El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-08-15
THE BLESSING
OF JIM ROBBINS.
Under an Inspiration He
Distinguished Himself.
BY W. r. ROSE.
BY w. r. ROSE.

x
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Spencer Clifford was quite too ready
to admit that he was just an average
sort of fellow. That was really all he
cared to be. What he could do he did
fairly well. but he did just as little as
was decently possible At college he
had gone in a little for athletics, and
made a very creditable record. but he
shrank from anything really brilliant.
He was a good scholar. too, but was
quite willing to rank with the fntellec
tual second raters. When he left col
lege, he went abroad and dawdled
about in an aimless way, and came
home with few impressions that he
cared to mention. Then he went In
for society, and there seemed to be
reasonably contented. Society amused
him and wasn't too exacdng. Society
coddled him; he was young, handsome,
clever and rich.
And yet he would admit that he felt
q little conscience stricken when Anna
Goldie gravely asked him one day
about his future hopes. There was a
look in her eyes that he didn't like
when he laughed off the query. 1t set
him to thinking, and thinking was an
occupation he rarely INDUCED in.
Thinking almost disquieted him. He
avoided Anna Goldie for a time, and
found that was still more disquieting.
And then just as he was thinking he
would invite another talk with her on
the original disquieting subject she
suddenly went away. She went, they
told him, to visit an invalid aunt in the
interior Of the state She might be
gone some time. 1t was more visit
Of duty than of pleasure. and its con-
tinuance would depend altogether upon
the failing health of the aunt In what
part of the state did Miss Goldie's aunt
live? Somewhere near Palmyra.
Palmyra? That was where Jim Rob
bins lived. Good old Jim Robbins.
whom he hadn't seen since his last col
lege year. Jim was somebody down in
Palmyra. Member OF the legislature
or something. He saw Jim's name in
the papers occasionally. Jim was 9
rising man
AS the days wore along the desire to
visit Jim grew upon him. He had 8
standing invitation to come down at
any time. There was a pressing note
in his desk of quite recent date in
which he was told of the treat he was
missing in not making the acQuaint-
ance of Jim's matchless wife and
equally matchless girls. He wondered
if Jim would know the abiding place of
Anna Goldie'S aunt. If he was a poll
tician, he probably knew everybody.
He decided to go down at once and
make Jim a visit, and he wrote to him
to that effect.
Then he went to the bank and called
on his father. And while he was there
his uncle Tom came in and the three
were closeted for long time in his
fathers private room. When they
came out, his uncle Tom shook hands
with him and patted him on the back
in his usual hearty fashion. And his
father shook hands with him in grave
and both the elder men seem.
ed highly elated. Spencer shook his
head little doubtfully as he left them
Then he braced up with a swift stiffen-
ing Of his fingers and clinching of his
hands and accelerated his pace. He
was going to his rooms to fill his dress
suit case for the visit to Jim.
He arrived at Palmyra early in the
evening. He had meant to reach there
in the afternoon, out the train was de
layed. He hadn't told Jim just what
day he would start, and so his old
friend wasn't bothering over his non
Spencer concluded he
would look Jim up in the morning He
went to the hotel and had his supper
After supper he strolled up to the
clerks desk and inquired about his
friend.
''Oh, Jim Robbins?' cried the clerk.
Yes, yes. Jim is one of our leading
citizens. Has a nice home up on the |
West hill. He's a great hustler, Jim
S. Going to send him to the state SEN
lite next fall. Friend of yoursY'
Yes" said Spencer, "an old friend. |
Came down to visit him"
Tell you what you do said the |
,lerk. Jim is the chairman, toast
master, whatever you call it, of the big |
banquet at Raymond hall tonight. |
It's a complimentary feed given in |
honor of Colonel Jack Speed, who is
home for brief visit, and everybody,
'retty much, is going. Colonel Speed
S our congressman, you know, and
les in high favor in Palmyra Hon.
dwight Perkins from somewhere out |
vest one of the big national lights of
he house, is to be the speaker of the
OCCASION, and they'll have plenty to eat
nd good music. Better go over"
"A half hour later Spencer assembled
he stairway of Raymond hall. He
lot1ced number of ladies in the
rowd that steadily marched into the
all, and he was rather glad to find
hat the banquet was not to be of the