The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-05-23

was the feasibility OF getting larger re-
turns from his invested property. Among
his acquaintance were many men whose
trade was finance, and Bartemus got in
the habit of counseling with them upon
financial matters No doubt they gave
him the best advice at their disposal; but
when one begins to buy stocks, advice is
of little use; and Mr. Nolen, after several
ups and downs, came down with some
what of thump, to the extent of about
third part of his total possessions. At
this juncture he proved his exceptional
good sense and self controls; for he never
risked another dollar in speculation.
Neither did he reveal the fact of his losses,
which was at least prudent But these
virtues could not save him from being
and feeling good deal poorer than he
was before He owned the house he
lived in, and continued to live in it; but
he curtailed his expenses, and by strict
economy contrived to render them less
than his income. His sons would soon
be through college, and would then, it
was to be supposed, take care of them
selves. 1t was for his daughter that he
was saving, and he hoped to leave her at
least decent fortune after his death.
But other misfortunes were in store
for him. His oldest son, Jerrold Nolen,
had graduated from college, and came
to New York to study medicine, living,
meanwhile, at his fathers house. He
was young fellow Of ability and agree
able manners, and was popular among
his fellows. His father was proud of
him, and treated him with Partially. 1t
soon became apparent that Jerrold was
rather inclined to dissipation; his sociable
nature had its detrimental side, This
was the more unfortunate, inasmuch
as he had a tendency to heart
| disease, and was of an excitable
temperament. AS this matter will
be dwelt on hereafter, it is enough
to say here that Jerrold died under tragic
circumstances in the second year of his
medical studies. His death, besides
bringing bitter grief to his father and
mother, led to legal proceedings against
person supposed to have been instru-
mental in comprising his destruction
proceedings which led to no good re-
suits, and involved a large expense. Mr..
Nolen never recovered from the shock
and disappointment of his eldest sons
sudden end; and in little more than a
year afterwards the morning papers con-
tanned respectful but brief notices of his
decease.
His will was admitted to probate; it
devised twenty thousand dollars to his
son Percy Nolen when the latter should
come of age; the remainder was settled
upor. Mrs. Nolen, with certain provisos
in the event Of Pauline's marrying with
her mothers approval. Percy's bequest
was intended to start him in business, he
having shown tendency to take up
mining engineering as a pursuit. He
too was an intelligent boy, and left col
lege in good standing as to scholarship,
but his character resembled Jerrold's in
it's lack of firmness and persistent en-
ergy; while, unlike Jerrold, he was of a
selfish disposition. After graduating
and coming into possession of his patri-
mony, he announced his intention of
postponing for while his professional
studies and seeing little Of metropoli-
tan life. This made his mother anxious,
remembering the unhappy career of her
older son, but she interpreted Percy's de-
sign in the manner most favorable to
him, as simply wish to become prac-
tically familiar with the ways and man.
ners of good society.
Percy's original purposes may, indeed,
have contemplated no more than that;
but that was far from being the limit of
what he actually did. His advances to-
wards the best society were neither con-
siderable nor prolonged. For a few
months he went to dinners and recep.
lions and danced at balls, but it soon be-
came evident that he was getting init
mate with class of people who, by nc
stretch of courtesy, could be counted
among the upper ten. These were chiefly
young men who dressed well, had dash
and assurance Of manner and were com
monty to be met with on fashionable
thoroughfares, in the corridors and bill.
lard rooms of the best hotels, on base.
ball grounds and race tracks, and, to.
wards the small hours of the night, al
certain restaurants and other places OF
resort more remarkable for brilliance and
liveliness than for responsibility, in
which the company ceased to be ex.
clusively masculine and was yet not i'm.
proved by the alteration. Percy had hi:
choice, and this was the class with which
he chose more and more to associate
They were, as a class, not wealthy; new
ertheless to be with them was not neces
sarily to be economical; neither did il
involve regular habits or early hours
Before long Percy was convinced that
the sort of life he was leading was moi
compatible with making a home under
his mothers roof; so he took bachelor
rooms on the west side of the city anC
went to bed and got up at what O'Clock
it best pleased him. He did not keel
away from homo altogether; he would
drop in now and then, when nothing else
was going on, sometimes to lunch, some
times to dinner, sometimes to accompany
his sister to the opera or theatre, but he
had cut loose from his mothers apron
strings and showed no present signs Of
meaning to come back to them. He was
living fast life, and not the best kind Of
| e. IL