Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-04-11
PRELIMINARY.
ITO Mr.. Darcy Hunter GRAY:

and your prospects with it. When Its
affairs are settled, the firm of Hunter,
Bloom & Go. will have enough to pay
its funeral expenses and that's abCat
all. What have left is my wife's who
will, trust, be able to support me UNI
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 I would be
father to you. When she died, her last
words were plea that should be good
to her boy. l accepted both trusts,
Darcy, and betrayed both.
'sThey died poor. was rich. They
would have had you learn to carve your
own career, and loved you SO that
from your bright, brave boyhood you
were spoiled and INDUCED as my own
son. gave you the best l had. baked
you in only one desire. that of going to
West Point. Harvard, London, Paris,
Berlin, Vienna, Rome and the Riviera
were your educators. planned to make
you railway magnate when you hadn' t
learned the first principles of the bust
mess. I've accustomed you to every lux
ury-to life of careless ease, to be
dawdler and dilettante-isn' that
what You call it? counted on leaving
you rich, and leave you ruined. The
self reproach, the misery which over
comes me as write these words no
words can tell you.
81 know what you would write and
say. You were always generous; but,
Darcy, don't write, don't come. just
yet Wait until you get-the next news.
Wait until
However,, let us get down to bust
ness OF course you and Mrs. Hunter
will not be apt TO see much of each 9th
er. She will mourn me less than you,
and you more than Deserve The very
little nest egg your mother set aside fol
you is intact. With accrued interest il
amounts to some $11, 720. You have ne
debts to speak of, have you? I've pait
all you ever told me about-twice
think-and you were always frank ant
truthful. That little sum, with wha
you have to your credit in the Chemica
J & and over there with you, represents thu
sum total Of your fortune. You neve
needed it before, and SO never happen
cd to mention it to you.
.But despite your defects in bringing
up, for which am responsible, your
not much worse off than if you'd gon
into the army Il hope you've outlive
that lunacy, as you did the other on
for--you know and can now make
strike for yourself You have the bes
of health, the best of looks-for 20
strongly resemble your uncle as he wa
at your age-the best Of education fo
any purpose that isn't absolutely usefu!
and there is nothing that know of t
prevent your marrying fortune as
did, and living happy ever after-as
didn't.
Don't underrate the extent of m
collapse-Blo got away with wis
4 Wall street left-or of my love. Than
God, have no son of my own! Than
God, I've only you to kneel to and sa,
Forgive the blind, miscalculating, b,
utterly humbled old fellow that -
But here the eyes of the man seate
there by the dancing waters in the gla
April sunshine grew SO blind with tea
that he could read no more.
Out Oh the blue, translucent wav
the white swans were padding to al
fro, dipping for bread tossed by the la
ish hands of laughing children and the
white capped bonnes. The flashing GA
of many skiff drove through the spa
king waters, sending snowy little surg
breaking from the sharp, white prov
Fairy yachts and swift paddle whe
steamers Glove the mirror surface farth
from the shore aud tossed the cream
foam along their hillowing wake. HI
way over to the Savoy shore, deep
the shadow of the mountains, two viii
winged barks seemed wooing the II
tering breeze, for not leaf was stirri
in the deep green foliage that shad
the path along the sea wall. Ioweri
high alott. dazzling in the sunshil
the snow scanned, snow capped era
blinded the eye with their radiance
/ they peered down into their own ref
tions in the somber depths at tn
shadowy base. Away to the eastWal
lovely little towns and villages lay
the foot of the vine clad slopes Of
northern shore, while here and Their
venerable ruin-castle, convent or +
tress-stood sentineled in bold relief
some projecting height or nestled uni
Il the shoulder of some rocky cliff cl
4 to the waters edge. Near at hand
the public place the carrousels, throl
ed with children, old and you
] were spinning inadly TO the reedyl me
dies of some donkey driven org
Waltz, gaIop and military march rio
in loud.ri4alry and group of Ital
singers, smiling indomitably. caro-
"Funicnii Fvnicula in nimble opp'
tion to a'l1yra,ean band quacking
noisy ducks in the pavilion at the !
ter's edge. The bell burtoned page