Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1886-04-15
TONY GRABBER' WILL.

1 Anthony Grabber ST., head partner in
the well-knOwn and eminently respectable
banking house Of Grabber, Flusk Grab
Der was n stout, middle-sized, elderly gem
tlenan of sleek and prosperous appear
ance and cOurtly manners. Anthony Grab
Der Jr., on the contrary, was tall and thin
With a watery eye and consumptlYe
cough IA young man who plainly showed
that he had not inherited his f4thers ex-
cellent constitution or his business cap
abilities. Father and son were no less I'M
like in taste, habit and disposition than
in outward appearance. Mr.. Grabber'
senior. was a pious man who was re-elect-
ed peoples churchwarden with great regu-
Iarity in his suburban parish and took an
immense interest in night schools and the
conversion of the jew; but Tony was
goddess youth, who never went to church
and spent his Sundays in debauchery.
Old Grabber hated every kind of sport,
looked upon race meetings as inventions
of the devil and did not know rifle from
fowling piece; where his son was desper-
ately fond Of racing coursing and cock
fighting when he could get it,, lost large
sums Of his fathers money at cards, and
shot pigeons mt every gun-club within 30
miles of London. Under these circum
it was not greatly surprising that there
was no love lost between the two gentle
men. Old Grabber despised his son as
fool and positively hated him as a spend
thrift and gambler, while Tony looked on
his father as a sanctlmon Gus old prig and
devOtedly prayed that before long he
might be removed TO a better world Nor
was this all. The credit of Grabber Flusk
B. Grabber had TO be maintained at any
cost and it hence came about that young
Grabber's bills were invariably hOnOred as
they fell due, circumstance which cost
Old Grabber much anxiety and bad Ian
guage ard made Mr.. Flusk think seriourly
of quitting the firm. Fui Tony had been
made n partner at the age of u, since
which time he had never done stroke of
work, and how to get rid of him without
damaging their reputation was problem
which his partners had hitherto failed to
solve in satisfactory manner.
Mr.. Grabber, Jr., though dissipated,
was quite sharp enough to realize the
strength of his position, and neither
prayers nor entreaties on the part of his
father and Mr.. Flusk awaited to make /
him turn over q new leaf, giving up gam
bling and betting,a interest himself in |
the affairs of the firm. He plunged deep /
or and deeper i'll luck attending every /
venture upon which he embarked. Old [
Grabber stormed, and Mr.. Flusk dissoly |
ed into tears, but Tony was obdurate, He /
would persist in playing baccarat, in fire. I
quenting race meetings in making peri !
Odical visits to Monte Carlo and in keep |
ing worry smart establishment. At
length Messrs. Grabber and Flusk deter I
mined to make desperated effort to get !
rid of the incubus by buying Tony out of /
the bank altogether, and with a view to /
this arrangement, they called in the aid .
of MIR Sharpus the firms confidential
solicitor and general adviser. Tie ques-
ton with regard 90 which Mr.. Sharpus' |
counsel was chiefly required was how much, /
IN the first place they could afford to /
give Mr.. Grabber Jr., TO make himself /
scarce and how much, in the second the /.
said young gentleman could be persuaded I
TO accept. MIR. Sharpus, after the man
ner of his kind, was not over sanguiue
and when the affairs Of the firm we're dis I
closed 10 him he became positive des |
pairing For, sad 20 say the bank was in .
no iiourishing condition. The drawings /
of young Tony mounted up to q most (
alarming figure, and what surprised and .
Mortified Mr. Flusk even more WAS the /
fact that old Grahhcr, by diut of engag
ing in doubtful speculatiuns on his own
account and involving the firm in bad
debts, was himself rapidly approaching 4
Insolvency. Flusk was a timid, nervous /
man, and when these appalling circum- I
stances were revealed to him he sank .
helplessly in % chair, his CONSERVATION |
depriying him temporarily of the power
of speech.