Amador ledger., 1904-07-15
THE ENDOWMENTS OF YOUTH
[Original.1

were devoted college chums The in
timacy was inexplicable to others.
What Douglas, with his splendid phys
ical and intellectual endowments, could
find to bind him to Brownell, reticent,
cynical man, without an element of
popularity in him, no one could dis
cover. Douglas was the pet of the pet
ticoats and invited everywhere
Brownell was considered very dull by
the fair sex and seldom invited any
where. If he had been invited he
would not have accepted. However,
there was one surprise concerning
Brownell. 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, at least in society, wondered
how Douglas could have taken up with
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 Brownell's dis
inclination for society.
Douglas married belle. She was
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 Rackle, 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 a purpose.
Presently a gay party sailed In like a
fleet of yachts under 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
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 Brownell took bit
of paper from his pocket, wrote some
thing on it, folded it and 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
ty having noticed anything unusual
AT o'clock the two men met in the
cafe.
"Well, SIR" said Rackle, what do
you want?"
''To fight you"
"For tripping me up?"
mo; ostensibly for scowling at me;
really for a matter which it concerns
you and a certain lady to keep dark"
"Who are your asked Rackle, nerv-
ously pulling his mustache
ALLAN Douglas law partner"
Indeed. I am surprised that you
wish to bring trouble on him"
81 don't. 1 wish to save him from
trouble"
"By a public altercationT
mo; by private fight to the death"
There was something so calm in
Brownelfs tone and eye, yet so deter
mined, that Rackle paled.
"When and where?R
''Now, in an upper room of this ho-
tel"
Rackle stood looking in different d.
rections like cornered rat seeking an
outlet.
what will obviate the necessity for
this meetingT
Your pledge never to communicate
with Mrs. Douglas again."
Rackle thought it over, still pulling
his mustache. Finally he said:
ITO avoid bringing a lady's name
into unpleasant notoriety 1 shall have
to submit. 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
his friend and announced that he must
dissolve the partnership. Mrs Doug
las had taken an inconceivable dislike
to Brownell and had made the dissolu-
ton sine qua non. Brownell pressed
his friends hand ferventIy and assent
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
even this. Certain prominent edges
said that Brownell possessed the finest
legal mind at the bar, and if he had
ambition he might be the foremost
lawyer in the city. This got spread
abroad, and there was q good deal of
curiosity with reference to Brownell.
One day Douglas told his old friend
that Mrs. Douglas had recovered from
her prejudice and wished him to come
to dinner. Brownell accepted Then
Mrs. Douglas went and sat by her
guest and whispered in his ear:
"You were just in time to save me.
l was a fool. From this time 1 as we'll
as Allan will be devoted to you"
Another ten years have passed. The
attentions Of Rackle to Mrs. Douglas
are forgotten in society, and Mrs.