Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-10-30
Grit That ~
Was $. IT, Him
BY WILLIAM wENDHAM
y
copyright, 1901, by Authors Syndicate.)


tCopyright, 1901 by Authors Syndicate)
hTH1S is the end, sir-do you hear,
the end! leave the house and
never enter it again. I will pay these
infamous bills. but they are the last.
To-norrow will advertise your shame
to the world and warn all men that
will never again pay debt that you
contract. Not one dollar of mine will
ever go into your hands," So spoke
Godfrey Whitford to his only son and
heir. Earl.
"Nhere would you suggest that I
go?" suggested Earl in his lazydrawl,
crossing his arstocratic legs and lean
ing back in the chair. "As you know,
the present state of my finances does
not permit of trip abroad nor q
suite at the Union"
The old man flashed one 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-
haps the disreputable companions
with whom you have chosen to consort
can make some appropriate sugges-
tons"
'In other words, may go to the
devil" remarked Earl.
"Exactly-or where you please" re-
piled the other. "Good day."
1t was the climax of long season
of wild oats by the boy, and which had
been borne with more or less impa-
tiently by the hard-headed millionaire.
He had long realized that Earl was
going rather a swift pace and was
spending more money than was good
for young man, but he had re-
aected that his son had been brought
up 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 set
tie down after his college days and take
hold of his business with him. But
when he returned from few months.
trip abroad and was faced with bills
run by Earl during his absence 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.
This had been but four months be-
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 Eu-
rope.
Earl Whitford, after calming his
nerves with a series of cocktails, took
account of stock and sized up the pos
sibilities.~ It 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 a
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 disinherit-
ed by his father, and that Godfrey
Whitford would no longer be respon-
sible 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 thousand
dollars which he placed on "thirty-
to-one shot" and won; afterwards plac-
ing the entire $4,000 winnings on a
Co. -
his money.
This was but the beginning of the
sensations Earl Whitford gave the pa
pers. With 100000 in his pocket he
gave the staid old city an illustration
of painting the town" Fast horses,
desperate gambling at race track and
gaming rooms, where the stakes caused
the modest gambler to gasp; wine sup
pers so elaborate and so free as to
become common talk; midnight or
gies-every form of dissipation that
would burn money-all these things
were spread daily before the people
in the newspapers, and the strange
thing was that Earl's money did not
diminish. His marvellous luck chung to
bets the more he>seemed to win.
After awhile the young man re-
ceived a letter which startled him a
bit. It was from Irene Dawson, his
second cousin, sweet little girl who
lived down in the country, and to whom
he was engaged. She had been sum
moned to town by his father and told
the circumstances of Earl's dismissal
from home and advised to break off
! the engagement. She had arrived in
the middle of his great debauch, and
she wrote him Immediately. She told
him how shocked she was and that her
heart was broken; that she had loved
him thoroughly and never could love
another, but now it. was manifestly
impossible ito marry him; and she
hoped he would find in the life he had
chosen enough of happiness to com.
pensate for a 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.
bered him a trifle. He had a genuine
affection and respect for the girl, and
! the though that he had lost her stag.
gered him at first. Buthe only plunged
4 the harder into ebauch cry
After he Had exhausted his ii.
genuity il finding fresh I. ways te
shock the com immunity and humilia
& his father, Re ent "a ewz Fork tax
ing with him morespT less. brilliant
treinaof ssatel lltes. Thereshiss last lifs
N xUs,a ~ pnnf TIMED Hia lnck did not FOL.