The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1911-10-06
BEING
INSPECTED
BY HENRY C. WILLING
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.


but a superhuity of health, youth and
spirits, and when look back upon my
self at that period see simply boy
passing into manhood.
AS soon as l was graduated l sought
the freedom of the wild west. Ranch
ing was my vocation and cowboys
were my associates. The only thing
that | can remember creditable to my
self while a rancher was falling in
love with Eleanor Warfeld a visitor
at a neighboring ranch. This occur
red during my first year in the west
and some time before l had been
transformed from the grub, youth, in
to the superior being, man. Miss War
field returned my proffered affection
and consented to be my wife, but on
one condition. l must be approved by
her uncle. He was rich, and, being
bachelor, she was to be his heir. New
ertheess she was sure that If she mar
ried a man displeasing to him he
would leave his property elsewhere.
My fiancee, having finished her visit,
left for the east. She was to announce
her engagement to her uncle and ere
ate as favorable an impression with
regard to me as possible. Then, the
way having been made smooth, l was
to go east myself and present myself
for inspection.
Miss Warfield wrote me some time
after her arrival that she had inform
ed her uncle of her engagement. She
was not overhopeful in the matter for
he had asked number of questions as
to my antecedents which she knew very
well would not please critical old
gentleman who had never sown his
wild oats and whose ideas Of a hus'
band for his niece inclined to the cler.
ical profession. What troubled Eleanor
was that he asked at what college |
had studied, and from my career at the
university as had frankly given it to
her she was quite sure he would hear
no good of me. She was agreeably
disappointed in this, however, for the
faculty spoke very well Of me, cir
cumstance which surprised me and led
me to believe that these gentlemen
consider unmeritorious students more
needful of encomiums than those who
are meritorious. At any rate, l have
found them far more lenient to my
faults as a graduate than they were to
me as student.
When the time came for my inspec-
ton l wrote my fancee, giving her the
day and train on which l would ar
rive. On the way fell in with an old
gentleman who was the only person
on the train l cared to talk to and
whom I engaged in conversation. He
was one of those men who have more
sympathy with young people than
those of their own age He talked
horse, and l was delighted to talk
horse with him. He smoked to excess
and drank whenever it pleased him to
do so. We hadn't been together half
an hour before he brought out flask,
cigars and cards. l was not personally
averse to any one Of the three and pre-
ferred them together. Having i'm
bibed and lighted weeds, we proceed
ed to play. found the gentleman the
best eucher player l had ever met.
Possibly my reason for so considering
him was because before we reached
our destination he had taken out of me
all the money / had brought with me
for expenses.
"Well," l said, "Tm cleaned out"
"Come to my bank tomorrow morn
ing" he said. land I'll cash a draft for
you"
Since needed money from the start,
the first thing did after my arrival
was to call at the old gentleman's
bank. I found him very different
person there from the man with whom
had Travelled. He was dignity itself.
He cashed my draft without the slight
est reference to the manner in which
we had whiled away the time on the
train, asked few civil questions and
dismissed me with the remark that
this was his busy day.
felt trife groggy, and I feared
looked groggy. Therefore l took q
long nap, deferring my call on my
fiancee till evening. l was anxious tC
see Eleanor, but feared to present @
dissipated appearance to her uncle.
At 4 o'clock I took Turkish bath
dined, and at s, quite freshened, rams
the doorbell at the Warfields. Eleanor
received me lovingly, Of course, ant
told me that the account the profes
sors had given Of me at college ha(
made her quite hopeful. After chat
ting for some time she led me into tn,
library to be inspected. An old gentle
man rose from an easy chair, and
well, was appalled,.
He was my fellow traveller.
He told me to sit down. Then h
said that instead of making the in
spection of me in his home he hat
gone west for the purpose of seeing
what really was by taking me off m.
guard. He was very well satisfied
with me and considered me a mucl
better man than l had been represent
ed by the professors under whom
had studied, cor, rather, had not stud
ied," he added.
"What did they say of me?" asked
"The reputation you left at colleg
was far better than the one left my
self. 1 don't belong to studious fam
lily myself, and doubt If you do.
, discovered on our trip that you ar
. honorable, your impulses are good AM
, you will turn out all right"
Swiss Cow Bells.
It is the custom of Swiss mountain
GERS to hang bells on the necks Of thei