The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-05-20
A Tale Of the Third Generation.
>894>
Onele Peter eInes Comes to Town with
BY HARRY LEON WILSON.
Copyright 1902 by Lsthrop Publishing Co. Boston.
CHAPTER xxvTll..

One day in December Peter blnes OF
Montana City dropped in on the family
came with his gaunt length Of limb. his
kind, brown old face with eyes sparkling
shrewdly far back under his grizzled
brows, with his rough, resonant, musical
voice, the spring of youth IN his step, ana
the fresh, confident strength Of the big
hills in his bearing. |
He brought Billy Brue with him, a per-
son whose exact social status some of Per-
ciyal's friends were never able to fix with
any desirable certainty. Thus, Perclval
had presented the old man, the morning
after his arrival. to no less a person tnan
Herbert Deancey Livingston, with whom
he had smoked cigar Of unusual excel
lence in the cafe of the Hightower Hotel.
If you fancy that weed. Mr.. Bines.
xaid Livingston, graciously. to the old
man, 1--WE a spare couple Of hundred Ia
like to let you have. The things were sen.
me- but I find them rather stiff1sh. II
your mans about the hotel I'll give him a
card to my man, and let him fetch them.
my mani" queried Uncle Peter, and,
sighting Billy Brue at that moment, why,
yes, here's my man, now. M. Brue, snake
hands with Mr.. Livingston Billy, go
up to the address he gives you, and get
somo of these se-gars. You'll relish EN-
as much as do. Now don't talk to any
strangers, don't get run over, and don
lose yourself
Livingston had surrendered a wavering
and uncertain hand to the warm, reassur-
ing clasp Of Mr.. Brue.
sI4e amt much fur style, Billy amt,
Uncle Peter explained when that person
had gone upon his errand. ''he amt mite
gaudy, but he's got friendly feelings.
The dazed scion Of the Livingstons had
thereupon made a conscientious tour OF
his clubs in public hansOm solely for
the purpose of relating this curious adj
venture to those best qualified to marvel
1T it.
The old mans arrival had been quite
unexpected. Not only had he sent no word
of his coming, but he seemed, indeed, not
to know what his reasons had been Tor DO
Ing a thing so unusual.
Thought I'd just drop in on you all
and say 'howdy''' had been his first
avowal which was lucid as far as 1t went.
Later he involved himself in explanations
that were both obscure and conflicting.
Once it was that he had felt a sudden
great longing for the life of a gay city.
Then it was that he would have been con-
tent in Montana City, but that he had I'M
dertaken the winter in New York out OF
consideration for Billy Brue..
"Just think of it," he said to Percival.
s'that poor fellow amt ever been east of
Denver before now. It want good for
him to be holed up out there in them hills
allhis life He hadn't got any chance to
improve his mind
He'd better improve his whiskers first
thing he Does, suggested Percival. Hell
be gold -bricked if he wears EN- scrambled
that way around this place"
But in neither Of these explanations die
the curious old man impress Percival as
being wholly ingenious.
Therl he remarked casually one day that
he9had lately met Higbee, who was on his
way to San Francisco.
q only had a few minutes with hin
while they changed engines at Green River
but he told me all about you folks--wfat {
& fine time you was havin, yachts and card
parties and all like that. Higbee said {
man had ought to come to New York ever.
now and then, jest to keep from gettin
rusty
Back Of this Percival imagined for
time that he had discovered Uncle Peter
true reason for descending upon them
Higbee would have RECALLED him with will
+ tales of the New York designations, an,
Uncle Peter had come promptly on to pull
him up. Percival could hear the story q
Higbee would word It, with the improving
a moral incident Of his own son snatched a
brand from the "Tenderloin,
to live life of impecuniou
usefulness in far Chicago. But
when he tried to hold this belief. an
to prove it from his observations, he wa
bound to admit its falsity. For Uncl
Peter had shown no inclination to act tn
part Of an evangel from the ,virtuou
west. He had delivered no homiIies, n
warnings as TO the late OF people VINO 1T
continently "cut loose He had evince
not the least sign of any disposition eve
to criticise.
On the contrary, indeed, he appeared I
~ joy Immensely in Percivals way of lif
He manifested a willingness and a capat
ity for unbending in boon companionsh
that were, both of them, quite amazing
his accomplished grandson. BY degree
and by virtue Of being never at all censor
Gus. he famiiarized himself with II
young mans habits and diversions. +
listened delightedly to the tales Of h
large gambling losses, of the bouts
poker, the fruitless venture In Texas {
land, the disastrous corner In wheat, e.
gineered by Burnam, and the uniform
unsuccessful efforts to 'breal1 the banl
IN Forty fourth street. He never tired
hearing whatever adventure Perciv
chose to relate; and, finding that he real
enjoyed them, the young man came
confide freely in him, and to associate wi
him without restraint.
Uncle Peter begged to be introduced
the temple of chance, and spent numb
of late evenings there with his popul
grandson. He also frequently made hiI
self one Of the poker coterie, and relish
keenly the stock jokes as to his grandson
proneness to lose.
t.Your pa he would say, never cot
learn to stay out Of jackpot unless
] had jacks or better; he'd come In a
draw four cards to an ace any time, a
then call 1t hard luck when he did
draw out. And he just loved straigl
open in the middle; said anybody cot
fill them that's open at both ends;. b
after all guess that's the only way
have fun at the game. II a man amt 6
the sperrit to everyday aces-up when
gets 'em, he might as well be clerkilI
I a bank for all the fun he'll have out of I
4 game.
The old mans endurance Of late ST.
pers and later hours, and his unsuspect
disposition to .'cut loose" became tv
4 raarvels to Percival He could not ev,
contrasting this behavior with his p:
a preaching. After a few weeks he u
forced to the charitable conclusion IL
q Uncle Peters faculties were failing. r
81 exposure and hardships of the winter
d fore had undoubtedly impaired his men
powers.
I II can't make him out" he comic
to his mother. 'He never wants to
4 home nights; he can drink more thar
q can without batting an eye. and show
fresher in the morning, and he beha,
q like young fellow Just out Of collie
don't know where he would bring uI
d he didn't have me to watch over him.
CAST ORA
For Infants and Children.