Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1891-03-12

ibid you hear that Mr.. Howe, part.
ner of Mr.. Emerick's, is dead?"
NO. I did not, replied Mrs. Delaro.
1T occurred some time ago. said Mr..
Wilcox, land heard downtown that this
limerick is returning from Buenos
Ayres. having closed out his business
there Also that he is going to sell out
altogether. He is rather queer fish,
am told. some of his business transac-
lions not being quite as square as they
might be. The consequence is that he
is not spoken of very we'll among bust
ness men and has few friends"
''Then I hope that you will en-
deavor to see him as soon as he arrives,
for Percy was very anxious that you
should. He seemed to have some idea
that you will know the man." said Mrs.
Delaro.
''You may depend upon 1t shall do
my best to see him when he gets here,
for I am as much interested as anybody
in knowing who he really ISL
For the next week or two there were
no new developments either in regard
to Percy Lowell or the Bregys' fortune.
Eugene and his mother, acting on the
advice OF Mr.. Blodger, made rapid
preparations to leave for France, and
had even taken passage on the LA Gas
coigne" for the early part of May.
Mr.. Wilcox was suffering intense
anxiety on account of not hearing from
Percy, and longed for the time to come
| when he would receive some informa-
! ton by mail from the American Consul,
to whom he had telegraphed asking him
| to make inquiries. In fact so great
was the old fellows anxiety that he
began to show signs of it in his feat
ures. The old gentleman was very ro-
bust. and could have com batted SUCCESS
fully any severe physical trial, but the
stress of worry on his mind owing to the
halo of uncertainty which surrounded
the fate of his chosen friend and COM
| panion were too much for him. He
grew restless, sometimes even irritable,
and finally was told by his medical
| adviser that he must cease to trouble
himself so much or he would be very
sick man. Still nothing could divert
his thoughts, and on the day that Mr..
limerick landed in New York from the
Rio steamer, Mr.. Wilcox was compelled
| to take to his bed. The straxn on his
mind had been too much and he had to
succumb. Mrs. Delaro and Armida had
| done their utmost to cheer him, and had
endeavored to force him to eat and
drink, and take amusement to divert
his thoughts, but their efforts were of
| no avail.
In Observation-Disclosures bedroom in
the house near Gramercy Park was
| gathered small company, wistfully
| gazing upon, bed whereon lay the
| quiet form of an old man. The little
group consisted of Mrs. Delaro and her
daughter, Mr.. Blodger and physician,
and they were sadly watching their
good friend, Mr.. Wilcox, the tide Of
whose life was fast ebbing away.
| Joel Wilcox was an old man who had
long since passed the three-score-and-
ten milestone on life's highway. and a
| slight cold, added to intense anxiety,
| on account of the man whom he had
grown to love as son, had produced a
| fever which proved too much for his
| vitality. The old fellow had outlived
his day and generation, though. indeed,
he had in his younger days cut adrift
from all his relations and early asso-
Citations. In the latter days of his
prosperity he had not made many
friends Though he could count ac-
| quaintances by the hundreds) as his re-
served and simple nature rendered him
fearful lest mon should only like him
! for his wealth and tho influence which
| wealth brought with it. For Mario
| Delaro he had conceived a hearty Iik-
| ing, and how we'll he had proved the
genuineness of that friendship these
pages have told. Besides the Delaro
| family, Percy Lowell was the only per-
| yhn hod RI
Wilcox's heart, though the old-time
friendship with Blodger had been cor
daily renewed of late.
Although so few were the personal
| friends of the kind-hearted old million
aire, very many were those among the
poor and needy, the tried and the
| tempted-those who fought on the
losing side in the battle of ife-who
| had known what it was to have the
| friendly help, material and moral, of
| Joel Wilcox. Truly of this old man it
might be said, as it was said of One
+ greater than he-''he went about doing
good" And now the end was near. 1t
was late in the afternoon of lovely
day in mid-winter, such day as is only
| known in the northern latitudes of
| North America. Away in the western
! sky the crimson sun was fast sinking,
lighting all the horizon with golden
radiance, and, for the nonce, gliding the
closely-built streets of the great me-
tropolis until its spires and roofs shone
Respondent as the palaces of fairy
k,,.,..A,.I|l NH
81 lLZAg!kN
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