Monroe City Democrat. (Monroe City, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1907-06-13

bronze John Harvard In the yard, you
who know Monday mornings just what
you are going to do Saturday nights
and all the days and nights In be-
tween, and who always do 1t. Jim,
have found since | have been over on
the floor that the southern gambling
blood that made by grandfather, on
one OF his trips back from New York.
though he had more land and slaves
than he could use, stake his land and
slaves-yes. and grandmother's too
on card game, and-lose, and change
the whole face of the BROMLEY des-
tiny-those same gambling microbes
are in my blood, and when they begin
TO claw and gnaw l want to do some
thing; and, Jim and the big brown
eyes suddenly shot sparks-'n those
microbes ever get unleashed, therein
be mischief to pay on the foor-surei
there Will"
Bob's handsome head was thrown
back; his thin nostrils dilated as
though there was in them the breath
of conflict. The lips were drawn
across the white teeth with just part
enough to show their edges, and in
the depths of the eyes was a dark-red,
blaze that somehow gave the impress
sion one gets in looking down some.
long avenue Of black at the instant a,
locomotive headlight rounds a curve at
night.
Twice before, way back in our col
lege days, l had had peep at this
gambling tempter of Bob's. Once in a.
poker game in our rooms, when a
crowd of New York classmates tried
to run him out of a hand by the sheer
weight of coin. And again at the
Pequot house at New London on the
eve Of a varsity boat race, when a
Yale crowd shook big wad of money
and taunts at Bob until with a yell he
left his usually ,well-leaded feet and
frightened me, whose allowance was,
dollars to Bobs cents, at the sum total
Off the bet cards he signed before he.
cleared the room of Yale money and
came to with a white face streaming
with cold Precipitation. These events
had passed out Of my memory as the
ordinary student breaks that any hot
blooded youth is liable to make in like
circumstances. AS l looked at Bob
that day, while he tried to tell me that
the business of Randolph & Randolph.
would not be safe in his keeping. had
to admit to myself that was puzzled.
had regarded my old college chum
C,1u
messed man had ever met, but knew
him as the soul Of honor. that honor of
the old story-books, and 1 could not
credit his being tempted to jeopardize
unfairly the rights Of property of an
other. But it was habit with me to
let Bob have his way, and did not
press him to come into our firm as a
full partner.
Five years later, during which time
affairs, business and social, had been
slipping along as well as either Bob
or could have asked, / was preparing
for another sit-down to show my chum
that the time had now come for him
to help me in earnest, when a queer
thing happened-one of those unac-
countable incidents that God some
times sees fit to drop across the life
paths of His children, paths heretofore
as straight and far-ahead visible as
highways along which one has never
to look twice to see where he is tray-
cling; one of those events that, looked
at retrospectively, are beyond all hui
man understanding
1t was a beautiful July Saturday
noon and Bob and | had Just packed
up for the day preparatory to joining
Mrs. Randolph on my yacht for a run
down to our place at Newport. As we
stepped out of his office one of the
clerks announced that lady had come
in and had particularly asked to see
Mr.. BROMLEY.
e Who the deuce can she be, coming
in at this time on Saturday, just when
all alive men are in a rush to shake
the heat and dirt of business for food
and the good air or al outdoors?"
growled Bob. Then he said. Show
her in"
Another minute and he had his an
swer.
A lady entered.
Mr.. BrOwnley?" She waited an In.
slant to make sure he was the Vir-
ginian. q
Bob bowed
tinued next week.