Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-03-30
PREIITINARY,
ITO Mr.. Darcy Hunter Gray:

ITO MIR, Darcy Hunter gray;
"NY DEAR BoY-As foreshadowed N
my last the concern has gone to smash,
and your prospects with it When It's
affairs are settled, the firm of Hunter,
Bloom & Co will have enough to pay
Its funeral expenses, and that's about
all. What have left is my wife's, who
will, | trust, be able to support me IN
til certain life insurance policies become
due. out Of which she can reimburse
herself through my dying, for the cost
of my living I'm too old to try again,
too sad to care much, except for you,
"Your father was my dear friend,
your mother my beloved sister When
he died. promised him | would he
Gather to you When she died, her last
words were a plea that should be good
90 her boy | accepted both trusts,
Darcy and betrayed both
They died pOCr | was rich. They
would have had You learn to carve your
own career, and ! loved YOU so that
from your bright, brave boyhood you
We're spoiled and INDUCED as my own
son gave you the best had. / baked
you in only one desire, that of golng TO
West Point Harvard, London. Paris,
Berlin, Vienna, Rome and the Riviera
were your educators ! planned to make
YOU railway magnate when you hndn t
learned the first principles Of the bust
ness I've accustomed you to every lux
ury-to q life Of careless ease, to be a
dawdlcr and q dilettante--lsn' that
what you call it? | counted on leaving
you rich, and | leave you ruined. Tho
self reproach, the misery which over.
comes me as l write these words no
words can tell you.
II know what you would write and
say You were always generous; but
Darcy, don t write, don't come. Just
yet Wait until you gct-the next news.
Wait until
However, let us get down TO busi-
ness OF course you and Mrs. Hunter
viii not be apt TO see much of each 9th
err She Will mourn me less than yOu,
and you more than | deserve. ] he very
little nest egg your mother set aside for
you Is intact With accrued interest it
amounts 30 some $ll, 720. You have no
debts to speak of, have you? I've paid
all you ever told me about-twice, l
think-and You were always frank and
truthful That little sum, with what
you have TO your credit Ill the Chemical
and over there with you, represents the
sum total OF your fortune You never
needed it before, and so | never happen
ed to mention 1t TO you.
But despite your defects in bringing
up. for which | am responsible, you're
not much worse oil than if you'd gone
z.I,. ,1x,, a
that lunacy, as you did the other one
tor-yOu know and can now make a
strike for yourself You have the best
OF health, the best of looks-for yOu
strongly resemble your uncle as he was
Mt your age--the best of education for
any purpose that ism t absolutely useful
and there is nothing that know of to
prevent your marrying a fortune, as
did, and living happy ever atter-as
dldn t.
Don't underrate the extent of my
collapso-Bloom got away with what
Wall street left-Or Of my love. Thank
God have 10 son Of my ownl Thanl;
God, I've only You to kneel to and say,
Forgive the blind, miscalculating, but
utterly humbled old fellow that -
But here the eyes of the man seated
there by the dancing waters i'll the glad
April sunshine grew so blind with tears
that he could read no more
Out on the blue, translucent waves
the white swans were padding to and
fro, dipping for bread tossed by the Law
Ish hands of laughing children and their
white capped bornes. The flashing oar.
OF many skitf drove through the SPAR
killing waters, sending snowy little surges
breaking from the sharp, white prows.
FAIRY yachts and swift paddle wheel
steamers Glove the mirror surface farther
from the shore and tossed the creamy
foam along their billowlng wake. Hal
way over to the Savoy shore, deep il
the shadow Of the mountains two whit,
winged harks seemed wooing the tal
terlng breeze, for not a leaf was stirrnI
IN the deep green foliage that shaded
the path along the sea wall TOwern;
high alOtt, dazzling in the sunshine
the snow scanned, snow capped crag
blinded the eye with their radiance Il
they peered down into their own reflec
tons III the sombor depths at thei
81 a6owy base Away to the eastward
NJ little towns and villages lay "a
~ root of the vine clad slopes Of th
northern shore, while here and there
venerable ruln--castle, convent or for
tress--stood seutineled IN bold relief Of
some projecting height or nestled unde
the shoulder of some rocky Cliff clos
20 ii water edge Near at hand i
the public place the carrousels throng
cd with children. old and young
wer spinning madly to the reedy melc
die, of some donkey driven organ
Ma tz, galop and military march r!ote
in ! nd rivalry and "a group OF Italia
SIN rs, smiling lndomltahly, carola
"t 1icull Funlcula' IN ulmble oppos
tlon to Tyrolean band quackihg lik
mol ducks III the pavilion at the Wa
ter edge, The bell buttoned page {
the }eau Rivapo was still dartlng about
dist buting letters Just brought IN b
the rlnning taoteur, ever ascent fC
tips and, having still three or tour III
del cred missives, halted III front {
the merican
ardon, IN sieu', but-ees Nee
La dom
Up ut the Billiard rooms, probably
was the brusQue answer, rs Mr. Ora
turned hastily away TO hide the susp
cious moisture in his eyes.
~