Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1913-07-11
retiring back and the manner of care


King. turning his head slightly and
throwing the sentence over his shout
der.
Gene Cannon was now twenty-nino
years of age and had drunk since his
eighteenth year. His mother had died
In ignorance of his vice. When his
father discovered 1t. 1t simply aug
mented the old mans impatience
against the feeble youth who would
carry on his name and be one Of the
inheritors OF his fortune. Bill Can
non had never cared much for his
only son. He had early seen the stun
OF which the boy was made. Doesn't
amount to hill of BEANS" he would
say, throwing the words at his wife
over the bitten end Of his cigar. He
could have forgiven the drinking, a.
he could other vices, IL Gene had had
some of his own force, some Of that
driving power which had carried him
triumphant over friend and foe. But
the boy had no initiative, no brains,
no energy. How did / ever come to
have such a SOM" he queried some
times in an access of disgust in which
the surprise was stronger than the
disgust. The question possessed a
sort Of scientific interest for him
which was deeper than the personal
and over which the disappointed mag
nate would ponder. i,
AS Gene grew older and his intern
perance assumed more serious proper
tions, the fathers scorn grew more
open and was augmented by a sort OF
exasperated dislike. The Bonanza
King had no patience with those who
failed from ill-health or the persistent
prosecutions of bad luck. His conten-
ton was that they should not have
been i'll, and they should have con-
quered their bad luck. He had not ex-
cuses for those who were beaten back
| against the wall-only death should
be able to do that. But when 1t came
to useless, hampering vice, n weak
ness that in itself was harmless
| enough. but that was allowed to gain
paralyzing proportions. his original
contempt was intensified into a fierce
intolerance which would have been
| terrifying II 1t had not been tempered
with an Indifferent disdain.
Roses attitude toward her brother
was a source OF secret wonder to him.
She loved the feeble youth; tie Of
the deepest affection existed between
them. upon which Genes intemperance
seemed to have no effect. The Bonan-
"a King had always admitted that the
ways of the gentler sex were beyond
his comprehension, bit that the two
women he had known best-his wife
and his daughter-should have Law
ished the tenderest love upon an In
temperate, Incompetent. useless weak
ling was to him one of the fathomless
mysteries of life.
1t was Roses suggestion that Gene
should be withdrawn from temptation
by sending him to the country. Al
the only son of Bill Cannon he was
the object OF variety Of attentions
and allurements in the city to which
stronger-willed man might have sue
cumbed. The father readily agreed to
the plan. He could graciously sub
scribe to all Rose said, as the removal
of Genes amiable visage and unin-
spired conversation would not cause
him any particular distress or sense
of loss.
But when Rose unfolded the whole
of her scheme he was not SO enthu-
siastically in accord with her. II was
that Gene should be put on his fathers
ranch-the historic Rancho of the
Santa Trinidad near San Luis Obispo
las manager. that all responsibility
should be placed in his hands. and
that If, during one years probation,
he should remain sober and maintain
a record of quiet conduct and general
good behavior, the ranch should be
/ De. A,fTF mn
erty, to be developed on such lines az
he thought best.
The Rancho of the Santa Trinidad
was one of the finest pieces Of agr-
cultural property in California. The
Bonanza King visited 1t once a year.
and at intervals received crates Of
fruit and spring chickens raised upon
It, This was about all he got out
of It, but when he heard Rose calmly
arranging to have 1t become Gene's
property, he felt like man who sud-
denly finds himself being robbed. He
had difficulty in restraining a roar
of refusal Had 1t been any one hut
Rose he would not have restrained 1t
OF course he gave way to her. as ne
always did. He even gave way grace
fully with an effect of a generosity too
large to bother over triaes. not be-
cause he felt 1t but because he did
not want Rose to guess how II went
against him." Under the genial bland
ness of his demeanor he reconciled
himself to the situation by the thought
that Gene would certainly never keep
sober for year, and that there was
therefore no fear Of the richest piece
of land in the state passing into the
hands of that dull and incapable
young man.
The year was nearly up now. Il
| had hut three months TO rim and