He came on, we were married, and I
returned to Middleford with him. We had been married but a few
years when he died--of pneumonia. That was the year after Babbie
was born. Charles remained in Wisconsin, boarding with a cousin of
Mother's, and, after he graduated from high school, entered one of
the banks in the town. He was very successful there and the bank
people liked him. After Seymour--my husband--died, he came East to
see me at Middleford. One of Doctor Armstrong's patients, a bond
broker in New Haven, took a fancy to him, or we thought he did, and
offered him a position. He accepted, gave up his place at the bank
in Wisconsin, and took charge of this man's Middleford office,
making his home with Babbie and me. He was young, too young I
think now, to have such a responsible position, but every one said
he had a remarkably keen business mind and that his future was
certain to be brilliant. And then--"
She paused. It was evident that the hard part of her story was
coming. After a moment she went on.
"Charlie was popular with the young people there in Middleford. He
was always a favorite, at home, at school, everywhere. Mother
idolized him while she lived, so did I, so did Babbie. He was fond
of society and the set he was friendly with was made up, for the
most part, of older men with much more money than he.
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