Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-07-10

bis grandfather. Willis Il apparently victim Of
the passion that his grandfather INDUCED In %
ooastingly and without any apparent personal
harm. Oh, when will men learn the terrible truth
that what they do or are will be repeated some
where, some time in the third or fourth xeuera.
ton, and II they don't suffer some one win in
the future1 It seems to be one Of the memorable
laws Of God. But what have you done, Mr.
Blake1 Are you sure you have acted In the best
way1 Was there no other way for you to do but
to leave my son alone7 What influence will you
have now7 Did you plead with him a. you
might, or did you leave him in angeri Suppose
L his mother, had abandoned him after all the
times he has annoyed and disappointed and eveA
ignored me and my prayers. For more than seventy
times seven have forgiven him my knees before
God. That Is because I am his mother while you
were only his friend. But did you do all that
htsnd ought to do? God help me not to be un.
Just to you. have tried to realize the position
In which you were placed But II our Father in
heaven dealt with US too severely how many OF u
would ever come into the kingdom7 What fear
tor Willis now is that he will go down faster. He
will become more and more reckless and make
his friends more among the fast set than hereto
Tore. II In any way you can still prevent this,
pray God you will do 50. do not know any
other student in college who has any power over
him. have thought to write the PRESIDENT but
l know he Is burdened with 4 great load, and l
hesitate. II I have said in this letter things
should not, pardon me. You never can know the
heartache of q mother for her frstborn and only
son. Inc LORD bless you and give you success.
Your friend, LUCILLE Preston.
Edward reread this letter gravely.
The last part Of It added to his self
accusation. At one time that same
evening he was almost on the point of
going over to see Willis and talk over
matters. But his pride and also his
natural obstinacy in keeping at thing
he had once decided upon Kept him
back. he answered the letter, after q
fashion. and said in Il that he would
serve Willis in any way he could If
opportunity offered. All the time he
was writing it he felt more or less like
a hypocrite. Was this friendship? Had
he done all that a friend could do? The
questions faced him repeatedly as he
tried to 60 on with his college work
| and were seldom out of his mind.
Along with it all was present that
t1nge Of jealousy and bitterness to-
ward Willis that dated their real be-
ginning from his talk with Freeda.
So the winter term went on, rather
unsatisfactory for him. He was dis
| cOntented from a number Of causes
and was not getting out Of the course
what satisfied him. He had real pride
In keeping up his rank in class, how
ever, and in spite of his troubles he
managed to retain interest enough in
his regular work to do his best.
There was another matter, also, that
began to interest him, and, for a time
at least, it drew his mind away from
thoughts Of Willis.
| His paper route was In the heart of
the city and took him into stores, bust
ness offices Of lawyers and doctors and
into some places that he knew were
evil. There was one place, especially,
a large room at the top Of an Office
block, that he very soon came to under
stand was nothing more nor less thar
a professional gamblers resort. Cen
orally he simply opened the door and
flung the paper in without stopping.
He had too many stairs to climb and
too big a load Of papers to stop any.
where on the route. But occasionally
as men were going in and out, as he
came up to the door, instead Of throw
ing the paper down inside where they
would step on it, he walked in and put
the paper on a table. The proprietor
OF the place one day asked him to dc
so every time, as his customers care.
lessly kicked the paper on the floor II
it was thrown down there.
SO, after awhile, as Edward fell into
the habit of entering the room regu
larly, he gradually came to understand
just what was going on there. There
was an ordinance in Raynor that win.
ter against gambling devices; but II
appeared to be dead letter, and there
was hardly pretext of secrecy about
the matter of running the machines
and the tables. In this particular
place the violation of the law was
open and bold. Crowds of young men
thronged it every night. One evening
when the paper was delayed by an &C
cident and the carriers were all two
hours late, Edward noticed when he
went in several college men from thu
fast set, and among them Willis, who
was trying one Of the new machines
recently set up in the establishment.
1t was this sight of Willis in this
place that really started Edward tt
think about the iniquity Of the whole
business. We have spoken of his
wholesome horror Of the vices OF
gambling and betting. This horror
was Unborn in him. With all his
faults Of self righteousness, his firm
love Of truth and fairness gave him {
real feeling Of indignation toward
such a vice as gambling. and the sigh
Of Willis and the thought Of what II
meant to him gave him sober thought.
on the subject, and he could not drive
them away. Mrs. Preston's prediction
concerning Willis more rapid fal
smote Edward as he thought OF ell b,
owed Willis for the paper route ant
many other old time kindnesses.
This feeling grew on him until h
could not resist the growing conviction
that he ought to do something. Blu
he did not know just what to do, ant
: finally, in his perplexity, he went t.
President Royce and told him abou
the affair.
. The president listened with CROWN,
seriousness.
II had no idea that matters were 8,
bad in Raynor. How many Of thes
gambling places are there on "a
streetT'
81 don't know, sir. Williams, VIII
carries route on the other side, toll
me the other day that there were tw
big places IL th.e west block. I know
Of three spsaller places at the end Q
mX Eoute down by the river"
"How many Of the students did 70
| 600 in fh1a nno n1o no -,