Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / Jan. 26, 1909, edition 1 / Page 6
Part of The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
r - . , " ' -"THE CHARLOTTE EVENING CHRONICLE Vr r- 'Vy-'v OUR MQRf:Qiy IMfiBi AUTHOR. F TRJCTLY I j COFYBJ6HT 1908 ETY BENJ bolstered seats conveniently near, and spok weather. 0; 1 5 1 f- - t; : 1 THESE are the directions for finding the office of Carteret & Carteret, Mill Sua plies and Leather Belting: You follow the Broadway trail down until you pass the Crosstown Line, the Bread Line, and the Dead Line, and come to the Big Canons of the Moneygrubber Tribe. Then you turn to the left, to the right, dodge a pushcart and the tongue of a two-ton, four-horse dray and hop, skip, and jump to a granite ledge on the side of a twenty-sne-story synthetic mountain of stone and iron. In the twelfth story Is the office of Carteret & Car teret. 'The factory where they make the mill sup plies and leather belting is In Brooklyn. Those com modities to say nothing of Brooklyn not being of Interest to you, let us hold the Incidents within the confines of a one-act. one-scene play, thereby les sening the toll of the reader and the expenditure of the publisher. So, if you nave the courage to face four pages of type and Carteret & Carteret's office . toy, Perclval, you shall sit on a varnished chair in the Inner office-and peep at. the little comedy of the Old Nigger Man, the Hunting-case Watch, and the Open-Faced Question mostly borrowed fron Jie late Mr. Frank Stockton, as you will conclude. First, biography (but pared to the quick) must intervene. I am for the inverted sugar-coated qui alne pill the bitter on the outside. The Carterets were, or was (Columbia College professors please rule), an old Virginia family. Long time ago the gentlemen of the family had worn iace ruffles and carried Unless foils and owned plantations and had slaves to burn. But the war aad greatly reducedthelr holdings. (Of course you :an perceive at once that this flavor has been shop lifted from Mr. F. Hopklnson Smith, in spite of the et" after "Carter.) Well, anyhow: In digging up the Carteret history I shall not take rou farther back than the year 1620. The two origi aal American Carterets came over in that year, but ay different means of transportation. One brother, aamed John, came in the Mayflower and became a Pilgrim Father. You've seen his picture on the zovers of the Thanksgiving magazines, hunting tur leys in the deep snow with a blunderbuss. Bland ford Carteret, the" other brother, crossed the pond in Ms own brigantlne, landed on the Virginia coast, and became an F. F. V. John became distinguished for piety and shrewdness In business; Blandford for his pride. Juleps, marksmanship, and vast slave jultivated plantations. Then came the Civil War. (I must condense this historical Interpolation.) Stonewall Jackson was shot; Lee surrendered; Grant toured the world; cot ton went to nine cents; Old Crow whisky and Jim Crow cars were Invented; the Seventy-ninth Massa chusetts Volunteers returned to the Ninety-seventh Alabama Zouaves the battle flag of Lundy's Lane which they bought at a second-hand store In Chel " sea kept by a man named SkzchnzskI; Georgia sent the President a sixty-pound watermelon and that brings us up to the time when the story begins. My! but that was sparring for an opening! I really must brush up on my Aristotle. The Yankee Carterets went into business In New York long before the war. Their house, as far as Leather Belting and Miil Supplies was concerned, was as musty and arrogant and solid as one of those old East India tea importing concerns that you read about In Dickens. There were some rumors of a war behind Its counters, but not enough to af fect the business. During and after the war, Blandford Carteret, F. F. V., lost his plantations, juleps, marksmanship, and life. He bequeathed little more than Ills pride to his surviving family. So it came to pass that Blandford Carteret, the Fifth, aged fifteen, was in vited by the leather-and-mill-supplles branch of that name to come North and learn business instead of hunting foxes and boasting of the glory of his fathers on the reduced acres of his impoverished ramily. The boy jumped at the chance; and, at the age of twenty-five, sat in the office of the firm equal partner with John, the Fifth, of the blunderbuss and turkey branch. Here the story begins again. The young men were about the same age, smooth of face, alert, easy of manner, and with an air that promised mental and physical quickness. They were razored, blue-serged, straw-hatted, and pearl stick pinned lfke other young New Yorkers who might be millionaires or bill clerks. One afternoon at four o'clock, in the private office of the firm, Blandford Carteret "opened a letter that a clerk had Just brought to his desk. After reading it, he chuckled audibly for nearly a minute. John looked around from his desk inquiringly. "It's from mother," said Blandford. "Ill read you me runny part or it. She tells me all the neighbor hood news first, of course, and then cautions me against getting my feet wet and musical comedies. After that come some vital statistics about calves and pigs and an estimate of the wheat crop. And now 111 quote some: -And what do you think! Old Uncle Jake, who was seventy-six last Wednesday, must go traveling. Nothing would do but he must go to New York and see his "young Marster Blandford." Old as he is, he has a deal of common sense, so I've let him go. I couldn't refuse him he seemed to have concen- trated all his hopes and desires into this one ad venture into the wide world. You know he was born on the plantation, and has never been ten miles away from It In his life. And he was your father's body servant during the war, and has been always a faithful vassal and servant of the family. He has often seen the gold watch the watch that was your father's and your father's father's. 1 told him It was to be- yours; and he Degged me to allow him to take It to you and to put It into your hands himself. . "'So he has it, carefully inclosed In a buckskin , case and Is bringing It to you with all the pride and importance of a king's messenger. I gave him money for the round trip and for a two Greeks stay in the city. I wish you would see to it that he gets comfortable quarters Jake won't need much look ing afterhe's able to take care of himself. But I have read In the papers that African bishops and colored potentates generally havemuch trouble in obtaining food and lodging in the Yankee metropo lis. That may be all right; but 1 don't see why the best hotel there shouldn't take Jake InC Still, I .sup pose it's a rule. . . "I gave him full directions about finding you, and packed his valise myself. You won't have to bother with him; but I do hope you'll see that he is made comfortable: Take the watch that he brings you-it's almost'; a decoration. It has been worn by the true Carterets, and there isn't a stain upon it nor a false movement of the wheels. Bringing it to you Is the crowning Joy of old Jake's life. V wanted htm to have " that little outing and "that happiness before it is too late. You have often heard os talk about how Jake, pretty badly wounded him- self, crawled through the reddened grass at Chan cellors ville to where your father lay with the bul let in his dear heart, and took the watch from his pocket to keep it from the "Yanks. ."'So, my son, when the old man comes consider him as a frail but worthy messenger from the old time life and home. "'You have been so long away from home ana so long among the people that we have always regarded as aliens that I'm not sure that Jake will know you when he sees you. But Jake has a keen per ception, and I rather believe that he will know a Virginia Carteret at sight I can't conceive that even ten years in Yankeeland could change a boy of mine. Anyhow, I'm sure you will know Jake. I put eigh teen collars in .as valise. If he should have to buy others, he wears a number 15 . Please see that he gets the right ones. He will be no trouble to you at all. " If you are not too busy, I'd like for you to find him a place to board where they have white meal corn bread, and try to keep him from taking his shoes off In your office or on the street His right foot swells a little, and Jxe likes to be comfortable. "'If you can spare the time, count his handker chiefs when tney come back from the wash. I bought him a dozen new ones before he left He should be there about the time this letter reaches you. I told him to go straight to your office when he arrives." As soon as Blandford had finished the, reading of g gfcv jj genlemen is tryin' to have fun with the po old nig ger. But you can't fool old Jake. I knowed you, Marse Blandford, the. minute I sot eyes on you. You 'Yes," said she, "I noticed It was warmer r istn't take up too much of vmir tim l . mustn' tiously. He was a little old man, as black as soot., wrinkled and bald .except for a fringe of white wool, cut decorously short, that ran over his ears and around his head. There was nothing of the stage" "uncle" about him; his black suit nearly fitted him; his shoes shone, and his straw hat was banded with a gaudy ribbon. In his right hand he carried some thing carefully concealed by his closed fingers. Uncle Jake stopped a few steps from the dpor.v Two young men sat in their revolving desk chairs ten feet apart and looked at him in friendly silence. His gaze slowly shifted many times from one to the other. He felt sure that he was In the presence of one, at least, of the re'vered family among whose fortunes his life had begun and was to end. One had the pleasing but haughty Careteret air; the other had the unmistakable straight long fam ily nose. Both had the keen black eyes, horizontal brows, and thin, smiling lips that had distinguished Dotn tne Carteret of the Mayoflwer and him of the briffantftie. Old .TaV haA this, something happened (as there should happen x have pjiked out his young master Instantly from In stories and must happen ontbe stage). a thousand Northerners; but he found himself in j-erciviu. me omce Doy. witn nis air or despising difficulties. The best he could do was to was a po' skimpy little boy no mo' than about v ; " ,T ' fo'teei when you lef home to come No'th; but I knowed you the minute I sot eyes on you. You; is the mawtal image ot old marster. The other genie man resembles you mightily, suh; but you can't fool old Jake on a member of the old Vi'ginia fam ily. No, suh." At exactly the same time both Carterets smiled and extended a hand for the watch. Uncle Jake's wrinkled, , black face lost the ex pression of amusement into which he had vainly twisted it He knew that he was being teased, and that it made little real difference, as far as its safe ty went into which of those outstretched hands he placed the family treasure. But it seemed to him that not only his own pride and loyalty but much of the Virginia Carterets' was at stake.. He had heard down South during the war about that iDther branch of the family that lived In the North and fought on ""the yuther side," and it had always grieved him. He had followed his "old marster's" fortunes from stately luxury through war to al most poverty. And now, with the last relic- and re minder of him, blessed by "old missis," and intrust ed implicity to his care, ht had come ten thousand miles (as it seemed) to deliver it into the hands of the one who was to wear it and wind It and cher ish it and listen to It tick off the unsullied hours that marked the lives of - the Carterets of Vir ness hours. That Is," she continued, "uni!fc She addresed Tier nrnrrla tn ti., mi - . ... ' . - w uiuo lie, wir.U n rH lng smile. u ca "Very well,1' said he. "You don't mind being present do you? . We are gneram? C confidential with each other-esptcfal?;?, . "5?J no" caroled Miss De Ormond. Td he did hear. He knows all about it anvho fact, he's quite a material witneSa bwaSe present when you-when it happened T tt - " " imugs over beforp . .wuu wjten, as i Deiieve the 1 "Have you anything In the way of a nronn!, to make?" asked Black Tie. P Posi! Miss De Ormond looked reflectively at th toe of one of her dull kid pumps. c "I had a proposal made to me," she said proposal sticks it cuts out the proposition r have that settled first" vusiuon. L "Well, as far as- " began Blue Tie "Excuse me, cousin, interrupted Black To you don't mind my cutting in." And then he turn " xcu ixu, iowara tne lady. V NOW. let's reonnitnlota k . -" us, uesxues otner mutual a flTlPPO TlOITA htA X ;rVr: WCC1 wut oa a Soa many larks acquai the world's output of mill supplies and leather belting, came in to announce that a colored gentle man was outside to see Mr. Blandford Carteret strategy. "Howdy, Marse Blandford howdy, suh?" he said, looking midway between the two young men. His experience and conception of the Yankees had been an impression of tyrants-"low-down, common trash in blue, laying waste with fire and sword. He had seen tlie smoke of many burning home- Im afraid 111 have to call the birds by anoti name," said Miss De Ormond. 1 "All rirhf ' , iaa. no, wiin unimnah cheerfulness; "suppose we say -sauabs' when talk about thfi nrrnftoi1 a-r,A ii.t , . m lams wnen we r cuss-the 'proposition.' You hava a nniMr a. De Ormond. Two months 'anrna ', of us went in a motor car for a day's run into country. We stopped at a .road house for.dinn My cousin proposed marriage to you then a IJfn He WEi Influenced to do so. of' course, the beauty and charm which no one can deny n you possess." , "I wish I had you for a press agent Mr r teret," said the beauty, with a dazzUng smile You are on the stage. Miss De Ormond vco on Black Tie. "You have had. doubtless, many mlrers and perhaps other proposals. You must i member, too. that we were a party of merrymake on- that occasion. There were a good many con pulled. That the proposal of marriage was made : you by my cousin we cannot deny. But hasn't been your experience that, by common consea such things Jose their seriousness when viewed 1 the next day's sunlight? Isn't there somethin a code among good 'sports' I use the word In ii best sense that wipes out each day the follies i the evening previous?" "Oh, yes," said Miss De Ormond. "I know the very welL And I've always played up to it Bu as you seem to be conducting the case with the s lent consent of the defendant I'll tell you somethin more. I've got letters from him repeating the pro posaL And they're signed, too." "I understand," said Black Tie gravely. "Whatt your price for the letters?" J Km, a Cheap one" sald Ml8s DQ Ormond But I had decided to make you a rate. You bot! belong to a swell family. Well, if I am on the stage nobody can say a word against me truthfully And the money is only a secondary consideration. - It isnt the money i was after. 1 I believed him and and I liked him." She cast a soft, entrancing glance at Blue Tie from under her long eyelashes. "And the price?" went on lack Tie Inexorably. : "Ten thousand dollars," said the lady sweetly. ' "Or- " . - ' Or the fulfillment of the engagement to marry." "I think It is time," interrupted Blue Tie, "for me to. be allowed to say a word or two. You and I, cousin, belong to 9. family that has held its head pretty high. You have been brought up in a sec tion of the country very different from the one vhea: our branch of the family lived. Yet both of us are Carterets, even if some of our ways and theories differ. You-remember it is a tradition of the fan ily that noXiarteret ever failed in -chivalry to a lady or failed to keep his wora when it was given." Then Blue Tie, with frank decision showing on his countenance, turned to MIss'De Ormond. "Olivia," ,aid he, "on what date will yon many me?" Before she could answer. Black Tie again Inter posed.' "It is a long Journey," said he, "from Flywow'l Rock to Norfolk Bay. Between the two points v. find the changes that nearly three centuries havo brought. In that time the old order has changed. We no longer burn witches or torture slaves. And to-day we neither spread our cloaks on the mud for ladles to walk over nor treat them to the duckirj stool. It is the age of common sense, adjustmei.f, and proportion. All of us ladies, gentlemen, t." men, men, Northerners, Southerners, lords, caitiff", actors, hardware drummers, senators, hod carrier?, and politicians are coming to a better understand ing. Chivalry is one of our words that changes it i meaning every day. Family pride is a thing many constructions it may show itself by main taining a moth-eaten arrogance in a c,ob'.vebbi Colonial mansion or by the prompt paying of orx's debts. "Now, I suppose you've had enough of my rro;: logue. I've learned something of business and a tie of life; and I somehow believe, cousin, that -oir great-great-grandfathers, the original Carteret;, would indorse my view of this matter." ; Black Tie wheeled around to his desk, wrote in a check book and tore out the check; the sharp ra:? of the perforated leaf making the .only sound w the room. He laid the check within easy reach ot Miss De Ormond's hand. "Business is business," said he. "We live in a business age. There is my personal check for 000. What do you say. Miss De Ormond will it &3 orange blossoms or cash?" Miss De Ormond picked up the check carelessly, f folded it indifferently, and stuffed it Into her glove ' "Oh, this'll dot" she said calmly. "1 Just thought I'd call and put it up to you. 1 guess you people are all right But a girl has feelings, you kno. I've heard one of you was a Southerner 1 wonder which one of you it is." - She arose, smiled sweetly, and walked to the door. There with a flash of white teeth and a dip of tie heavy plume she disappeared. Both of the cousins had forgotten Uncle Jake fr the time. But now they heard the shuffling of &is shoes as he came across the rug toward them Iroia his seat in the corner. "Young marster,' he said, "take yo' watch." And without hesitation' he laid the ancient tia piece in the hand of Its5 rightful owner. (I "I UNDERSTAND" SAID BLACK TEE GRAVELY. "WHAT IS YOUR PRICE FOR THE LETTERS?" "Bring him In," said Brandford, rising. John Carteret swung around In his chair and said to Perclval: "Ask him to wait a few minutes out side. Well let you know when to bring him In." Then he turned to his cousin with one of those broad, slow smiles that was an inheritance of all the Carterets, and said: "Bland, I've always had a consuming curiosity to understand the differences that you haughty South erners believe to exist between 'you all and the people. of the North. Of course I know that you consider yourselves made out of finer clay and look upon Adam as onlv a collateral branch of your an cestry; but I don't know why. I never could under stand the differences between us." "Well., John," said Blandford, laughing, "what you don't understand about it is Just the difference, of course. I suppose it was the feudal way In which we lived that gave us our lordly baronial airs and feeling of superiority." "But you are not feudal now," went on John. "Since we licked you and stole your cotton and mules you've had to go to work Just as we 'damyan kees,' as you call us, have always been doing. And you're Just as proud and exclusive and upper-classy as you were before the war. So it wasn't your money that caused it" "Maybe it was the climate," said Blandford light ly, "or maybe our negroes spoiled us. .Ill call old Jake in, now. Ill be glad to see the old villain again." "Wait Just a moment" said John. "Ie got a little theory I want to test You and Ire pretty much alike in our general appearance. Old Jake hasn t seen you since you were fifteen. Let's have hhn in, and play fair and see which of us gets the watch. The old darky surely ought to be able to -pick out his "young marster' without any trouble.' The alleged aristocratic superiority of a reb ought to be visible to him at once. He couldn't make the mistake of handing over the timepiece to a Yankee of course The loser buys the dinner this evening an. , Z6U 15 coUars fOT J- Is it a goT Blandford agreed heartily twm! moned and told to usher the "colored gentleman" "Howdy, Uncle Jake?" they both answered pleas- steads almost as grand as Carteret Hall ascending antly and In unison. "Sit down. Have you brought to the drowsy Southern skies. And now ha ine watcn r Uncle Jake chose a hard-bottom chair at a re spectful distance, sat on the edge of it, and laid his hat carefully on the floor. The watch In Its Suck- skin case he gripped tightly. He had not risked his face to face with one of them and he could not distinguish him from his "young marster" whom ho had come to find and bestow upon him the emblem of his kingship even as the arm "clothed in white samite, mystic, wonderful" laid Excalibur in the life on the battlefield to rescue that watch from right hand of Arthur. He saw before him two young his "old marster's" foes to hand it over again to the enemy without a struggle. "Yes, suh; I got It in my hand, suh. Vm gwine give it to you right away In Jus' a minute. Old Missis told me to put it in young Marse Blandford's hand and tell him to wear it for the family pride and honor. It was a nighty longsome trip for an old nigger man to make ten thousand miles it must be back to old Vi'ginia, suh. You've growed might ily, young marster. I wouldn't have reconnized you but for yo' powerful resemblance to old marster." With admirable diplomacy the old man kept his eyes roaming in the space between the two men. His words might have been addressed to either Though neither wicked nor perverse,' he was seeking for a sign. Blandford and John exenanged winks. "I reckon you done got your ma's letter," went on Uncle Jake. "She said she was gwine to write to you 'bout my comin' along up this er-way." "Yes, yes. Uncle Jake," said John briskly. "My cousin and I have Just been notified to expect you. We are both Carterets, you know." "Although one of us," said Blandford, "was born and raised-in the North." "So if you will hand over the watch " said John. - "My cousin and I " said Blandford. : "Will then see to it " said John. ' "That comfortable quarters are found' for you," said Blandford. w Tltf?e2lble ingenuIty'. Jake set up a cackling, high-pitched, protracted laugh.' He beat his knee, ua " u ana Dent the brim in men, easy, kind, courteous, welcoming, either of whom might have been the one he sought Trou bled, bewildered, sorely grieved at his weakness of Judgment, old Jake abandoned his loyal subterfuges. His right hand sweated against the buckskin cover of the watch. He was deeply humiliated and chas tened. Seriously, now, his prominent, yellow-white eyes closely scanned . the two young men. At the end of his scrutiny he was conscious of but one dif ference between I them. One wore a narrow, black tie with a white pearl stickpin. The other's 'four-in-hand" was a narrow; blue one pinned with a black pearl. And then to old Jake's relief there came a sud den distraction. Drama knocked at the door with imperious knuckles, and forced comedy to fhe wings, and drama peeped with a smiling but set face over the footlights. Perclval, the hater of mill supplies, brought in a card, which he handed, with the manner of one bearing a cartel, to Blue Tie. " 'Olivia De Ormond " read Blue Tie from the -card. He looked inquiringly at his cousin. ' "Why not have her in," said Black Tie, "and bring matters to a conclusion?" "Uncle Jake," said one of the young men, "would you mind taking that chair oyer there in the corner for a while? A lady is coming in on some busi ness. We'll take up your case afterwards." The lady whom Perclval ushered in was young and petulantly, decidedly, freshly, consciously, and in tentionally pretty. She was dressed with such. x. pensive plainness that she made you consider lace'" paroxysm. o7 humoTous .and ruffles as mere tatters and rags. But one great j : 3 appreciation. The seizure, ostrich nhimo that v, waid tttoiw h ,--!. in. Uncle Jake stepped inside the private office can- SrmeXf 7 betWeen' abTe' d Jeyond his two -I sees what" he chuckled after a while. "You ostrich plume that she wore would have marked her anywhere in the army of beauty as the wearer of the merry helmet of Navarre. c Miss De Ormond accepted the swivel chair at Blue Tie's desk. Then the gentlemen drew leather up- . .1 v
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Jan. 26, 1909, edition 1
6
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75