News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1903-04-01

silently The crowd of acquaintance
hat had known the distinguished tinan-
cier departed, discussing as they went
the future of the business involved by
the death, and its relation to the son,
| who was a stranger to most of the men
in the city, except as they had read of
his eccentric career at Hope House.
Strange how a man Of GOrdon's eX-
act methods can neglect such a thing.
| | remember now there was Judge
Lewis OF the circuit court neglected
| etc
Gordon isn't the first man to put off
attending to matter Of that sort.
suppose the estate goes in absence of
a will to his sO.|" one of the visiting
friends of the broker questioned
Yes, and the son is crank I'm
told; been living in the slums for a
fad" The speaker got into his auto
mobile, and he and his friends were
soon speeding toward the city at the
rate of thirty miles an hour. Cor
don's fad was a Stun. The brokers'
fad was a racing machine. There are
fads and fadS.
II think could give a guess at Cor
dons failure to make a will" quietly
remarked another financier, who had
been present at the funeral
His companion gave him a question
ing look.
ale didn't have much of anything to
WILL" was the answer.
Flows that?" The exclamation ex-
pressed great surprise. Gordon was
one Of the solid men of the city"
ut may be. But. mark my prophecy,
the old man lost his cunning along to-
ward the last Those who watched
him closest saw signs Of breaking
down in him more than year ago.
He went too heavily into L. ana D.
stock. Conway's deal last spring
turned out bad for Gordon. No one
knows how hard he was hit at the
time, but-you watch developments If
the son gets the house and lots out of
what's left, he will do we'll"
HE was not
''The old man was strictly honorable
in his relation to all trusts. All he
lost was his own, so far as that goes.
But am much mistaken if he did not
lose just about everything"
During the week that followed Rufus
Gordon's affairs gradually became
common material for gossip on the
street Ten days after the body of
the wealthy banker had been put in
the ground the business world knew
that with the exception of his home
and small annuity belonging to his
daughter, the wealth of Rufus Gordon
had vanished, dissipated in that kind
of speculation which borders on gam
bling so closely that the most cOnscien-
tious business men cannot always de-
eide where legitimate business ends
and the gamblers luck begins.
Down at Hope House Paul Falmouth,
who had come in TO consult with Miss
Andrews about some work his people
had volunteered for her, was talking
over John GordOn's affairs when he
came into the library. Miss Andrews
was called out, and the two men were
left together. Since Barton's death
Gordon had felt drawn toward Fal-
mouth. There was something very
wholesome and helpful about the man
when one came to know the real man
beneath the scholarly, refined deeply
sensitive nature.
'Then your fathers death will really
make little difference with your fu-
tureP
very little if any," Gordon answered
gravely. MARY is going abroad for
year with Aunt Hester. Poor Mary!
She is just about broken down with all
that has happened"
"Then you will keep on here"
"Yes. There is nothing else for me to
do. Fathers business passes into the
receivers hands. Practically all he
had, or all we supposed he had, is gone
Aunt Hester will take Mary into her
home when they return"
Falmouth was silent a moment Then
he leaned over and put hand on John
Gordons arm.
"Do you know l have had great
temptation of late, especially since the
ire"-he was looking out of the win
dow-"to give up my parish and come
down here with you?"