The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-05-05

After a little desultory conversation he
said, Mother. I'm in n scrapel"
Her heart sank she closed her book,
and folded her hands upon it. "Oh, my
SOM she said. falteringly.
"Wcll, it's nothing 30 very dreadful,
he returned. forcing q smile. 81 was up
at Monmouth Park the other day, and
lost a little honeywell. it was pretty
good sum, for me. I'm not Crosus,
you know, and a few thousand dollars
makes a difference"
monmouth Park? What Is thatT
Its n track, they race horses there,
you know"
Percy. have you been betting on
horse races.'
Mercy. mother, it's no crime' All
the fellows do it. should look queer II
didn't chip in with the rcsti Only this
time happened TO get in pretty deep;
and as all the favorites were beaten
got badly left
do YOU mean that you lost all the
money YOU wagered.'
Every cent tit; you never saw such a
run Of bad luck in your life The trouble
was. made up my mind 10 win anyhow;
so each time lost put it all on the next
race. so as 10 get back what was gone.
and more into the bargain. II was as
good as certain that wouldn't lose every
race. YOU see. So when it came to the
last had a big pile on; and it was voted
a sure thing. believe it was the jockeys
fault. after all Anyhow, he lost the
race by a short head; and if | hadn't
had return ticket I'd have been obliged
to walk home.
"All your money gonel Why. my
son. if you had invested it, you might
have lived comfortably on the interest Of
il! And your father gave 1t TO you TO
start you in your profession. What can
YOU do;'
"Well. mother, must do the best J
can | know it's all wrong, and I'm
very sorry and all that. But it's no Use
crying for split milk I'm in hole and
I've got to be helped out of it somehow
Il will speak to Judge Ketello and see
what
whatever you do. don't speak TO
Judge Ketcllel He can do no good, and
would be certain TO do lot Of mischief.
What business is it Of Judge Ketello's
anyway
"Ilc was appointed executor under the
will and
That is no concern of mine, mother!
Nv interest in tho will ceased when ]
got my patrmony. l have no further
relations with the Judge nor ho with mo.
he has 10 right TO help me, even il he
wanted 10. which he doesn't"
"1iy son. he is tho best friend l have,
and whatever is for our good -
My dear mother tell you it won't
do' know what tho judge would say,
and after he had said it would be no
better oil than am now. | have some
pride. and don't want all tho world to
know that I'm a beggar. l shouldn't
think YOU would, either"
Percy, YOU know | wish nothing but
your good. but
The long and short of the matter f.
that unless am to DO disgracod | must
nave some money, and without any de-
lay. too ] owe few bills-they don't
amount to much-and must have lit
tie TO 20 on with. 4 thousand dollars
would cover the whole thing You can
let me have il. can't your
a thousand dollarsl But after that.
Percy? You viii be wanting money all
the time, and this cannot go on forever ~
"ltisn't going on forever This is the
first time ! have ever asked you for O
cent. mother, and it shall be the last.
Heaven knows it was hard enough 10
have to come to you at any rate; but ]
didn't expect YOU would make il harder
by arguing about iti'
My dearest boy, you might have all ]
possess. so far as am concerned D.
"Who else is concerned except you? q
thousand dollars isn't going to ruin you
mother. but it is ruin TO me if don't get
it. And don't fear | shall be coming to
Won again. am going to stop the kind
Of ffe have been living tho last year
and turn over a new leaf. / have several
opportunities TO get positions In the city,
and / ann going 10 set 10 work at once
and find out what will be the best thing
As soon as am in place where l can
turn around shall put in my spare time
studying up my mining, and before an.
other year is out | shall be ready to ac
cept an engagement. can support my
self as well as the next mainland make
q fortune, tool But don't suppose you
want TO see me miss all that for the sake
Of a paltry thousand dollarst'
The end of it was that Mrs Nolen gave
him a thousand dollars. She tried e
make him promise that he would come
and live under her own roof, but he put
her off with a temporizing reply, alleg~
mg. in no very logical vein, that he die
not wish TO make himself a burden 70
her. but when he got fixed so that he
could pay her for his board and lodging
he would come with pleasure.
The request indicated that getting fixed
was an operation that required time
The fact was that Percy paid sums on
account TO his most pressing creditors.
including the proprietor Of his lodgings.
and went on living much as before; e
salve his conscience he did make some
injuries about work. but not in such o
manner as to secure practicable answers.
one subject possessed his mind, and that
was Mrs. Tunstall 1t was impossible foi
him To live with his mother while that
affair was going on. His infatuation wa
intensified 10y Sylvia's timidity and re-
luctamce. A mans brains count fol
nothing IN such matter. Percy lived
in the desire Of the moment; he gave no
thought to the negotiable consequences
II he might see her today. or tomorrow
no. matter about the day after, and no
matter that the meeting was fraught
with danger both to her and 70 him. The
difference between good desire and az
evil ono generally is that the former is
sane and the latter has more or less Of
insanity.
Sylyia's heart was not engaged--if she
could be said 10 have heart-and it wa