bensonhurst;
It was only a rumor, but. I
tell you, it gave me the shakes. If
such a house as that goes under, who
Till be safe? I, for one, am utterly
enable to earn my living, and I'd fight
-tooth and nail for what I possess. No
poverty for me, thank you! I like
*the good things of life' in full morocco,
gold edges!"
Gregory Bensonhurst scarcely
heeded him; he stood as though rooted
to the spot, his eyes upon him in
> dazed surprise, unable to speak, the
consequences of such a failure flashing
electric lines through his mind. Graham.
theproud, aristocratic, luxuriously
generous man?his friend?gone down
In a crash! Graham, the bead of one
pf the wealthiest firms in the city, with
a million at the scratch of a pen. Gra
ham, the favorite in society, at the
dnb, on Wall Street?everywhere?
.Graham?could he realize it??failed!
He would not believe it; it was some
hoax of Leland's; Leland was always
up?to some joke. He shook his head
resolutely, and a flash dawned in iris
lazy eyes.
- "Come, now, Leland," he said, rather
Bternly, turning away, "I'll take a good
<3eal from you, but I will not believe
this. It is out of all probability. Graham
is as sound as he was last year,
you know. He could not fall. Why,
he has millions of dollars, man! Every
creditor would be down upon him like
tigers, if this were true. It is not so,
I am satisfied. I tell you, Dillingham,
he has one of the shrewdest business
heads on his shoulders of any man In
the city!"
Leland's eyes flashed wrathfully.
1 "I don't blame you for taking It
roughly, Bensonhurst," he said.' "I
couldn't believe it, either, at first, but
you needn't come down on me for it.
I didn't originate the taiK. n it is true,
we will know it soon enough; If it
Isn't?well," that suggestive lifting of
his shoulders and setting-aside movement
of the hands, as he also turned
from them to the group of chatting
ladies at the end of the pier, "all that
I can say is that I hope to the deuce
It isn't true."
"But, whatever you do, Leland,"
Bensonhurst laid his hand detainingly
upon his friend's arm, as he was
passing him, "whatever you do, don't
tell this to any one else,until we know.
Graham and his wife are here, you
know, and it would not be pleasant to
arouse such a suspicion."
Lane Leland's indignant face interrupted
whatever else Bensonhurst
might have said in his zealous .defense
of his friend. Lane Leland's
flashing eyes were not particularly
good-natured now, as he looked into
the opposite lazy eyes of brown.
"Whatever I may be, Bensonhurst,"
he said swiftly, withdrawing his arms'
from under the detaining hand with;
new hauteur, "I am not a fool! I was:
bora with ordinary common sense. I'
m
\
t *
7 Noxicl.
KATE LUDLUM,
dU'l SOXF, ISM. J
believe. If Graham is never hurt
worse than I hurt him. he will live and
die pretty free from harm."
' Don't be angry with me.Lane." said
Gregory Bensonhurst. quietly. "I
would only save them unpleasantness."
TIVIl vaii nnml not Into nu* llPflfl f ff
n rn, jr uu uwu ..v
defending them, auywav.*' retorted
Lelaud. soinewuat mollified. He was
too good-natured to long remain angry
with any one. "It isn't my way to
walk meekly into the lion's mouth if I
know it. Bensonhurst!"
"Leland is one cf the best-hearted
of "fellows." said Dillingham, as he and
Gregory Bensouhurst walked up to the
hotel piazza. "He meant no harm. Tf
this Graham is the man you say, It
isn't probable that this report is true,
although the financial world is shaky
just at present. His wife is a remarkably
handsome woman!"
"But I cannot help thinking," saM
Beusonhurst uneasily, "that Graham
did look pretty well done up when he
came out to-night. I am afraid to believe
either way. What a blow his
failure would be to his wife; but she
lias a fortune in her own right. Graham
would sever lose that rof irer.
Undoubtedly that is solid, and could
carry them over even deeper sloughs
than could come to liim with the worst
of failures."
Considerably cheered by this conclusion,
the two passed out upon the
ocean side of the piazza.
Just then, pretty Miss Bess Catherwood
was querying as she leaned beside
one of the posts of the pier, her
black eyes wicked with the merry
heart beneath:
"You look so wrathful, Mr. Leiand.
What was the matter iu the city, that
j-ou came out with such an air:"
She was oue of the sailing-party,
and was tarrying to watch the sunset
effects upon the water, and the flash
ing out of the light-house lamps ore
she weDt in to dress for dinner. Pretty
Miss Catherwood was inclined to be
late and never in a hurry; but what
could one urge against-this element of
character, when she declared that life
was altogether too short, anyway.
"And you are so cool and charm
ing, that I am already rested," said
Leland, smiling.
She was such a charming woman,
and so pretty in her dainty buff-andblue
boating dress, with the blue anchor
upon her breast and her tiptilted
cap atop of the curly black hair.
Iier yellow ties witn tueir Diue notions,
one white baud twirling the buG.'
parasol with its great blue bow of ribbon.
round and round just over one
spot iu the boards o^ the pier.
' On. dear! Always pretty* words!
Why don't you say right out you are
as mad as mad can be, Mr. Lelaud?
I'll let you.''
He laughed, taking the restless par
asol from her hand as tenderly .*s
though it were worth its weight in
eePl tie was in love with wicked
little Boss Catherwood, as that young
lady knew quit$ well. She used this
knowledgtvto his dire disadvantage,
too, very often.
"Because." he made reply, "I am nut
mad any longer. 1 am happy. Mirs
Catherwood."
"Well." she eyed him critical!1' not
ninching from his eloquent eyes. "1
believe you do look better-natured,
Mr. Leland. You came out with Mr.
Graham, didn't you? What a handsome
man he is! I don't wonder that
his wife -dores him. And the lovely,
lovely things he lavishes on herthe
dresses and diamonds?such
drrsses and such hats? I don't see
why he didn't fall iD love with me instead
of Alecia Field. I'd have been
so dreadfully slad to marry him?fcr
his money."
Leland frowned. If he were happy,
as he had just protested, his looks
belied it. He possessed considerable
of this world's good things, but it
would not be possible for him to lavish
"such dresses and such hats"
upon his wife, when he should marry,
as Harold Graham showered upon
AlfUlU> 1 Ul Llil'UiilJf; .ui^o V/Uiucim wu
was forever declaring she would never.
never, never marry without unlimited
wealth.
"But suppose that you should happeu
to marry a man who lost his
money-every cent?afterward. .What,
then, Miss CatherwoodV"
She puckered up her brows and
opened wide her eyes bewilderingly.
She screwed her pretty red mouth into
an emphatic protest.
"Oh, but he wouldn't, you know, Mr.
Leland! He never could. I'd make
him solemnly promise that he would
not. Because"?she uttered the words
with very pretty deliberation?"if he
should, I would hate him. Why, of
course I'd hate him. I couldn't help
it," she added, as though the enormity
of any other conclusion were beyond her
power of comprehension. "And in the
meantime, as the sunset is gone and
it is late, Z^mut,LaBLj? and dress for
JJ 1
dinner. I'll get not a morsel if I am
' too late."
Lane Leland smiled, in spite of his
anger. He was always either very ;
happy or very miserable with this i
girl. He loitered beside her as they :
walked up the pier, still carrying the
furled parasol, with its knot of broad
ribbon. They were the last of the
i,ll A-.. nnnn ni/ir fnr it w-nntpfl tint
IU1CIO UJ/VU IUV I'iVI, AV4 IV
I a few minutes of the dinner-hour, and
the light was revolving in the tower
out to westward, and only the tenderness
of twilight touched the sand
and sea and shy beyond that line of
sullen cloud. The world was so
peaceful, how could one's heart retain
tumult?
"After dinner, will you go with me
to watch the moonrise upon the sands, ,
i Miss Catherwood? I have something
that I wish to tell you?something that 1
I must say to-night.'' said Lane, as
they paused at the foot of the staircase.
A slight flush was upon his face.
Miss Catherwood knew quite well
what it was he would say: and it
would be a pleasant story for her to
hear?site knew that, too: but wicked
Miss Cather.vood could not live without
teasing even those whom she
loved, and she could not refrain from
i tormenting this man.
"After dinner?" IIow slow and soft
her voice was. and what a charming ;
; pucker came between the level black i
eyebrows! "Why, after dinner?let ine
I see?I am almost afraid that I have
an engagement, Mr. Lelaud; but?I
will see and?let you know."
He was, manlike, too blind to know
that this was her acceptance of his in- j
vitation. He was too angry to ask.
"You are always unkind to me!" he
1 protested, wratbfully.
"Then why don't you leave me
! alone?" demanded Miss Catherwood,
j swiftly, her voice struck with a sbarp|
ness born of contrite tears.
! And a rustle of skirts, the flash of
a buff-and-blue gown, the click of light
. j boot heels upon the stairs, and Lane
Leland comprehended that he and
Miss Cathenvood had once more quarreled.
"What is a fellow to do?" he demanded
of himself, with great fierceness,
as he followed slowly up the
stairs to his room. "She puts one
always at a disadvantage. If she
doesn't want to marry me. let her
say so?when I ask her. I hhven't
asked her yet!''
He continued exceedingly wrathful
during his toilet; and went down to
dinner fully determined to have no
more to do with such a wicked coquette,
but to fall in love directly with
Anita Grant!
The tables were as lively as usual
with bright eyes and wit and laughter,
mingled with the clatter of dishes and
the distant thunder of the surf across
the sand-hills. For who among them
could believe that brilliant Alecia Gra- i
ham and her handsome husband, live- j
liest of thein all, hid a wolf under their ;
cloak of pride, and would vanish out
of that fray world as a star that falls :
with a flash of light into darkness and j
oblivion. For not one of them saw the '
j anxiety under light laughter. The ;
cry of the ocean should be drowned in
gayety; the beat of happy hearts
should defy the beat of breakers!
Moonlight was over the world: the
stars were steadfast; the sea a lake of ;
molten silver breaking to glistening ;
fragments along the sauds. Time j
I enough to be terrified when the storm j
| should break!
"We will bear our sorrows. Harold,"
Alecia said, slowly and bravely, as she !
j sat in a low chair by the open win- j
j dow of their room, some time later,
; facing the occaD. "Because trouble
has come to us, is no reason why we
should lay it upon others. Besides?"
she turned for a moment from the exquisite
world without to smile upon
her husband, leaning ba?k in his chair
with his hands clasped behind his head
and his eyes seeing nothing before ;
; him?"beside, it helps one wonderfully j
j to laugh when things go contrary. I
! feel a great deal stronger for to-morrow,
aft.r the music and happiness
down stairs. . One is ashamed to be
gloomy, you know, when every one
else is bright, and so one has to polish
one's face and voice and manner until
the shine is sort of rubbed in. you see:-'
Her husband made no reply. She
expected none, and turned again <o
the window and the shimmering silver
sea. the round moon riding royally
in the upper ocean: only a solitary
sail in "the far distance struck
into shadow as it sailed away. She
clasped her hands around her knees,
her hair let down about her shoulders,
and nodded sturdily.
Still no reply. Still she expected
none. The solitary sail down on the
horizon had turned, and the moonlight
struck it into gold. Her eyes
were upon it.
"I shall go with you to the city in
the morning, if you will take me.
Harold." she said, presently. The sail
was out of sight. Before her, beyond
the low sand-hills, was only that great
vast waste of silver, with a path along
it that looked fashioned for a heavenly
road. The moonlight was full
in her face. "There need be no ex
cust to these people. We have fe\
friends here. Business calling yo:?
away is all that we will need to ex
plain, and I go with you from ehoio
What is it to them? Together we can
\
\
. V
i
1
arrange car actions far better than 1
apart, when we know the worst, and /l
begin the new life. You have so many i
friends?'*
Her husband interrupted lier now. .
lit took down his hands from behind '
his head and leaned forward, his el- '
bows upon his knees, his eyes upon her ,
face, as iie answered slowly, striking
one hand lightly with the other to
emphasize his words. She turned her
face to his, waiting.
"Even yet you do not comprehend
tills thing, Aleeia! You would soften
flip hlfitv fnv mo lint iiictpfltl r\f ilrvino
.so, you make it infinitely harder, be- j
cause you force me to explain added 1
humiliation. I have many friends? !
yes?to-day. To-morrow there is not '
one will help me. When the thing is 3t<
known, and that my liabilities far cii
exceed my power to meet them, ever;
one will clamor for his due. Not one ti
of my creditors will allow me to com- cj,
promise or again enter business, t
should not, if they would! I could noi ^
endure to feel that what I should gain ^
would be swallowed up ere it were nj
mine. I could not endure to meet a\
these men every day. I hale every th
one of them; I hate myself more. When to
all is over, we will go away, and be- Hi
gin life in a new city. I have decided
that. California is an open field for p*
one who is ambitious. We will go
there, '.n a new country I will mak ^
a new name. Never here." aj
The slim fingers around liei knees ' aj
tightened their hold. The. red lips cr
pressed down one upon another for a pi
moment. The violet eyes dilated ere | 3ii
her emotion was conquered. Then ar
she said very softly and sweetly, her | g*
voice like music through the room, a | a
uote of the sea's deeper undertone ' ?*
touching it: J*
(To be continued.) I
"?" ! W'
Insurance Suspended.. I ac
| Vicksburg, Miss., Special.?The spe- el
! cial agents of fire insurance com- st
panics doing business here met Tues- ^
(lay and later all local fire agents re- CI
ported that they had suspended busi- ^
ai
ness. It is hoped that a second con- n,
ference of the special agents, the flj
! board of trade, cotton exchange and j SI
d<
bankers may cause a re-consideration , jj?
of this action. The trouble grows out wi
of the failure of the city to reorganize i sh
! the fire department, which it is T
'claimed, is incompetent. The com- | ^
panics demand a new fire chief and a ' as
general reorganization. ! ra
| is
Strike Averted. ; sa
Roanoke. Special.?The differences w
between the machinists of the Bluefield
(W. Va.) Norfolk and Western |
Railway shops and the officials of , af
that road have been amicably Settled. I ni
It is not known just what concessions | e<3
were made on either side, but it has j ct
been given out that there will be no B:
strike, the committee which came A:
here from Bluefield yesterday to con- !
fer with the Norfolk and Western ] pt
officials having reached that conclus- i ni
ion. j se
I re
B
North Carolina Wins Debate. i ai
Nashville, Tenn., Special.?The last ^
of the series of three inter-collegiate j fa
debates between Vanderbilt University ei
and the University of North Carolina Bi
occurred here Friday night, the visi- si
tors from North Carolina gaining the a
decision. The question, of which North ! ta
Carolina took the negative, was "Re- A
solved. That the Federal government th
should own and operate the railroads 1 ci
in the United States." The following | Ci
were the speakers: North Carolina:
T. A. Adams and Charles Ross; Van- | <jj
derbilt: Frank Seay and W. M. Board, j
| sb
A Sunday Shut Down in Boston. ]0
Boston. Special.?Never before has St
Boston seen such a vigorous enforce- Ti
ment of any law on the statute books I ^
as that given the Sunday laws Sunday.
Drug store, fruit, dealers, hankers and r
laundries were the objects of the police ai
attack. From one end of the city to the Si
other soda fountains were silent, candy H
counters covered and idle, and fruit tv
stores closed. Liquor could be sold at j dt
hotels by patrons ordering something j
to eat, and they did a rushing busi- ! T!
ness. ' I cr
i
?
Newsy Notes.
A Havana dispatch says: "The Au- j
dencia Court accepted the bond of ^
(l/Wl flfTororl htf Q fiHolUu nnmnQnv ! !a
fiw,w\ V VUVIVU K/J a uugui/ VV/UIJ/?uj ui
for the appearance of Ester G. Rath- j t
bone. The court requires, however,
that this bond be drawn before a no- ' at
tary."
A Roanoke, Va., dispatch says: "C. j fl
0. Parker was appointed general sup- j
erintendent of the Virginia & South- ai
western Railway, with headquarters at wi
Bristol, Tenn. He was formerly gen- sa
eral superintedent of mines for the m
Virginia Iron, Coal and Coke Company. ,
be
a Wheeling, W. Va., dispatch says: m
"As predicted, a compromise has been 01
effected in the Amalgamated Associa- B;
tion regarding the lodges which failed
to pay recent strike assessments. The
committee upholds the constitutionality
of assessments and the action of the
executive officers in making them is
endorsed/'
Plans are on foot for the consolida- lo
tion of the Southern cotton mills into at
a big company with $60,000,000 capital. W1
Harvey Bruce, at Hudson, N. Y., doscribed
in detail the alleged murder of T]
Peter Hallenbach by the Van Wormer
boys.- 1 at
-I
i
, STEAMER BURNED
vful Scenes On Board a Fated
River Boat
XTV PEOPLE REPORTED MISSING
Passengers Awoke to Find Themselves
Surrounded By Smoke and
Flames.
Cairo, 111., Special.?The side-wheel
;amer City of Pittsburg, from Cinanati
to Memphis, was burned to the
iter's edge early Sunday morning, at
irner's Landing, 24 miles from this
ty. The early reports stated that GS
;es were lest and that many were
idly burned and otherwise injured.
it the list of casualties is not yet defitely
determined. Two boats and all
'ailable craft from this city want to
ie scene for relief. Efforts were made
i catch the New South, of the same
ae at Paducah, and have her steam
ick for relief, but the steamer had
issed Paducah, upward bound, before
e telegram was received. Most of the
issengers were still in bed when Secid
Clerk Oliver Phillips gave the 4
arm. The engineers at once started
1 the pumping engines, while tho
ew had broughtt all the hose into
ay. Amid the streams of water on ail
ries, the flames from the lower deck
id dense clouds of smoke, the passenirs
rushed from their state rooms and
frightful panic ensued. The appeals
the officers and crew could not ap:ase
the terror-stricken crowds that
terfered with those throwing water
t the flames as well as with those
orking with the life boats. Few could
ljust life preservers or do anything
se for themselves. The smoke was
ifTIing. Great clouds floated through
ie blazing steamer, choking the pas ngers
and adding to their terror,
lildren cried pitifully, begging that
ey be saved. Life boats were manned
id every effort was made to save the
isscngers from the floating furnace of
tmes. From the river banks the
>arks from the burning craft and the
:nse clouds of smoke, tinged with
imes. made a most impressive and
eird spectacle. Boats were sent from
iOre to help in the work of rescue,
he steamer was quickly headed to tho
. ? 1- W..4 nnenAnorAKfl WOrO fAf^O/1
id the coal operators of the State
tve been unsuccessful, will make a
lal effort to secure the latter's attendee
at a meeting called for the present
eek in this city. If no recognition or
tisfaction shall be obtained at thi3
eeting, it is said a general itrike will
t the result among the thousands of
ine workers along the Chesapeake &.
lio and Norfolk & Western and the
iltimore & Ohio Railroads.
British Consols in Demand.
London, By Cable.?There was a treendous
rush to subscribe to the new
an of ?32,000.000 ($160,000,000) Wed;sday.
At the Bank of England it
is estimated in the evening the loan
id b^en ten times over-subscribed,
le subscription lists will close probdy
Thursday.
A
I LI ft., UUl ptUOCugcio nviv 4v* vv?*
mp from the stern and tried to swim
ihore through the swift current and
any were drowned. Many also perhed
in the flames. Only one yawl was.
iVed, without oars, and about 20 or ?0
omen were taken off in the yawl. The
'St were picked up out of the water,
elp, except from people living near i>y
d not arrive until 2:30 o'clock this
ternoon, and passengers with only
ght clothes and without food sufferI
terribly. Among the missing are a
lild of Pilot Al. Pritchard, and Clay
reeze, his wife and son, and a son of
rchie M. Allen, of Pittsburg.
Captain Philipps says 20 or 25 of the
issengers are missing and the same
imber of the crew. Two women pas ngers
were severely burned, but will
cover. They are Mrs. S. R. Leach, of
ridgeport, 0., burned about the hands,
id Miss Ellen Fenmore, of Arbuckle,
r. Va., severely burned about the
ce. Mrs. Fannie McCullum, of Leavlworth,
Ind., lost three children. Pat
urt. of Owensboro, Ky., his wife and
x children, were all lost The body of
child dressed in night clothes, was
.ken from the river at Mound City,
mong the first bodies recovered were
lose of Captain Wesley Doss, of Cinnnati,
and Miss Marie Tissim. of
inelton. Ind.
Miss Marie Lisler, of Carrollton. 0.,
* * _v.
ed after being brougni on snort-,
flvester Doss died after getting to
tore.
The following is a partial list of those
st: Mr. Adams, of Ohio, bound for
;. Louis; Mr. Downs, of Memphis;
om Smith, steerman, of Memphis;
atrick Burrafe, of Owensboro, Ky.;
je Ridding and Lud Jones, strikers'
lgineers, of Cincinnati; Wm. B. Stu t,
of Cincinnati; a little, girl named
(veeney, of Owensburg, Ky.; L. L.
unter, of Litinti, Pa.; two cooks and
ro chambermaids and most of the
K?k hands.
The fire was discovered at 4:05 a. m.
here were 60 passengers and 70 in the
ew.
General Strike In Prospect.
Huntington, W. Va., Special.?Th|
nited Mine Workers of West Virgin,
whose repeated efforts to bring
?out a conference between themselves