Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-11-26

membership in the Siowithai"
in that case" retorted Ruthyen,
"we'd better wind up our affairs and
make arrangements for an auctioneer"
"All right. Wind up and be hanged!"
said Notify. '"There'll be at least suf1-
cient self respect left in the treasury
to go round"
Which was all very fine. and Notify
meant 1t at the time, but outside of
the asset of self respect there was too
much money invested in the lands
plant and buildings. in the streams,
lakes, hatcheries and forests of the
Siowitha. The enormously wealthy
seldom stand long upon dignity if that
dignity is going to be very expensive.
Only the poor can afford disastrous self
respect.
So the chances were that Neergard
would become member, which was
why he had acquired the tract. and the
price he would have to pay was not
only In taxes upon the acreage, but Sc
cretly solid sum in addition to little
Mr.. Ruthven, whom he was binding to
him by every tie he could pay for.
He suffered Gerald and little Ruth
ven to pilot him. He remained cheer
fully oblivious to the snubs and indif-
ference accorded him by Mrs. Ruthven.
Mrs. Fame and others Of their entour-
age whom he encountered over the card
tables or at card suppers. And all the
while he was attending to his business
with an energy and activity that ought
to have shamed Gerald and did at
times. particularly when he arrived at
the Office utterly unfit for the work be-
fore him.
But Neergard continued astonishing
~ tolerant and kind, lending him mon
ey, advancing him what he required,
taking up or renewing notes for him
until the boy, heavily in his debt,
plunged more heavily still in sheer des-
peration. only to founder the deeper at
every struggle to extricate himself.
Alike Ruthven suspected something
Of this, but 1t was useless as well as
perilous in other ways for her to argue
with Gerald. for the boy had come to
point where even his devotion to her
could not stop him. He must go on.
Meanwhile the Ruthvens were living
almost lavishly and keeping four more
horses. But Eileen Erroll's bank bal
ance had now dwindled to three fig
ures. and Gerald had not only acted Of
fensively toward Selwyn, but had quar-
relied SO violently with Austin that the
latter. thoroughly incensed and disgust
ed. threatened to forbid him the house
1.-THE little fool" he said to Selwyn,
came here last night sinking of
wine and attempted to lay down the
law to me-tried to dragon me into a
compromise with him over the invest
ments / have made for him! BY God.
Phil, he shall not control one cent until
the trust conditions are fulfilled,
though 1t was left to my discretion
+ too. And l told him SO fatty. told
! him he wasn't fit to be trusted with
the coupons of repudiated South
| American bond
Hold on. Austin. That isn't the
| way to tackle n boy like that"
isn't 1T? Well. why not? Do you
expect me to dicker with him?"
mo: but. Austin. you've always been
little brusque with him. Don't you
| think
mo, I don't. It's discipline he needs,
and he'll get it good and plenty every
time he comes here"
T-I'm afraid he may cease coming
here That's the worst of 1t. For his
sisters sake l think we ought to try
to put up with
Put up, Put up! I've been doing
nothing else since he came of age.
He's turned out fool of puppy
| tell you. He's idle, lazy. dissipated
impudent, conceited, insufferable"-
! "But not vicious, Austin, and not
untruthful. Where his affections are
conferred he is always generous; where
they should be centered he is merely
thoughtless. not deliberately selfish
And. Austin, we've simply got to be.
lieve in him, you know-on Eileen's
account"
Austin grew angrier and redder.
"Eileen's account? Do you mean heI
bank account? It's easy enough to be
Iieve in him if you inspect his sisters
bank account. Believe in him? Oh
certainly 1 do. I believe he's pup
|
to pay for all the fooleries he's en-.
gagged in. And I've positively forbid
den her tn draw another check to his
order"
"It's that little bangled whelp Ruth
ven," said Selwyn between his teeth
IT warned Gerald most solemnly OF
that man, but He shrugged his
shoulders and glanced about him al
the linen covered furniture and bare
floors. After q moment he looked up
1.-The game there is. Of course. noto
rious. I-if matters did not stand as
7 they do" = he flushed painfully I'D
go straight to Ruthven and find out
whether or not this business could BIZ
stopped"
If Alike had done her best to keep
Gerald away, she appeared to be quite
poweriess in the matter; and it was
therefore useless to go to her. Besides
he had every inclination to avoid her
He had learned his lesson.
To whom then could he go? Through
whom could he reach Gerald? Through
Nina? Useless. And Gerald had al
ready defied Austin. Through Neer