Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-04-19
DAILY SHORT STORY
The Endowments of Youth.
lOriginaI.l

I
cover. Douglas was the pet of the pet
| ticoats and invited everywhere.
! Browneu was considered very dull by
| the fair sex and seldom invited any
where. If lie had been invite he
would not have accepted. However,
there was one surprise concerning
| BrownelI. Though he stood quite low
in his class, when he was graduated
one of his classmates who was an
honor man. said that he wished he
had Brownell's mind.
The friends studied law and praC-
tced in partnership. They were still
young when the more SNOWY endow-
mentS constitute prominence, and ev-
cry one, II 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-
tertainmeutS. He tried to drag Brow
nell out with him. but failed both on
account of the Discrimination of socie
~ for Brownell and BrowneIl's dis
inclination for society
Douglas married 4 belle. She was q
member of the smart set and n very
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 a cotillon
leader. Ernest Rackle. became so de-
voted to her that the intimacy became
the town talk. As usual i'll such cases,
no one talked of it to the husband.
One night BrOwnell went into Il fash
ionabIe hotel restaurant where the
smart set We're used To taking supper
after the opera. He had never been
there before and went for Il purpose
Presently Il gay party sailed in like a
fleet of yachts under Il spanking breeze,
among them Rackle and Mrs. Douglas. |
They passed directly by the table at
which BrOwnell sat. and as Rackle !
passed BrOWnell put out his foot, and
RackIe tripped. He didn't fall but !
came very near it. Turning. he glared |
at the man who had tripped him, then !
went on. Brownell toycd with a wine
glass and waited. Raclllc as soon as
seated gave him threatening and con-
tcmptUous glance. BrOwnell took Il bit |
of paper from his pocket, wrote some
thing on it. folded it ana gave it to /
waiter to take to Rackle. Rackle !
opened it, glanced at it and put it in
his vest pocket without any of the par |
" having noticed anything unusual
At l o'clock the two men met in the |
cafe
We'll. sir" said Rackle. what do
you WANT"
ITO fight You"
For tripping me up?"
"NO; ostensibly for scOvling at me:
really for a matter which it concerns
you and Il certain lady to keep dark"
who are you?" asked Rackle. nerv-
ously pulling his mustache.
"Allan Douglas law partner"
Indeed. l am surprised that you
wish to bring trouble on him
Il don't. l wish to save him from
trouble"
"Ry public alterca TOM
NO; by private fight 20 the DEATH"
There was something so calm in
Brownelrs tone and eye. yet so deter
mined. that Rackle paled.
when and whereE'
''Now. in an upper room of this ho-
tel"
Rackle stood looking in different di-
rectiOnS like a cornered rat seeking an
outlet
What will obviate the necessity for
this meeting?"
Your pledge never to communicate
with Mrs. Douglas again"
Rackle thought it over still pulling
his mustache. Finally he said:
To avoid bringing a lady's name
into IlurIpa Ot T1oTnriafy I shall haVa |
to submit. 1 promise"
write it,
a paper was drawn and signed.
which BrOwnell put in his pOcketbook,
and the two separated.
In less than week Douglas came to II
his friend and announced that he must
dissolve the partnership. Mrs Doug
las had taken an inconceivabIe dislike d
TO Brownell and had made the dissolu-
ton sine qua non. Browneil pressed II
his friends hand feryently and assent II
ed.
Two years passed. Douglas endow-
mentS had not gained him any promi-
nence except in society. and. though he
did not know the cause. his wife's init
macy with Rackle had detracted from Il
even this. Certain prominent judges
said that Brownell possessed the finest II
legal mind at the bar. and if he had n
ambition he might be the foremost II
lawyer in the city. This got spread /
abroad. and there was n good deal of 4
curiosity with reference 10 Brownell.
One day Douglas told his old friend Il
that Mrs. Douglas had recovered from 1
her prejudice and wished him 10 come L
10 dinner. Brownell accepted. Then
Mrs. Douglas went and sat by Ter
guest and whispered in his ear:
You were just IN time to save me. h
was a fool. From this time l as well /
rs Allan will be devoted 10 you"
Another ten years have passed. The II
attentions Of Rackle TO Mrs. DOugla
are forgotten in society. and Mrs.
DoIlplnS Is a model wife and mother II