The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-29
cAAPrER xxxlv-contlnued

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CHATTER xxxlv--contlnued. /
How the Chinook Came to Wall Street.
'Ruinedrs he cried hoarsely as If the +
extent of calamity had just been borne In +
upon him. my God! Ruined. and at my
time Of life! He seemed about to col /
lapse Rercival quickly helped him into I
chair. where he became limp.
There. I'm all right. Oh, it's terri
BILE! and we all trusted you so. l
thought you had your pas brains. I'd i
"a trussed you soon's would Shepler,
and now look what you led us into
fortune g,one-broke-- land all your fault!'
Don't, Uncle Peter--dont, for Gods
sake-n6t when I'm down! / can't stand
Gamble away your own money-no.
that want enough--take your poor ma s
share and your sisters, and take what
little Iihad to keep me in my old age
robbed US all-thats what comes of
thinkin' a damned tea drinkin' fop could
have a thimble full of brains!"
Don't, please,-not just now-giye 1t
to me- good later-to- morrow-all you
want to-"
And here I'm come to want in my last
days when I'm too feeble to work. Til
die In bitter privation because / was an
old fool, and trusted a young one.'
'EIease don't, Uncle Peter!"
You led us in-robbed your poor ma
anything about it and you talked me into
trusting you'll might "a known better
Cant you stop awhie-just mo-
ment?''
'.Of course I don't matter. Maybe I
can hold a drill or tram ore or some
thing, but I can't support your ma and
Pishy like they ought to be, with my
rheumatic comm on again, too. And
your mall have to take in boarders, and
do washin like as not, and think of poor
Pishy--prob'ly she'll have to teach school
or clerk in store-poor Pish-she'l be
lucky now If she can marry some COM
mon scrub American out in them hills
like a not of them shoe clerks in the
Boston Cash store at Montana City! And
jest when I was lookin' forward to lux
ury and palaces in England, and every
thing grand! How much you 1ost?"
That's right, no use whining! Nearly
as can get the round figures of it, about
twelve million
''Awful--awful. BY Gripes that man
Blythe that done himself up the other
night had the right of 1t. What's the
use of living If you got to go to the poor
house?'
Come, GOMEZ" said Percival. alarm
over Uncle Peter crowding out his other
emotions. BE game loser, just as you
said pa would be. Sit up straight and
make 'em bring on another deck
IIe slapped the old man OH the back
with simulated cheerfulness; but the de-
spairing only covered weakly under
the blow.
1--WE can't--we amt got the stake for
new deck. Oh, dear! think Of your ma
and me not KNOWN where to turn fur
q meal of victuals at our time Of life"
Percival was being forced to cheer
fulness in spite OF himself.
Come it isn't as bad as that, Uncle
Peter. We've got properties left, and
good ones, too.
Jrrc1e Peter weakly waved the hand of
finished encouragement Hush, don't
speak Of that. Them properties need a
manager to make EN- pay-a plain bust
ness mana man to stay on the ground
and watch 'em and develop 'em with his
brains--a young man with his health
What good am la poor, broken down olt
cuss bent double with rheumatiz-almos
I'm ashamed Of you fur suggesting sucf
n thing!''
'I'll do it myself. never thought o
asking you'
Uncle Peter emitted nasal gasp o
disgust.
"You-you-you' make a purity man
ager of anything. wouldn't you! AS
you could be trusted with anything again
that needs a schoolboy's intelligence
Even If you had the brains, you amt go
the taste nor the sperrft in you. Your
too. lazy-too trif1in. You, a-goin' bac
there, developin' mines, and gettfn on
ties, and lumber and breeding short
hOrnS, ana 1mpTON11l SO11o Ol tHc lilies
land God ever made-you bein' sober an
Industrious, and smart, like a bushes
man has got to be out there nowadays
That amt any bonanza country an
more; 1901 amt like 1870; don't figure 0
that You got to work the low grade or
now for a few dollars a tons, and 70
got to work 1t with brains. NJ
sir, that country amt what
used to be. There might "a been tim
when you'd made your board and clothe
cut there when things COME easer NO
mind on their work, and amt runnin' 0
to pink teas in New York. 1t takes ma
with some of the brains your pa had
make the game pay now. But you-don
let me hear any ore OF that nonsense"
Percival had entered the room pale II
was now red. The old mans bitter cor
tempt had flushed him into momental
forgetfulness of the disaster.
Look here, Uncle Peter, you've bee
telling me right along did have my fail
ers head and my fathers ways and h
nerve and God knows what didn't ha,
that he had
II was fooled can't deny it. What
the use Of tryin' to crawl out of it. Yt
did fool me, and own up to it; though
you had some sense, some capacity; b
you was only like him on the surface W
jest got one or two little ways like hir
that's all-Danl>J. now was good stuff
the way thru. He might a guessed wrol
stake or borrowed one, and he'd "a pix
back fur Montana to make his pile rig
overland he'd "a made it, too--that w
the kind of man your pa washed
made it,
IT have saved a getaway stake
"Your pa had the head, I tell you--a1
the spirit
And. by God, I'll show you I've g
the head. You think because wanted
live here, and because made this wro
play that I'm like all these pin hea
you've seen around here. Ill show y
different-Ill fool YOU
Now, don't explode said the old ma
YEARLY You meant well. poor fellow
Til say that fur you; you got a good hea
But there's lots of good men that all
good fur anything in particular You
got good heart-yes-you'r all ria
from the neck down."
"See here said Percival, more calm
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