The Savannah morning news., 1901-09-03


.,o end, Leave the house and never
enter it again. I will pay these in
,,,nous bills, but they are the. last
tomorrow 1 will advertise your shame
90 the world and warn all men that
will never again pay debt that you
contract. Not one dollar of mine will
over go into your hands" So spoke
Godfrey Whitford to his only son and
heir, Earl
where would you suggest that
ooqo suggested Earl in his lazy drawl,
crossing his aristocratic legs and lean
tho hack in the chair. LAS you know,
,be present state of my finances does
not permit of trip abroad nor a
suite at the Union"
The old man flashed oneh blazing
glance at the younger from his keen
gray eyes and the square jaw became
more set than was usual.
you may go where you please. per
hans the disreputable companions with
whom YOU have chosen to consort
can make some appropriate sugges-
tons"
I'm other words, may go to the
devil" remarked Earl.
"Exactly-or where you please" re-
nlied the other. Good day."
It was the climax of a long season
of wild oats by the boy, and which had
bAen borne with, more or less impa-
tentIy. by the hard-headed million
aire He had long realized that Earl
was going rather a swift pace and
was spending more money than was
good for a young man, but he had re-
Sected that his son had been brought
nm in an atmosphere of wealth and
luxury and he did not wonder that he
did not know the value of money
He had hoped all along that he would
settle down after his college days and
take hold of his business with him.
Rut when he returned from a few
months trip abroad and was faced
with bills run by Earl during his alb
sence he was appalled,. The bills ran
high into four figures, and the boy
began to show signs of dissipation.
There had been a stormy scene, and
Godfrey Whitford had laid down the
ultimatum.
fore, and now again came another
batch of bills-only this time they were
all combined in one loan from a money
lender, and the total exceeded the
amount that had so scandalized the
old man upon his return from Europe.
Earl Whitford, after calming his
nerves with a series of cocktails, took
account of stock and sized UP the pos
sibilities. 1t resulted in his calling on
a favorite uncle, and laying the case
before him. His uncle gave him good
dressing down, and plenty of good ad-
vice, and ended by letting him have
thousand dollars.
The papers the next day gave the
city two distinct shocks. Society read
in the morning issue that Earl Whit
ford had been disowned and disinher-
tied by his father, and that Godfrey
Whitford would no longer be respon-
sibe for any debts he contracted The
evening issue related in big headlines
the story of the most sensational kill
ing in the history of the local race
track, which killing had been ac-
complished by Earl Whitford, who had
appeared on the track with a thou
sand dollars which he placed on
'thirty-to- one shot" and won; after
wards placing the entire 100000 win
ninss on a favorite in another race.
and doubling his money.
This was but the beginning of the
sensations Earl Whitford gave the pa
pers. With $500 in his pocket he gave
the staid old city an Illustration of
painting the town" Fast horses, des-
perate gambling at race track and
gaming rooms. where the stakes caused
the modest gambler to gasp wine
suppers so elaborate and so free as to
become common talk; midnight orgies,
with ballet girls to entertain the revel-
ers with the most audacious dances
on the tables-every form of dissipa-
ton that would burn money-all these
thlngs were spread daily before the
people in the newspapers, and the
strange thing was that Earis money
did not diminish. His marvellous luck
chung to him, and the more reckless
were his bets the more he seemed to
win.
After awhile the young man received
letter which startled him a bit 1t
was from Irene Dawson, his second
cousin, a sweet little girl who lived
DOWN in the country, and to whom he
was engaged. She had been summon
ed to town by his father and told the
circumstances of Earl's dismissal from
nome and advised to break off the en-
gagement. She had arrived in the
middle of his great debauch, and she
wrote him Immediately. She told him
now shocked she was and that her
heart was broken; that she had loved
MN thoroughly, and never could love
another, but now 1t was manifestly
impossible to marry him; and she
hoped he would find in the life he had
CHOSEN enough of happiness to COM
pensate for n woman's broken heart
and for the family name he had dis
honored and the respect of the world
which he had forfeited The letter So
Dered him a trifie. He had a genuine
aiIectlon and respect for the girl, and
Inc thOl1Qhf that ho ho Lost har CT "a