The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-11-09
when Ben wharton was seven sen

I, 800. :. -. ~. - = = 49,
When Ben Wharton was seyenteen
It was, ercssary fars iIRit 70 ggo y. work
tc!fsliifIstt h widpW ntoth her and a
Younger si5tera .tc worried nh st,aysind
nstalls most ~ the night. s:iyitiil5E all
his mother and sister did not need and
|fnyeytins Il His ambition WIS II syac.
fnmnlate a competence and then enjoy
a world which he considered only en-.
joyable for those who hase plenty OF
money. When he was twenty. I'VE ills
mother died. and soon after thisyIhis
sister married. AT thirty-fiye he found
himself In possession OF 5000 600 and
no one to provide for except himself
Then something .happened he mo-
ticed a swelling on his neck. He con-
suited physician, who after making
an: examination said to him:
do You wish me to tell You the
truth 2, VI J; s; ~ ~
II certainly do.r
well, then, what you have on your
neck 10 either a s;ttilnorf of a CANCER. It
lies directly over the jugular vein II
At is a cancer It Will eat into that vein,
and you will bleed TO! death. II IL lisa
tumor 1t viii 80 ener4ach upon the
vein as to stop the flow OF blood. and
you will die from that. cause, 81 /. n
Wharton was q philosophlc man. and
philosophers usually, have views Of
their own. He concluded to spend his
money in having a good time while he
lived. But lie must have a companion
to, enjoySit with him. y ttsfii. .,S1
The only person whose company he
enjoyed !, was a Miss Della Thorne.
She was poor and was getting to that
age where but few women marry.
Wharton went to see ,her and made
her the following proposition: III. you
will mafry me" he said. .'and join me
In the expenditure. OF half my fortune
YOU shall have the. other half when j
die which the doctor tells me viii DE
In about a Searp, Ana he Informed
her OF. his condition! NJ. z}ia!tstJ .fiast
ltGfiss Thorhes was itatf very self cont
tafned young, woman. She sat looking
at Wharton after this singular propo-
sitpn for tsomei time; wfthoutia word
$theh said that she would 1ake,the mat
ter under udrisemcnt and in "a day or
Etwotlet him know! her dec isiOh, I, This
lsass ssatisfactory to- Ben. WHO went,
away anI gave thai portion W Ills fu.,
tire mo- further thong hts until be ire
;ceiSed he. reply, Which WIS thtsas 3;
-: "a ecepted on condition that, you
spend half your fortune; within tile
year. the other half to be settled on me
on the day OF our MARRIAGE r,
d Ben could understand the last part
ofthls contract. but not thc first part.
Why should Della stipulatc that he
should spend what he. proposed to
spend? But he was bent on carrying
out his design. 6.aa q:
he did carry out his design. and his
wife helped him. His swelling gave
him no pain. and the shadow Of death
that hung over him. alone prevented
his enjoyment His wife. whenever
she saw that he was under the ,intlu.
ence Of his expected ending would pro.
pose. some new pleasure. and as pleas
ure usually cost. money her husbands
share Of the fortune rapidly melted.
Finally the year was up, and Ben had
spent 1t all. .tl 20
whats to be done now. Benz" ask.
ed his wife,. you are, still, living and
no worse physically than when we
were married." ,s+.r
-"I don't KNOW, said Ben, ...Doubt.
less j have been kept up by having my
MUD taken offtmy,afflicton." g,
II think there Is good deal In that"
said his wife. IF your share of our.
fortune lias kept you alive n year per-
.haps my share will keep you alive an
other year. We Will continue our ex-
pcndltures." E#
Ben looked at her. astonished. He
knew that she would much prefer to
live u quiet life. and by this PROPOSE.
ton she showed that she would rather
have him for another year than he In.
dependence guaranteed her at their
marriage. He doubted her sincerity.
''rhank you very much for the re.
manning year." he said. ~
For month the expenditures pro.
ceeded rs before, Ben every day ex-
pecting that his wife would call for:
a, reduction Not comment escaped
her. Then Ben said to her:
Della. thought this was business
deal between u.s." ~
$50 1t was on your part"
Ben. got up from where he was sit
ting, went to her and put his arms
about her. Presently he said: ~.
~ think ! would like to live"
81 wish you could"
Maybe that doctor was wrong after
ALL"
q don't know anything about that,
II think I'll try another" t
He did try another and another. In
deed. he tried n number. but they all
told him the same storyfas the first.
AT last he found a specialist who re-
ferred all bodily troubles to one cause.
| This catiyp hannannd In hjt VIVA rton,c