FAIRFAX AND HIS PRIDE
A NOVEL
BY
MARIE VAN VORST
Author of "Big Tremaine," etc.
BOSTON
SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY
PUBLISHERS
Copyright, 1920,
By SMALL, MAYNARD & COMPANY
(INCORPORATED)
TO
B. VAN VORST
IN MEMORY OF A LONG FRIENDSHIP
Transcriber's Note: Typographical errors have been corrected,and inconsistent spellings regularized. For details, please see the End Notes. The original versions of anycorrections may be viewed as mouseover text.
One bitter day in January in the year 1880, when New York was a tranquilcity, a young man stood at the South Ferry waiting for the up-town horsecar. With a few other passengers he had just left the packet which hadarrived in New York harbour that afternoon from New Orleans.
Antony Fairfax was an utter stranger to the North.
In his hand he carried a small hand-bag, and by his side on the snowrested his single valise. Before him waited a red and yellow tram-cardrawn by lean horses, from whose backs the vapour rose on the frostyair. Muffled to his ears, the driver beat together his hands in theirleather gloves; the conductor stamped his feet. The traveller climbedinto the car, lifting his big bag after him.
The cold was even more terrible to him than to the conductor and driver.He had come from the South, where he had left the roses and magnolias inbloom, and the warmth of the country was in his blood. He dug his feetinto the straw covering the floor of the car, buttoned his coat tightabout his neck, pushed his hands deep in his pockets and sat wonderingat the numbing cold.
This, then, was the North!
He watched with interest the few other passengers board the little car:two fruit vendors and after them were amiably lifted in great bunches ofbananas. Antony asked himself the question whether this new countrywould be friendly to him, what would its spirit be toward him,[Pg 2]he asked this question of the cold winter air the city suddenly tookreality and formed for him out of his dreams. Would it be kind or cruel?The coming days would answer: meanwhile he could wait. Some places, likesome people whom we meet, at once extend to us a hand; there are somethat even seem to offer an embrace. Through the car blew a sudden icyblast and N