The Washington herald., 1911-12-31
GAMBLER

cigars in the library. His father studied
| the stalwart figure and the clean, strons
line of the profile with his heart in his
eyes. How could he bear to thwart his
son? How much the boy had been &c
him! He had turned over his entire
business to Wilbur, and 1t had gone on
even more smoothly and profitably thar
J when he himself, with all his years OF
! experience, had been at the helm. But
now this ineXplicable desire to abandon
his warm and comfortable berth for the
! strain and turmoil and danger of battle
1t was the old story of Age unable &c
| identify itself with Youth; but the elder
Mr. Emerson decided that once more he
| would make the effort.
Wilbur" he said slowly and graveIy
| gazing fixedly at the end of his cigar
! Il wish you would tell me exactly why
you want to go on with this thing
know you we'll enough to know that you
are not aVaricious. The money you have
| now and will have when 1 die is more
[ than you will ever spend. II II isn't
money, what is it?'
The young man hesitated for a bare
instant. Then he turned to his father
with a quick movement.
Il have told you. father" he said
earnestly, that 1t is simply a question
of self-preservation. We can't stand still
ing bankers when you went into the
financial world? Why. even their names
are forgotten! Why? Because they
| didn't keep abreast of the times. Moth
ing can stand still. England has been
trying to stand still since the Boer war
and her next move will be backward. -
DO you consider the new budget retro
gression?" interposed his father mildly
mo; I consider 1t desperation" was
Ia grim SC p Of
tempt to restore her economic health and
keep up her waning military prestige -
His father stirred uneasily in his chair
He believed in the destiny of the Anglo
Saxon.
However, that is neither here nor
there he said. You haven't told me
the real reason why you want to branch
out. We are not in immediate danger
of dying Of stagnatiOn.'
THAT is pre- cisely where 1 don't agree
with you, father" the young man re-
piled.
why. Wilbur" exclaimed the father,
with some heat, how can you stand
there and offer an argument like that,
when you know that our business has
been growing even faster now than ever
before ,"
Il know that perfectly we'll" the
young man nodded. And, il you will
pardon the boast. I think you will agree
with me that much OF what you are
pleased TO call rapid growth in the past
few years has been due to the fact that
introduced a few modern methods.
Isn't that true"
1T most certainly is, my boy" his
father agreed. heartily. And for that
reason I can't see why"
Now, just a moment father" the
young man interrupted. Let me finish
my brief before YOU crush me. 1t is
true that We have been growing and
rather more rapidly than usual. in the
past few years. But while we have been
growing inches the others have been
growing miles, mean the other big fell
lows. Everything is comparative. They
are growing so much more rapidly than
we are that we are slipping backward
to all interts and purposes"
"a stinkweed grows faster than an
oak. my boy said his father, in his old
fashioned way.
Eyes: it does. But the oak is chopped
down and sawed up, and that is the end
Of it, and the stinkweed fiourishes over
the place where il grew" retorted Will
bur His father made a little grimace at
the flank movement.
Still, it is not an immediate danger"
he objected.
No: it is not an immediate danger,
Wilbur admitted, quietly. But when
the danger is immediate it will be too