The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-06-21
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u040 0tB~ 0eovA" oAIo Otbo& why
0onN yos Wrato - yUas aunt. o. lake
Sonooas He OWES 4 20 you to do
ooneoABng; ~ not much to ask"
Dut eto1Aon shock hin head,
''OA. come now. that's merely your
peid& Just uaAks " your mind to let
ShlnGp drop here; yoQ shouldn't risk
yusr health racing Abo0k the country;
q hsst you'll only clear up few hum
dfUda. even your aunt could do that
nuoA for you and not feel t.
"Yoa dout understand. Nbbs:
cannot ask anything Of her: her
means are ANAL enough. and my obli-
nations to her are already greater
than oan ever hope to discharge"
well. OF course, you know best;
but I want to SEQ you set away from
here, steve, you are using yourself up
70 no purpose. It's . dogs life; I
feel Il. and things don't grind into mo
the way they do into you"
Later In the day the fever which
had left him returned; and . feeling
Of despair laid hold OF Stephen. Sup
pose he did not get well-suppose he
Should die! II would be 90 much more
easy to die than to live: why should
he wish to pass again beyond the four
white walls Of that room! Then he
thought of his little son. and begged
Gibbs who was watching at his side
to hnd him pen and paper. These
were brought him, the general prop
ped him up In bed with pillows. and
the sick man took the pen with feeble
Angers. After all. in his poverty and
sickness. his misery Of body and spir-
L.. he ha1
. final dire extremity, he turned TO Vir-
ginia. She had been his first friend
and she was his last. With infinite
dimculty. for his eyes seemed ready
. to leap from their sockets, and the
pen would slip from his weak fingers.
he wrote two letters. The first was
to Virginia: the other to Benson. This
labor, for 1t was a real labor, he nm
ished at intervals during the after.
noon The result was two rambling
incoherent letters which bore entirely
kupon his sons future; OF himself he
said nothing. What was In these let
tiers Gibbs did not know then; but
when they we're written, he said:
Nov I suppose you want me to
post EN- for you, Steve?"
Landray shook his head.
mo, we'll wait until tomorrow"
But why wsit?" urged Gibbs i'm
patiently. You'll be changing your
mind the first thing know, Steve.
"Perhaps SHALL may not send
them at ALL" and he lay back YEARLY
among his pillows. II don't want to
alarm my aunt needlessly,' he added.
1.-The sooner she knows OF the stu
alton here. the better satisfied I shall
| be- said Gibbs.
II believe you want to see the last
or me. general" said Landray. smil-
ing whimsically at his friend
3 mo. I don't. Steve. but | do want
70 see you get out Of this. | figure
On ioining you wherever you go; you
fgure on joining you wherever you
10; you need me; you're too much
Of a gentleman to get money easy. and
you nee. me-"
But how about you, general"
Being a gentleman" a wide grin
overspread the generals battered
face. well. amt any illusions LETT
on that score. about manage TO hit
the prevailing level. Put me down as
good company; I'll keep up my end
anywhere. I'm versatile; but ] reck-
on you know the best and the worst
of me, Steve--it's the common human
average. That's why you need me:
you're just a peg above the average,
20 was your father and uncle; and
everybody loved em for it, but 1t
didn't stand In the way OF their tax
ing advantage Of EN- Now nobody
ever got into me very deep. I've al
ways been able to take handsome
care OF my own skin: and when Prov
idence settles with the meek In spirit,
the name OF Gibbs won't De mention
ed; there'll be nothing coming to me
that l amt got"
Stephen passed restless night,
while Gibbs, shabby and dissipated,
watched tenderly at his side; but IN
the morning he felt so much better
that In spite OF Gibbs protests he In
sisted upon dressing, and went down
stairs. The following day he was able
Ia leave the house. but he paid dearly
for his imprudence. The fever return
ed and he went back to bed. he was
again delirious. and the second day he
PASSED In semi-conscious state from
which he only aroused at long inter
walls.
Gibbs and Mrs. Gibbs and Airing
watched him constantly. The doors
OF the Golden West saloon were clos
ed and locked. and the thirsty OF
Grant City going there. tried the door
in vain. looked in at the window, and
went sadly away.
"He amt showing any nerve. nor
any wish to live." walled Gibbs. He
sinking because he amt trying TO
keep up. Unless he helps himself
we can't do anything for him"
And Il was as Gibbs said. stephen
now lacked both the inclination and
the power to help himself he faced
the thought Of death with Indifference.
This continued for a week.
Il was Gibbs who was with him
when the end came. All at once
Stephen reused himself from his leth-
argy and sat erect In his bed
Gibbs" he called hoarsely.
what Is 1t. Steve--Im here: don't
you see me-" asked the general from
his seat al his side. and ne rested a
shaking hand on the younger man 6
arm.
Take him 10 his aunt" muttered
LAndray. ito his aunt. do you under
stand? mean the boy-take him to
his aunt. take him there first"
Eyes, yes. Steve, don't worry; I'll
do Just as you say" cried Gibbs In a
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