Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1896-02-26

Heaven knows 1t was nara enough to
nave to come to you at any rate; but !
didn't expect you would make it harder
ey arguing about it,
My dearest boy, you might have all
possess, so far as / am concerned"
WHO else is concerned except you? a
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
you again. am going to stop the kind
OF a life have been living the last year
and turn over new leaf. have several
opportunities to get positions in the city,
and | am going to set to work at once
and find out what will be the best thing.
AS soon as am in place where / can
turn around shall put in my spare time
studying up my mining, and before an
other year is out I shall be ready to ac-
cept an engagement can support my
self as well as the next man-and make
a fortune, tool But / don't suppose you
want to see me miss all that for the sake
OF paltry thousand dollars?"
The end of it was that Mrs. Nolen gave
him thousand dollars. She tried to
make him promise that he would come
and live under her own roof, but he put
her off with temporizing reply, aneg-
ing, in no very logical vein, that he did
not wish to make himself burden to
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; to
salve his conscience he did make some
| inquiries about work, but not in such a
| manner as to secure practicable answers
| One subject possessed his mind, and that
was Mrs. Tunstall. TWAS impossible for
| him to live with his mother while that
affair was going on. His infatuation was
intensified by Sylvias timidity and re-
luctance. A mans brains count for
nothing in such matter. Percy lived
in the desire of the moment; he gave no
thought to the inevitable consequences.
If 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 to him. The
difference between good desire and an
evil one generally is that the former is
sane and the latter has more or less of
insanity.
Sylvia's heart was not engaged-if she
could be said to have heart-an it was
clear in her mind that she must run nc
risk of compromising herself. At the
same time, had it been in her power to
Danish Percy forever by the utterance of
a single word, it is doubtful if she would
have done it. She knew that, were her
husband to discover any further CORE
spondence between them, he would not
hesitate to act decisively and finally, and
the first result of that action would be
that she would find herself cast upon the
world with damaged reputation Such
a thing was not to be thought Of But
the very peril of her position was an al
lurement to linger in it: and then there
was the excitement of knowing that
man was in love with her who had no
business to be SO, and who was willing to
go all lengths for her. Moreover, she
was angry as well as dislnayed because
her husband had spoken to her as he did
like all women, she interpreted what
was said by what was meant). and found
pleasure in defying him in thought if
not in deed. So, although she did not
openly and explicitly encourage Percy,
she allowed him to believe that he was
not Indifferent to her
Neither he nor she had committed any
actual sin, but they were on the road to
doso. People always believe that they
can pull up at the last moment, and are
therefore willing to go on until the last
moment is reached. But by that time
events combine in an unforeseen manner
and push them over the edge Then
they are astonished to find themselves
linked with the brotherhood of crime.
And once that link is forged it defies all
attempts to break it.
It happened before long that Percy
needed more money. He had less than
two hundred dollars left, and he owed
more than that He did not wish to go
to his mother again. partly from shame,
partly because he knew that, in order to
raise the sum he needed, she would be
obliged to sell some stock, and that
would involve applying to Judge Ketelle
One night at club he was asked to take
hand at game of poker with three
others He sat down and played with
varying success for an hour or two.
Then two of the quartet withdrew and
he and the other kept on.
Percy had faith in his luck, and had
fortified himself with several whisky
cocktails. His opponent was a quiet
man, and seemed to be in detected and
timid frame of mind The chips on the
table represented good deal of money,
how much exactly Percy did not know;
he meant to win it ALL Some good cards
were dealt to him; he drew, and found !
himself in possession of superb hand.
He was quite certain that his adversary
held no such cards, and he began to bet.
His adversary was drawn into raising