The Raymer enterprise., 1913-07-17
retiring back and the manner Of cafe

retiring back and the manner Of cars-
less scorn.
Make It three" said the Bonanza
King. turning his head slightly and
throwing the sentence over his shoul-
der.
Gene Cannon was now twenty-nine
years Of age and had drunk since his
eighteenth year. His mother had died
In Ignorance Of his vice. When hiA
father discovered 1t. 1t simply aug
mented the old mans impatienoe
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, 40
he could other vices, II 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 son?" he queried some
times In an access Of disgust in which
the surprise was stronger than the
disgust. The question possessed q
sort Of scientific interest for him
which was deeper than the personal
and over which the disappointed mag
nate would ponder.
As Gene grew older and his intem-
perance assumed more serious propor-
tions. the fathers scorn grew moro
open and was augmented by 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-
tion was that they should not have
been Ill. 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 It came
to useless, hamperlng vice. weak
ness that In itself was harmless
enough. but that was allowed to gain
paralyzing proportions. his original
contempt was intensified into fierce
intolerance which would have been
terrifying II 1t had not been tempered
with an Indifferent disdain.
Roses attitude toward her brother
was 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 we're 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 fathomlesp
mysteries Of life.
It 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
q 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 amlable visage and unin.
spired conversation would not cause
him any particular distress or sense
Of loss. q
But when Rose unfolded the whole
Of her scheme he was not so enthu.
siastically in accord with her. 1t was
that Gene should be put on his fathers
ranch-the historic Rancho Of tho
Santa Trinidad near San Luis Obispo
AS manager. that all responsibility
should be placed in his hands, and
that II. during one years probation.
he should remain sober and maintain
O record Of quiet conduct and general
good behavior. the ranch should be
turned over to him as his own prop
erty. TO be developed on such lines az
he thought best.
The Rancho of the Santa Trinidad
was one Of the finest pieces Of agri-
cultural property In California. The
Bonanza King visited 1t once a year.
and at intervals received crates Of
fruit and spring chickens raised upon
1t. This was about all he got out
Of 1t, but when he heard Rose calmly
arranging to have 1t become Genu's
property, he felt like q 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 II
OF course he gave way to her. as hs
always did. He even gave way grace
fully with an effect Of generosity too
large to bother over trifles, not be-
cause he felt It but because he did
not want Rose to guess how It 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 a year. and that there was
therefore no fear Of the richest piece
| of land In the stat0 passinR into tke