The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1913-10-03
On the Box
., THOMAS r. DEAN

Years ago there were two men living
In n OF the great cities on the east:
ern coast Of the United States who.
though they were father and son. were
chums. They were rich and ultra fash
ionable, which meant then something
tar different from what It would meap
today. In those days the fashionable
people Of the land were refined and
intelligent. Now to be ultra fashiona.
BILE has q questionable sound. One may
be ultra fashionable. yet devoid Of or
binary breeding.
The two men referred to looked like
gentlemen and acted like gentlemen.
Shakespeare has described them in his
words TO the name born" They
were always see together on the
street, and n looking at them would
think them a pair of noblemen belong
ing to some lordly English estate. In
society they were known as "Dombey
& Son."
The father, who was a. widower,
drifted on. thinking that their com.
| Pu0xVuSn4Rs "VOlO so0S no tVu9 % knSJ
lived. What a shock, then, was 1t
to him when his son announced to his
father his engagement! The older man
could not believe his senses. But when
he learned that his son was to marry
a girl with no fortune, that the young
couple could not retain the position
in society that their ancestors, the
Van G.'s, had held for 200 years, his
d~esolation was complete. He could not
conceive Of himself failing to appear
at the functions be had from his youth
been accustomed to attend, and to 60
to them without the companion who
had always gone with him would be
worse than not going at all.
The first quarrel the two had e
had followed. You shall not marry"
said the elder Van G.. unless you
marry one of our set and one with
sufficient fortune to enable you to keep
Up q position as a married man"
II have asked a lady to be my wife,"
replied the son. 'and I will not turn
upon my invitation"
Every well. then. you must shift for
yourself"
Harry Van q. married a lovely girl;
but. since It would have required an
income equal to his fathers to take
her in the society he had been used to
going with. he did not attempt 1t. But
this In comparison with the young
couples real condition was q baga-
tella They had nothing whatever to
live on and sank rapidly into poverty.
The elder Van g., though it nearly
broke his heart to 60 to functions
without his double, chose what he con-
sidered the lesser of two evils and
went He saw nothing Of his m
that he blamed him or was angry with
him, but that he considered Harry out
Of the chosen set. who had composed
society since colonial days and 1t
would be contamination for him to as
sociate with any one except the elect.
One day the elder Van G.-this was
several years since he had parted with
his so~n-stepped out Of his club to q
carriage that had been called for him,
Elegantly dressed, as usual, his head
lowered with q shining silk hat, his
feet with white spats, his hands with
tan gloves and carrying a cane he
stood for q moment looking up and
down the street, then went down to
the cab. The coachman annoyed him.
Efor instead Of looking straight ahead
Of him he turned his face in the op.
posite direction.
Mr.. Van @. got into the carriage and
told the cabman' to drive him to the
home Of q lady social leader. On ar
irving at the door some friends Of the
aristocrat happened to pass, and he
stopped on the sidewalk to speak to
them. When doing % be happened to
cast his eye to the coac6map and rec
ognized his son. He was too well bred
to show surprise or shock at wen this
contretemps. Nor did he In. any way
recognise the fact that hts own on
spring was his cabman. When his
friends passed N he went into the
house before which he stood and after
making a call came out. directed the
eoachman to drive him to his home.
tipped him and went inside.
The next day the same cab was
called at the same club for the same
Imam. On this occasion Mr.. Van g.
was dressed In his most ordinary cos.
tune. Az be entered the cab without
looking at his cabman be gave his d.
freedoms q to where he wished to be
sfiRrts8SS aAS v@ SssSse
Il Tho cabman started. Hefwas direct
"a 70 take his fare to biz own humble
~ = 40 - ENE =. 4gHHl a. - ~ 49,