Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-06-02
THE ENDOWMENTS OF YOUTH


Allan DOUGLAS and Austin Browneu
,,,oro do,otod counon chums The in
,;.,. 80, i,av,Ifc,I,I. to others
..,.,. i...,.,,,,,1i, ,.,,,.,,
'"'
ic"' anu i'''''''', = "a. '''''0 ',','
find to bind nm TO hro"he'i' reucenl
| cynical man. without an eieliieht oI
| popularity IN hun, no one could us
| cover Douglas was the pet of the pet
ticoats and invited everywhere
prou.roI ,,os considered very dulI by
,ho f,fr soy and seldom invited anv-
y.bora If no had henn invited he
wouId not have accented. However,
thore was one surprise concerning
RrownoU Though hc stood quite low
IN his class whom he was graduated
ono Of his classmates who was an
..bonor" man said that ne wished he
had Rrownelrs mind.
The friends studied law and prac-
ticcd in partnership. They were still
vnunc whom the more showy cndow-
mcnts constitute prominence. and ev-
cry one. at least in society. wondered
how Douglas could have taken up with
such an ordinary partner. Douglas
was courted by the social world, every
one striving to secure him for en-
tertainments He tried to drag Brow
nell out with him, but failed both on
account of the disinclination of socie-
ty for Brownell and BrOwnelfs dis
inclination for society.
Douglas married a belle. She was a
member of the smart set and a very
smart member. There was nothing she
would have considered more out of
place than attention in public from her
husband, and there was nothing she
considered more In place than to have
some prominent society man dancing
attendance upon her Finally cotillon
leader, Ernest Racllle, became so de-
voted to her that the intimacy became
the town talk. AS usual In such cases,
no one talked of it to the husband.
One night Brownell went into fash
ionable hotel restaurant where the
smart set were used to taking supper
after the opera. He had never been
there before and went for purpose.
presently a gay party sailed in like a
fleet of yachts under a spanking breeze,
among them Racllle and Mrs Douglas.
They passed directly by the table at
which Brownell sat, and as Rackle
passed Brownell put out his foot, and
Rackle tripped He didn't fall, but
came very near it. Turning. he glared
at the man who had tripped him, then
went on. Brownell toyed with a wine
glass and waited Rackle as soon as
seated gave him a threatening and con-
temptuous glance. Rrownell took a bit
of paper from his pocket, wrote some
thing on it, folded it and gave it to a
waiter 70 take 70 RackIe. RackIe
opened it, glanced at it and put it in
his vest pocket without any of the par
ty having noticed ANYTHING unusual.
At / o'clock the two men met in the
cafe
"Weu sir" said RackIe "wbot do
Won wont9o
"To fight vou"
For tripping me up?"
mo: ostensiblv for scowling at me:
really for a matter which 1t concerns
Won and n certain lady to keen dark"
"yho ,rn Won ., oeIad Pocl,Io narv-
ouslv pulling his mustoche
"AIlan Douglas' law mariner"
"Jndaad am eu,T,risod tbo+ rou
wish TO hiring troubIa ON him "
81 don't, wish 10 save him from
trouble"
"Rv q pubIic olterca +ion?"
mo: by n private fight 10 the death"
There was something so calm in
RrowneIrs tone and owe vet so deter
rpinad that Rocl,ln noIod
when and whereF"
"Now, in an upper room of this ho-
tel"
Roclle stood lool,inc, in dirfaront dI-
rections like cornared rot saalinc an
ou+Iet
.yVhat win ohviote the necessity for
this meetingT
your pledge never 70 communicate
with Mrs. Douglas again"
Rackla tbougb+ II over stiu milling
his mustocho Finally me said.
'"ro avoid br,noing Iodv,s noua
into unnIe,sont notoriatv 7 shall bava
TO submit promise"
Write it."
A paper was drawn and signed.
which Brownell put in his pocketbook.
and the two separated.
In less thon \ week Douglas came 70
his friend and announced that he must
dissolve the partnership. Mrs Doug
las had taken an inconceivahIa dislike
TO Browneu and had mode rho dissolp-
ton a sine qua non. Brownel pressed
his friends hard feryentIy and assent
ed
Two years passed. Douglas' endow-
ments had not Gained him any nromi.
nence except in society and thongb he
| did not know the cause. his wife's init
! macy with Rackle had detracted from
| even this Cert,in nrominent iudpea
sald that BrOWnell possessed the nnest
| legal mind at the bar, and II he had