old Virginia family. Long time ago the gentlemen of the family had worn
lace ruffles and carried tinless foils and owned plantations and had
slaves to burn. But the war had greatly reduced their holdings. (Of
course you can perceive at once that this flavor has been shoplifted
from Mr. F. Hopkinson Smith, in spite of the "et" after "Carter.") Well,
anyhow:

In digging up the Carteret history I shall not take you farther back
than the year 1620. The two original American Carterets came over in
that year, but by different means of transportation. One brother, named
John, came in the _Mayflower_ and became a Pilgrim Father. You've seen his
picture on the covers of the Thanksgiving magazines, hunting turkeys in
the deep snow with a blunderbuss. Blandford Carteret, the other brother,
crossed the pond in his own brigantine, 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-cultivated plantations.

Then came the Civil War. (I must condense this historical
interpolation.) Stonewall Jackson was shot; Lee surrendered; Grant
toured the world; cotton went to nine cents; Old Crow whiskey and Jim
Crow cars were invented; the Seventy-ninth Massachusetts Volunteers
returned to the Ninety-seventh Alabama Zouaves the battle flag of
Lundy's Lane which they bought at a second-hand store in Chelsea, 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 op on my
Aristotle.

The Yankee Carterets went into business in New York long before the war.