Mexico Missouri message., 1906-10-18


enough for your money. You've spent
free, but the goods amt been deliv-
cred. I'm talkin' about yourself. Both
your md and Pishy has got more out
of It than you have. Why, your ma
gets her name in the papers as a phi
lanthropist along with that-how do
the papers call her?-'the well-known
club woman'-that Mrs. Helen Wyot
Lamson that always has her name
spelled out in full? Your ma 10 get
ting public recognition fur her money,
and look at Pishy. What's she gone
and done while you been laxin' about?
Why, she's got engaged to a lord, or
just as good. Look at the prospects
she's got! She'll enter the aristOcracy
of England and have title. But look
at you! Really, son, I'm ashamed Of
you. People over therell be sayin'
Lady What s-her-name? Oh, yes!
She has got a brother, but he don't
amount to shucks-he amt much
more'n a three-spot. He can't do any
thing but play bank and drink like a
fish. He's throwed away his oppor-
tunities'-that's what them dukes and
counts will be sayin' about you behind
your back"
81 understood you didn't think
much of sis choice"
"Well, Of course, he wouldn't be
much in Montana City, but he's all
right In his place, and he seems to be
healthy. What knocks me is how he
ever got all them freckles. He never
come by 'em honestly, bet. He must
a. got caught in an explosion of
freckles some time. But that amt
neither here nor there. He has the
goods and Pish'll get 'em delivered.
She's got something to show fur her
dust. But what you got to show? Not
blamed thing but lot of stubs in
check book, and little fat. Now l
amt maxim any kick. l got no right
to; but l do hate to see you leadin'
this life Of idleness and dissipation
when you might be maxim something
OIL yourself. Your pa was quite a man.
He left his mark out there in that
western country. Now you're here
settled in the east among big people,
with a barrel of money and fine
chances to do something, and you're
Jest layin' down on the family name.
You wouldn't think near so much Of
your pa If he'd laid down before his
time and your own children will al
ways have to say: Poor pa-he had a
good heart, but he never could amount
to anything more'n a three-spot; he
didn't have any stuff in him. they'll
be sayin'. Now, on the level, you don't
want to go through life bein' just
known as a good thing and easy
money, do your"
"Why, of course not, Uncle Peter;
only had to look around some at first
fer year or So"
"Well, If you need to look any more,
then your eyes amt right. That's my
say. l amt askin' you to go west. l
don't expect that!"
Percival frightened.
But / am tryin' to nag you into
dom something here. People can say
what they want to about you" he con-
tinued, stubbornly, as one who con-
fesses the most arrant bigotry, "but
know you have got some brains, some
ability really believe you got a
whole lot-and you got the means to
take your place right at the top. You
can head 'em all in this country or any
other. Nov what you ought to do,
you ought to take your place in the
world of finance-put your mind on 1t
night and day-swing out-get action
and set the ball to rolling. Your pa
was a big man in the west, and there
amt any reason as l can see of why
you can't be just as big a man in pro-
portion here. People can talk all they
want to about your bein' just a dub
won't believe 'em. And there's Lon
don. You amt been ambitious enough.
Get a down-hill pull on New York, and
then branch out. Be a man of affairs
like your pa, and like that fellow
Shepler. Let's be somebody. If Mon
tana City was too small fur us, that's
no reason why New York should be
too big"
Percival had walked the floor in deep
attention to the old mans words.
you've got me right, Uncle Peter, -
| nc Odlu dJ lhDLs EAlu gOu 10 llS III
about what l ought to do. I've often
thought I'd go into some Of these big
operations here. But for one thing !
was afraid of what you'd say. And
then, didn't know the game very well.
But / see I ought to do something.
You're dead right"
"And we need more money, too, -
urged the old man. Il was reading a
piece the other day about the big for
tunes in New York. Why, we amt
one, two, three, with the dinky little
twelve or thirteen millions we could
swing. You. don't want to be a piker,
do you? II you so in the game at all,
play her open and high. Make 'em
take the ceiling on. You can just as
we'll get into the hundred million class
as not, and know it. They needn't