The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-03-20

II think ] could give guess at Cor
don's failure to make a WILL" quietly
remarked another 1nancier, who had
been present at the funeral.
His companion gave him a question
ing look
"He didn't have much Of anything to
WILL" was the answer.
"How's that?" The exclamation ex-
pressed great surprise. Gordon was
one of the solid men of the city"
at 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. and 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 WELL"
"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
0ordon'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
q speculation which borders on gam
bling so closely that the most conscien-
dous 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-
turew
VERY little if any" Gordon answered
gravely. MARY is going abroad for a
year with Aunt Hester. Poor Mary.
She is just about broken down with all
that has happened"
Then you will keep on here?"
Eyes. 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 moment Then
he leaned over and put hand on John
Gordon's arm.
do you know / have had a great
temptation of late, especially since the
flre"-he was looking out of the win
dow-"to give up my parish and come
down here with you?"
Gordon's face lighted up. THAT
would be great thing for us! But
But a 'cowardly thing for you to
do You are right" Falmouth said
quietly "Why should | run away from
the hard work where am? And yet,
Gordon, no man knows, unless he has
been in the ministry, the enormous de-
mands on the profession. I am not
speaking in boastfulness or complaint
when | say that no profession requires
such constant and varied exercise Of all
the power of manhood. Do you won
der. Gordon, that the ministry some
times grows discouraged as it faces a
labor that in the nature of the case can
never be completed in any sense and
has the vision of an ideal that no
church or parish ever yet realized?
And then Of late I am haunted by a
doubt as to the value Of great deal
that I am doing. 1t is not the hard
work am beginning to dread; it is
the fear that it is wasted power and
that the organized church of today
ought to be changing much of its prac-
tice in order to do what Christ wants
DONE"
Would you mind telling me some
thing in detail what you mean2 Give
me page out of your days work"
Gordon asked with genuine interest.
Falmouth was going through a crisis
in his church life, and Gordon was be-
ginning TO have more than a very
strong personal feeling for him.
1T will be talking shop" Falmouth
smiled sadly and hesitated.
That's pardonable between friends"
Gordon answered, with look that
showed the minister a little further
into his affectionate nature.
"Well-you understand all right"
with an air Of relief. "Take yesterday
as an example. The morning started
OF with q miscellaneous correspond.
ence that took about fifty minutes.
Then worked on my Sunday morning
sermon for an hour. At the end Of that
time had to leave the study to hunt
up boy whose mother wrote me about
his being sick at boarding house on
Ross street had to go in the
morning because Of engagements that
filled every minute Of my afternoons
for the next two weeks. found the
young fellow In desperate condition,
brought about by his own sin. 1t was
a case that could not be turned over to
others. l shall feel obliged to go and
see him often. In order to meet the ap-
peal Of that mother. Back to my
study in time to write little on an adj
dress for next meeting of our local as
ISOLATION. Home to dinner Funeral